Why wellness is a top priority for European home buyers

From Fitbits to Oura rings and smartwatches to health trackers, wellbeing and a focus on mindfulness are increasingly part of daily life, the components of a global industry valued at a striking US$1.8 trillion. This focus on wellness extends also to the second home locations and properties in most demand today, with developers and hospitality brands responding by providing enticing options to keep mind and body fighting fit.

“Clients seek out wellness in different ways,” explains Jack Harris, Partner in Knight Frank’s International team. “In Ibiza for example, it is about yoga retreats, meditation centres and sound baths while in the South of France it could be playing traditional sports, tennis and golf combined with hiking and cycling in the Gorges du Verdon. Either way, wellness has moved to the top of the agenda, a move spurred on post-Covid by the desire to connect with nature.”

It's a desire that his colleague in the International team, Nicola Christinger, has seen increase across the Mediterranean. “There’s a new kind of buyer, younger and internationally minded, who doesn’t just want a beautiful home,” she outlines. “They want a lifestyle that supports their wellbeing, from gym access to community gardens. Wellness is no longer about pampering. It’s about performance and purpose. Since Covid, the world has taken a deep breath and reconsidered how to live well.”

7 bedroom villa for sale in Gassin, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

South of France

A mediocre swimming pool no longer cuts it for the new generation of wellness-focused buyers. Instead they want extensive spas and state-of-the-art gyms, and developers along the Riviera are responding. Inland in Mougins and Valbonne, residents have excellent sports complexes nearby while to the west, on the green and natural St Tropez peninsula, equestrian facilities, golf at Gassin and the beaches at Ramatuelle, add to the wellness appeal.

5 bedroom villa for sale in Mouans-Sartoux, Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

“Before Covid, people would only ever ask how far a property was from the beach but now they want to know how long it will take to head inland for cycling and hiking,” says Harris. “It’s a notable change. Clients are also adapting how they use their properties, staying throughout the summer for example. I’m convinced that over the next six to twelve months, the South of France will see more activity because of the flow of wealth coming from Monaco. Residents there look to France for a weekend bolthole with space to breathe and relax, preferably within 90 minutes.” 

5 bedroom chalet for sale in Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, Haute-Savoie, Rhône-Alpes

French Alps

Covid provided an opportunity for people to recalibrate the way they live, giving many the chance to rebalance, says Roddy Aris, head of Knight Frank’s French Alpine Network. The health benefits of Alpine living have a long history: spa towns such as St Gervais-les-Bains welcomed tourists for its thermal springs long before the first ski lift opened.

“We’ve always seen that people buy homes in the Alps to make the most of time with family and friends in a healthy, outdoor environment,” Aris says. “The superb scenery, the pure mountain air and fresh summer temperatures, the quality of the chalets on offer in the most prestigious resorts and the year-round activities, winter sports and summer hiking and mountain biking, are all conducive to a healthy lifestyle.”

5 bedroom chalet for sale in Courchevel 1850, Savoie, Rhône-Alpes

Super-prime buyers today have come to expect extensive spa and wellness facilities in their chalets, but wellness is not restricted only to saunas and steam rooms, says Aris. It could be the luxury of space for a grand piano or a snooker table, important add-ons along with the time to indulge them.

“Courchevel 1850 and Val d’Isere set the benchmark for luxury, both in prime chalets and in amenities within the resorts, while Chamonix and Megève in the Mont Blanc corridor provide the best year-round lifestyle,” says Aris. “The French have always had more of a laser focus on health. I have French cousins who talk about going to the mountains to replenish their red blood cells, something top athletes do, and it’s clear that British clients are beginning to follow this lead.”  

3 bedroom penthouse for sale in Puente Romano, Marbella, Málaga, Andalucía

Marbella, Spain

Marbella is quietly reinventing itself, says Nicola Christinger, Associate in Knight Frank’s International Team, shifting its dominant image as a luxury playground for jetsetters to embrace organic food markets, digital detox retreats, superb wellness clinics and mindfulness areas in co-working spaces.

“In an age of burnout and biohacking, Marbella is emerging as a Mediterranean sanctuary for those chasing a different kind of wealth: health,” she says. “It has always had all the essentials for a wellness destination, with 320 annual days of sunshine, a micro-climate thanks to the Sierra Blanca mountains and the calm, blue Mediterranean Sea. Now it is adding to that with a superb wellness infrastructure, everything from cryotherapy to IV drips.”

Christinger points to the Marbella Club’s Thalassa Spa, the boho-chic Six Senses Spa at Puente Romano and the SHA Wellness Clinic – a hugely respected name in medical wellness - set to open a second Andalucían centre in Marbella.

“Walk through Marbella’s Old Town or upmarket neighbourhoods like Nueva Andalucía or Elviria and you’ll notice the changing culture with yoga studios on every corner and vegan restaurants filled with digital nomads,” she says. “Marbella’s clean eating scene is thriving, headlined by organic cafes like Rachel’s Eco Love, Celicioso and Organic Market & Food.”

Developers have responded, incorporating luxury with eco-conscious, health-centric living. Palo Alto and The View Marbella, both gated communities, are among prime examples that focus on hiking trails, wellness centres and nutrition services.

“What’s perhaps most compelling is how Marbella’s modern wellness wave is anchored in ancient rhythms,” says Christinger. “The wonderful Mediterranean lifestyle of lengthy family meals, long walks, seasonal food and social connection, has always championed balance. Marbella today feels less like a trend and more like a blueprint.”

7 bedroom villa for sale in San Juan, Ibiza, Illes Balears

Ibiza, Spain

Has the Balearic island of Ibiza, long known for its energetic nightlife, transformed into a calm, spiritual oasis? Yes, it absolutely has in places, says Jack Harris, another established luxury holiday destination successfully redefining itself with a serious outlook on wellbeing.

“Ibiza is a relatively small island with something for everyone,” he says. “You can start the day hiking in the mountains, lunch in a beach club on one coast and spend the afternoon wind surfing on the other coast. And while its party atmosphere is still intact, it has vigorously embraced the wellbeing scene with yoga retreats and wellness centres. I currently have a client looking to create a wellness retreat in the heart of the Old Town.”

4 bedroom villa for sale in San Juan, Ibiza, Illes Balears

Favourite areas for health focused buyers include San Juan and Portinatx in the north of the island, around one hour from the international airport. When the Six Senses Hotel opened four years ago close to Portinatx, it brought more attention to this rugged, quiet, rural area where the focus is resolutely on wellness, mindfulness and renewal.

“International brands that embrace wellness, such as the Six Senses, are pulling wealth into new areas across the Med,” says Harris. “In Ibiza, there’s been a real shift as more clients look to the hills and mountains in the north and there are interesting homes there. We’re selling a villa in San Juan with a wide yoga deck which has the perfect blend of authentic rustic style and cool pared back interiors.  It perfectly demonstrates how Ibiza has evolved.”

Contact our International Residential Property team today to find your wellness sanctuary in Europe.