A New Formula for Wellness Travel: Health Tests, Labs and Novak Djokovic
High-end wellness travel is moving beyond simple relaxation in favor of measurable clinical science. Across the market, oil-slathered massages and eucalyptus steam rooms are yielding to healthspan optimization, diagnostics and recovery.
Now, Aman Group is putting its stamp on the trend. The hospitality company known for secluded sanctuaries that draw the global elite is launching Atma, a performance-living and longevity brand co-created with Novak Djokovic, the 24-time tennis Grand Slam champion, whose meticulous training and nutrition helped him to win more major titles than any male player.
Atma’s debut location—a supertall 1,049-foot tower in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood slated to open in 2031—will pair a hotel and branded residences with a 120,000-square-foot wellness facility and indoor racket club.
The concept reflects an evolution in how the wealthy vacation. Travel centered on overindulgence until roughly 15 years ago, when unplugging from smartphone-induced stresses like round-the-clock work fueled interest in wellness travel, said Beth McGroarty, vice president of research at the Global Wellness Institute. The pandemic accelerated demand for verifiable clinical science and hard data.
“The shift is toward clinical wellness and healthspan—living productively and happily, not just longer,” McGroarty said.
The category is scaling rapidly. The wellness economy is forecast to hit $9.8 trillion by 2029, according to Global Wellness Institute data. Wellness tourism specifically, valued at $655 billion in 2019 and $894 billion in 2024, is forecast to reach $1.4 trillion by 2029. Hospitality companies are expanding to meet demand: Switzerland’s Clinique La Prairie is developing new outposts, while Canyon Ranch just opened its most ambitious wellness resort yet, in the Texas Hill Country.
Alongside nine racket courts—a mix of tennis, padel and squash—Atma’s Miami property will house training labs, cold plunges and a multisensory podlike chamber that Djokovic developed with wellness entrepreneur Tav Keen, which combines pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, light and sound to accelerate muscle recovery.
Djokovic’s habits were honed on tour. “In an individual knockout sport like tennis, if you have a bad day competing, no one can substitute in for you—you’re out,” he said. “You can be the absolute favorite at the U.S. Open, but if you lose because you didn’t sleep well, you’re going home. That cruel reality forced me to optimize my nutrition, mobility, recovery, sleep and circadian rhythms.”
Still, resort guests won’t face rigid regimens. While stays are results-oriented, you can simply hit a few tennis balls and relax by the pool. Aman Group CEO and chairman Vlad Doronin said the programming is designed to let you “optimize your health and vitality so you can perform at your peak, both physically and mentally.”
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Written by Jessica Flint