Wellness Tourism Was Just the Beginning—Now It’s a Way of Life
Some discerning wellness seekers are trading hotel keys for house keys, putting down roots in health-focused residences
Wellness tourism may be one of the hottest trends of 2025, with travelers booking rejuvenating, health-focused getaways that tackle everything from longevity and sports performance to menopause. But for a growing number of high-earning, wellness-minded consumers, a one-week retreat isn’t cutting it. For those going all in on their health, investing in wellness real estate offers a way to live in a supportive, high-tech cocoon of well-being—and at Costa Rica’s Velara at Playa Azul, that vision will soon be a reality.
Founded and led by yogi/serial entrepreneur Kevin Wathey, Velara at Playa Azul is located in one of the world’s rare Blue Zones—areas where people are known to live longer, healthier lives. The development is billed as a “biologically optimized” high-rise residential community, spanning 17 acres near Costa Rica’s Marbella Beach.
For Wathey, his mission is personal, having lost his mother to cancer as a teenager and his best friend just two years later. His health tech platform, Baseline, will be integrated into Velara’s properties.
Velara at Playa Azul is considered the brand’s flagship destination, comprising 44 ocean-view condominiums—including four penthouses—and 32 private villas with open-concept layouts, floor-to-ceiling windows with unobstructed ocean views and adaptive sleep technology. Each residence features a biometric-driven living system that uses wearable data, environmental sensors and AI-powered personalization to create a space attuned to the body’s natural rhythms.
Residents will have access to a personalized performance concierge team offering guidance on nutrition, fitness, recovery and cognitive performance, along with in-room treatments and priority access to Velara’s suite of longevity services and curated lifestyle experiences. There is also a well-being center and spa designed for biometric assessments and cellular restoration therapies, an exclusive beach club with private cabanas and two restaurants featuring bio-personalized nutrition.
“Velara is more than a place—it’s a new paradigm for living, traveling, and experiencing well-being,” Wathey said. “Every detail is designed with purpose—where science meets soul, and where wellness isn’t an amenity but an intrinsic part of how you live, heal and evolve.”
Beyond Costa Rica, Wathey shared on his website that future locations include Italy, South Africa and Dubai.
Limited private residences are available before its slated January 2027 launch, although Velara notes that early buyers will gain access to one-time-only founder-tier pricing.
According to a 2024 report by the Global Wellness Institute, wellness real estate has been the fastest-growing sector in the wellness economy in recent years, with the market projected to reach $913 billion by 2028.
High-End Living, Health-Focused Lifestyles
Luxury athletic country club brand Life Time is also invested in creating health-supporting residential buildings. Residents in the high-end Life Time Living buildings (currently found in Coral Gables, Florida; Burlington, Massachusetts, Green Valley, Nevada and soon opening in Stamford, Connecticut) have access to Life Time’s signature concierge wellness programming, with a team that can assist with weekly meal prep from LifeCafe, personal training, nutrition coaching and more. There is also access to premium community spaces, like rooftop beach clubs. As part of their lease, residents receive a Life Time Signature membership to all Life Time clubs.
South Florida developer Terra and wellness brand The Well are two other major players in the growing wellness real estate space, expanding their presence in Miami with a second residential community: The Well Coconut Grove.
Thoughtfully designed by architecture firm Arquitectonica with interiors by Meyer Davis, the development is expected to open in 2028 with 194 residences featuring floor-to-ceiling glass walls, nature-inspired interiors and private garden entryways. Residents can expect amenities such as a rooftop pool, hot and cold plunges, cabanas, a pickleball court and a wellness center featuring a communal bathhouse, crystal cave relaxation lounges, a hyperbaric chamber and a Vitality Lounge. Functional medicine and physical therapy services will also be available on-site. Prices begin at $1.5 million.
“We really value the partnership we’ve found with Terra,” The Well co-founder and chief creative office Kane Sarhan said. “David Martin understands the immense potential when real estate is infused with wellness from top to bottom. We’re already seeing that potential realized as The Well Bay Harbor Islands comes to life. Now, in bringing The Well to Coconut Grove, we have an opportunity to build a truly unique community where people can live their happiest, healthiest lives.”
Not to be outdone, Tony Robbins, renowned motivational speaker, is also entering into luxury hospitality and real estate with The Estate—a wellness-focused ecosystem built around AI, preventative medicine and longevity in partnership with global hotelier Sam Nazarian, musician and SBE partner Marc Anthony and international strategist Richard Attias. The group plans to launch 15 hotels and residences by 2030, the first of which are slated for Saint Kitts, the U.K., Trento in Northern Italy and Montreux, Switzerland in 2026. Miami and the GCC region will then follow.