Why wellness is a top priority for European home buyers

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.

“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.”

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.”

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.”

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.”