How sober took over
From teetotal trips to wellness weekends, Dry Tripping is one of 2024’s hottest vacation trends
Vacations have long been associated with alcohol, be it that celebratory glass of fizz on the plane or sipping a sundowner while drinking in the views. But with just over a quarter of college-aged Americans now teetotal, younger people are seeking vacation experiences that aren’t centered around drinking.
Meanwhile, their parents are also becoming increasingly “sober curious” and drastically reducing their alcohol intake. Add in the wellness boom, plus the further rise in popularity of destinations where drinking isn’t so culturally ingrained (Dubai and Egypt, for example) and the appetite for zero-proof holidays should come as no surprise.
Half* of travelers say they would be interested in staying at a hotel that offers easily accessible alcohol-free options like mocktails or nonalcoholic beer.
“Hotels are rolling out delicious mocktails, adaptogen drinks, teas and serotonin sodas,” says Melanie Fish, chief trend tracker for Expedia Brands, which has coined the term “Dry Tripping”.
“And they’re getting creative with the range of activities being offered, in addition to piña coladas at the pool. I promise you won’t miss the alcohol while visiting the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary near the alcohol-free Fivelements Retreat in Bali, or drinking a rose and lychee virgin cocktail at The Ritz in Paris.” And with Hotels.com’s app filters making it even easier to book your perfect hotel, these are some of the clear-headed holiday experiences you can expect to find in 2024.
Minibar makeover
The gin miniatures in your minibar are now likely to nestle up against a relaxing CBD drink or a reviving cold-pressed juice (Ireland’s The Merrion hotel “distills” its own nonalcoholic gin).
Head down to your hotel bar and you’ll find far more non-alcoholic options these days. Hotel Revival, Baltimore, launched a local zero-proof cocktail program designed by sober bar manager and mixologist Anna Welker, while Ette Hotel, Orlando, is home to stunning mocktails devised by “cocktail professor” Jarl de Vries.
Gym & swim
The hotel gym used to be an afterthought—often a cramped basement with a solitary, dusty rowing machine that no one discovered, unless they took a wrong turn on the way to the bar.
Not anymore. Hotels have ramped up their fitness amenities to cater for today’s gym-bunny clientele (check the subterranean gym and swim level at The Londoner, London, pictured left, or the Limelight Hotel in Snowmass, Colorado, where the 1,000-square-foot fitness center and outdoor pool has been augmented by a 54-foot–high climbing wall).
“Wellness is a much more considered, integrated experience at hotels now,” says Rhiannon Jones, future forecaster at Kantar. The front desk now often lends guests workout gear so they don’t have to remember to pack their own, and might even provide in-room yoga mats.
Wellness wins
“When people go away now, they want to come back feeling healthy and rested,” says Jones. Indeed, wellness tourism is the fastest growing sector of the wellness industry. Trips are now about more than just coming back fitter or brushing up on your yoga skills: London’s Rosewood Hotel is one of many that has packages to improve your sleep, while Orlando’s Lake Nona Wave hotel hosts courses to tackle menopause symptoms. With these health-enhancing holidays, alcohol is unlikely to be on the agenda.
Mindful travel
Today’s travelers prefer to be #makingmemories rather than struggling to recall them—more than 40%* say they are likely to book a detox trip in the next year. They’re seeing the sunrise because they’re up for an excursion or hike, rather than because they’re on their way home.
“We’re being more mindful and present when it comes to vacations,” says Jones. “The ‘You only live once, I’m going to drink everything in sight’ mentality has been replaced with the idea that our free time is precious.”
And we’re using it to transform ourselves, both physically and mentally. Take the spa at The Viceroy Riviera Maya in Mexico, for example, which goes far beyond the usual massage menu—it offers a mystical, guided healing experience, using chanting and steam generated by volcanic stone, inspired by Mayan culture, as well as off-site trips to a private cenote where you can dive and swim in total seclusion. You’ll go home a different person.
With guests looking for entertainment that moves beyond the bar, hotels are getting more inventive about how they help you make the most of your time. Expect hotels with gallery-level art installations, in-room cinemas or super-sweet dessert bars like Milk Bar at the Ace Hotel in New York, and embrace the zero-proof stay.
*Based on consumer research conducted among 20,000 respondents across 14 countries by OnePoll between Sept. 12 – Oct. 5, 2023, on behalf of Expedia Brands.
Kerry Potter is an editor and writer specializing in travel, health, culture, fashion and lifestyle. A former editor on Elle and ES Magazine, she also advises brands on content strategy, curates and hosts literary events, and is an associate lecturer at Oxford Brookes University’s journalism department. She is the co-author of a book about the future of sport and fitness, All To Play For.
