In 2023, The Ranch Hudson Valley opened on a sprawling Gilded Age estate in Sloatsburg, offering guests week-long programs of guided hikes, organic meals, and massages—for $8,200. This wasn’t just a new luxury retreat. It marked a turning point: The Hudson Valley, long associated with grassroots healing and natural beauty, was now becoming a destination for high-end wellness tourism.
Since then, the trend has only grown. Wildflower Farms in Gardiner, Inness in Accord, and Troutbeck in Amenia now offer curated “restorative experiences” that command prices well beyond the reach of most locals. And the recent announcement of One&Only—a global luxury brand planning a resort and private residences in Hyde Park—signals that the region’s transformation is far from over. With a “Longevity Hub” spa and a partnership with the Culinary Institute of America, the project promises immersive wellness experiences in a region once known for community gardens, neighborhood clinics, and free meditation circles.
This shift raises a pressing question: As wellness becomes a luxury commodity, who gets left behind?
From Collective Care to Curated Experiences
Not long ago, wellness in the Hudson Valley was built on accessibility and community. “When I started practicing herbal medicine, everything was word-of-mouth, sliding scale, or free,” says Maria Lopez, a community herbalist and lifelong Kingston resident. She recalls leading free plant walks in Hasbrouck Park, teaching families how to make teas and tinctures from local herbs. “You didn’t need thousands of dollars to heal. You needed your neighbors.”
Those traditions haven’t disappeared—but they’re being overshadowed. Developers and luxury brands are capitalizing on the region’s appeal, turning it into a high-end backdrop for a global wellness economy now valued at $5.6 trillion, according to the Global Wellness Institute. “Clean air and mental clarity have been rebranded as luxury experiences,” says Dr. Emily Rosen, an economic geographer who studies wellness migration. “The irony is that the communities who nurtured these practices are now being priced out of their own traditions.”
For many longtime residents, this isn’t just economic displacement—it’s cultural. “Neighborhoods stop feeling like neighborhoods when most of the homes are empty during the week,” says Deborah DeWan, a Woodstock resident and local housing advocate.
The Wellness Gap
This rise in luxury retreats comes as access to basic health care remains a struggle for many in the region. In Ulster County, the number of people without adequate healthcare grew by nearly 12 percent from 2020 to 2023, according to Ulster County Department of Health statistics. Clinics in Newburgh and Poughkeepsie report long waiting lists, and local health workers say the system is stretched thin.
Meanwhile, high-end resorts offer $150 facials, $500 yoga weekends, and wellness therapies with price tags in the thousands. “How can we talk about ‘restorative wellbeing’ when so many people can’t even get a check-up?” asks Jamal Thomas, a public health advocate in Newburgh. “For some, wellness is a lifestyle choice. For others, it’s a luxury they simply can’t afford.”
The contrast is jarring—and growing. “We see a lot of developer interest in this area,” says Austin DuBois, who heads Newburgh’s Industrial Development Agency. “But it needs to happen in a way that doesn’t exclude the people who already live here.”
When Wellness Signals Wealth
Luxury wellness is no longer just about health—it’s about status. “It’s not about feeling good,” says Jada Cruz, a licensed massage therapist from New Paltz. “It’s about being seen in the right places. Wellness is the new Rolex.”
At properties like The Ranch and the forthcoming One&Only resort, experiences are meticulously designed—from eucalyptus-scented linens to Swiss-designed longevity therapies. One&Only’s spa will be developed with Clinique La Prairie, a brand known for six-figure medical retreats offering everything from cellular regeneration to diagnostic immersion packages.
Prices haven’t been released, but One&Only’s other properties suggest that a weekend stay could cost more than a month’s rent for many locals. “It’s not about healing,” Cruz says. “It’s about branding.”
Displacement Without Moving Vans
While traditional gentrification often forces people from their homes, luxury wellness shifts the social landscape in quieter ways. In Kingston, Rhinebeck, and Woodstock, longtime residents say community spaces are changing. Affordable yoga studios close down, replaced by boutique wellness clubs. Sliding-scale acupuncture clinics struggle to compete with high-end spas. “You don’t need bulldozers when people can’t afford to belong anymore,” says Derrick Wilson, a lifelong Poughkeepsie resident. He used to run free tai chi classes in local parks—now he says it feels like there’s no public space left untouched by the luxury wave.
Even community events once centered around shared healing now carry steep ticket prices and glossy sponsorships. What used to be grassroots is now branded. “It’s like being a tourist in your own town,” Wilson says.
Pandemic Acceleration
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated these changes. As remote work took hold, thousands of city dwellers moved to the Hudson Valley in search of space and safety. The influx pushed housing prices to new highs—Beacon’s median home price jumped 47 percent between 2020 and 2024. In Ulster County, the median home price rose 77 percent between 2019 and 2023. Developers and luxury brands followed, eager to serve the new, wealthier population.
The global wellness economy is now valued at $5.6 trillion.
For locals, the fallout was swift. Rents soared. Community clinics closed. “We lost three neighborhood health centers during Covid because they couldn’t pay the new rents,” says Cynthia Vega, a community health worker in Hudson. “At the same time, luxury retreats kept popping up like mushrooms after a storm.”
Diane Kutsher, chair of the Ellenville Chamber of Commerce, summed up the dilemma: “You want to fix up a town, attract investment. But if you’re not careful, you end up pushing out the people who helped build it in the first place.”
Growing Grassroots Alternatives
Despite the commercialization of wellness, grassroots efforts are alive and growing. In Hudson, the Healing Justice Collective offers free or donation-based yoga, herbal workshops, and trauma support at libraries and public parks. “Our ancestors didn’t need $200 massages to care for each other,” says Cynthia Vega, one of the organizers. “We’re continuing that legacy.”
In Newburgh, the Reclaim Wellness Project, led by BIPOC healers, hosts low-cost sound baths, breathwork sessions, and ancestral healing classes. “We’re building an ecosystem where healing isn’t a product,” says founder Malik Jones. “Our wellness isn’t for sale.”
Local leaders are joining the effort, too. In Ellenville, Mayor Evan Trent is advocating for a model of economic growth not centered on luxury tourism. “We want to grow, but in a way that includes everyone,” he says.
Who Gets to Heal?
The rise of luxury wellness isn’t just about spas and yoga—it’s about who has access to rest, care, and restoration. When companies sell “immersion in nature” at a premium, they’re putting a price tag on something that was once part of daily life.
“The wellness industry says, ‘healing is for everyone,’” says Jamal Thomas. “But it’s clear that healing is only for those who can pay for it.”
As the Hudson Valley continues to evolve, residents, healers, and policymakers face a pivotal choice: Will wellness be a shared resource or an exclusive privilege? The answer may shape not just the future of the region—but the meaning of healing itself.
This article appears in May 2025.
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