Hot tub glamping is gaining attention in the UK as demand for wellness experiences and domestic travel continues to influence consumer choices in 2026. The trend comes as more travelers explore alternatives to traditional spa visits and overseas vacations, creating opportunities for outdoor hospitality businesses that incorporate wellness amenities into their accommodation offerings.
A wellness survey of more than 1,000 UK adults cited in the source article found that one in nine respondents are trying hot and cold contrast therapy in 2026. The practice involves alternating between heat exposure, such as a hot tub or sauna, and cold exposure.
While contrast therapy has increasingly been offered by spas and wellness facilities, outdoor accommodation providers are incorporating similar experiences into short stays.
The development coincides with reported changes in UK travel behavior. According to a survey of 2,000 Britons commissioned by National Rail, more than 25 million UK adults are expected to skip overseas holidays this year, with 48% saying they are ruling out foreign travel altogether. The survey identified the cost of living and travel disruption among the reasons cited by respondents.
Separately, the Travel Trends Report from holidaycottages.co.uk found that 61% of UK adults said they are more likely to choose a staycation than they were a year earlier. For campground, holiday park and glamping operators, the combination of domestic travel demand and interest in wellness could provide another way to differentiate short-break accommodation.
Glamping With Hot Tubs, a UK business that connects travelers with hot tub glamping accommodations, said these factors are contributing to interest in stays that combine outdoor accommodation with hot and cold water experiences.
“People have been sold contrast therapy as something you book into a clinic for,” Tom Armstrong, owner of Glamping With Hot Tubs, said in a press release. “But you don’t need a converted Victorian bathhouse to feel the benefit. Our guests get the same hot and cold ritual with a lot more sky above them, and they’re not paying spa prices to get it. That’s exactly why 2026 has been our busiest year yet.”
The commercial implications extend beyond the wellness experience itself. Glamping market analysis cited in the source article indicates that wellness amenities such as hot tubs can support higher average daily rates and occupancy at UK accommodation sites.
The analysis estimates that hot tubs may increase average daily rates by 15% to 30% and occupancy by 10% to 15%, although individual results are likely to vary according to location, accommodation type, pricing, seasonality and the quality of the overall guest experience.
The UK glamping market is also forecast in the cited analysis to grow by between 8% and 11% annually through 2033, with the market expected to reach £480 million by 2030. Wellness amenities are identified as one factor contributing to that projected growth.
For operators, the trend highlights a potential distinction between simply adding a hot tub and developing a broader wellness proposition. A successful offering may depend on how the amenity is integrated into the accommodation, including privacy, outdoor space, maintenance, guest safety, heating and water management, as well as pricing and operational costs.
The interest in hot tub glamping also reflects a broader consumer choice between investing in home wellness equipment, paying for individual spa treatments or incorporating wellness into a short vacation. Home saunas and cold plunge pools have become more common, but they require a larger upfront investment than booking an occasional accommodation-based experience.
As of August 21, 2026, the available data points to an overlap between two established areas of demand: staycations and wellness travel.
For outdoor hospitality businesses, hot tubs and related amenities may offer one avenue for responding to that demand, particularly when they are supported by appropriate infrastructure, pricing strategies and a clear guest experience rather than treated solely as an add-on.
