Digital detox retreats rise in popularity
In a time when people can't even go to the bathroom without bringing their phones — surprisingly, the interest around digital detox retreats is rising, and people are willing to pay thousands to go on them.
While on vacation, 27% of adults want to be present and spend less time doom-scrolling, according to a 2025 Hilton Trends Report, which was originally reported on by the BBC.
And 17% of vacationers are taking things a step further by searching for trips that will force them to unplug and possibly ditch their technology altogether, according to global luxury home-rental platform Plum Guide.
Advertisement
'We used to have a tag to show which properties had wi-fi. Now we're adding a 'no wi-fi' tag,' Martin Dunford, the founder and CEO of Cool Places, a UK travel accommodation booking site, told the BBC.
Guests at the Grand Velas Resorts in Mexico can book a stay here and sign up for their Digital Detox program. Once travelers arrive at their designated hotel room — they'll notice that the room is free of any tech. TVs are replaced with board games, and guests' devices are kept in a safe by the concierge, according to the resort's site.
On a digital detox trip — guests are forced to lock up their devices for the duration of their stay.
Aaron Weiss – stock.adobe.com
Advertisement
This forces guests to partake in complimentary activities such as biking and snorkeling tours. The average rate for a room is a couple of thousand dollars a night.
And if people aren't looking to spend so much money to travel outside the country for this kind of retreat — stressed-out travelers can stay at the Urban Cowboy Lodge in the Catskills, which is only a few hours north of NYC.
At this Catskills cabin-style boutique hotel, guests lock their devices in a box for the duration of their stay. Something that might sound terrifying but is ultimately rewarding.
Dunford worked with the University of Greenwich and the University of East Anglia to study people's patterns and behaviors when they completely disconnect on a trip.
Advertisement
As expected, they found that at first, it's quite the adjustment for people to not have access to technology while away.
Disconnecting from the outside world allows travelers to partake in outdoor activities.
EFStock – stock.adobe.com
'Guests go stir crazy in the first 24 hours,' Dunford said.
'But after 48 hours, they are well adjusted and start getting into other activities. At the end of a three-day stay – or longer – we find guests may be happy to have their phones back or can be a bit take it or leave it about it.'
Advertisement
'By the end of the three days, I was far from excited to open the lockbox and turn my phone back on – in fact, I was dreading it,' said a writer for The Week in a story about their experience taking part in a digital detox trip.
'I prolonged my vacation from society for as long as I could, but was eventually forced to bite the bullet when I got into the car and remembered I was reliant on Google Maps if I had any hope of getting home,' the writer pointed out.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Bus services to Manx beauty spot restored
Bus services to a beauty spot on the Isle of Man are set to be restored as part of a new route linking the west and south of the island. Bus Vannin is launching the 8S route, which is expected to run every day, year-round, from Peel to The Sound via Cregneash from 21 July, subject to approval by the Road Transport Licensing Committee. The government said the decision to introduce the service was taken to "meet passenger requirements" and would "fill a gap in bus services" identified in consultation responses to a recent bus service review. It follows the government's decision to scrap a seasonal service to Cregneash last year after being deemed not financially viable. A subsequent backlash, including the decision being dubbed "short-sighted" by Arbory and Rushen commissioners, led to Infrastructure Minister Michelle Haywood committing to review the decision. It is set to serve Peel, Foxdale, the airport, Castletown, Port Erin, Port St Mary and The Sound. The government said the route would be reviewed once in place and might change based on the passenger numbers. Haywood said she was "delighted" that Bus Vannin was able to introduce the route, adding the service was "good news for residents and visitors to our island". Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X. Future of bus route to beauty spot being reviewed Not running route 'short-sighted', authority says Petition to save bus route presented to Tynwald Local authority objects to scrapping of bus route Local authority objects to scrapping of bus route Criticism of scrapping of bus route to beauty spot Bus Vannin Department of Infrastructure
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
Forget Italy: Head east to Croatia and Istria
Italians are sick of tourists. No, really — they are tired of American summer visitors who travel en masse to their boot-shaped country and disrupt their lives with our enthusiasm. Selfies have been banned in Portofino, Venice has banned large cruise ships and will now charge day-trippers for entry, Amalfi has banned tourists buses, Rome won't let you sit on the Spanish steps… and Cinque Terre has imposed fines of $2,800 for the blasphemous act of wearing flip flops. Last year, in Florence, locals took to graffiti to tells visitors 'Tourists go home!' — because, as we known, subtlety just confuses people. It's gotten so bad, the BBC even published an article called, 'Is Italy Breaking Up With You?' (Answer: kind of). Advertisement To make matters worse, earlier this year, even before tourism season started, thousands of tourists overran a small Italian town, and later, the US government issued a travel warning for the country citing fears of terrorism. 4 Esplanade Zagreb Hotel Rajan Milosevic So what's an Italophile to do? Advertisement Head east, my friends, to Istria, the Croatian peninsula that was once a part of the Italian empire for over 600 years, and still holds eerily similar charms — vineyards, truffles, Italian and Roman ruins — with one exception: Istrians not only welcome visitors, they are doing everything they can to attract them. And, as of the past year, several luxury hotels have opened on the coast of the Adriatic — including several luxury offerings on former Croatian dictator Josep Brod Tito's (formerly) private Brijuni Islands (which includes the remnant animals of his former private zoo). On my last birthday, I decided to visit an old friend, Zrinka Marinovic, who runs Tailored Croatia, and specializes in luxury tours of Croatia. As Zrinka lives and works as a luxury travel advisor in the country and is therefore the master, I let her plan my trip sight unseen — and it was a game changer. I landed in Zagreb, a miniature Vienna which is walkable and architecturally (and culturally) fascinating as half of the city is from the Hapsburg empire — and half built during the Communist regime. Advertisement After checking into Zagreb's historic Hotel Esplanade, I took the Yugo tour of the city (my guide swore by the old Yugoslavian cars, once dubbed the world's worst), visited the Museum of Broken Relationships (an alternatively heartbreaking and hilarious museum full of the detritus of former loves), and day tripped to hauntingly empty airbases and homes of Tito which are dotted throughout the country. (The former dictator refused to stay in hotels and would, instead, build or appropriate homes across Yugoslavia, some of which were only visited once or twice in Tito's lifetime). After celebrating my birthday inside the Esplanade's sumptuous spa, my friend Gillian met me and Zrinka whisked us off to Istria, the unique peninsula which was once ruled by Venice and Napoleon, where just a small strip of Slovenian land separates it from Italy. But, unlike Dubrovnik or the Dalmatian islands where stars like the Beckhams, Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, Jeff Bezos and Katy Perry have visited on superyachts, Istria is relatively undiscovered by the jet set — despite being across the Adriatic from Venice. Advertisement And thank god for that. Despite having much in common with its former homeland, Istria is full of medieval towns topping every hillside, with vineyards and truffle grounds in between — and on the coast, pure aquamarine water, with no hoards of fellow tourists or angry locals. Our home base for the Istrian adventure was The Grand Park Hotel in the ancient coastal town of Rovinj. Opened just a year ago, locals flock to the hotel's Albaro Wellness spa — which has a dedicated sauna floor — as well as the two Michelin-starred Agli Amici Rovinj restaurant. Nestled at the end of the town's harbor, the hotel offers views from almost every room of the Adriatic, the medieval town as well as the Golden Cape Forest. From Rovinj, Gillian and I day tripped to Pula to visit the ancient Roman arena — one of the world's six largest surviving arenas — and ancient town hop (as I mentioned, there's one on top of every hill in a very hilly area). In between, we went truffle hunting at Prodfan Tarufi, just outside of Buza — one of the many truffle farms in the area. 'We had no idea what (truffles) were until 1999,' Visnja Prodan told me. That was the year Giancarlo Zigante, a local truffle hunter, found the world's largest truffle near Buje, Istria, weighing 1.3.1 kilograms. 'Until then we had always thought they were pig food,' Prodan laughed. Since then, truffles have minted many local farming millionaires with their products being shipped all over the world. And there is no better way to enjoy the truffles than with Croatian wine. And, not unlike its western neighbor, Croatia has spectacular wines. For a special treat, book a weekend stay The Meneghetti Hotel and Winery Advertisement Twenty minutes from Rovinj by car and located in the hillside medieval town of Bale is the Relais & Chateau hotel, where guests can stay in one of ten rustic chic rooms that overlook the vineyards and surrounding towns or in a guest residence. Guests can hike or bike through the vineyards before having a wine and olive oil tasting along with a field-to-fork meal — or hop onto the hotel's complimentary shuttle service which will ferry you to the private Meneghetti beach club nearby. But while inland was even opening, the highlight of the trip by far was the Brijuni Islands — once Tito's private playground. Veliki Brijuni is especially fabulous as not only are there three grand hotels on the island, as well as a couple of residences that can be rented (including one that is kept untouched from Tito's time), it is also the home to Tito's once private former zoo. Advertisement 'Every world leader would visit and bring with them an animal from their country,' Zrinka explained. While many of these animals — including the lions, jaguars, monkeys etc — died (and then were stuffed and interred in a nearby museum), there are still zebras, ostrich, Hindu cows left … as well as one lonely old elephant. Gillian, Zrinka and I spent a full day on this island, ferried around in Tito's old Cadillac, and could have stayed a week. It was the perfect Adriatic getaway— with no crowds, and all the benefits of Italy… but without the resentment.
Miami Herald
5 days ago
- Miami Herald
How to save on Miami Beach parking fees this summer. See discount details
Miami Beach wants to give you a summer break. The city is offering parking discounts for two months. Here's what to know: How much will driver save on discounted parking? Miami Beach announced a $1-per-hour parking rate for public parking lots, garages and street spaces. The price discounts are 50% off current $2-an-hour parking areas and 75% off for $4 parking areas. When does the Miami Beach parking discount begin and end? The discount starts on July 1 and runs through Aug. 31. How can you get the parking discount? The discount is available exclusively on the ParkMobile app, which allows drivers to digitally pay for parking by using specific zone codes found on signs near the parking spots. How much parking is covered by the discount? The price change is offered through three discounted hours per parking session and has a total of 45 discounted hours through the summer promotion. Why is Miami Beach offering summer parking discounts? Miami Beach wants to drum up summer business. Not so long ago, during spring break, some parking had $100 flat rates, when the city wanted to keep away crowds. 'Reducing parking costs is about boosting our local economy during the slower summer months,' said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner. 'We are encouraging more activity in our commercial districts- helping our small business stay strong and grow. Advice on parking in Miami Beach If you haven't realized yet, parking can be tough in South Beach. That's why you should use Google Maps or another app to see what parking lots and garages are nearest to the beach, restaurant, museum or hotel you're planning on visiting. About a dozen public parking lots are within walking distance of the Lincoln Road Mall, according to Miami Beach's Parking Lot and Garage Locations map, each with 20 to 160 parking spaces available. Three public parking garages are within walking distance of Lincoln Road: ▪ 17th Street Garage, 640 17th St. ▪ Pennsylvania Avenue Garage, 1661 Pennsylvania Ave. ▪ City Hall, 1735 Meridian Ave. Parking is a bit more complicated along Ocean Drive, especially during holidays. It's always crowded and you'll need a mixture of patience and luck to find a parking spot. Ocean Drive has parking lots, garages and meter parking basically everywhere. So do neighboring streets. The challenge here is finding an empty spot that is relatively close to your destination. Once you've picked a place you want to go, use the Miami Beach map below to find the nearest lot or garage and try to find parking there first. Pro Tip: Miami Beach has a digital parking guide to find parking near your destination. The guide shows parking availability in lots and garages, maximum time allowed, whether there's electric car charging, as well as location and rates.
