The Best Celebrity-Owned Wellness Retreats and Boutique Hotels Around the World
Some of the most talked-about wellness retreats and boutique hotels in the world quietly belong to Hollywood stars. From a structured health retreat in the Australian rainforest to a discreet TriBeCa hideaway, A-listers have moved into hospitality in a meaningful way, building (and buying) properties that reflect their own travel preferences and lifestyles.
For travelers chasing a spa weekend, a yoga retreat or a boutique stay, the celebrity ownership angle is rarely advertised at the front desk. Here is a guide to the wellness retreats and hotels owned or co-owned by familiar names — what each property is known for and how the stars got involved.
Hugh Jackman and Olivia Newton-John’s Australian Wellness Retreats
Two of the most established celebrity-backed wellness destinations sit on Australia’s east coast, and both lean heavily into structured programming, clean eating and reconnection with nature. Hugh Jackman is a co-owner of Gwinganna Health Retreat, located inland from Queensland’s Gold Coast. Olivia Newton-John co-founded Gaia Retreat & Spa in 2005 with partners Gregg Cave, Ruth Kalnin and Warwick Evans, on 25 acres near Byron Bay. Both properties are designed for guests who want their stay to do something — not just feel restful.
At Gwinganna, days are tightly programmed around wellness. Guests start the morning with sunrise qi gong sessions, a practice similar to tai chi, often held outdoors among local wildlife like wallabies. Daily activities include boxing, hiking, water polo and yoga. Meals center on clean eating, with much of the produce sourced from the retreat’s organic gardens and served on the outdoor dining deck.
Gaia takes its name from the ancient Greek mother goddess of the earth, reflecting its focus on helping guests reconnect with nature and their spiritual center. The retreat offers personalized wellness packages based on guests’ health and fitness goals, with residential-style rooms and villas overlooking the New South Wales countryside.
“The best breakfast in the world is at Gaia,” Olivia told Forbes in 2020. “I can tell you that. I have eaten all over the world at every fancy restaurant, and the breakfast at Gaia is the best breakfast in the world.”
Robert De Niro’s The Greenwich Hotel In TriBeCa
Robert De Niro opened The Greenwich Hotel in 2008, and it has become one of New York’s most privacy-focused boutique stays. The hotel is known for individually designed rooms inspired by locations such as Manhattan, Milano and Mumbai, with guest-only access to the lounge, spa and pool. De Niro’s hospitality footprint extends beyond TriBeCa — he is also involved in the Nobu Hospitality hotel brand.
David Rockwell designed the project to De Niro’s personal taste, which he defines as “masculinity and comfort, executed with meticulous, refined craftsmanship.”
“It was a really good, collaborative project,” Rockwell said, per the hotel’s website. “Bob (De Niro) wanted the hotel to fit into the fabric of TriBeCa, so we started looking at brick treatments, among other elements. Ira thought that we could make a real design statement with the masonry, and really drove that investigation,” says Rockwell.
The hotel also includes Locanda Verde, the well-known restaurant from chef Andrew Carmellini, which offers private dining.
Richard Gere’s Bedford Post Inn In Westchester County
Richard Gere owns Bedford Post Inn alongside ex-wife Carey Lowell and friend Russell Hernandez. The eight-room property is in Westchester County, about an hour from Manhattan, and offers wooded grounds, a peaceful pool and a yoga studio.
The story of how the inn came to be has a romantic-comedy quality to it: the former couple accidentally discovered the vacant 1762 stone farmhouse while on a horseback ride. Rooms were designed by Lowell and decorator Tiffany Vassilakis, featuring muted interiors, fireplaces and claw-foot tubs — closer in feel to a private country home than a traditional hotel.
Clint Eastwood’s Mission Ranch In Carmel
Clint Eastwood purchased Mission Ranch Hotel & Restaurant in 1986 — the same year he became mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, a post he held until 1988. Located in Carmel, California, the property is known for its rustic cottages, romantic atmosphere and tennis club, and remains a popular Northern California weekend destination decades after Eastwood acquired it.
Gloria Estefan, John Malkovich and Other Celebrity Hotel Investments
Other Hollywood names have moved into hospitality at very different scales. Gloria Estefan owns Costa d’Este Beach Resort & Spa on Florida’s Vero Beach. The resort offers oceanfront accommodations, sunrise yoga, cocktails and fresh seafood, with a strong focus on beachfront relaxation and spa experiences.
John Malkovich took a different route. He was an investor in Big Sleep, a U.K.-based budget hotel chain with locations in Cardiff, Cheltenham and Eastbourne, focused on modern décor and affordable rates. Malkovich helped design the furniture and interior concept, but eventually sold his stake in the hotels around 2015.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
