Now, Equinox Hotels Teams Up with Dr. Matthew Walker: Transforming Rest in High-End Hospitality In New York City

Published on July 15, 2025

In the heart of New York City, where energy is constant and the pace never simmers down, Equinox Hotels has introduced a curious initiative that aims to change the way we think about rest, sleep, and recovery while travelling. By partnering with world-renowned neuroscientist Dr. Matthew Walker, Equinox Hotels is pushing the horizons of luxury hospitality and wellness with the launch of their groundbreaking Sleep Lab. This new program intertwines the art and science of sleep into a hotel stay like no other, offering guests a chance to experience restorative rest like never before.

Sleep Science Meets Smart Luxury

Following a traditional performance-driven luxury and wellness-based offering, world-renowned Equinox Hotels is introducing groundbreaking neuroscience to luxury. As the first in its category, the offering will elevate the sleep experience for those who recognise the importance of sleep when it comes to performance and recovery.

The Sleep Lab is not an ordinary hotel wellness effort. It marries Dr. Matthew Walker’s knowledge of sleep science with the brand’s dedication to high-performance living. The lab has its luxe, upturned smart rooms with cutting-edge tech every inch of the way, designed to cater to the individual preferences of each guest. These beds are meticulously crafted sleep environments that work in sync with your body to rebalance circadian rhythms and ease jet lag, or just so you can experience a better night’s sleep. By using adaptive lighting, temperature regulation, and soundscapes, the rooms are adjusted to work with each guest’s natural sleep cycles to ensure a more relaxed and recovery-focused slumber.

Thin Sleep as a Strip The new Thin Sleep as a Strip continues to focus on sleep as the centre of well-being and performance; this cooperation has been particularly important. Dr. Walker, a renowned sleep scientist whose best-selling book Why We Sleep re-established the importance of sleep in our lives, has long stressed the critical role sleep plays in maintaining our physical and mental health. As he says, “Sleep is the foundation of performance, and Equinox is redefining what travel recovery should feel like.”

A 360° Approach to Sleep: The Art + Science of Sleep Program

What sets Equinox Hotels’ sleep offering apart from typical wellness programs is its holistic, 360° approach to sleep optimisation. The hotel’s signature program, The Art + Science of Sleep, merges biohacking with ritualistic sleep practices to enhance guests’ overall sleep quality.

The program includes specialised AM and PM sleep rituals, designed to relax the mind and body, preparing guests for deep rest and helping them wake up feeling rejuvenated. These rituals include circadian breathwork meditation, which helps regulate the nervous system and calm the body, as well as curated soundscapes designed to improve sleep quality by syncing with the body’s natural rhythms.

In addition to these calming practices, Equinox Hotels integrates luxury spa treatments into the program. The sleep-focused spa services include massages that promote nervous system recovery, as well as treatments such as CBD massages and IV drips to enhance relaxation. The wellness menu, featuring ingredients that support sleep and overall health, includes items like Dark Tart Cherry Juice, which naturally boosts melatonin levels, and a Bedtime Charcoal Latte to promote a calming effect before bed.

Moreover, the Sleep Lab offers a variety of other wellness tools in each room to optimise rest. Guests can take advantage of the Sleep Well Roombar, a minibar stocked with sleep-enhancing items such as a luxury eye mask, essential oils, and aromatherapy to create a serene sleep environment. These thoughtful amenities aim to ensure that every aspect of the hotel experience contributes to deeper, more restorative sleep.

Sleep Well, Eat Better: Nutrition as a Sleep Enhancer

In addition to a thoughtfully designed sleep environment and tailored rituals, Equinox Hotels recognises that nutrition plays an integral role in improving sleep quality. As part of their commitment to overall wellness, the hotel offers a Sleep Well Menu, which features specially curated foods designed to promote better sleep. Among the offerings are items like the Dark Tart Cherry Juice, a known melatonin booster, and the calming Bedtime Charcoal Latte, both of which are tailored to help guests ease into slumber.

These sleep-enhancing foods and beverages are crafted to complement the hotel’s comprehensive approach to wellness, ensuring that guests not only sleep better but also wake up feeling nourished and rejuvenated. By integrating nutrition into the sleep experience, Equinox Hotels encourages guests to make better choices for their overall health, both during their stay and once they return home.

Take the Sleep Experience Home

One of the most innovative aspects of the Sleep Lab experience is that it extends beyond the confines of the hotel. Equinox Hotels recognises that sleep is a vital part of everyday life, and their Sleep Shop provides guests with the opportunity to take a piece of the sleep experience home with them. The shop offers hand-crafted, temperature-regulating mattresses, proprietary linens, and high-performance pillows designed to replicate the same sleep-enhancing environment found in the Sleep Lab.

By offering these high-quality sleep products, Equinox allows guests to bring the same level of recovery and restorative sleep into their own homes, enabling them to continue their sleep optimisation journey even after checking out. This integration of luxury sleep products into daily life marks a shift in the way we think about travel and rest, making sleep optimisation an ongoing priority.

Sleep as the New Status Symbol

Equinox Hotels’ collaboration with Dr. Walker highlights a growing trend in the wellness and luxury travel industries—sleep is no longer just an afterthought but a primary focus. In today’s fast-paced, productivity-driven world, sleep has become a status symbol. The ability to prioritise sleep and recovery is seen as a marker of high performance, and Equinox is capitalising on this shift by offering a sleep-focused luxury experience that goes beyond the typical hotel stay.

Through this innovative partnership, Equinox Hotels is redefining luxury travel, offering more than just a night’s rest. The Sleep Lab, with its focus on science-backed sleep enhancements, represents a new era of high-performance travel, where rest is as essential to the experience as fitness, nutrition, and productivity.

Conclusion: Sleep Reimagined in Luxury Travel

The Sleep Lab at Equinox Hotels is set to redefine luxury travel by combining best-in-class hospitality with the latest in sleep science and recovery techniques. In partnership with Dr. Matthew Walker, Equinox is providing a life-altering experience of unparalleled sleep, recovery, and well-being. At the Sleep Lab, you not only get an ideal environment for deep, restful sleep, but you also arm yourself with the tools to take these benefits back into your life.

As there is an increasing interest in health-centred travel experiences, Equinox Hotels has become a pioneer in the movement of redefining what it means to travel well. Focusing on recovery, sleep, and well-being—what they like to call holistic wellness—the brand is redefining luxury hospitality, leaving guests not only experiencing luxury on arrival but also feeling re-energised and stronger on their return. If sleep is the new luxury, Equinox Hotels has reinvented the landscape of high-performance travel.