Introduction <p>Wellness hotels are designed to promote holistic health and well-being. However, many hotels fail to leverage the restorative potential of natural environments. Regenerative architecture produces structures that actively interact with their environment, promoting local employment, biodiversity, and community development, particularly in urban environments like Abuja, Nigeria. This study aims to investigate the impact of regenerative architecture principles (RAPs) on guest well-being within wellness hotels in Abuja. It seeks to identify key regenerative architecture principles (RAPs) implemented in wellness hotels, and then analyse the impact of these principles on user well-being.</p> Methods <p>To achieve these objectives, the study adopted a quantitative approach. Questionnaires were distributed to wellness hotel users to gather data on their perceptions of well-being and their experience with specific regenerative design features.</p> Results <p>The findings indicate a positive correlation between the presence of regenerative design features, guest-reported improvements and overall user well-being. The study highlights the potential of regenerative design to create transformative and healing environments in Abuja’s wellness hotels, enhancing the guest experience and promoting holistic well-being while providing insight into the practical considerations from the perspectives of those who design and manage these spaces.</p> Discussion <p>The findings reveal that the Abuja wellness centres are in a phase of transition between regeneration and sustainability. Wellness facilities can become places that actively restore natural environments while promoting human health when regenerative design is consciously implemented.</p> Take-home message <p>The study recommends that wellness spaces in Abuja should be designed to promote holistic wellness by adopting regenerative principles from the inception stage of the design through to the completion stage.</p>