High-End Hotels Lean Into Role as Curators of Niche Brands

At Skift New Luxury, we frequently write about cross-pollination between high-end brands. Hotels are particularly promiscuous when it comes to partnering up.

We’ve covered hotels working with luxury car companies. We’ve talked about how they bring in designer brands to stock their bathroom amenities. The new TWA Hotel that opened in May has been masterful in aligning with glam names like the Gerber Group, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and Intelligentsia Coffee. The Rosewood Miramar Beach in Montecito, California, has given some retail space over to Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.

As Colin Nagy writes in today’s top story, all of this makes a great deal of sense, especially for today’s digital-first brands that have come full circle and are looking to feature their products in a brick-and-mortar space. After all, hotel brands are well-placed to become product curators, offering a prime showcase for everything from condiments and cosmetics to bed, bath, and beyond.

For feedback or news tips, reach out via email at [email protected] or tweet me @dailysuitcase.

— Laura Powell, Skift Luxury Correspondent

5 Looks at Luxury

Hotels Embrace Role as Curators of Niche Products: The rise of direct-to-consumer brands and steady growth in entrepreneurship means that it’s harder than ever to stand out. One must only look at the rising costs of advertising on Instagram to see the demand for brand building. And a lot of these tasks are being carried out online. One of the most interesting opportunities for hospitality brands, then, is to be a new and intimate discovery channel for consumers.

Australia’s Landmark Uluru Is a Case Study for Immersing Tourists in Local Culture: To be sure, there is a sudden surge of people, mostly domestic visitors, who want to climb Ayers Rock before October 26 when a ban is enforced. But there’s more to the boom in the famous park in Australia’s Northern Territory than just the rock.

Former Silversea Cruises CEO Takes Over at Luxe Travel Giant Abercrombie & Kent: The co-chairman structure is an unusual one in business and rarely lasts for long. But given the friendship of the two occupants, maybe this one stands more chance of success.

Dubai Tourism Launches Ads as Hotels Show Softness Ahead of Expo 2020: As Dubai deals with the disruptions for planning for Expo 2020, the tourism authority is leaving no stone unturned to market the destination on a global level. But while tourism volumes are increasing steadily, the hospitality sector needs to work toward bumping its rates back up.

Fast-Growing Travel Companies Break With Agency Traditions: Eschewing the usual travel agency business model, two travel companies on the Inc. 5000 list are enjoying significant success by providing highly curated itineraries and hiring staff with specialized expertise. Their approach is clearly resonating in today’s on-demand culture.

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Skift Luxury Correspondent Laura Powell [[email protected]] curates the New Luxury newsletter. Skift emails the newsletter every Tuesday.

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