We don't see it, but there is a complicated ecosystem to secretly assess and uphold standards at the world's best hotels. And some of the details reveal a lot about how important the human factor and emotional intelligence are to the future of luxury hospitality.
In a world where actual connection is more important than ever as a technology backlash looms, how can travel brands create more human experiences through addictive shared spaces?
While we sometimes focus our adulation in other spheres such as startups and their founders, hoteliers need to be recognized for the hidden creativity that goes into doing their jobs well.
Experience and sustainability are losing their equity as more brands cynically pile on. These are examples of emerging, global brands with depth to their practices. Intrepid travelers should take note.
To avoid the sugar high and then the inevitable crash when launching a new property, brands need to adopt a mindset of reciprocity and be a participant, and not a drain on the artistic ecosystem of a city.
Voice will change the current travel marketing funnel much faster than we think. Savvy marketers and technologists should begin thinking about ways to make an impact on this burgeoning channel.
It takes old-school hospitality expertise and new-school marketing hustle to create a cult property from scratch. Nihi Sumba Island seems to be the culmination of both, plus it has the right capital and vision.