Luxury Travel

Music is getting better at hotels. What was once piped through in muted tones has now moved front and center. The strongest hospitality companies are investing in experiences in an effort to map from the soul of a brand and capture its signature sound. And, as Sister City has shown with its Björk collaboration, hotel music can become high-concept performance.

The U.S. government in 2020 may have severely limited the number of refugees it would resettle, but a luxury hospitality program taking place in America's heartland is proof that refugees are still welcome here.

As long as luxury travelers continue to want one-of-a-kind experiences, companies like Black Tomato will likely find success delivering these rare, transformational itineraries.

Getting new books in the hands of luxury travelers benefits everyone. It improves the guest experience, drives loyalty to hotels, and raises the profile of authors. Because of this, we'll likely see more luxury properties partnering with Bedside Reading, the company that's making it happen.

Connecting luxury travelers to the local community and fostering a better understanding of a destination is hard to do well. Here are two examples that the industry can draw inspiration from.

The luxury hospitality industry is trying to help guests unwind in these anxiety-ridden, tech-addicted times. It's refreshing to think that something as simple as a book can make a difference — plus drive repeat hotel visits and even foster community. Luxury properties should take note.

Although CEO Sébastien Bazin said the transformation of Accor was pretty much done, he's not taking his foot off the pedal just yet in terms of moving the company more toward the luxury and lifestyle end of the hospitality market.

As luxury resorts jockey for ways to differentiate themselves from the pack, a shift toward more environmental practices may help them find new customers. The key, though, is making sure those green efforts come from an authentic — and not purely financial — place.

You may start seeing the term "eco-resort" pop up more and more. But in investigating the trend, we discovered a variety of definitions, which makes the actual meaning of the term nebulous. It’s best to look to Europe for clarification.

Lifestyle brands can feel like the forced product of one too many focus groups. Potato Head is the opposite: It's an Indonesian-born lifestyle brand that has been slowly built from the ground up with an emphasis on community, art, and culture.