Luxury Travel

Enough of abusing nature for luxury. Tourism players in Asia-Pacific share how conscious design and excursion-based wellness can change how we think about luxury resorts.

Today’s luxury travelers want the world at their fingertips. But not all destinations have managed to adapt their offerings to suit the demands of this new mindset. Now, thanks to its unique luxury-friendly amenities and a new brand positioning, the Los Cabos region of Mexico is emerging as a new luxury hotspot.

In the multisensory world of travel, it's surprising that it's taken so long for luxury operators to realize that appealing to all five senses is quite sensible.

The state of luxury is evolving and morphing. And the commonality of those who are forging resonant experiences is that they are looking outside of some of the tried-and-true formulas, mining heightened sensory territories that evoke something deeper in guests.

As more companies enter the luxury vacation rental business, the need to serve up a unique selling proposition becomes increasingly vital. But it's also key to stay true to that original mission point, even as a company grows.

Luxury short-term rentals sit at the intersection of old-world hospitality, expert-led curation, and innovative new-world tech, but they'll need unique models to stand apart in the rapidly growing alternative accommodations sector.

When it comes to keeping up with the Joneses, luxury travel brands are falling behind. The value of brands from fashion, automotive, and financial services sectors is far stronger than those from hospitality and travel.

Within the travel industry, brands like Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons loom large. But according to a just-released study of brand valuation, in the real world, hospitality brand names don't carry as much weight as their high-end counterparts in other industry sectors. To address this, companies like Marriott and Hilton are focusing on establishing ironclad loyalty offerings.

Independent hotels are well-positioned to capitalize on a growing consumer appetite for experiential destinations and one-of-a-kind moments. Enduring soft brands like Preferred Hotels & Resorts are now taking advantage of this shift by tapping their 50-plus years of experience delivering for consumers while boosting revenues and lowering costs for hotel owners.

It will likely take years for the wellness industry to really fix its diversity problem. But the process could speed up if more people start to speak out about it.