Luxury Travel & Lifestyle Trends

French born Dr. Clotaire Rapaille, author of the “The Culture Code: An Ingenious Way to Understand Why People Around the World Live and Buy as They Do” gave a thought provoking talk this week at Miami’s Luxury Marketing Council.

We’re just back from the Hospitality Design Boutique Exposition & Conference in the heart of Miami’s South Beach. Most interesting was a panel “Affordable hotels 2.0- Hybrids, New brands and fresh ideas” where the industry’s latest pioneers (Paul Priestman of Priestmangoode, Micheal Levie of CitizenM hotels, Bill Lanting of Stay Hotels, and Enrique Sarasola of Room Mate hotels) discussed the next generation of hotels, design and the newest consumer.

Affluent consumers want the real thing having been burned by the financial meltdown, coupled by growing concerns about product safety – from toys to mobile phones, even dry wall (note the recent scandal about Chinese made dry wall that is said to cause respiratory ailments and tarnishing of household metals). They are skeptical and want proof.

The choices retailers make in challenging times can pave the way for future success. Cutting costs, centralizing decisions, retrenching are common reactions. But there are also golden opportunities to innovate and leapfrog the competition. When the dust finally clears, the retailers who have used this time wisely to grow will not only survive; they will convert change into opportunity.

A recent survey by WSL Strategic Retail indicates that only 19 percent of pet owners are scrimping on pet spending, with the majority buying not only nice things but top-of-the-line products as well. Turns out, pet supplies are often at the bottom of the cutback list, along with human essentials such as prescription medications and toothpaste.

Back in December, we forecasted that female-friendly offerings and getaways would multiply. And so it has. Statistics continue to show women are traveling alone or with female companions (sisters, mothers, best friends) in record numbers. The most successful will stratify by special interest (women and wine, adventure women, surfing women, cancer survivors, etc.).

We’re just back from Eye for Travel’s Online Marketing Strategies for 2009 conference in Miami with lots of solid information, inspiration and interesting facts. Here are some highlights which resonated with us..

“Hotel X” will be decorated with furniture and knick-knacks purchased from ordinary consumers.

Panelist and marketer Karen W. Escalera, president and chief strategist at KWE Group, was recently featured in a Lodging magazine article “Four points of view on positioning and designing for high-end lodging” by Philip Hayward, and she offered this insight…

I’m just back from the Destination Marketing Association International’s CEO Forum in Savannah, where I delivered a speech on Consumer Attitudes and Lifestyle Trends and the implications these are having on traveler preferences. I heard some nifty marketing ideas from different CVBs I would like to share…