Luxury Travel & Lifestyle Trends

While it may sound odd to buy virtual merchandise – whether it be buying a few outfits, shoes, jewelry or getting your nails done – these are among a plethora virtual merchandise that one will never hold in their hand. To proponents, the beauty of such low cost purchases is that they are inexpensive entertainment, and work the same magic as a $30 game, a movie or a salon treatment.

KWE group’s President & Chief Strategist, Karen Weiner Escalera, was recently interviewed by Hotel Vikas, a magazine for the American hospitality industry. In the interview, Karen highlights steps to help hoteliers in today’s challenging economy, the importance of value even to the affluent, rethinking strategic market/product positioning, and where the hotel industry is headed. We invite you to read the interview in its entirety to learn more.

How’s this for a nifty twist on an art theme and opening? This week I received an invitation entitled “Come with Your Dog to See Dog Art” from my friend and colleague of many years, Susan Kelley. Susan and her husband Bill Roy own a top advertising agency in Miami and made a part of their office space into an art gallery, the Kelley + Roy Gallery.

A local gift followed by food and beverage items rank at the top of the list of preferred turndown amenities and services by guests according to a recent survey by The Leading Hotels of the World and Market Metrix.

The web has replaced the news element of magazines and the way news is delivered keeps getting more and more personal. Micro niche blogs, RSS feeds, and personalized Google homepages help us focus on/filter what we care about and tune out the rest. This is coupled with changing consumer tastes – they are more individualized than ever, and expect to have their unique interests addressed.