Luxury Travel & Lifestyle Trends

Over the last couple years, ART has become a central focus for hoteliers due to its appeal to affluent consumers (i.e. art is a part of an affluent lifestyle), its ability to add personality to any room, and the value it adds to the guest experience. An added benefit - it can be a very good investment over time. As a result, we’re seeing more and more hotels creating distinctive interiors by keeping up with some of the hottest trends affecting the art market.

Voluntourism has become the holiday of choice for those keen to give something back. From charities and tour companies, to luxury hotels and cruise ships, there’s no shortage of for profit and not for profit companies willing to organize a volunteer trip for philanthropic travelers. For good reason: Nearly 1 in 20 U.S. travelers has taken a trip to help the less fortunate or support a humanitarian cause, according to research firm Y Partnership’s 2009 National Leisure Travel Monitor.

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.

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.).

Last year, we zeroed in on an interesting new travel niche: on an offshoot of eco-tourism called beekeeping tourism. This travel trend was essentially launched in Slovenia, which has a rich ancestry in beekeeping and uses the sweet sticky stuff in much of its cuisine. Since then, beekeeping has proven to be a robust micro niche for food and travel.

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.

Encouraging the sampling of travel products and services is a good method to generate much needed revenue in this downtown and take advantage of available staff with more time on their hands. With this in mind, we’re seeing more and more travel products offering “mini indulgences”, scaled back versions of their full product lines. Here are some examples that caught our eye…

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

Sometimes it’s best to pass up an opportunity for editorial coverage. Just as one would approach an investment philosophy - it’s all about risk and reward. In the case of the recent swine flu outbreak, some Mexican hotels and resorts started promising free vacations for three years to their guests who contract the swine flu on their trip (the proof is a blood test). But what are the other benefits and risks of such promotions?

In recent years, cruises, luxury resorts and spas have added teen spa-ing to their roster, primarily facials, manicures and pedicures, with playful touches or themes, as well as hosting teen spa parties. However, spas will need to up the ante and be prepared to accommodate more teenage guests, because adults aren’t the only ones looking to de-stress in these turbulent times. Much of this stress filters down to our kids, on top of the typical daily pressures teens already face…