REDEFINING LUXURY HOSPITALITY

It is continually redefined by an ever-increasing number of new brands and concepts, which is good news for those guests who can keep up with the pace of change

What does ‘luxury; mean to you? If I asked this question directly, I suspect I’d receive almost as many answers as I would asking what’s your favourite song! It feels like there’s now a definition of luxury for every day of the week: boutique luxury, affordable luxury, lifestyle luxury, ultra-luxe… you can, quite literally, pay your money and take your choice.

The big hospitality groups are well on top of this trend. Where once the luxury label was primarily attached to an individual hotel, now it is spread across multiple brands in the portfolios of ‘majors’ such as Marriott and Accor. Those portfolios have grown exponentially in recent years – both Marriott and Accor now boast around 30 distinct brands – while luxury hospitality has also come to encompass alternative accommodation, including private home and villa rentals.

I’m closely involved with the latter business, thanks to my role at Onefinestay, which is now part of the Accor group. Like other parts of the industry, this is an area of hospitality that has been subject to the disruptive influence of Airbnb, which made its statement by acquiring Luxury Retreats in 2017, before rebranding it as Airbnb Luxe.