Taking Luxury Personally

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Taking Luxury Personally

May 20, 2026

Luxury today isn't shown; it's felt. The leading global travel agency network Virtuoso recently asked its advisors for their thoughts on ultra-luxury travel. The response, as detailed in the 2026 Virtuoso Luxe Report, found 45 percent of advisors have seen a rise in luxury requests. Meantime, "ultra-luxe" travel is now defined as "having every detail seamlessly included," with celebration, privacy, adventure, and hyper-personalized experiences within offerings that affluent travelers crave.

"Luxury travel continues to show remarkable resilience as we move into 2026," says Shannon O'Malley, Florida-based Vice President of FINN's North American travel team, who notes that travelers' growing thirst for frictionless experiences is reshaping the industry's language around value. "'Value' was often narrowly defined as a discount. Now it means something to cherish. Time has become such a commodity, especially for families, that the true value of travel can't be overlooked."

In Asia, the FINN travel team sees a long leadership in luxury hospitality, including locally owned international brands that are shaping the future of ultra-luxury travel while keeping their properties front-of-mind worldwide. "I may be biased, but the supreme, gold standard of luxury travel is happening right now in Asia," says Cathy Feliciano-Chon, Managing Partner, FINN Partners Asia Pacific, who points to upcoming openings from renowned Asian-owned luxury hotel brands across the region. "Those making news are layering hospitality with Asian values. The way luxury travel has been expressed here from a hardware and software perspective over the past couple of decades is generations beyond where other regions are today."

Mandarin Oriental, for instance, is growing its already strong presence in Asia with a second property in Malaysia, rebranding a luxury address on the Desaru Coast surrounded by 128 acres of unspoiled rainforest and endless beaches. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is anticipating the opening of Rosewood Red Sea on Shura Island on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, with a marina, a yacht club, and an 18-hole championship golf course as part of the new Red Sea cultural and lifestyle destination. And slated for a December 2026 opening, The Langham, Custom House, Bangkok from Langham Hospitality Group will re-imagine the city's historic Custom House, an 1888 neo-Palladian-style structure designed by Joachim Grassi and characterized by arched windows, grand columns, and intricate stonework. The revitalized landmark, blending traditional Thai elements and Western architecture, will be flanked by a heritage post office and a new modern structure with a fluid form inspired by the adjacent Chao Phraya River.

Relative newcomer Swire Hotels, based in Hong Kong, continues to evolve its distinctive Upper House brand, promising luxury destinations for seasoned globetrotters "who seek a different, intimate and personalized guest experience" with the rebranding of Michelin-Keyed properties in Hong Kong, Chengdu, and Shanghai, as well as upcoming openings in Tokyo, Shenzhen, and Xi'an, and design-led branded residences in Bangkok. And fresh from being honored as the "Best Hotel Brand" in Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards for the third year in a row, Singapore-based Capella Hotels and Resorts is welcoming guests with new properties in Macau and Taipei, while also readying Capella Kyoto and Capella Florence, the brand's first in Japan and Europe, for 2026 and 2027.

FINN's Hong Kong team is also primed about partnerships between high-end hotel brands and fashion designers, transforming the former into luxury retail outlets for the latter. The Ritz-Carlton recently partnered with Madrid-based fashion brand Late Checkout for their second exclusive capsule collection. Designed for long nights, leisurely travel, and, one assumes, leisurely stays, the collection features rugby polos, cozy sweaters, and a souvenir "sukajan" jacket emblazoned with the hotelier's lion or flag insignia. The collection was launched with a stylized and quirky campaign film starring the charming Josh Hutcherson as he travels to meet Shoko Plambeck at The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko; worth a watch to gaze upon this stunning property.

Though hardly new, such partnerships help build loyalty that leads to repeat business. "It's becoming more important to give guests something to take with them," explains Annouchka Behrmann, Managing Partner at FINN Hong Kong. "Whether it's a co-branded fashion item or a reminder of the experience, such things can take on a second or third life for guests by capturing their holiday and inspiring memories."

A growing number of luxury hotel groups are evolving into broader luxury brands, reflecting how today's affluent travelers engage with hospitality. Gregory Cole, Senior Partner, Luxury EMEA at FINN Partners, has seen this take shape as hotels increasingly occupy the same cultural space as fashion, design, and lifestyle brands. "They're becoming cultural brands with a point of view, a following and a lifestyle attached to them," he says.

That evolution is visible across leadership and brand platforms, from Jumeirah's 2024 appointments of former Gucci executives Michael Grieve and Julien Soyez, to The Langham's Luminaries concept inviting dialogue with key opinion leaders across creative and lifestyle professions, from violinist Joshua Bell, to culinary tastemaker Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, to photographer Douglas Friedman.

Of course, luxury is not only on the folio, but also in the eye of the hotel guest. While "personalization" may be tired terminology in hospitality circles, it's all over travel trend reports for the year ahead, as luxury travelers strongly desire tailored bang for their buck.

"Gone are the days of booking the same trip as everyone else," proclaimed a recent roundup of travel trends from the BBC, which shared the thoughts of brand strategist and cultural futurist Jasmine Bina, CEO of Concept Bureau in Los Angeles, that "specialist tours" from luxury menopause retreats to upscale adventures for insect enthusiasts present "a huge opportunity for the travel industry to provide meaning and experience on a totally different level." (BTW: If relief and renewal from the unique challenges of menopause stirs interest, consider the new Inner Glow: Menopause and Perimenopause Retreat from the biostation at Carillon Miami Wellness Resort.)

Vice President Chad Belisario of FINN's West Coast Travel Team observes that while personalization may be baseline in luxury travel, a lot of thought still goes into it. At the 2025 IGLTA Global Convention in Palm Springs last fall, Chad's eyes were opened to the shift in travel from demographic and psychographic considerations to more value-driven offerings. "Rather than shape hotel experiences by, say, one's age or heritage, personalization is now based on things guests really value, such as time at the beach, good food, or adventure. Destinations and hotels are discovering that experience-led personalization enhances guest engagement and translates into measurable brand loyalty."

Of course, covering the range of such values can require a lot of diversification. Hence, the world of luxury properties such as Puente Romano Beach Resort on the Golden Mile of Marbella on the coast of southern Spain. Originally opened in 1974 by Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe, who played an outsized role in shaping Marbella into a global luxury destination, the resort has since been transformed by owner David Shamoon of Luxury Hotel Partners into a multisensory playground - anchored by a world-class tennis facility that draws icons of the game and an unparalleled culinary ecosystem of no fewer than 27 restaurants and lounges, including world-renowned dining destinations such as Cipriani, COYA, GAIA, UNI, and a Nobu overseen by the brand's first female executive chef. Puente Romano will also open a La Petite Maison this spring after the icon of Mediterranean gastronomy "popped up" for two months at another newly renovated Luxury Hotel Partners property, Hermitage Bay in Antigua.

"Puente Romano is a clear reflection of how the expectations of today's most discerning travelers have evolved," says Caroline Keane, Vice President at FINN Partners in New York. "Resort-style travel is very much back, yet guests are no longer choosing between relaxation and stimulation; they expect both. Travelers want beautiful settings paired with exceptional dining, cultural energy, and a sense of momentum, all within one destination. With more than 20 restaurants and a deeply rooted sense of place, Puente Romano has positioned itself as one of the Mediterranean's most in-demand resorts because it delivers a fully integrated experience. In an era of endless choice, the resorts that stand out are those offering a true 360 ecosystem, where no two days feel the same."

Cheers to that!

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