The Expectation Reset In Luxury Travel: What It Means for Advisors and the Industry
- Kristin Chambers
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
I’ve been standing in lobbies of grand hotels since I was fourteen – back when I took my first job in a restaurant, and later when the world of luxury hospitality became my stage. I know the sound of marble, the glint of a chandelier, the hum of rolling suitcases. But lately, inside some of the world’s most refined properties, I’ve noticed something different: the moments I remember are quieter.
In an ivy-draped courtyard in Tuscany, I was one of a select few agency owners invited to the inaugural gathering of industry leaders. Instead of the usual spectacle, we gathered over coffee and quiet conversation – hotel owners spoke of evolving service models, designers described architecture that told stories rather than shouted, and wellness directors asked: “What will our guests really value next?” It felt less like a show and more like a strategy session for the heart of hospitality – it’s going much deeper.
This, for me, is the Expectation Reset. Luxury travel is shedding its loud embellishments and stepping into something deeper, more intentional, more human. And for travel advisors, for hospitality brands, for everyone in the business of creating experiences…the shift is real.
What the industry data tells us
The cues are everywhere. According to the Virtuoso 2025 Luxe Report, luxury travel bookings for trips worth US$50,000 or more are up significantly, yet the motivations have shifted: it’s less about luxury for luxury’s sake, and more about meaning, personalization, and connection.
A separate study by Deloitte found that 80% of luxury travellers say they want to travel more responsibly, and 75% are willing to pay extra if they understand how their money supports people, place and culture.
Put simply: time is precious, experiences matter, and the people – the hosts, the advisors, the creators, the culture-makers — are the new currency of luxury.
What this means for the travel advisor
For years, luxury advisors have prided themselves on what they can deliver: the hardest-to-get suite, the private villa, the upgrade. Now, in this new era, what matters is not only what they can deliver ( this is the baseline) but also what they can interpret. Ask not only, “Where will you go?” but also, “How do you want to feel when you arrive…and when you leave?”
Here are three shifts I believe every luxury travel advisor should embrace:
1. Move from “what” to “why.”
When clients say they want “the best resort,” invite them into the story behind the resort: who built it, why the architecture matters, what the chef stands for. I’ve chatted with a GM in Italy who said his greatest achievement was not the infinity pool but the feeling of arrival – “We want our guests to walk through the door and feel, instantly, that someone has thought of them.” That thought is the differentiator.
2. Prioritize transformation over indulgence.
Luxury isn’t simply about opulence; it’s about evolution. Research confirms this: high-income travellers are increasingly seeking purpose, meaning and enrichment in their journeys. Whether it’s a private dinner in a wine cellar where the owner explains the vintage or a wellness retreat that begins with sleep therapy and ends with local immersion – the luxury is in the design of the experience, not merely its accessories.
3. Anchor service in humanity.
At the gathering in Tuscany, the head of guest relations at a boutique property told me: “When the guest remembers you, not the hotel, we’ve succeeded.” Service that shouts “look at me” is dying; service that whispers “you are thought of” is flourishing. Travel advisors who embed this ethos into every interaction (from enquiry to return home) will win the next chapter.
What the hotel & travel brand must embrace
This expectation reset reverberates beyond just advisors. Brands must recalibrate their definitions of luxury. They must shift from spectacle to significance, from branding to belonging.
In the Virtuoso report more than 70% of HNW travellers said they prioritize destinations with moderate weather, off-peak travel and avoided overtourism. Hotels that offer meaningful connection to place and culture, rather than just another trophy stay, are increasingly the ones valued by discerning travellers.
From a design perspective, the grand foyer is still beautiful, but what stands out now is the breakfast prepared at dawn by a local chef, the land-artist who curated the lobby walls, the wellness director who builds sleep capsules, not just spa installations. The message: luxury doesn’t need to show more…it needs to feel more.
A vision of the future advisor
For the next generation of luxury travel advisors, the playbook is evolving. The future advisor will be less transaction-factory and more curator of extraordinary meaning. Here’s what that looks like:
Storyteller: who knows not just the destination but the soul behind it.
Connector: who introduces their client to the talent behind the property – the owner, the designer, the visionary.
Advocate: who not only books trips but protects the craft of hospitality – ensuring service stays human, not just tech (and definitely not AI!).
Educator: who mentors their team and the next generation, insisting that luxury isn’t just what you do, it’s how you do it.
If you want a single yardstick to measure your value as an advisor, ask yourself: What value do I create that cannot be Googled? In this reset, that question is everything.
In conclusion
The Expectation Reset isn’t simply a trend; it’s a conversation shift. It’s saying, “We see you. We value you. We honour the people who make this possible.”
Luxury travel today doesn’t broadcast – it breathes. It offers quiet arrival rather than loud entrance. It honours the host just as much as the guest. It prioritises depth over decoration, presence over pretense.
For those of us in this industry, for the advisors, hoteliers, creatives and makers, this is an invitation. An invitation to hold hospitality as an art form and to lead with that conviction. Because when we do, the experiences we create become more than trips, they become legacies.
Kristin.