Said Filip Boyen, CEO of SLH, “Small hotels are by nature nimble and able to react quickly to maintain relevancy and provide the very best experience, and indeed set the trends without even realising it. With this report we are celebrating SLH, our hotels and their forward-thinking leaders by formalising these developments for the first time.”
Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), in partnership with global trends analysts Trendwatching, has today launched a luxury trends report that looks ahead at what will be shaping the luxury boutique hotel experience in 2018.
Said Filip Boyen, CEO of SLH, “Small hotels are by nature nimble and able to react quickly to maintain relevancy and provide the very best experience, and indeed set the trends without even realising it. With this report we are celebrating SLH, our hotels and their forward-thinking leaders by formalising these developments for the first time.”
1) Hands-On Luxe
Travellers are seeking to D-I-Y their own travel experiences. 700,000 Hours wandering hotel allows guests to choose its location each year, while guests can also get a true ‘scents’ of place at Hotel Magna Pars Suites Milano can choose the fragrance of their room in this old perfume factory. At The VIEW Lugano in Switzerland they can decide on the colour of their toilet paper, brand of toiletries and linens, as well as when to have their bag unpacked ahead of their stay.
2) Spiritual Stories
In 2018 the focus will be on spiritual experiences that enable guests to seek out one-of-a-kind moments to focus their independent minds. From visiting rejuvenating ancient Power Spots at the Sankara Hotel & Spa Yakushima in Japan, to night-time spa treatments under the starsat Spa Village Resort Tembok Bali, the bespoke nature of these immersive experiences goes deeper than a deep tissue massage.
3) Novel Gazing
Hotels are paying homage to esteemed writers or classic novels, as well as offering libraries, reading rooms and library butlers. The Betsy South Beach in Miami celebrates its Pulitzer connection with bedtime poems and a Writers Room where guests can interact with local creatives. Le Pavillon des Lettres in Paris offers Literary room service and Kristiania Lech in Austria has a Book Butler who can tailor a bespoke reading list to reflect the guest’s tastes. Rockliffe Hall in the UK will be opening a Lewis Carroll inspired parkland in 2018 as a nod to his love for the area, and the Owl and the Pussycat Hotel in Sri Lanka crosses the divide by using Instagram to recreate the non-sensical world of Edward Lear.
4) Night Nurses
In 2018 hotels will also be competing to guarantee the optimum night’s sleep in more traditional, yet original, ways. 137 Pillars Suites Bangkok and 137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai offers Sleep by Design therapy and a Sleepdown service conducted by a dedicated Sleep Curator. Sometimes, however, it’s worth having an interrupted night, as demonstrated by the Hotel Ranga in Iceland’s Northern Lights wake up call.
5) Intuitive Dining
Menus and inflexible dining rituals are disregarded at Dar Ahlam in Morocco, Ett Hem in Stockholm and Foxhill Manor in the UK, where guests can eat what they want, where they want and when they want, or are conveniently surprised just when they are feeling a little peckish.
For more information about SLH and its 500 hotels in 80 countries worldwide visit www.SLH.com.