Deloitte reports that 68% of luxury travel advisors are seeing growing demand for highly customised itineraries tailored to individual interests and lifestyles, while the Global Wellness Institute projects the wellness tourism market will reach US$1.4tn by 2027. For hotels, the shift is putting greater focus on how accommodation, service and destination experiences work together.
Personalisation is becoming less about adding elaborate touches and more about understanding why a guest is travelling and responding to individual preferences.
“Meaningful personalisation is often quite simple,” says Jessica Louw, Marketing Manager of Hospitality at Steenberg Farm. “It is about understanding the purpose of a guest’s visit, remembering their preferences or recognising what matters to them. The best hospitality feels natural and intuitive.”
Louw says the room itself is increasingly only one part of how guests assess a stay.
“Guests still expect beautiful accommodation and exceptional service, but they are increasingly judging a stay on everything that surrounds the room itself,” she says. “They want experiences that feel considered, seamless and connected to a genuine sense of place.”
Wellness is also becoming more integrated into the overall hotel experience, extending beyond dedicated spa facilities to include nature, food and opportunities to disconnect.
“People are looking for moments of restoration. Sometimes that comes through a spa treatment, but it can just as easily come from spending time in nature, enjoying an unhurried meal or simply having space to disconnect from everyday demands.”
The Global Wellness Institute projects the global wellness tourism market to reach US$1.4tn by 2027, highlighting the scale of a segment increasingly intersecting with luxury hospitality.
Food is another part of the hotel proposition gaining importance. The 2025 JLL Hotel Restaurant Report found that 60% of luxury travellers prioritise staying at hotels with great restaurants.
For hotels, this puts dining beyond the role of an ancillary amenity, particularly where food, setting and local produce can form part of the destination experience.
“Food has an incredible ability to create memories,” says Louw. “Often it is the meal, the setting or the people around the table that guests remember long after a trip has ended.”
The growing emphasis on experiences is also increasing the value of what exists beyond the property itself.
In South Africa, properties such as Royal Portfolio and Babylonstoren have built their guest offerings around elements including art, culture, conservation, wellness, food and wine, and farm and nature experiences.
“A strong sense of place is also emerging as one of the most valuable aspects of luxury hospitality,” says Louw. “Guests can find beautiful hotels almost anywhere in the world. What stands out is a destination's history, landscape, people and character.”
For operators, this creates an opportunity to connect the hotel more closely to its surroundings rather than treating the property as a standalone product.
The shift does not mean traditional luxury standards have disappeared. High-quality accommodation and service remain fundamental, but the experience surrounding them is becoming a larger part of the value proposition.
At Steenberg Farm, for example, accommodation sits alongside a spa, vineyards and restaurants, allowing guests to shape their stay around wellness, food and wine, nature and exploration.
As luxury travel evolves, the emphasis is therefore moving towards how these different touchpoints work together, from the initial booking and personalised service through to dining, wellbeing and engagement with the destination.
“The hotels people remember are the ones that create a genuine sense of connection,” says Louw. “Ultimately, that is what keeps guests coming back.”
