When you dream about vacation does it come with a butler? Are you neck deep in an infinity pool? Being catered to by a private chef? If you are in the market for some luxury travel, or you just want to dream about the infinite experiences, Virtuoso, a global network of travel agencies say they have you covered.
They’ve just released their 2017 Best of the Best directory, an exclusive collection of hotels and new experiential itineraries. This directory now features 1,150 hotels in 100 countries, making finding something that will live up to your luxury travel expectations easy!
They recently shared some of the top trends and insights they’ve seen in their own Hotels & Resorts collection. Take a peek:
Emerging Destinations are Booming
Some of the hottest up-and-coming destinations this year include South Africa, Portugal and Colombia. We are seeing a new crop of luxury hotels and resorts opening in these destinations like South Africa’s Tswalu Kalahari and Six Senses Douro Valley in Portugal.
Hotels Reinventing the Functionality of Lobby Spaces
Looking for ultra-cool lounges to meet, network, conduct business or just relax? Hotels are tuning into this trend and offering some pretty inviting spaces. Visit The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, where you will find a stunning historic court. The new Four Seasons in downtown Manhattan offers lobby-specific amenities, like laptops and interpreters for business meetings.
Hotels Bring the Destination to Life
Travellers are looking for authentic and adventurous experiences and hotels are responding with on and off property activities. Virtuoso is responding to this trend by expanding Best of the Best to feature 76 pages of cultural itineraries, including sushi making with one of Tokyo’s top chefs, camel rides along Erg Chebbi – the largest dunes in the Sahara – and nighttime safaris in Laos. For a new hotel experience, try Amanera Resort, recently opened in the heart of Dominican Republic’s jungle.
Boutiques Still Reign King
People desire personalized travel experiences and Instagram-worthy design and this means boutique hotels are popular. New boutique experiences featured in this year’s Virtuoso guide includes Ted Turner’s one-room Ladder Ranch in New Mexico and his Sierra Grande Lodge & Spa also in New Mexico.
Wellness Travel is Hot
This is a rapidly growing travel trend and hotels are responding accordingly. Mii amo is a destination spa in Sedona and goes beyond traditional treatments by offering restorative therapies such as Reiki, a Japanese technique for stress reduction. Clinique La Prairie in Switzerland is a pioneering medical retreat that combines cell therapy and holistic wellness.
Best of the Best is currently being distributed to the homes of 150,000 of Virtuoso’s best clients, as selected by their advisor. To view the directory online, click here.
Thanks to Virtuoso for sharing this information with us.
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Hey Heather, I definitely agree that the hotel really does make your holiday that little bit more special. You can experience some of the best times at your accommodation if you find the right place, that’s for sure. I wasn’t really aware of this until I use Berkeley Travel for our honeymoon, and since then I’ve been obsessed with luxurious hotels!
I thought it was interesting that you mentioned how boutique hotels are very popular. My sister is looking to do some luxury travel with her husband and wants to make it awesome. I’ll be sure to talk to them about finding a professional to help out and to look into boutique hotels.
I just came back from an amazing trip to Istanbul. Our agency booked us a wonderful luxury boutique hotel in the old part. The staff were exceptional, they made our trip really special.
Audrey x