How luxury travel has moved on from ‘fly and flop’ to ‘fit, flat and fun’

Aspirational Adventurers

For 2025, adventure awaits, and forward-thinking luxury brands will look to evolve their offering for the 42% of global travellers who are seeking experiences that boost both their physical and mental wellbeing.

These “Aspirational Adventurers” with a growing interest in hiking are what we call “bootiquing”: going on multi-day hiking adventures punctuated by nights at luxury accommodation. They’re reaching remote spots in the Japanese alps through heli-hiking tours or exploring Belize by day then finding tranquillity at night via Hidden Valley Wilderness Lodge’s hiking and biking trails, onsite canoeing and private waterfalls.

Closer to home, paddleboarding is capturing the attention of 4.5 million Brits (according to The Economist). Opportunities here include enriching onboard experiences (think mystery-solving adventures and sessions for singles). No water? No problem. Waterless paddleboarding workouts are trending as novel gym sessions.

And athletics brands are prime hotel partners for those seeking to engage the Aspirational Adventurer. Eat, Sleep, Marathon from The Hoxton and Adidas Runners is a collaboration that enables guests to recharge, refuel and run.

The US National Golf Foundation reports that the largest customer segment for the sport is 18-to 34-year-olds, so we predict growth possibilities for properties who can evolve their golf offerings.

Engage these younger cohorts with 21st-century-ready, off-course formats: think virtual driving ranges and simulated golf courses.

Radical Rest

Sleep tourism is booming, with HTF Market Intelligence predicting this market will grow by $409.8 billion by 2028.

Travellers embracing our second trend, Radical Rest, will be seeking restorative analogue activities, like “silent walking”, which encourages people to unplug and immerse themselves in their surroundings, evolving the “lying flat” trend (rejecting societal pressures to overwork and overachieve).

Spa and gym services are already taking the Dutch concept of niksen – loosely translating to “do nothing” – into fitness programming: David Lloyd Leisure’s Niksen classes teach members how to switch off. This is all about providing respite from hyper-stimulated modern lifestyles.

As the sleep aids market grows (Research and Markets says it will reach $160 billion by 2030), astute luxury hotels will extend sleep-specific technology and programming. At Castle Hot Springs in Arizona, the Soak & Slumber Package gives guests the knowledge and tools to create an optimal sleep environment for their stay. There’s even gentle encouragement to disconnect from the digital: the WiFi password is RUSUREUWANT2.

Environments that encourage Radical Rest particularly appeal to Gen Z’ers (Hilton found that 55% use holidays to “rest and recharge”). Don’t underestimate the service and programming possibilities, from sleep-enhancing spa offerings to hammock-based massage therapies and even hotel-branded podcasts, designed to help guests nod off.