Hotels want guests to experience 'luxploration'
Do you want to explore the globe in a comfortable, luxurious way? The travel industry now has a name for that.
Starwood Hawaii, comprised of 11 hotels across the five islands, has dubbed the idea that travelers want adventurous experiences with a posh edge “luxploration.” But the word goes beyond a marketing gimmick. Hotel brands and travel companies around the world have been amping up their luxury experience offerings in the past year, appealing to travelers who want to come home to plush amenities after they leap off cliffs.
“Starwood understands that now travelers are looking for unique experiences and they’re looking to incorporate meaning into their time away from home,” says Jean Dickinson, Starwood Hawaii’s regional director of communications. “They’ve bought enough things. So it’s not as much about stuff as it is about memories and experiences.”
Starwood Hawaii’s “luxploration” offerings include evening snorkeling with manta rays at the Sheraton Kona Resort and Spa at Keauhou Bay or whale watching at The Westin Maui or The Westin Ka’anapali.
From Jan. 4, 2017 through April 16, 2017, The Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa will offer a special deal called the “Sea S’more Whales package.” Families will get beachfront rooms and s’mores kits to indulge in while watching the whales from oceanside fire pits. The package runs $575, plus tax and a resort fee, per night with a minimum three-night stay.
“Luxploration means they’re going out and they’re exploring during the day and they’re certainly not roughing it,” Dickinson says of their guests. “They are satisfying their own tastes for adventure to whatever degree that is. For some people, it might be a very strenuous hike. For others, it might be a whale watching expedition. The common thread running through all this is the luxury when they get back to their hotel.”
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Casa Madrona Hotel and Spa in Sausalito, Calif., embraces this sensibility as well. The hotel, located in an 1889 mansion, encourages travelers to take advantage of its location by booking the “Learn To Sail” package. The package offers an opportunity to sail on the Richardson Bay overlooking the San Francisco skyline. For $2,990, you get two nights of accommodations, two days of sailing lessons, private car transfers to and from the harbor in a Mercedes, two spa treatments, and daily lunches.
“Being known as a world-renowned destination that offers breathtaking views and a superb location, nature and the outdoors is certainly in our DNA,” says Carmen Cruz, the general manager of Casa Madrona.
One & Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico, offers two experiences they consider luxploration: an eight-hour deep sea fishing excursion on a luxury sport fishing yacht and a Cabo Beach camel safari, which takes travelers to a secluded beach on camelback.
Peter Bowling, general manager of One & Only Palmilla, says those interested in the activity, are “the adventurous type who look for experiences out of the ordinary combining it with the luxury O&O Palmilla has to offer. [It’s primarily] young couples in their 30s or families with teenage kids.”
The experience costs $109 per adult and $79 for kids 5 to 11 years.
Dickinson says the trend is most popular among affluent travelers.
“But it crosses all age and gender boundaries,” she says. “Millennials totally get it. They love treating themselves and splurging. They were raised that way, many of them, in households where they could afford luxury and afford to treat themselves. Some of the older generation have reached a point where they’ve worked very hard and now they feel it’s time to indulge a little bit.”
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The Four Seasons Resort Lanai in Hawaii is located on a secluded island with only 30 miles of paved roads and approximately 3,000 residents. It will soon launch the Lanai Archery and Shooting Range, a 14-station clay shooting course that is newly landscaped.
“Our guests are seeking excursions that provide a sense of place, where they really feel they are in Hawaii, and many are looking for activities that are a little off of the standard menu,” says Tom Roelens, general manager at the Four Seasons Resorts Lanai. “Luxury in this sense doesn’t necessarily mean over the top – authenticity is appreciated and desired, while personalization is key to a great experience.”
Ski resorts are particularly amenable to travelers looking for high-end amenities and personalized experiences.
Game Creek Chalet in Vail, Colo., owned and operated by Vail Resorts, is a four-bedroom and five-bath secluded cabin with its own personal concierge service, personal chef and snowshoes, and Snowcat transportation.
The Chalet bills itself as a place where “guests can ski right to the door, or relax in a hot tub while a private chef prepares a gourmet dinner to enjoy in privacy” for $1,249 per night.
Trapper’s Cabin, in nearby Beaver Creek, Colo., is a similar private luxury accommodation with ski hill access and a private chef. The Cabins runs $1879 per night.
Aspen’s Little Nell gives skiers and adventure travelers the chance to relax in style while taking advantage of the hotel’s slopeside Rocky Mountain location. There is a dedicated ski concierge who will warm your ski boots. The hotel also gives guests complimentary “First Tracks” access to Aspen Mountain before it opens to the public in the morning.
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Fairmont Chateau Whistler expands this sense of high-end adventure year-round. The hotel features three guided excursions per day, including hiking and Frisbee golf. In the winter, the resort has a Ski Valet, who will care for your ski gear and hand you a hot chocolate when you come off the mountain.
There are even companies fully dedicated to making sure your vacation is as perfectly executed and comfortable as possible. Abercrombie & Kent, which has been operating as a luxury travel company since 1962, has experienced a recent upsurge in travelers looking for these types of trips.
The company provides holidays around the world, but has recently found that Africa is the most sought-after destination for them. The “Botswana Safari In Style,” housed at the recently rebuilt Sanctuary Chief’s Camp, is one of Abercrombie & Kent’s most popular “small group journeys.” The 10-day Safari runs $6,995 and is limited to 16 guests.
“The definition of luxury has changed,” says Geoffrey Kent, Founder, chairman and CEO of Abercrombie & Kent. “It has become more flexible with an emphasis on experiences and personalized service, rather than the physical trappings of luxury.”