Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ latest Luxury Travel Report puts a name to the phenomenon: the “beige-ification” of travel. Nearly 70 per cent of affluent travellers surveyed believe modern luxury hotels have lost their soul to standardisation, while 83 per cent are moving away from standardised global chains towards independent properties rich in character and heritage.
For Saurabh Rai, Preferred Hotels & Resorts’ Executive Vice President for South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Australasia, the shift reflects how dramatically travellers have changed. Twenty years ago, a familiar international brand provided reassurance when venturing somewhere unfamiliar. Today, technology allows travellers to research almost every aspect of a destination before arriving. “There’s a sudden addiction to a sense of discovery,” he says.
Africa appears particularly well placed to benefit. Preferred has recorded 73 per cent year-on-year revenue growth in the region, partly due to its portfolio expanding. Still, Saurabh says the reasons people are visiting Africa are also becoming “richer, deeper, and more diverse”. Wilderness remains a major draw, joined increasingly by food and wine, wellness, culture, and sustainability.
South Africa is performing strongly alongside Egypt and Tanzania, with further growth across destinations including Kenya, Mauritius, Madagascar, and Uganda.
The opportunity for independent hotels lies in what Saurabh calls “curated hyper-localisation at the luxury level”. Architecture, staff, uniforms, food, wine, art, and spa treatments can all tell a destination’s story. A Wagyu steak may be excellent, he points out, but if you can order the same thing anywhere in the world, where is the local story?
Technology has a role, too, but not necessarily in the way guests see it. Saurabh believes “tech-enabled touch” can help staff deliver more intuitive service by turning existing guest data into useful information: previous stays, preferences, and habits. The technology works behind the scenes; the experience remains human.
That combination may define the next era of luxury hospitality: individuality without sacrificing standards, and discovery without compromising comfort.
As Saurabh puts it, traditional brands are largely about “continued, consistent execution of the model”. Independent luxury offers something different: “the innovation of the model”.
