What Luxury Really Means When You Travel
Luxury has become one of the most overused words in travel. It is applied freely and often inaccurately. Bigger does not mean luxury. New does not mean luxury. Excess rarely is. So what is luxury? It’s subjective, of course, and it depends on who you ask, but when it comes to hotels, for me anyway, it’s all about the experience and the time that I have to enjoy that experience. It’s not all about stars, mini bars, and hairdryers in the rooms.
True luxury shows itself quietly. It appears in proportion. In space. In time. In things working exactly as they should, without drawing attention to themselves. You feel it in a well-designed room where the attention to detail puts a smile on your face. You feel it in a bathroom where the lighting flatters, the towels feel generous and the water pressure is reliable, and in my case where there are flannels! The bathrooms don’t have to be marble! In fact, one of my favourite places to stay in the UK is a pub with rooms in the Cotswolds, The Double Red Duke, part of Country Creatures founded by Georgie and Sam Pearman - because thought has gone into every detail from the Robert’s Radios, the headboards, size of the beds, bedlinen to the cookies in the rooms and the leather key fobs, 100 Acres products, large beds and amazing food, matched by excellent service.
Luxury is also about restraint. Knowing when to stop. Knowing what not to add. Sometimes less is more, and the best hotels resist the urge to overstyle or overexplain. They trust the building. They trust the experience.
Time plays a huge part. Luxury gives you time back. Time to spend over a leisurely breakfast without being rushed to check out. Time to sit by a fire without being interrupted. Time to arrive without being overwhelmed by information.
Service matters too, but in a very particular way. The best service feels intuitive. It appears when needed and disappears when not. It is warm, never theatrical, over-the-top, gushing, or pushy.
When I write about luxury, this is what I mean. Thoughtful hospitality. Personal service. An experience that leaves you warm and fuzzy when you leave with a smile on your face, knowing you’ll return.