Luxury travellers seek independent hotels

Small Luxury Hotels of the World CEO Filip Boyen spoke with Hotelier Middle East at Arabian Travel Market about the latest trends in luxury travel and hospitality, notably the rising interest in independent hoteliers.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has witnessed increased demand from guests seeking to experience destinations and cultures through independent hoteliers, marking a shift away from large international chains, according to SLH CEO Filip Boyen.

“Luxury travellers today are often looking to get away from the big brands. They want individuality, character and personalised service – more than anything they want to be connected with the destination,” said Boyen.

“What you need to remember is that guests today really want to experience the local way of life, I think it is very important that when a guest comes home they have learned something – this is bragging rights – a private beach isn’t bragging anymore – telling exciting stories is so important to luxury travellers,” he added.

Speaking of source markets, Boyen noted that travel agent bookings represent 75% of SLH bookings, and 55% to 60% of them are from the US.

UK, Germany, Italy and Canada are were also noted as large source markets for the company.

“India and China are definitely potential markets for us too. Chinese travellers are very brand oriented people – while India is the fastest growing market in this sector."