By Von Chua

An imagined view of a tennis retreat. AI generated image, prompted by Von Chua.

In recent times, the two key factors driving hospitality partnerships within the luxury hospitality industry are exclusive access and the intentional use of time, such as dedicated time for wellness. Knowing your regular guests’ preferences, like the softness of pillows desired, is no longer sufficient. Based on recent observations, hotels take on an even bigger curatorial role for luxury guest experiences. When the guest experience resonates with the niche group, they build a loyal following and strong word-of-mouth recommendations within the high-net-worth travellers’ group. Why do curated luxury guest experiences resonate so deeply with travellers with deep pockets? Living a luxurious life does not mean a life filled with luxury physical objects, and this rings even more loudly today with the Great Wealth Transfer. A truly luxurious life is one that allows one to choose how they want to live in the way they want to live; travellers are seeking an environment, including the hotel that they choose to stay in, that reflects who they are and the surroundings they want to be associated with.

The Great Wealth Transfer - Demographics Shifting to Gen X and Millennials

Within the next ten to fifteen years, financial advisors project a massive generational wealth transfer happening. A clear shift in the luxury sector, including the target demographics of the hospitality sector, can also be anticipated. For the consumers who can and will purchase what they want when they want, the process of acquiring a physical object provides low satisfaction. As the largest movement of assets in history occurs, how Gen X and millennials spend wealth will begin to see its shape. This new generation of luxury hospitality seekers are fueling the demand for the niche hospitality partnerships that has not occurred in decades. Experiences that are authentic and align with the guests’ interests are ranked highly.

Hospitality Segment Partnerships - Health and Wellness

From an experiential perspective, a rise in unique and specialised hospitality experiences can be seen in hotel offerings. This is particularly true in the health and wellness segment, as the new generation of luxury hospitality consumers increasingly prioritises longevity and the quality of life. A recent example of this highly specialised hospitality partnership is tennis legend Novak Djokovic’s partnership with the Aman hotel; Novak Djokovic was appointed to be the Aman group’s first Global Wellness Advisor. This hospitality partnership realises and solidifies the fact that hotels are not just a place for the night when traveling, but the stay and the experience in itself could make a trip.

In addition, the Aman group recently announced that Novak Djokovic will also be hosting an in-person retreat at one of their flagship properties. What better way to signal what health and wellness mean to you than by joining a retreat to be trained by an active athlete with a proven track record of high performance? If you are a fan of tennis, it truly hits the nail and the strategic partnerships team at the Aman knows this all too well. With the partnership with Novak Djokovic, it merges the hotel offering with ultra bespoke high performance wellness. This is just the start of the hospitality partnerships at this bespoke level within the health and wellness segment.

Hospitality Brand Partnerships - LVMH x Belmond

Anticipating a guest experience before they even know that they want it has always been the case within great hospitality experiences. To realise these luxury curated hospitality experiences, hospitality partnerships play a key role. In April 2019, luxury conglomerate LVMH officially acquired Belmond for USD 3.2 billion. Whilst both companies operate in the luxury segment of their industries, the luxury retail conglomerate’s entry into luxury hospitality was noticed. It was a strategic acquisition by LVMH, who delisted the Belmond company from the New York Stock Exchange - effectively taking the company private. Today, the rewards and risk balancing act the LVMH group had foresight on can be evidenced within LVMH’s 2025 revenue reporting.

As the luxury goods market contracted, luxury goods such as leather goods, clothing, and jewellery are generating lower sales. With the Belmond acquisition, it serves as the LVMH group’s diversification and platform to curate unique experiences as the luxury retail sector takes a turn; both industries are complementary with the demands from the market. Consumers who already shop within the LVMH brand are highly likely to be or aspirationally be Belmond's potential customers. The Belmond offering works well with the fashion brands’ gearing for hospitality partnerships. For example, the Belmond x Dior collaboration on Belmond’s Royal Scotsman train. With these fashion brand partnerships, it merges the hotel offering with high fashion.

As a traveler and a guest, choosing to stay in a particular hotel is indirectly choosing how you want to live. By booking that stay and retreat at the Aman, you are indirectly choosing to live by Novak Djokovic’s plans for those few days; you are seeking elite performance and longevity. By choosing a hotel with an in-house art curator, whereby the artworks are curated and rotated as if you are viewing in a gallery, you are signaling your cultural taste and know that no revisit will be the same. When hospitality partnerships are done with intention, whether they are within the luxury segment or not, they build a loyal following. All these choices signal a guest’s personal identity. What’s the next hospitality partnership to look out for in 2026-2027?