Your article makes me think about Morgan Housel, who wrote The Psychology of Money. In essence, he sees luxury as the ability to do what you want, when you want, with whoever you want. I know that's not exactly what you're talking about here, but I think there's an interesting connection. He (and I?) see luxury as having control over time. You're talking about luxury as the care and love that come from someone choosing to devote theirs. In both cases, perhaps the real luxury isn't money or extravagance, but something far scarcer: TIME, and what we choose to do with it?
SO TRUE Jeffrey! I feel like what you're describing is like the personal sphere version of what I was circling around here, and I couldn't agree more. Time is scarce and intention behind its use is everything. Too bad I'm in a toxic relationship with my phone
One of the greatest paradoxes of luxury hospitality is that the more we invest in the visible elements of luxury, the easier it becomes to overlook what truly creates it.
Architecture, design and materials can establish a setting, but they cannot replace human judgment, genuine attention and the ability to anticipate a guest’s needs.
And this is where leadership becomes essential. Creating exceptional hospitality means building a culture in which people have both the expertise and the time to care.
Perhaps the ultimate luxury is not simply the time a guest gains, but the care someone else has invested to make that time extraordinary.
Thank you, Emma, for such a thought-provoking perspective.
SO good Emma! I think the definition of luxury shifts depending on so many factors, and that we are seeing luxury appear in hospitality in a few different ways post pandemic:
1) Luxury as time and flexibility. Like your article noticed, the largest luxury is leisure time. Having the time to take longer trips abroad and not have to return to an office with limited PTO is a big wealth signal.
That said, despite my financial position, I’m constantly “on” and working, so travel becomes just working in beautiful places. I think a lot of founders end up feeling like this.
2) Luxury as generosity. The new wealth signal is not just staying in the best hotels, it’s renting a villa or multiple rooms and bringing friends, parents, childcare on a trip as well.
3) Luxury as the absence of friction. My wealthiest clients will pay anything to not have to stand in line. They want access to me at all hours so they don’t have to deal with things like purchasing train tickets in Japan when they could just have me talk to their assistant to set it up on their phone so they don’t have to figure out the app. These clients are extremely sensitive to the normal hiccups in travel.
4) Luxury as privacy. This is becoming a huge one. My clients want access to hotel amenities, but want zero chance of influencers filming during their stay. They use different names for hotel reservations. I rarely talk to them, but instead talk to their staff.
Your article makes me think about Morgan Housel, who wrote The Psychology of Money. In essence, he sees luxury as the ability to do what you want, when you want, with whoever you want. I know that's not exactly what you're talking about here, but I think there's an interesting connection. He (and I?) see luxury as having control over time. You're talking about luxury as the care and love that come from someone choosing to devote theirs. In both cases, perhaps the real luxury isn't money or extravagance, but something far scarcer: TIME, and what we choose to do with it?
Loved this piece!!
SO TRUE Jeffrey! I feel like what you're describing is like the personal sphere version of what I was circling around here, and I couldn't agree more. Time is scarce and intention behind its use is everything. Too bad I'm in a toxic relationship with my phone
One of the greatest paradoxes of luxury hospitality is that the more we invest in the visible elements of luxury, the easier it becomes to overlook what truly creates it.
Architecture, design and materials can establish a setting, but they cannot replace human judgment, genuine attention and the ability to anticipate a guest’s needs.
And this is where leadership becomes essential. Creating exceptional hospitality means building a culture in which people have both the expertise and the time to care.
Perhaps the ultimate luxury is not simply the time a guest gains, but the care someone else has invested to make that time extraordinary.
Thank you, Emma, for such a thought-provoking perspective.
SO good Emma! I think the definition of luxury shifts depending on so many factors, and that we are seeing luxury appear in hospitality in a few different ways post pandemic:
1) Luxury as time and flexibility. Like your article noticed, the largest luxury is leisure time. Having the time to take longer trips abroad and not have to return to an office with limited PTO is a big wealth signal.
That said, despite my financial position, I’m constantly “on” and working, so travel becomes just working in beautiful places. I think a lot of founders end up feeling like this.
2) Luxury as generosity. The new wealth signal is not just staying in the best hotels, it’s renting a villa or multiple rooms and bringing friends, parents, childcare on a trip as well.
3) Luxury as the absence of friction. My wealthiest clients will pay anything to not have to stand in line. They want access to me at all hours so they don’t have to deal with things like purchasing train tickets in Japan when they could just have me talk to their assistant to set it up on their phone so they don’t have to figure out the app. These clients are extremely sensitive to the normal hiccups in travel.
4) Luxury as privacy. This is becoming a huge one. My clients want access to hotel amenities, but want zero chance of influencers filming during their stay. They use different names for hotel reservations. I rarely talk to them, but instead talk to their staff.