Destination
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The Hotel Trend
Destination hotels are the place to be
More than ever, travellers are choosing where to go based on where they want to stay. Hotels are no longer a place to just bed down – they’re the destination itself.
From stunning architecture to transportive design to the overall vibe, travellers are prioritising unique stays.
And as younger travellers (and their social feeds) fuel the dupe obsession, unusual accommodation is redefining what it means to “travel the world” without the long-haul flight.
68% of travellers have picked a destination based purely on accommodation.
Hotel bookings using our “Unique stays” filter are up 60% globally.1
For many, the hotel shapes the holiday. Travellers are choosing a destination based on the accommodation because it:
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Offers good value for the whole trip
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Sets the tone for the entire vacation
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Looks great in photos or on social media
Travelling duo Yaya and Lloyd of @handluggageonly share the destination hotels they’ve built trips around.
Double the vibes: Picturing their dream vacation stay, 26% of travellers like stays that are a one-stop base with everything they need on-site.
Reddit’s loving standout stays – conversation views about unique or design-led hotels are up 61% YoY.2
Martin Waller
Founder of design emporium Andrew Martin
My favourite capital city hotel is Johannesburg’s Saxon Hotel, where Nelson Mandela wrote Long Road to Freedom.
“The standard of hotels is so universally consistent with effortless check-ins, splendid breakfast spreads and efficient housekeeping that it needs something utterly different to make a stay memorable, and maybe the most effective (perhaps the only) way to do that is with the magic of design.
Sometimes, the design was achieved centuries ago, and today’s custodians simply need to be sensitive to the genius of their predecessors. The Lake Palace at Udaipur is possibly the most romantic hotel in a country full of breathtaking treasure houses.
By contrast, the Rachamankha Hotel in Chiang Mai was only built 20 years ago, but it captures the essence of centuries-old Lanna culture.
My favourite capital city hotel is Johannesburg’s Saxon Hotel, where Nelson Mandela wrote Long Road to Freedom. Stephen Falcke’s masterful design puts African tribal art centre stage against a crisp contemporary backdrop.”