For most of the last decade, a high-end vacation meant a marquee hotel, a packed itinerary, and a flight to somewhere far from home. That is changing. Affluent travelers are now choosing private villas over hotel suites, booking closer to home, and building trips around fewer destinations instead of more of them.
- Privacy, control, and proximity now read as the highest form of luxury, ahead of distance and spectacle
- Remote islands, low-density resorts, and secluded mountain lodges are pulling ahead of once-crowded hotspots
- Slow travel is having a real moment, with longer stays in fewer places replacing the rushed, multi-city dash
- Travelers increasingly measure a trip by how they feel once they are home, not by how much ground they covered
There is a real parallel here for real estate. The clients I work with searching for a second home or an investment property want the same things travelers do: privacy, quiet, and a sense of place. The loudest listing on the market is rarely the most valuable one anymore.
Photo: Courtesy of Los Angeles Times
