Travellers who seek out luxury and lifestyle hotels are a unique customer segment, and there’s a small margin to meet these customers’ lofty expectations. In a new survey from Skift and Curacity, 89 percent of luxury travellers said that they were more likely to book a high-end hotel if they were already familiar with its brand.

This statistic — along with dozens of other quantitative proof points from this unique survey of affluent travellers — proves that luxury and lifestyle hotel marketing requires a unique approach to brand-building.

Despite being aware of luxury traveler behaviours and preferences, hotel executives for luxury and lifestyle brands often underinvest in the brand-building channels that most highly influence these valuable customers, such as travel media and email newsletters. Executives feel like they don’t have the tools to measure ROI in these channels, so they remain unsure of its impact on their bottom line.

The reality is that travel media is not a monolith. For decades, mentions in glossy magazine features have had their place, but as the broader media model shifts to a more measurable, ROI-driven approach, channels such as subscription-driven email content engage loyal readers more directly, on a more regular basis, with richer information more relevant to their booking preferences.

Considering the influence brand perception and media validation have on luxury travellers’ decision-making, it is imperative for executives of luxury and lifestyle hotel portfolios to reevaluate their marketing strategies and consider a holistic approach that appropriately incorporates multichannel media activations and accurate attribution models.

In this report:

• A new survey of more than 700 affluent travelers (income of $100,000 and above) and 300 luxury and lifestyle hotel brand executives (4- and 5-star properties): Find out how each segment defines “luxury travel” and where gaps exist between the two.
• 81 percent of travelers said that they trust established travel media brands for recommendations, while less than 25 percent said that social media influences their discovery and booking processes: See how they interact with brands and brand-building campaigns.
• 68 percent of travelers are more likely to book a luxury hotel based on travel media recommendations than on hotel ads or direct offers: Learn what this means about the changing role of travel media in luxury hotel marketing strategies.
• 78 percent of executives agree that ROI is easier to measure from performance marketing than brand-building: Find out what’s driving this perception and why it may be misguided.
• Luxury and lifestyle hotel executives underestimate the effectiveness of email newsletters and media coverage in driving bookings: Discover how hoteliers can build brand reputation, increase bookings, and measure results through these channels, which have the biggest influence on luxury travelers’ decision-making.

• Executive Summary
• Methodology
• Introduction: Why Brand Awareness and Reputation Matter Most Among Affluent Travellers
• Walking a Tightrope to Deliver Novelty, Luxury, and Value for Ultra-Discerning Travellers
• The Art and Science of Luxury and Lifestyle Hotel Brand-Building
• Q&A: Using Travel Media to Expand Into Untapped Markets
• Brand-Building Strategies That Deliver Measurable Results
• Q&A: Applying Attribution to Modern Brand-Building
• Conclusion