Beyond Beautiful: How Luxury Hotels Create Emotional Connections – Maria Loleyt

In this episode, Maria Loleyt, CEO of Plurana, shares her insights into what makes luxury hotels exceptional based on interviews with dozens of hotel leaders and analysis of over 1.2 million guest reviews. She explains how hotels can go beyond merely providing clean and beautiful spaces to creating emotional connections that delight sophisticated travelers.

What You’ll Learn:

• How luxury hotels create emotional connections with guests through personalization and cultural integration.
• Why both exclusive access and simple joys are critical to exceptional hospitality.
• The rise of the sophisticated traveler and how their expectations are reshaping the industry.
• How cultural elements and storytelling within hotels can elevate the guest experience.
• Practical examples of how hotels are integrating art, history, and local culture into their offerings.
• The role of technology in creating immersive, culturally rich experiences for hotel guests.
• How focusing on small, thoughtful touches can differentiate a hotel and build guest loyalty.

Download the report: Beyond the Suite – Cultural and Market Trends in European 5-Star Hotels

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Music for this show is produced by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands