As trusted publications like Forbes, Condé Nast Traveler, Vogue, and Travel + Leisure release their 2026 luxury travel trend forecasts, each grounded in extensive research and global insight, we thought it was the right moment to share ours.
Drawing on that reporting, paired with our perspective as a globally ranked top 0.2% luxury travel advisory, these are the ten trends we’re seeing shape how luxury travelers are approaching 2026.
In 2026, luxury travel is becoming less about ticking boxes and more about intention, with a clear shift toward meaning, access, privacy, and experiences that feel deeply personal. Travelers are no longer asking where to go, but why, when, and how can this feel different than last time? Below, we break down the luxury travel trends defining 2026, and how thoughtful planning, insider access, and the right partnerships quietly elevate each one.
1. Major Events as the New Itinerary Anchor
Traveling for the moment, not just the destination
In 2026, major global events are shaping travel more than ever. With North America hosting the FIFA World Cup and the Winter Olympics taking place in Milan, many travelers will be planning entire journeys around watching their favorite teams compete, layering luxury, comfort, and access around these once-in-a-generation moments. Sporting events, alongside cultural milestones, fashion weeks, art fairs, and landmark celebrations, are increasingly dictating not just where people go, but when they travel.
Think: World Cup match days paired with seamless city stays and countryside escapes, Olympic events in Milan followed by time in the Italian lakes or Dolomites, Grand Prix weekends with private transfers and strategic hotel placement, or international tennis tournaments followed by restorative retreats nearby.
How we elevate it: These trips demand a level of precision best handled by experts, from securing preferred hotel inventory during peak demand to prioritizing room placement, upgrades, and flawless behind-the-scenes logistics. When travel revolves around events of this scale, early planning and experienced guidance make all the difference, ensuring the moment remains the focus—not the complexity.
2. The Indian Ocean, Beyond the Maldives
Seychelles, Mauritius & Mozambique step into the spotlight
While the Maldives will always hold its place, 2026 marks a clear pivot toward less-saturated Indian Ocean escapes.
Seychelles continues to mature into a refined alternative with dramatic landscapes and conservation-driven luxury, with standout stays like Cheval Blanc Seychelles setting a new benchmark for design, service, and sense of place. Mozambique is emerging as the next frontier: wild, soulful, and still largely under the radar—anchored by properties such as Kisawa Sanctuary, where sustainability, privacy, and barefoot luxury coexist seamlessly. Mauritius is also back on the radar, led by the newly reopened Four Seasons Mauritius, which has undergone an extensive renovation that reintroduces the island as a polished, contemporary escape. Pro tip: We planned a bespoke, ultraluxe safari for our clients last year, which included a stay at Kisawa Sanctuary. Read all about their epic itinerary here.
Early whispers of ultra-luxury brands scouting across the Indian Ocean signal what’s coming next: meaningful development with restraint.
How we elevate it: guiding travelers toward the right island, the right lodge, and the right season, often before these destinations become mainstream, while unlocking value-added amenities that matter when you’re truly remote. These destinations reward foresight and trusted, on-the-ground insight.
3. Europe, Reimagined in the Shoulder Seasons
Cooler months, richer experiences
Travelers are intentionally avoiding peak summer crowds in Europe, opting instead for late fall, winter, and early spring—an approach we explore in depth in our guide on where to go for a less-crowded European vacation. The payoff is clear: better availability, calmer cities, and more authentic, lived-in experiences that feel far removed from the high-season rush.
From Paris in February to Tuscany in November, and destinations like Sardinia, where we recently spent a full week on the ground, Europe slows down in the most compelling way.
How we elevate it: through our Tailored Luxury service, we handle every detail from start to finish, leveraging trusted relationships to secure standout rooms during quieter months, advising on weather-smart itineraries, and pairing city stays with countryside retreats for balance. This is Europe at its most refined, where timing, firsthand insight, and thoughtful planning make all the difference.
4. Passion-Cations: When Hobbies Lead the Way
Trips built around what you love
Cooking, cycling, photography, art, wellness, wine, writing… In 2026, travel is increasingly driven by personal passions. These trips feel less like vacations and more like immersive chapters, where learning and leisure coexist.
The destination becomes the backdrop; the passion becomes the plot.
How we elevate it: through our Hotel Plus service approach, we guide you to the trip that fits you best. You tell us what you love, and we find the ideal destination, hotel, and experience to match, working closely with trusted luxury partners who specialize in passion-led travel. Whether it’s a golf-focused escape, cycling through some of the world’s most beautiful regions, or a hands-on culinary journey, we turn your interests into a thoughtfully designed luxury vacation that feels personal, purposeful, and perfectly paced.
5. Micro-Cations: Short, Intentional Escapes
Less time away, more impact
Not every luxury trip needs to be two weeks long. Ultra-short getaways: three nights, four nights, even long weekends, are becoming more purposeful. The goal isn’t distance; it’s reset.
These trips demand precision: the right hotel, minimal transfers, and immediate immersion.
How we elevate it: our Hotel Only service is perfectly suited for these quick escapes. For inspiration, our Hotel Reviews page and Map Your Hotel tool showcase every vetted property we recommend around the world, making it easy to pinpoint the right stay fast, no matter where you are in the world.
Book through our online tool or submit a Travel Request Form, and we’ll add complimentary perks through our exclusive partnerships, often including upgrades, daily breakfast, and hotel credits, at the same rate you’d pay online. We charge no fees to manage your booking, ensuring every short stay delivers maximum impact with minimal effort.
6. Quietcations & the Rise of Hushpitality
Luxury defined by silence
In a world of constant stimulation, quiet has become one of the most coveted luxuries. Travelers are seeking properties that prioritize calm, design-forward wellness resorts, nature-immersed lodges, and hotels where silence is respected, not filled.
This is about nervous-system recovery as much as it is about escape.
How we elevate it: steering clients toward rooms, villas, and properties known for privacy, low-density layouts, and thoughtful design, and away from places that may look serene but feel anything but. Because true rest is intentional, not accidental.
7. Off-Grid Overexposed
Trading viral for visceral
There’s a growing fatigue with destinations that feel over-documented and underwhelming in person. In 2026, luxury travelers are choosing places that still feel undiscovered—or at least thoughtfully protected from overexposure.
Remote regions, conservation-driven properties, and places that require intention (not algorithms) to find are leading the charge.
How we elevate it: recommending destinations and hotels based on firsthand insight and trusted partnerships, often before they reach mass awareness. This is where insider knowledge quietly changes everything.
8. Hotel Brands at Sea
Luxury hospitality goes maritime
Ultra-luxury hotel groups are redefining travel at sea with branded yachts, intimate ships, and private maritime experiences, and 2026 is the clear inflection point. What was once considered cruising has evolved into hotel-level hospitality on the water, where design, space, and service mirror the world’s most coveted resorts.
The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has been paving the way with thoughtfully designed journeys that feel more like floating boutique hotels than traditional cruises, while Four Seasons Yachts enters the space in a major way with its inaugural vessel setting sail in April, bringing the brand’s residential-style comfort and signature service to the sea. Adding to the momentum, Orient Express has announced its highly anticipated yacht, signaling that heritage luxury brands see maritime travel as the next frontier. Looking just beyond the horizon, Aman has revealed Amangati, its inaugural sailing yacht launching in 2027, an early indicator that the most design-forward, experience-led hotel brands are fully embracing the water.
These aren’t cruises; they’re curated itineraries with space to breathe, privacy to unwind, and service that rivals the world’s finest hotels.
How we elevate it: through our dedicated Yachts and Cruise service, we guide clients to the right brand, ship, and route, navigate cabin categories, and secure preferred amenities and onboard perks. Not all sea experiences are created equal, and expert guidance makes all the difference.
9. Northern Italy’s Quiet Renaissance
Lakes, Dolomites & design-led cities
Northern Italy is experiencing a surge in interest—from Lake Como and Garda to the Dolomites, Veneto, and Lombardy. The appeal lies in its balance: culture, nature, food, and refined design without the frenetic pace of more saturated regions.
It’s Italy, distilled.
How we elevate it: curating multi-stop itineraries that seamlessly connect lakes, mountains, and cities, while securing standout properties that define each region. For inspiration, our Map Your Hotel: Italy feature highlights every vetted hotel we recommend across the country, making it easy to visualize and refine your route.
You can also use our complimentary booking tool to reserve select hotels at the same publicly available rate, with preferred partner perks, such as upgrades, daily breakfast, and hotel credits, added to your stay at no extra cost. Italy shines brightest when thoughtfully paced and expertly planned.
10. Tennis & Golf as Travel Drivers
Where courts and courses matter as much as Suites
Classic sports are significantly influencing destination choice, and hotel brands are leaning in. In 2026, golf and tennis aren’t just amenities; they’re the reason people travel.
Rosewood’s newly announced Global Golf Series 2026 signals a shift toward fully curated, tournament-style journeys. The inaugural series spans standout courses across New Zealand, Italy, Mexico, and the Caribbean, launching with two marquee events in New Zealand’s Northland and Hawke’s Bay. Guests enjoy multi-night packages with refined accommodations, elevated dining, tournament play, and a global leaderboard, blending competition with Rosewood’s signature sense of place.
Tennis is seeing a similar evolution. Four Seasons continues to bring professional players to select properties for private lessons, clinics, and intimate programming—allowing guests to train at an elite level while staying in some of the world’s most beautiful settings.
This is sport as lifestyle, not schedule, where play, wellness, dining, and destination are seamlessly intertwined.
How we elevate it: matching skill level and style with the right destination, securing access to limited-run programs and preferred packages, and ensuring accommodations complement, not compete with, the experience. The details matter long before you step onto the course or court.
The Takeaway
Luxury travel in 2026 is thoughtful, layered, and deeply personal. It values access over attention, quiet over noise, and experiences that linger long after the trip ends.
When travel is this intentional, planning matters. The difference between a good trip and a truly exceptional one often comes down to timing, relationships, and knowing which details matter most.
Whether you’re building a journey around a major event, craving a quieter corner of the world, or refining how you travel altogether, we help turn ideas into experiences that feel effortless, elevated, and entirely your own.
If 2026 is calling, we’re here to help you answer it—thoughtfully.
Still mapping out your travels for 2026? Read our blog for more inspiration. Ready to start planning? To get started, reach out to [email protected] or submit a Travel Request Form.
