Luxury travellers snub the copy-paste hotel look

THE Luxury Travel Report 2025 has unveiled a notable shift in traveller preferences, revealing that holidaymakers are increasingly rejecting what is termed “beigeification” - the unnerving sameness that has pervaded hotels globally.

- IOL REPORTER

Stepping into hotel rooms across the globe, from Bangkok to Birmingham, one may encounter a strikingly uniform aesthetic characterised by neutral colours, predictable artwork and standardised amenities.

While this homogeneity once promised reliability, today's luxury travellers crave vibrant, unique environments that reflect character and context. According to the report, about 70% of premium travellers feel that modern hotels have “lost their soul”, and nearly three-quarters say they are unwilling to pay for what they describe as “generic luxury”. With plans to embark on eight leisure trips in 2025, these discerning guests are ready to spend significantly, but only on accommodation that offers something beyond cut-and-paste uniformity.