3 Top Hotel Trends To Watch For in 2016

by Robin Amster
Last updated: 1:00 AM ET, Wed January 20, 2016

Photo courtesy of Thinkstock

Virtuoso, the global consortium of luxury travel agencies, has identified the leading hotel trends for 2016.

The consortium recently expanded its own Hotels & Resorts program with 95 new properties, bringing its portfolio to more than 1,100 hotels in 100 countries. Forty-three percent of those properties, or 468 of the 1,100, have chosen to partner exclusively with Virtuoso.

The consortium's hotel trends are:

Larger Suites and Villas: In its Virtuoso Luxe Report, the consortium calls multigenerational travel the hottest trend for 2016. Hotels are responding to the demand for group accommodations with extremely large suites and villas. Virtuoso's portfolio includes an 11-bedroom suite opening this year at The Ritz-Carlton Grand Cayman which will be the largest in the Caribbean, the largest penthouse suite at 12,000 square feet at New York City's The Mark at 12,000 square feet, and the 40 villas at the Four Seasons Nevis.

Experiences that Create a Sense of Place: Travelers are placing great value on memorable experiences. Virtuoso's own collection of hotels and resorts offer a variety of authentic experiences including world-class concerts at Schloss Elmau, a historic Bavarian castle; a Western cattle drive at The Lodge & Spa at Brush Creek Ranch in Wyoming, and a private coffee-tasting experience at El Silencio Lodge & Spa in Costa Rica.

Lifestyle Hotels: Virtuoso is selecting properties that appeal to Millennials. These include brands like Andaz and W Hotels represented in its portfolio. The portfolio also recently welcomed its first Conrad hotel, in Portugal's Algarve, and first Edition hotel, in New York City.

In 2015, Virtuoso expanded its network of worldwide members, adding its first travel agencies in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, as well as growing its presence in Europe. To get ahead of the demand for destinations that appeal to those markets, the Hotels & Resorts program has invited properties in strategic locations to join the network.

New hotels in Cyprus, a destination popular with Europeans, and Paraty, Brazil, a favorite of South Americans, are two examples of how Virtuoso is catering to this diversity.

Virtuoso Hotels & Resorts, at 24 years, is the longest running program available to consumers, according to the consortium. It offers benefits worth up to $450 per stay that are available only through Virtuoso travel advisors.

Standards such as breakfast, room upgrades and early check-in/late check-out are matched with value-added extras like spa treatments, dinners, airport transfers or rounds of golf.

Virtuoso's just published, 632-page 2016 Virtuoso Best of the Best directory features every hotel in the portfolio along with insider tips on how to enjoy each to its fullest. The directory is being distributed to the homes of 150,000 of Virtuoso's best clients, as selected by their advisor. To view the directory online, click here.

A new feature this year ties into the experiential travel trend. Virtuoso's Curated Experiences give travelers at-a-glance information about a property's room style, experiences and atmosphere.

Best of the Best also showcases unique experiences in each region, giving readers 60 pages of ideas. Those include a private after-hours tour of the Vatican City Museum, dining with a member of Bhutan's parliament, and blending your own wine in Chile.

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