What the LHW Summit Reveals About the Future of Luxury Travel

Lucía Torres · 2026-08-06

Last month, Laura Corrigan, SVP of Marketing & Communications at The Agency, headed to Vail, Colorado, as a guest of The Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) for the 2026 LHW Summit. The event was hosted at the Sonnenalp Hotel and centered on the launch of *Explore: The Leading Hotels of the World* — the third volume in LHW's book series with Phaidon, Monacelli, and The Slowdown. But this Summit was about more than just a beautiful coffee-table book. It offered a real-time look at where LHW sees luxury travel heading. The direction? Think more intentional, more active, and deeply tied to the people and places behind each stay. It's a theme that echoes the latest issue of The Agency Magazine, which explores what today's travelers actually want. ### Exploration Over Checklist Travel *Explore* follows *Design* (2024) and *Culture* (2025), and according to Lauren Alba, LHW's Vice President of Global Marketing & Communications, it reflects a shift that's already showing up in the numbers. > "Around the world, travelers are seeking journeys that feel meaningful, transformative, and connected to place. We're seeing this reflected in our own business, with bookings to remote and rural destinations up more than 10% year over year." For LHW, exploration isn't about ticking destinations off a list. It's about how independent hotels use deep local knowledge and a personal touch to open the door to a place. The 80-plus properties featured in *Explore* trace this shift across the portfolio, from stargazing in Chile's Atacama Desert to a Bavarian-style basecamp right here in Vail. Spencer Bailey, the series' editor-in-chief, frames it as a natural evolution. "Design was really about helping readers see LHW differently — the physical environments that shape a stay," he says. "Culture broadened that lens considerably, asking what makes a hotel culturally significant." *Explore*, he explains, marks another shift: from what a hotel *is* to what a hotel *makes possible*. "The emphasis shifted from the destination itself to the adventures, discoveries, encounters, and even transformations that happen because you're there." The book leans further into first-person reporting and introduces three destination inserts — Hawaii, Sicily, and Thailand — built around "Day Trip" itineraries that push guests beyond the property gates. ### Independent, Family-Led Hospitality as the Differentiator A second theme ran through both the book and the Summit conversation: in a landscape of increasingly interchangeable luxury, LHW's independent, often family-run properties are becoming its clearest point of difference. Sonnenalp Hotel, owned by the Faessler family since 1979 and now in its fourth and fifth generation of leadership, served as a working example. "Sonnenalp Hotel was a fitting host for the Summit because it brings the spirit of *Explore* to life in a very family-oriented and tangible way," Alba says. "I hope [guests] saw that LHW hotels are not interchangeable luxury properties. They are individual expressions of their destinations, shaped by the people who own, operate, and care for them." Bailey, who grew up in Colorado, put it in personal terms. "What surprised me was discovering something completely new" — a reminder that even familiar places can offer fresh perspectives when you're guided by locals who care deeply about their home. ### What This Means for Travel Professionals For luxury travel advisors and professionals in the U.S., this shift is worth noting. Clients are no longer satisfied with a generic five-star experience. They want stories, connections, and a sense of discovery. They want to come home with something more than a tan — they want a transformed perspective. Here's what to keep in mind when recommending properties: - **Look for family-owned properties** with a clear sense of place and personal history. - **Prioritize experiences over amenities** — think guided hikes, local chef's tables, and cultural exchanges. - **Encourage longer stays** in fewer destinations to allow for deeper immersion. - **Ask about day trips** and off-property experiences when vetting hotels. The luxury traveler of 2026 isn't just booking a room. They're booking a doorway into a destination — and the best independent hotels are ready to open it. If you're ready to help your clients travel with more intention, the properties in *Explore* are an excellent place to start.