Hospitality, Design and the Art of Emotional Connection

As luxury confronts a slowdown, serving ultra-high-net-worth-individuals (UHNWIs) is critical in helping brands weather the storm.

These high spenders may only account for 2 to 4 percent of the luxury client base, but they are projected to drive 65 to 80 percent of growth from 2023 to 2027, according to The Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Co.’s The State of Fashion: Luxury 2025 report.

However, with a smaller pool of target customers, competition will intensify for their time, attention and share of wallet amid changing focus areas for discretionary spend. The State of Fashion: Luxury 2025 report found that UHNWIs expressed excitement to spend more on categories like home décor (~71 percent) and travel and hospitality (~64 percent) compared to fashion and personal goods.

As clients seek new ways to elevate and enhance their lifestyle, cultivate meaningful experiences and prioritise their well-being — both physically and emotionally — travel has been reframed as a necessary expenditure, rather than a discretionary indulgence.

“Ultra-high-net-worth customers are responsible for 70 percent of luxury travel spending, and they are prioritising exclusivity and meaningful, personal experiences,” said Tina Edmundson, President of Luxury, Marriott International, in conversation with BoF.

“Customers are looking inward, prioritising self-growth, quality time with loved ones, and the act of deepening their relationships. In hospitality, we naturally have that depth — our guests are sleeping, dining and relaxing with us. That level of intimacy builds a stronger emotional connection and keeps them coming back.”

Indeed, Marriott International Luxury Group has been expanding to meet the needs of this customer, refining its approach to hospitality and positioning its hotels as an integral part of the experience. The group counts The Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, W Hotels, The Luxury Collection, EDITION, JW Marriott and Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts among its portfolio of brands.

In 2025, an expansion of its luxury brands is a key focus, as is the exploration of new hospitality formats, including yachts, safari lodge tents and camps, and upscale all-inclusive resorts — redefining categories that have traditionally been less favoured by luxury travellers.

“In luxury, scale is not always a positive thing. You want to feel bespoke, unique and deeply connected to a place. Our approach is to leverage the strength of global brands like The Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis while ensuring that each individual property feels truly local,” said Edmundson. “For example, The EDITION in Rome should feel distinctly Roman, while The EDITION in Barcelona should feel like Barcelona. That means infusing the local culture, materiality and craftsmanship into the design, while still maintaining the brand’s signature spaces and core values.”

For Edmundson, that balance is achieved through strategic collaboration with designers who understand the nuance that comes with building site-specificity. “We carefully select regional designers who understand both the brand and the local aesthetic. Some designers may excel at Ritz-Carlton properties but may not be suited for W Hotels, which have a completely different expression. We work closely with them to ensure every element — from materials to artwork — resonates with both the brand and the location.”

Indeed, materiality and physical space design is a critical differentiating factor in the world of hospitality. “Design is more than aesthetics — it’s about creating a sensory experience. For luxury travellers, materials aren’t just surfaces — they tell stories,” added Edmundson. “Some guests will want to know that a particular piece of marble came from a specific quarry or that a wooden accent has a century-old history. These details add depth and meaning to their experience.”

To explore the interconnectedness of the two disciplines, BoF, together with Marriott Luxury Group, gathered executives and tastemakers from the worlds of art, luxury, hospitality and design for a panel discussion, discussing the strategies for forging stronger connections with the UHNWI consumer group.

Edmundson was joined by Britt Moran, co-founder of Milan-based architectural and design firm Dimorestudio. Since 2003, the studio has offered services across residential, retail and hospitality sectors, counting luxury heavyweights Hermès, Bottega Veneta, Fendi and Dior among its fashion clients.

Held on the rooftop of the Casa Brera, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Milan, and commencing the beginning of Milan Design Week (or Salone del Mobile Milano), executives from luxury brands including Bottega Veneta, Tod’s, Ralph Lauren, Versace, Sunnei, Setchu, Palm Angels, Sergio Rossi, Off-White and Prada were joined by design leaders from the likes of SolidNature, Frey Barth, Byborre and Taroni.

Moderated by BoF’s founder and chief executive officer Imran Amed, the conversation spanned the importance of sensorial design, the importance of place-making and the strategies that are truly memorable to the UNHWI customer.

Adapt to UHNWIs evolving perspective on luxury

TE: The idea of a “bucket list” has shifted. People have realised they need to travel — not someday, but now.

There’s a stronger desire to spend meaningful time with loved ones, to do the things they have always wanted to do — without waiting for retirement. It is about living those dreams in the present. Of course, what they choose to do depends on how much time they have — but there is a clear shift in mindset.

We are also seeing younger generations, particularly Gen-Z and Millennials, shaping travel behaviours in new ways. They are not only earning more, but many are beginning to inherit wealth as well.

These trends are coming together to reshape what luxury travel looks like. These shoppers want rich, shared experiences — they want to create memories with the people they care about. That emotional connection matters more now than the purely material.

BM: When we serve this customer, we like to go back to the cultural basis of everything. There has to be real substance behind what we are doing, the spaces we build, the products we create. Our clients — and their customers — expect this from us.

One example is that, for this edition of Salone [del Mobile], we have collaborated with Loro Piana, creating a “home” in their showroom. It is a 250-square metre theatre piece, with different things happening in every room— each lasting around five minutes.

It is an amazing luxury brand — everything it puts out is very curated, and the craft is excellent. We wanted to collaborate on something that felt very studied — I would advise brands to have that attention to detail as a starting point when courting this customer. We have researched every piece of artwork — every object or finish in the “house” tells a story.

Surprise and delight through high-touch personalisation

TE: It is all about personalisation — creating moments that feel completely tailored and unexpected — just for the guest.

From a hospitality perspective, one of the most powerful examples came up recently at [Marriott Luxury Group]’s global conference for general managers. One travel advisor shared a story of a family who had been staying at the same hotel for years. Over time, their needs changed as they had more children and needed more space. The suite they usually booked had two bedrooms, but now they needed three. When their advisor called the hotel’s general manager, she explained it was a seven-night stay and asked if anything could be done. The hotel literally [knocked] down a wall to convert their favourite space into a three-bedroom suite.

That level of personalisation — that level of commitment — leaves a lasting impression and creates a bond with these customers that defines true lifetime value.

BM: At Dimorestudio, we have always tried to create an atmosphere where people feel good and comfortable — but also pleasantly surprised. This small segment of people have access to so much — and they’ve seen everything. e They’re asking us to surprise them, to reinterpret the familiar in a new way — so they can experience it differently.

Just yesterday, we finished an apartment here in Milan and hosted friends there for lunch. One of the comments we kept hearing was how unexpected everything felt. I think that is what people are looking for now: the unexpected.

That’s what we are called to do on projects — to impress people who have plenty of exposure to beautiful things, showing them something they don’t expect. One of the most powerful ways to do that is through personalisation — creating something just for them.

Leverage place-making strategies for an emotional response

BM: From the beginning, we wanted to ensure that every design offered something truly memorable. We aim to touch on all sensory aspects — including scent and sound — to make an emotional impact.

For example, we use a specific perfume for each installation, and people often ask about the scent. It is remarkable how scent can trigger memories. We do the same with music, knowing how deeply it moves people.

When creating emotional spaces, we focus on evoking memories that resonate with visitors, blending the new and the familiar. Whenever we present new projects, people often ask, “Is it new? Is it old? Is it yours or someone else’s?” This blurring of lines is intentional. It creates an atmosphere where visitors feel a sense of recognition but can’t quite place it.

In the spaces we create for clients, this mix of the familiar and the novel helps form a connection that’s both personal and unexpected.

TE: Fashion houses need to acknowledge that courting UNHWIs is about thinking beyond the transaction — and it has to be about how you make people feel.

Across our different hotels, a brand spirit exists. However, in different parts of the world, [everything from] the finishes, the design touches, and the materials are unique. The local space, context, culture and design aesthetics should be embraced. A couple of decades ago, this customer base wanted uniformity. Today, they are exposed to and experience so much — it means that localised [offerings] are integral to the experience.

This is a sponsored feature paid for by Marriott International Luxury Group as part of a BoF partnership.