Access has become a huge part of luxury travel. The very best hotels find ways to get their guests behind-the-scenes access that money (almost) can't buy, whether that's a private viewing in a closed gallery or an intimate meal with a Michelin-starred chef.
Legendary boutique hotelier Ian Schrager made an interesting point recently at Skift Global Forum. His argument was that luxury is splitting into the super-premium variety and what he called "luxury for all," with very little in between.
At the very top end, hotels are going to be increasingly judged by the access they can secure for their highest-paying guests. Arranging a dining experience that would ordinarily be almost impossible to organize is a great incentive for a lot of high-end travelers.
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