What Makes a Hotel Luxury?

Recently, I had a conversation with a potential hotel client. We talked about where the hotel is now and where it wants to go next — its point A and point B. Before each conversation like this, I take some time to look through the hotel’s website, social media, publications, press releases and other publicly available information. So by the time we speak, I already have a sense of how the hotel currently appears to someone discovering it online for the first time.

After that conversation, I started thinking about what actually makes a hotel luxury.

When we talk about five-star hotels, things are relatively straightforward. There are different classification systems, with specific criteria used to determine a hotel’s category. Luxury, however, is a different story.

If we are talking about Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton, there is usually very little question. These are long-established brands with history, reputation and very clear positioning in the market. But what if we are looking at a small or newly opened hotel that does not yet have decades of history or a name that already says a lot on its own? What makes it luxury then?

I started looking for an answer and quickly found that there is no single definition of luxury hospitality. Research on the subject repeatedly points to many of the same characteristics: a high level of service, quality, personal attention, a personalised approach, privacy, exclusivity, uniqueness, a special location and attention to detail. In some cases, history, architecture or a strong connection to the place also play a role.

It seems, then, that luxury is less about one specific feature and more about a set of promises. A hotel promises a certain level of quality and service, attention to its guests, privacy, a personal approach, a special place or a special way of spending time. Taken together, these promises shape the positioning the hotel wants to create.

And this is where I come back to photography.

Each of these promises can be described in words. You could write a long, beautiful and very convincing article explaining in fifty different points why your hotel belongs to the luxury segment. I write a blog myself, so I understand perfectly well why good copy matters. But when someone simply needs to figure out whether a particular hotel is right for them, they are unlikely to read all of that from beginning to end.

At the same time, many of the characteristics associated with luxury hospitality can be shown: service, attention to detail, personalisation, privacy, the quality of the space and the hotel’s distinctive features. Sometimes, a single photograph can genuinely communicate more than an entire article.

That is why a hotel does not need beautiful photographs simply because they are supposed to be beautiful. It needs photographs that serve a specific purpose.

Owners and marketers of good hotels usually know perfectly well what makes their property special. But they do not always know how to show it to someone on the outside in a way that is simple and accessible. This is where photography and video can help make the things that matter to the hotel immediately visible.

You can see this clearly with major luxury brands. Aman and Mandarin Oriental, for example, are exceptionally good at showing things that might seem difficult to photograph: service, attention to the guest, care and personalisation. They show not only beautiful interiors and views, but also what the level of care they promise actually looks like.

If there are five specific things in your positioning that, in your view, make your hotel luxury, why not show all five? And then add one more promise: make the choice as easy as possible for the guest. Give them enough accessible information to quickly see what makes your hotel luxury, rather than making them piece that picture together from different pages and publications.

In that case, photography and video become more than a way to make a hotel look beautiful. They help guests quickly see what the hotel considers important about its positioning and make a decision without unnecessary searching.