This year in luxury travel, customization is king. Afar’s resident hotel expert, Jennifer Flowers, and editor in chief, Julia Cosgrove, go behind the scenes of ILTM, the International Luxury Travel Market, in Cannes, France. They sat down with leaders from three of the world’s biggest hotel brands—Hilton, IHG, and Hyatt—to hear how trends, technology, and travelers' changing desires will shape luxury hotels in 2025. 

Featured Guests:

• 
  Crystal Vinisse Thomas, (Former) Vice President, Global Brand Leader, Lifestyle and Luxury Brands, Hyatt. (Crystal resigned after we recorded this episode.)


• 
  Jane Mackie, SVP of Luxury, Lifestyle, and Premium Brands at InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG)


• 
  Dino Michael, SVP and Global Head, Hilton Luxury Brands
  

**New opportunity: Want to be featured in an episode of Unpacked or have an idea you want us to unpack next? Send us a voicemail here. **

What Travelers Want Most in 2025 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

• The path to becoming a luxury travel leader in hospitality. 


• How hotels are helping travelers customize their experiences, loyalty perks and more. 


• The trends that will help you plan your perfect year of travel—from AI to authentic experiences. 

Plan Better Travel With These Luxury Hotel Brands

Don’t miss these moments: 

[07:28 ] Sniffing out inauthenticity and how hotels become good neighbors. 

[25:26 ] AI, customization, and getting the most out of loyalty programs. 

[36:45 ] How all-inclusive resorts are gaining a new reputation. 

Resources

Read the article: 4 Hotel Travel Trends to Watch in 2025.

Explore the luxury travel brands at Hilton, Hyatt and InterContinental (IHG).

Check out our Hotels We Love series and Stay Here Next reviews.

Read the transcript of this episode.

Be sure to subscribe to the show and to sign up for our podcast newsletter, Behind the Mic, where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode. And explore our second podcast, Travel Tales, which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us.