Luxury travelers are becoming harder to impress, not because they want more “stuff,” but because they expect less friction and more recognition. In the first episode of our Luxury Hotel Series, Jonathan Raggett, CEO of Red Carnation Hotels, joins us to explore the trends shaping luxury hospitality in 2026. From deeper personalization and emotional service to the growing expectation of fast, accurate responses at every guest touchpoint, we discuss how leading luxury hotels are evolving to meet the changing demands of today’s travelers.

We discuss what it takes to deliver truly bespoke hospitality at boutique five star hotels. That includes planning days ahead of arrival, using guest history thoughtfully, working closely with travel advisors, and recognizing that the moment a guest hears “your room is ready” is often the first true moment of trust.

Luxury hotels don’t win by doing more. They win by noticing more and by building teams with the time and confidence to act on what they see.

In this episode, we’re joined by Emily Goldfischer, founder of Hertelier, and Marlene Poynder, Managing Director of The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel in New York City. Emily shares the inspiration behind Hertelier, a platform dedicated to elevating women in hospitality leadership, and highlights a striking industry reality: just 19% of Forbes Travel Guide hotels and related companies are led by women. Drawing from her work interviewing leaders across the industry, she unpacks what truly drives advancement, what barriers still exist, and why better systems, not just resilience are key to change.

Luxury travelers are becoming harder to impress, not because they want more “stuff,” but because they expect less friction and more recognition. In the first episode of our Luxury Hotel Series, Jonathan Raggett, CEO of Red Carnation Hotels, joins us to explore the trends shaping luxury hospitality in 2026. From deeper personalization and emotional service to the growing expectation of fast, accurate responses at every guest touchpoint, we discuss how leading luxury hotels are evolving to meet the changing demands of today’s travelers.

We discuss what it takes to deliver truly bespoke hospitality at boutique five star hotels. That includes planning days ahead of arrival, using guest history thoughtfully, working closely with travel advisors, and recognizing that the moment a guest hears “your room is ready” is often the first true moment of trust.