Rose PR: Quiet Luxury In Hospitality

From consumer insights across the world to the latest tactics and trends, you're listening to leap into luxury, the go-to marketing podcast for luxury brands. I'm Natalie and today I'm joined by Regita Savro's Invenge, founder of Rose PR, an audit agency that specialises in helping European hotels travel and real estate brands connect with the Scandinavian market. Today, we're talking about the rise of quiet luxury in hospitality. In this episode, we'll dive deep into what quiet luxury truly means for the discerning traveller and how it's reshaping the luxury landscape. Regita, welcome, thank you so much for joining us all the way from Scandinavia. Yes, thank you so much for having me, I've been looking very much forward to talking to you today. Yeah, thank you. It's a pleasure to have you and quiet luxury, I feel like that is a term that we have all heard nonstop for the last two years, so it's good that we're finally getting around to doing an episode on it. Could you start by defining what quiet luxury means in the context of hospitality and how that differs from previous luxury trends in that sector like overt displays of wealth or hyper minimalism? Yes, absolutely. So, you know, quiet luxury in the hospitality industry is a growing trend that reflects a shift in consumer preferences, so away from displays of wealth towards more subtle, refined and meaningful experiences. So, I would say it's less about gold plated bathrooms and more about impeccable service and thoughtful design and authenticity. That makes sense, we all love a gold plated bathroom, but I'd say that good service definitely is more important. I suppose working on the PR side of things, you must have been one of the first to notice this quiet luxury trend coming about in the space. From your PR perspective, because that's not naturally what we do, we're very much on the marketing side, but around that Scandinavian hospitality, what was some of the early indicators you observed that the quiet luxury was gaining traction in the space? So, you know, Scandinavian has always been an advocate of natural luxury, I think, but in the past five years or so, more Scandinavian hotels have actually started focusing less on scale or opulence and more on, say, connections of nature, locally sourced interiors, a private wellness rituals, we have found to table culinary experiences and so forth. So, post-pandemic, we sort of noticed travelers were craving stillness and intentionality. And I think booking shift from popular open hotels, who roll retreats or hidden gems that sort of emphasise, you know, peace, comfort and aesthetic harmony. So, it was kind of a shift in consumer preferences as well. And it's definitely something that we've picked up a lot after the pandemic, that's for sure. Yeah, it's interesting, I feel like the pandemic was a fairly pivotal moment in a lot of consumer spending, but particularly in hospitality. You mentioned wellness there and the pandemic. What is that the only kind of societal or consumer shift that you think is driving the move towards that quiet luxury, or do you think there's kind of lots of different elements that are playing into this? So, great question. I think that we are looking into several different trends. I think the first one could be luxury redefined. So, you know, affluent travelers no longer need to show their wealth and instead they are seeking experiences that feel meaningful, rare and more personal. And it's really less about locals and more about craftsmanship, a ship and heritage and emotional connection. So that's the first one. I think the second one we're looking into is post-pandemic priorities as we talked about before. We see more, you know, nature immersion, health and wellness and people really start seeing time as the ultimate luxury. And that's something that we really been seeing a lot in the past four to five years. Funnily enough, also kind of having this digital burnout and escapism going on. So in a hyper-connected world, I think travelers create disconnection. So quite luxury hotels also here in Spain, India. They offer what I would call analogue pleasures, which could be books and fireside chats and, you know, forest walks and, you know, handwritten notes, things that really do contrast with the digital overwhelm of modern life. And it's quite a contradiction because more people are really online than ever. But we also see this shift in consumer preference is that people really need to go back to basics, to feel themselves and this is really all about, this is what the trend quite luxury is all about. So I think we have those three big pillars, luxury is being redefined as a concept and we have the post-pandemic priorities and sort of the digital burnout going on as well. Yeah. It's so funny, you should say that I'm notorious for when I'm on holiday. I just don't respond to anybody that contacts me. I'm MJ can verify this. It's very rude. I just want to completely escape real life. So I feel the digital burnout. When we have too much of a good thing, you know, it just, it becomes enough and we go back and that's typical for human beings. We kind of reach a point and then we have to go back to where it all began. I think that's very natural for us as a species. So yeah, interesting. So it's almost like we've re-entered this new phase as society where actually quiet luxury is also translating into our ourselves as well. So and how we're projecting ourselves and presenting ourselves, our personal brand that we're almost now not talking about the luxury things that we're doing, which, you know, when social media and digital boom and everything happened, I'm going to say 10 years ago, but I think I've been saying 10 years for 10 years. I'm that it was all about sharing that. Look at me, look at what I'm doing, look at where I am, that it's almost become part of ourselves, this quiet thing that we can, that we can enjoy just for us. But do you think, and I have asked many people this before, so I'm really interested to hear your perspective, do you think that quiet luxury is a genuinely new phenomenon? Or is it just us labeling something that's actually always been there and we're just giving it a name and we're giving it kind of a, we're making it a trend in itself or has it always existed again, like it has with hospitality, for example. Yeah, well, this is really a great question. I'm actually glad you asked it because many people are wondering. So here's another concept we have to deal with. Here is another fancy word, right? And I think, you know, I understand people are wondering about this because the concept of quiet luxury isn't new at all. It's more of a reframing of timeless principles that have long existed in, in high end hospitality, I would say. So what's truly different is why and how those principles are being valued again and by whom. So the concept of the start just not new, but long before the term why luxury emerged, I think many iconic hotels embodied its portraits, really. And this could be, you know, discretion, discretion over display. We have chains such as Aman and, you know, family owned Swiss hotels and so on and so forth. They've been practicing this forever. It's also about quality craftsmanship, not flashy things, flawless intuitive service, delivered without any brand or and then we have a sense of place. And I think, you know, these were the pillars of what I would call old world luxury. Often, you know, we served for a select in the no clientele, but as a concept, it's not new. We're just redefining it. Yeah, we're labeling it almost to kind of giving it the name and then more people won't access to it. It's not reserved just for those top few anymore. For a PR agency, I can imagine that communicating quiet luxury is a little tricky. Because you can't just say we are quiet luxury. That defeats the point of the entire movement. What are the subtle cues and narratives that you focus on then to communicate this concept? Yeah, so it's true. You can't really just put it all over, but you know, you have to be kind of subtle about it because that's the, you know, the essence of the concept. It's all about showing and not telling. So you sort of don't label it to your embody it. I think it's about guiding the audience to feel it through, for example, curate its tone, cues and storytelling. And in this context, you shouldn't use too many civilizations and bold claims like some chains or some luxury brands are really doing. So it's, you know, no shouting, just being present. And visually, it's important to focus on, for example, the mood instead of the material wealth. And this is where it becomes very interesting because it really is a certain mood, right? Quite luxury. You can really tap into it. You can almost feel it. You can hear it. As an agency, we also focus on the craft and not the price. So thereby, I think, you know, we highlight the process rather than the price tag. And I truly believe that luxury is in the details still, especially those, the details not everyone notices. - I did. That's really quite lucky. I mean, I'm going to make a statement here that it's very off the cuff, but I genuinely feel like a more opulent, luxurious experience, the opposite of quiet luxury, is almost, I'm going to say it's almost easy. It kind of markets itself in our society in terms of you can create desire without with flashy visuals and celebrity endorsements and all of that. But what kind of challenges are you facing from your services that you offer when you're trying to sell something that's quiet and understated? Yeah, no, I think it's true what you're saying. So I personally love quite luxury because it's all about selling, you know, pressings and feeling and restraint in a world addicted to, I would say, performance and noise. But that's also what it makes, what makes it so powerful really. So a challenge could be that you can't really rely on flash, right? So I think quiet luxury doesn't go viral, which is doesn't. The cue here could be to rely on emotion instead, for example, on storytelling. That's something we've very begun in Rospia. Key works of micro stories and emotions and imagination really. Another challenge could be limited mass appeal because, as you said, not everyone, you know, not everyone gets the concept of quiet luxury. It's not out there. It's not viral and that's okay. But it does make marketing a little bit trickier. So the solution here could be to speak to the few and not the many. As a PR agency, for example, we really need to focus on the quality of reach, not scale. And we like to partner niche creators and slow travel voices, for example. And I think it's crucial to focus and values and quality and design here. So I hope that makes sense. But yeah, yeah. It does, it does make sense completely. It takes a confidence, I think, from the brands themselves to commit to that because we're in an era where scale is everything. And to step back from that is, you know, it displays a real sense of confidence in yourself and who you are. And a trust also that your story is going to be understood because if you're not appealing to everybody that you're not playing, it's safe anymore. You're really banking on just those few people getting what you're trying to say. You mentioned that storytelling is something you really focus on. And I imagine that you have to convey certain values and unique experiences within that story telling to attract customers. Are you able to expand a bit on what kind of stories you find resonate most with this particular audience? Yeah, so this is a great one, you know, because storytelling is the most powerful tool for conveying quite luxury. And that's simply because you're selling not features but feelings. And this audience doesn't want to be dazzled. They want to be moved. They want to be intrigued. They want to be reassured. The key is to craft stories that reflect the essence and not the ego of the experience if that makes sense. So, you know, focus, I would say focus on emotional resonance and not descriptive details, for example. The quiet luxury, if we're talking about luxury hotels, for example, quite luxury isn't about what the room looks like. It's about how it feels to wake up there. It's about telling human scale stories. So guess the quiet luxury hotels. I think they often seek connection and slowness and meaning, as I said before. So tell stories that mirror that, like a couple who returns every anniversary for the same secluded cabin, you know, you could tap into that or a team member at the hotel. I love, of course, you love this one who worked at the hotel for 20 years and still weeks guessed by their name. These are the little micro stories that really tell people the kind of quiet luxury. And I really love that because it's very human-centric. Yeah, it is. And humanity is what sells, I think, isn't it? Absolutely. Super important, right? So, yeah. It is, but is there kind of an evolution of this that you specifically are predicting for the future? I mean, it's quite luxury here to stay probably. As you say, it's been here for a long time. We just didn't have a real name for it. So, where can we now take this and grow it in the future? Yeah. So, I personally don't believe that quiet luxury is a passing fudge. You know, I think it's a lasting shift in values of anything. So what we're seeing in hospitality is not just a style preference. I think it's a broader cultural, how to say, recalibration somehow, you know. People are rethinking what luxury really means. In a post-pandemic and very climate aware, digitally fatigued world, because people are so fed up with these kind of digital tools now that they need something else. And I personally believe that quite luxury will become the new benchmark also in hospitality in the next 10, 20 years. So rather than being a niche or kind of an emerging style, I think quite luxury will become the standard for travelers looking for more. Just the way we see the same way we see sustainability and wellness that it is expected when we travel, I think that, you know, values of attention and restrained and refinement will really become a core pillars of high-end hospitality now and moving forward definitely. I hope so. There's certainly things that I look for when I book hotels. So if there were more of them, that would be very enjoyable for me. Are there any pitfalls or misinterpretations of quite luxury that you think brands should be aware of or avoid? You know, the things that you see people doing where you're like, that's not quite hitting the mark there. One of the biggest mistakes would be to assume that, you know, the style, the palettes, muted colours and stone walls and sort of linen curtains automatically signals quite luxury because it doesn't. So it's not just minimalistic design. Design and loan, if we're talking about design, that doesn't carry meaning. So if the service is kind of funky, the experience is genetic. It doesn't really matter how base your walls are and how much linen fabric you have in your hotel, right? So, instead, ensure the feeling of quite luxury is present throughout the experience, creation, depth and care, emotional resonance. That's really important, right? So that would be one of them. A second one I would like to highlight here is sort of, you know, trying too hard to be quiet. That could be a pitfall of power because some brands are really all really calculated in their understatements and I've seen that, you know, so much that it feels like a performance in itself that's the complete opposite of quiet luxury because I really think true quiet luxury is effortless somehow, you know, if it feels too curated or too self-aware, it sort of loses authenticity. So authenticity and, you know, being honest, elegance and refinement emerge from your intent, not sort of making it a branding exercise. I think that's very important to remember. I think we had Jatin from Six Census join us on last season and he said similar, you know, you can't just talk the talk, you've really got to walk the walk and everything you do should reflect those values, otherwise, you're just, if you're just playing lip service, people are going to realise that and it's, you know, consumers are clever. So we see through things. Absolutely and it's also about, you know, we have this concept of greenwashing and there's also tabs, but there's, it could be a pitfall as well. Because you know, quite luxury guests that are discerning, they'll see through vague claims and marketing fluff. People today are very knowledgeable. So I think they're important to be transparent and share the real stories behind the products and the staff and the practices because depth builds trust and that's the way it is and it's always been like that. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, for our audience of, I suppose, majority luxury marketing professionals, what's one key takeaway that you would offer them or one key tip or one key gem of knowledge that you would tell them to keep in mind when thinking about quite luxury in their own sectors. One key takeaway, I mean, you can do more if you need. I'd rather sum it up in a very good line. I think, you know, in the area of quite luxury depth is the new status symbol. I think that really sums it up and this really means that, you know, you should prioritise subtleness, over-spectables and you should lead with sort of care and story and intense, not prize or prestige as we saw when luxury hospitality 20-30 years ago. It's about creating experience that feel private and personal and all this sort of has poetic ring to it, you know what I mean. People really crave that and trust your audience to feel the luxury and not to be told about And as you said before, Natalie, it really takes some guts, you know, you need to be brave to kind of just jump into this because it's also about being patient, trusting the process, right? But I think wide luxury is not about doing less, it's about doing fewer things in a better way and letting the work speak for itself in my opinion. I love that answer. I love that answer. So you were poetic in your description of it being poetic. And it's true, it does take confidence and it's not a quick win, but that slow build of trust and awareness from the audience will pay off eventually, you know, when you're acting with authenticity and consistency, it does pay off eventually. It really does and I really love this, sorry, I love this concept because it's not just a, as I said, a marketing trend or something a new trend in the luxury sector. It's really human centric and it's a wave in the world that's kind of, you know, attracting many people and yeah, it has great importance in the world as well. I think that's nice. Yes, I think in a world of noise doing less is very welcome. So thank you so much, Regita. It's been absolutely wonderful talking to you. You've made me crave another holiday, despite just getting back from one. So, yeah. Thank you. Thank you so much for joining us. Thanks for tuning in to Leap Interluxury. Don't forget to subscribe for more insights into the world of luxury and for more information about Leap Lux and the work we do, head over to Leap.lux or find us on Instagram at Leap Interluxury podcast. [BLANK_AUDIO]