Subtle Over Showy—Most of the Time
Roughly seven out of 10 luxury travelers prefer quiet luxury: refinement through ease, detail, and discretion. But over half say their preferences shift by trip type.
Quiet luxury isn’t static—it’s situational. Brands must recognize that luxury travelers want different flavors of refinement across their trip itineraries. Sometimes, they want understated, sometimes indulgent, and often both. To win their business across the spectrum of travel intentions, brands must use flexible portfolio design and experience strategies.
Quote from the Tribe:
"Sometimes I want the marble lobbies, but sometimes I want to be somewhere that I know is luxury without being told or having to show it off somehow.”
- High net-worth individual from Spain, using luxury-branded hotels 8 times per year
Commercial Takeaway:
Segment digital content and booking flows to reframe property tiers by emotional state, not price. Allow travelers to filter experiences by vibe (e.g., serene, immersive, iconic) vs. brand features and amenities.
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About the MODIV Tribes Series
Since 2022, MODIV’s always-on Mindset® study has engaged more than 48,000 frequent travelers across 25 countries. Our mission: decode the why behind traveler behavior—so travel and hospitality brands can act smarter, faster, and with greater commercial precision.
Our Tribes series distills what hospitality leaders need to know—direct from the source. Each quarter, we engage Business Travelers, Luxury Travelers, Zillennials, and Meeting Planners through our proprietary Mindset® study, then translate what we hear into strategic insights you can use.
This isn't one-and-done research. Each week, we go back to a tribe to test sharper questions based on what you tell us you need to know. Got a question you want answered? We invite you to add your voice in the comments or reach out directly.
About the Luxury Travel Tribe
This study reflects insights based on a blended qualitative and quantitative session with 87 travelers from 9 countries who are high-net-worth and prioritize luxury hotel brands and ADRs.
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