COMMENT 6 Iũ 0Ƈ


New pretenders lack long-term vision for survival


In the frenzy of hotel development pipelines – some groups claim to be opening a new property every day – the joy of heritage, history and the people who made a place are more important than ever. It’s why hotels such as Claridge’s; La Mamounia; The Gritti Palace, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Venice; and Le Bristol Paris – where the walls Ì>lk >n` ÃÌoÀiià v>ll oÕÌ ov Ìhi wÀi«l>Vià – are the beating heart of a destination. We are obsessed with such moments


in our Hotels with History podcast, which I launched last year alongside actor Richard E Grant. We covered ,>vyià -in}>«oÀi] ÜhiÀi in £9äÓ > Ìi}iÀ escaped from a travelling circus and prowled beneath the palm trees before being shot in the billiard room. There were stories of Ernest Hemingway at The Gritti Palace, pen in hand between bellinis; Josephine Baker at Le Bristol; and at Claridge’s, a full deck of European royalty who made it their homi in Ìhi -iVon` 7oÀl` 7>À° /hià ià not brand storytelling. It is lived history. In our next series we’ll be looking


into more of these stories, such as how Grand Hotel Tremezzo brought tourism Ìo >ki omo in £9£ä] >n` 7>l`oÀv ƂÃÌoÀi>½Ã Àoli in Ài`iwnin} hoëiÌ>liÌÞ voÀ New York, setting the global blueprint for the grand urban hotel as we know it.


aspiretravelclub.co.uk Iũ 0Ƈ


Perowne International is a global communications, sales and m>ÀkiÌin} VonÃÕlÌ>nVÞ ÜiÌh ovwVià in London, Milan, New York and Mexico iÌÞ° 7iÌh Óä Þi>Àà ov iÝ«iÀiinVi in travel and lifestyle communications, Julia Perowne has consulted with some of the world’s most iconic hospitality brands, bringing an international perspective, insider knowledge and commercial focus to iÛiÀÞ LÀiiv° -hi Vo-voÕn`i` ÃiÃÌiÀ business, Navigator International, in ÓäÓ{ Ìo miiÌ Ìhi LÀo>`iÀ LÀ>n` and digital needs of the sector.


ŭ FOUNDER AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE, PEROWNE INTERNATIONAL


There are so many new pretenders, but only a handful have stood the test of time and will remain relevant. I’ll use Passalacqua as an example – a hotel that was created for generations, rather Ìh>n > yiiÌin} mominÌ] >n` ià ÃÌill guided by a family that cares deeply about the development of Lake Como. Ƃn` ÞiÌ ÌhiÀi >Ài VÕÀÀinÌlÞ £È]äää


Major international brands with an


insatiable need to grow are going into places that aren’t the right fit


hotel projects in development. Major international brands with an insatiable need to grow are going into places that >Àin½Ì Ìhi Ài}hÌ wÌ voÀ Ìhim LiV>ÕÃi ov the great race to open, open, open. As travellers increasingly delegate booking decisions to AI and algorithms, Ìhià Vommo`iwV>Ìion LiVomià iÛin more dangerous. When your brand story can’t be distinguished from a dozen others, irreplaceable narrative becomes your only defence. Heritage hotels possess something technology cannot replicate: genuine, lived history. -ÕVViÃà ÃhoÕl` noÌ Li mi>ÃÕÀi` on scale. It should be measured on metrics that have a long-term vision >n` VonÃiµÕinVi° 7il` >n`½Ã Óää-Þi>À VommiÌminÌ Ìo ÀiÃÌoÀin} Ìhi -VoÌÌiÃh i}hl>n`ÃÆ -in}iÌ>½Ã «>ÌiinVi] Ü>iÌin} `iV>`ià Ìo wn` Ìhi Ài}hÌ homi in Botswana’s Okavango Delta – these are the quiet rebels worth applauding. In a world obsessed with speed, it is the considered and the constant that endure. The hotels that will ÃÌill m>ÌÌiÀ in Ó£ÓÈ >Ài ÕnlikilÞ Ìo be opening this year. They are the ones that opened a century ago and never stopped paying attention.


MARCH 2026 ASPIRE 29


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