Passive Travel vs. Active Travel

Booking lazy vacations in warm climates, with luxury branded beach clubs, and hitting the prescribed hot spots for an Instagram-instigated itinerary is giving way to holidays with richer, more active agendas and accomplishments. Due partly to warming climates and partly to overcrowding, colder climates with activities connecting to nature, culture, and the arts are pulling ahead. Hospitality and related industries plan for new places of interest to take the attention away from Italy and the South of France.

Dive deeper into our Travel & Leisure report for more itinerary updates.

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Zara opens in Athens

‘Nuf said. But, just in case you’re not clear, if Zara is there, there is business to be done. Opening in Athens last month, Zara created an immersive experience with its Zara Cafe, offering classic Koulouri and Greek coffee in a gorgeous setting, all branded Zara in the hometown colors of crisp blue and white. This is a clear tip-off, as it relates to the commercial viability of the location, that if you’re looking for fresh inspiration and ideation for brands, businesses, and consumer leanings, Athens is a good place to go. Though summer partying in Greece has been going on for some time, over 32.7 million tourists visited Greece last year, resulting in roughly €20.5 billion in income, according to data from the Bank of Greece, this represents a 15.7 percent increase from 2022.

Montauk

Montauk Country Mart A rolling store, this airstream moves around Montauk and the greater Hamptons with a rotating assortment of brands and products. It’s a surprise on wheels each time you come upon it.

Montauk Yacht Club Refurbished and relaunched. Kelly Wearstler-collaborator Proper Hospitality took the MYC over for a refit, including padel courts, a new restaurant…

…The Ocean Club, boasting the chef from Chiltern Firehouse and The Ritz in London.

Amagansset

The Row The Row and Amagansset, perfect match for the level of dressing and retail company this shop will keep in the pre-Montauk village. Along with online retailer La Garconne, also posting up in Amagansett, finding clean, quiet luxury should be no problem, if you are still on that train.

Brunch Slipper and robe brand, with quirky collabs like high-end multi brand retailer Hirshliefer’s and Diet Coke, joins newbies 180 The Store, a curation of home goods and interesting objets and apparel pieces from around the world, and new quick-stop lunch spot Doubles also in The Square (psst…they have Van Leeuwen ice cream)

…not new, but a few favorites we would never miss, Warm, Suzy Kondi, e-e home and, between East and Amagansett, Carissa’s for pantry products and packaging inspiration - tinned scallops, algae olive oil, broccoli beer…

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Out West: the new Country Club.

Tennis, golf, pickle, paddle. If you can play it socially and at a country club, you can currently see it everywhere in street fashion. Golf-core and tennis-core now officially over-saturated, attention and aspirations shift to Out-West activity. While high-fashion snow sport style is nothing new, vibes are veering Western. Recent launches in the space—Farm Rio’s maximalist southwestern and Bruno Cucinelli’s old-money Aspen—show the concept two ways. Expect this to transcend the slopes and bring a gold rush of commercial activity to the West: think rodeos, snow shoeing, fly fishing, hiking retreats, and related aesthetics.

Stay: Piaule, Inness, and The Maker Hotel

Billed as a “landscape hotel,” Piaule Catskill provides the ultimate nature reprieve with private floating cabins, a spa featuring a mineral plunge, and wellness experiences like forest bathing. Sprawling golf resort Inness warrants a visit for the scenery alone, but caught our attention with a country club business model tactic—a community membership program offers preferred tee times, coworking lounges, educational programs, and family activities. For an in-town stay, head to The Maker Hotel, steeped in history, replete with vintage furniture, and boasting a well-curated, original hotel shop. Imagine that!

Less emissions, more happiness.

In addition to the evident environmental impact of cycling, e-bike owners are pleasantly surprised with the mental and physical benefits of this form of transportation. While numerous studies show that long-car commuters are more likely to experience poor health outcomes and wellbeing, cyclists are reported as the happiest commuters. Many view their commute as the highlight of their day, connecting to their physical environment and enjoying the endorphins of moderate exercise at the top of the morning, plus the wind-down at the end of the day. With the ability to control commute time, save money, and improve health and happiness, expect the e-biking discourse to shift from a responsible decision to a holistic additive to consumers' lives.

While the luxury sector booms, business needs to focus on the middle.

Prolific investor and author of Principles for Dealing with The Changing World Order, Ray Dalio, warned attendees that the U.S. needs to establish a strong middle to properly withstand the rapid geopolitical disruption underway. Taking a cue from the world stage, Hilton CEO Chris Nassetta echoed these sentiments from an applicable business perspective in his discussion of the premium economy class. Recently launching its first Spark concept location, the hotel portfolio announced plans to convert 400 hotels into high-quality economy budget experiences. Estimating that 70 million travelers frequent premium economy hotels in the U.S. each year, Nassetta stressed that this is a valuable customer base who should be introduced to the brand at a young age and rewarded for their loyalty, no matter their budget.

Catching the perfect wave is about to be a breeze.

As surfing surges beyond its tight-knit community, renowned real estate developer Discovery Land Company has announced a new property in the works, Austin Surf Club. In partnership with legendary surfer Kelly Slater, the project brings surfing to Texas through Slater’s proprietary Wave Systems technology, which allows for the man-made creation of a perfect wave. Promoting a residential community with farm-to-table dining experiences and state-of-the-art spa and wellness offerings, the concept further hints at a shift towards surfing as the ultimate mind-body-soul meditative experience. Meanwhile, an impending climate catastrophe has us anticipating more applications of artificial nature and environmental experiences just like this. Soon, we’ll be surfing and spa-ing in South Dakota!

Hotels are the new country club.

Hotels make use of sprawling grounds, attractive amenities, and activity programming with membership models for nearby consumers. In Oxfordshire, England, Estelle Manor is part hotel, part country club outpost for sister establishment in London, the Maison Estelle members’ club. Urbanites are flocking to its old English aesthetic and family-friendly activities like a kids' adventure course for mini Land Rovers. Known for a world-class golf course, upstate New York hotel and resort Inness offers a community membership program with features like preferred tee times, coworking lounges, educational programs, and family activities. As traditional country clubs struggle to retain members without huge capital-improvement projects, expect to see more countryside and suburban hotels commandeering members.