Newsletter: January 2025
Happy New Year and Welcome to 2025!
As we step into this exciting new year, we are thrilled to share fresh ideas, inspiring stories, and innovative concepts with you. January is the perfect time to set bold goals, embrace new opportunities, and reflect on what truly matters. Whether you’re looking for the top hotel openings of the new year or trends shaping this upcoming chapter, our January edition is packed with inspiration to fuel your ambitions. Let’s make 2025 a year of growth, connection, and success—together!
Trends Shaping the Hospitality Industry in 2025
In 2025, technology and AI will continue to demonstrate their important role in improving customer experience and operational efficiency. The use of new technologies will be beneficial in several ways. Firstly, the development of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will enable users to predict demand even more accurately and link it to customers' individual needs and expectations, further enabling the offer of hyper-personalized experiences. Secondly, augmented reality and virtual reality tours are now key tools for offering customers an immersive preview of their stay. As customer expectations become ever more demanding, marketing of varieties of accommodations will be essential for businesses to attract potential customers.
Sustainable hospitality is no longer optional. With increasing customer expectations and legal regulations pushing in this direction, technology is advancing efforts in energy savings and waste management. Digital tools, such as apps and kiosks, are helping make accommodation, dining, and travel more eco-friendly. Additionally, green certifications, renewable energy, and locally sourced materials are becoming standard practices. This trend is also visible in the foodservice sector, with growing demand for plant-based menus and farm-to-table dining.
Looking ahead to 2025, wellness tourism will rise, expanding beyond spas and yoga retreats to include holistic well-being experiences, particularly focusing on mental health. The blending of business and leisure travel is also gaining momentum, as more people seek destinations that combine work-friendly environments with leisure opportunities.
Sources: Hospitality Net; EHL Insights
Word of the Month
AI-tinerary (noun) /eɪ.aɪ-tɪnɛrəri /
Say hello to the future of travel planning: the AI-tinerary
In 2025, AI will take the stress out of trip planning with smart virtual assistants, predictive tech, and personalised itineraries. From quickly crafting dream vacations to seamlessly adapting to unexpected changes, AI ensures each journey is tailored and hassle-free, making travel smarter, faster, and more enjoyable.
Top Picks - Luxury Hotel Openings of 2025
Introducing the Dolce Vita Orient Express
In 2025, the Dolce Vita Orient Express by Accor will redefine luxury train travel in Italy, offering unforgettable journeys through stunning landscapes like the Amalfi Coast, Tuscan hills, and the Alps. With 62 guests aboard, the train blends vintage elegance and modern luxury, featuring exquisite suites, a panoramic lounge, and gourmet dining. Renowned French chef Yannick Alléno will curate Michelin-starred meals showcasing Italy’s finest ingredients, making the Dolce Vita Orient Express an immersive experience celebrating Italy’s culture, cuisine, and natural beauty.
Kempinski Cap d'Ail – A New Luxury Destination
Kempinski Cap d'Ail, located between Nice and Monaco, will open in 2025 as a new luxury destination. Designed by renowned architects Massimiliano and Doriana Fuksas, this eco-friendly hotel will offer 130 rooms and suites, seamlessly integrated into the natural landscape. Each room will feature a terrace with stunning sea views. Guests can enjoy fine dining, a panoramic pool, and a luxurious spa, making the hotel a perfect blend of elegance, sustainability, and Mediterranean charm.
Six Senses Antognolla – A Sustainable Luxury Retreat in Italy
Six Senses Antognolla will soon open as the brand’s second property in Italy, nestled in the heart of Umbria. The resort revitalizes a 12th-century castle and its village, blending historical preservation with modern ecological innovations. Offering 71 rooms and 79 branded residences, the property features restored buildings and newly designed structures that harmonize with the natural landscape. Guests can enjoy a world-class golf course, equestrian center, cooking school, and organic farm, making it an exceptional destination focused on well-being, sustainability, and Italian heritage.
Few & Far Luvhondo – A New Eco-Luxury Lodge in South Africa
Few & Far Luvhondo opens in Limpopo, South Africa, offering a reimagined safari experience in the UNESCO-listed Soutpansberg Mountains. With just six cliffside suites featuring private plunge pools and expansive decks, the eco-lodge blends luxury and nature. Guests will enjoy a solar-powered aerial safari, 40-kilometer cable car game-viewing, and farm-to-table dining, alongside traditional Boma Braai evenings. Focused on sustainability, the lodge also works to restore the region through carbon sequestration. Located just four hours from Johannesburg, Few & Far Luvhondo promises an exclusive and regenerative safari experience.
The Newman London – A New Landmark in Fitzrovia
Opening in 2025, The Newman is the debut property from Kinsfolk & Co, bringing luxury to the vibrant Fitzrovia neighbourhood with 81 rooms, suites, and apartments. The hotel’s design blends contemporary elegance with the creative spirit of the area, featuring a rooftop signature suite with exclusive access to a four-bedroom floor. With a European brasserie, cocktail bar, and private event spaces, The Newman is set to become a sophisticated social hub in one of London’s most dynamic districts.
Before our Christmas break, we had the pleasure of discovering the Hotel Saint James Paris. During this visit, students of the ESSEC MSc in Hospitality Management (IMHI) had the chance to visit the hotel and speak with the team on-site about their renowned property and their experience. This was a truly enriching opportunity for them to exchange with the General Manager of the 5-star Hotel and discover all the magic it can offer to its guests.
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