The Rise of the Identity-Led Hotel

ILTM Cannes | Day 2 always reveals something subtle but powerful:
𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲.

And this year, that pattern is unmistakable:

𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀.
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆.

Today’s travelers aren’t choosing trips.
They’re choosing 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀.

People aren’t just booking:
• a beach
• a suite
• a brand

They’re booking a 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 they want to access.

Calm.
Clarity.
Confidence.
Belonging.
Reconnection.

And the most forward-thinking brands at ILTM know this already.

It’s why you’re seeing more conversations around:

→ emotional hospitality
→ identity-led journeys
→ cultural restoration
→ longevity-driven travel
→ conscious design
→ sustainable truth (not claims)

Because here’s the truth the industry is finally catching up to for 2026:

𝗔 𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗹 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲.
𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁.

A shift in who you are when you arrive,
and who you become when you leave.

That’s the evolution I’m watching most closely at ILTM:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗹.

Not luxury defined by decor.
But luxury defined by 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 after the stay.

Brands like:

Cap Karoso → regenerative community + belonging
Soneva → presence + sensory clarity
Aman → stillness + spaciousness
𝗗𝗮𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗹 | Kerten Hospitality → cultural preservation + emotional clarity
FORESTIS → purification + inner quiet

have been signaling this shift for years.

Now ILTM is making it undeniable.

So here’s the question I’m asking brands this week:
𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲?

Not 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵.

But 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂?

→ That’s the new metric.
And it will define the next decade of hospitality.

I’d love to hear your take:
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲?