Authenticity is the Most Overused Word in Hospitality

We keep hearing the same word everywhere in hospitality.

Authenticity.

Every property wants to offer “authentic experiences.” But there’s a huge gap.

Not because authenticity doesn’t matter. But because what operators think guests want isn’t the same as what guests actually pay for.

What guests are willing to spend money on isn’t raw authenticity. It’s curated authenticity.

But most operators haven’t figured out the difference yet.

What’s actually happening in travel

Look at what the big players are doing.

Airlines are making their way into travelers’ wallets through credit cards and points systems.

Airbnb is trying to be the everything app for travel, all aspects of it.

Cruise lines are buying or developing private islands, basically vertically integrating the entire cruise experience.

All these travel companies are trying to own more and more of the traveler journey.

Because what travelers say they want and what they prove with their wallets are two very different things.

What guests say vs. what guests pay for

Here’s what we see happening.

Everyone says they want authenticity and travelers talk about wanting real experiences, to connect with local culture, and to avoid tourist traps.

But in reality, they don’t necessarily want to be thrown into the mix with a ton of friction. They don’t want to be roughing it. Especially when you talk about the upscale to ultra luxury travelers.

We think what’s actually going on is this: guests do want sense of place. They want to experience the culture. They want it to feel tied to where they are.

But they want that experience to be effortless.

They don’t want the gritty parts of a genuinely local experience. They want the highlight reel, not the full unedited cut.

So what people are paying for is curated authenticity – the best version of whatever the local experience is.

How to actually build this

The best brands already get it.

Aman and Janu. Six Senses. Rosewood. They’re not just slapping “local” onto everything and calling it authentic.

It’s a balance between really making sure the experiences are up to standard of the brand and there’s a curation of quality while still being true to the place.

They’re curating which local operators to work with. Which design elements to incorporate. Which experiences to offer. They’re balancing quality and staying true to the location.

Luxury properties have an advantage here because their margins support the risk of trying new things. That’s why innovation almost always starts at the luxury level. They can afford to swing and miss.

But over time, more mid-scale and other brands that aren’t quite so out of reach for some people will figure out how to incorporate a lot of these principles. The playbook is the same, those operators just have to be more strategic and resourceful.

It often won’t pencil to have dedicated staff members for all these roles, so you have to do a really good job of curation and vetting the local operators you’re working with to make sure they’re up to your brand’s standards. Find the best version of whatever the local experience is.

On the design side, you can weave in local elements without breaking the bank. Sometimes shopping local is cheaper. Custom dining tables, live edge end tables and coffee tables, locally milled custom bed frames. It costs more than Wayfair, but it doesn’t have to be restoration hardware prices.

We actually do this at a lot of the hotels we develop. Our designer always comes into town and gets the last 5-10% of stuff all local. Sometimes we source some of the bigger items local too.

And think about your story while you’re building. Don’t build the property and figure out the narrative later. Think about who you want to be, what story you’re telling, then make design and experience decisions that all weave into that.

The content and distribution side (getting the word out) comes after you get the product right. But if you build this curated authenticity into the property from the start, you’ll have a much better story to tell.

The market is bigger than you think

The modern traveler is willing to stretch way beyond what you’d expect based on their income.

Maybe 10-20 years ago, you might look at somebody’s income and say they would never stay at an Aman. Today, they absolutely might. They’ll consolidate their budget. Take fewer trips. Spend less on the other trips they take. Just to afford that one experience.

Because of how much they value it.

So if you’re building this right with a curated sense of place, flawless execution, world-building that feels tied to where you are, then you’re not just competing for the ultra-wealthy.

You’re competing for everyone who’s willing to consolidate their spend for the right experience.

What this comes down to

Stop chasing authenticity as a buzzword and start building curated worlds that feel authentic.

There’s something romantic about getting this right. A nostalgia to it that hits what the modern consumer actually wants:

The feeling of discovering something real, without any of the friction that comes with actually roughing it.

The operators who have figured this out are capturing premium rates and filling their calendars.