Larry Mogelonsky

JAPAN—There was a fascinating hotel brand launch that occurred just after Earth Day, courtesy of none other than Adrian Zecha, founder of Aman.

Luxury hospitality was always for the most part been defined by opulence: larger suites, finer materials, extravagant lobbies, anticipatory service and increasingly elaborate food and beverage concepts.

If the past decade was about adding wellness to hotels, the next decade will be about embedding longevity into every stay.

Luxury hospitality in Santorini has always depended on a careful balance of spectacle and restraint. The caldera views, Cycladic architecture and volcanic geography create one of the most visually powerful destinations in the world. But sustaining that allure requires discipline in how hotels are designed, operated and expanded. It's one of the most unique islands in the world – both geographically and culturally – and yet it's enduring charm is that it's never overbuilt and is brimming with soulful hospitality.

There's a famous quote often attributed to Henry Ford: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Whether he actually said it is almost beside the point.

One of the great ironies of modern life is that we all need to travel – for work, events, leisure and discovering meaning in life – and yet it's often profoundly disruptive to sleep.

The NYU conference as it's colloquially called is a perennial gathering of the brightest minds and largest capital allocators in hotel real estate.

Luxury wellness has spent the past decade evolving well beyond massages, yoga classes and detox menus. The buzzy term de jour is longevity.

There is a quote commonly attributed to Henry Ford: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Whether Ford actually said it is almost irrelevant because the underlying idea remains a seminal lesson for tech innovation, no matter the generation. Customers are excellent at describing today's frustrations but far less capable of envisioning tomorrow's opportunities. The hotel technology right now sector risks falling into precisely this trap.

Why are there so many Bristol hotels around the world? It's not a single cohesive brand, so why the name “Bristol”?