At Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2025, luxury hospitality executives from Marriott, Fairmont, and Minor Hotels came together to explore how hyper-personalisation is reshaping the sector—and why it has become a critical lever for revenue growth across premium brands.
As traveller expectations shift from lavishness to meaningful, tailored experiences, brands are responding with new layers of sophistication that combine AI-powered insights with genuine human connection. From personalised welcome gifts and curated dining, to predictive service powered by machine learning, personalisation is rapidly becoming central to competitive advantage in the high-end hospitality landscape.
The 2025 ATM Travel Trends Report, developed by ATM in partnership with Tourism Economics, reveals that 85% of hoteliers now view personalisation as a key commercial driver, with tailored offerings generating up to 5% in additional revenue. Further analysis by Future Market Insight Inc projects the global market for customised travel experiences will reach US$620.71 million by 2032.
“Far beyond traditional service”
Speaking during a panel discussion, Nicolas Hauvespre, Vice President of Luxury Brands for MEA at Marriott, underscored how expectations are rising, especially among new-generation luxury travellers:
“When it comes to hyper-personalisation, for many brands, this goes far beyond traditional service. It’s about creating something highly tailored and curated through leveraging technology and building on your culture, so you can develop that anticipatory service and meet both the explicit and unspoken needs of your guests.”
The panel also featured Loay Nour, Vice President Fairmont Brand and Marketing Communications, and Amir Golbarg, Senior Vice President at Minor Hotels. Together, they explored how personalisation has evolved from a courtesy to a baseline expectation, particularly in luxury where guests interact with other ultra-personalised brands beyond hospitality.
“Luxury is not one size fits all, it’s no longer about recognising someone by the name or knowing their preferences in their profile, because you need to understand that those consumers are not only hotel consumers, they are exposed into the ultra level of personalisation from other brands and other industries that they work with, so they have a certain minimum of expectations,” said Nour.
The consensus among panellists was clear: while AI and technology can help deliver bespoke experiences at scale, they must be anchored in emotional intelligence and empathy. True personalisation is not just about data, but about creating a relationship between guest and brand.
Regional momentum in personalised luxury
In the Middle East and Africa, Marriott is capitalising on this trend with projects that combine immersion, local culture, and service excellence. Key developments include the Ritz-Carlton Reserve at Nujuma in Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea destination—designed to offer culturally rooted experiences—and a collection of Ritz-Carlton safari lodges in East Africa that promise personalised, nature-rich journeys in pioneering locations.
Minor Hotels, meanwhile, is using its owner-led agility to test hyper-personalised concepts and rapidly bring them to market. Its 22-room Anantara Santorini Abu Dhabi in Ghantoot is a prime example: designed around intimate luxury and individual attention, the property has exceeded expectations by focusing on depth of experience over scale.
“Today’s travellers are looking for more than exceptional service; they expect tailored journeys that reflect who they are and what they value,” said Danielle Curtis, Exhibition Director ME, Arabian Travel Market. “At ATM, we are witnessing how hospitality brands are rising to the challenge, providing guests with luxury experiences that are personalised, sustainable and connected to people and place.”
ATM 2025 has once again underscored that in the world of luxury travel, personalisation is no longer a differentiator—it is the new standard. With technology enabling deeper guest insight, and hospitality brands doubling down on cultural relevance and emotional engagement, the future of luxury lies in knowing not just who the guest is, but what matters to them most.
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Photo top of page: Humphrey M / Unsplash
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