Luxury hotels are increasingly making cultural access part of the stay

From private museum visits and artisan workshops to conservation projects and multi-destination journeys, more and more hotel brands are expanding their role as cultural guides. The Luxury Collection’s new Expeditions program is a case in point

Whether it’s a private visit to a Venetian textile workshop, an after-hours viewing at London’s National Gallery or a day spent learning Japanese fermentation techniques from the people keeping them alive, experiences like these are becoming an increasingly visible part of the guest proposition in the luxury travel industry.

The latest example comes from The Luxury Collection, which has introduced Expeditions: a portfolio of 10 experiences connecting guests with local specialists, cultural institutions, culinary traditions and natural environments across Asia, Europe, North America and the Caribbean.

The program includes single-day activities, multi-day private journeys and limited-time collaborations with specialists ranging from marine scientists to winemakers. Each experience is tied to one or more hotels within The Luxury Collection, which operates more than 130 properties across over 40 countries and territories.

Its introduction reflects a direction already evident elsewhere in high-end hospitality, where hotel groups are formalising the unique access they can provide through local relationships and knowledge.

The Peninsula London’s Peninsula Academy experiences, for example, include private tours of Apsley House led by the Keeper of the Wellington Collection, craft workshops at Asprey and after-hours visits to the National Gallery. In Beijing, guests of The Peninsula Beijing can sign up for a dumpling making class with one of the hotel’s chefs, which includes a visit to a local market to source the ingredients. 

In Italy, Aman Venice offers artisan-led experiences that take guests into Venetian weaving ateliers and mosaic workshops, alongside a perfume-making session with a local specialist. And COMO Castello Del Nero offers guided truffle hunts in Tuscany, conducted with a professional hunter and their dogs.

Journeys connecting hotels and destinations

The Luxury Collection’s Private Tailored Journeys link multiple properties through longer itineraries built around a particular country or region.

In Japan, the 10-day Imperial Journey connects Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara, with experiences including a visit to a samurai residence, sushi-making with a fourth-generation specialist, access to temple spaces with a resident monk and a geiko dinner in Kyoto’s Gion district.

The itinerary combines chauffeur transfers and first-class Green Car rail travel with stays at three Luxury Collection hotels.

Italy’s Grand Italia Rally follows a six-night route between Milan, Venice and Florence in a classic Italian car, travelling through Franciacorta, Lake Garda, Tuscany and the Ligurian coast.

A nine-day Aegean Odyssey connects Mykonos, Paros and Santorini by helicopter and yacht. Guests visit Delos with an archaeologist, explore Paros’ marble quarries and sample indigenous grape varieties in Santorini.

Aman Nai Lert Bangkok’s regional travel program follows a similar model, combining stays at multiple Aman properties in Asia with tailored cultural activities and dedicated hosts.

Local expertise

For travellers seeking a shorter experience, the Day Discoveries component focuses on individual cultural practices, landscapes and specialist disciplines.

At Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Kyoto, the Farm to Fermentation experience introduces up to four guests to nukazuke, a Japanese rice-bran pickling technique. The day includes a visit to a local farm, time at a fermentation house and a teppanyaki dinner.

At The Phoenician in Scottsdale, Arizona, a private experience combines access to the Desert Botanical Garden’s seed bank, herbarium and greenhouse with a tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West.

At Bab Samhan in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, guests explore the UNESCO World Heritage-listed At-Turaif district, visit a private Najdi palace, prepare the traditional date-based dish henini and paint a miniature door inspired by regional architectural motifs.

The third category, Residencies & Collaborations, centres on extended engagement with specialists.

At Hotel Marqués de Riscal in Spain’s Rioja Alavesa region, a five-day winemaking experience takes guests through the harvest and blending process. Participants create their own wine, which is aged in French oak before 40 personalised bottles are delivered to their home.

At Salterra in South Caicos, guests can visit a coral nursery with marine scientists and researchers from the School for Field Studies. Other experiences include guided bonefishing and kayaking through the Northern Cays, followed by stargazing.

The conservation component follows an approach already established at properties such as Nanuku in Fiji, where guests can participate in coral restoration alongside the resort’s marine team.

Additional Luxury Collection Expeditions are expected to be introduced in the northern hemisphere’s autumn.