The k-shape of luxury travel: Why top suites sell and others sit empty

In a so-called k-shaped economy, higher earners head up on an upward angle, but lower earners, on the lower leg of the “k” drop behind. This bifurcation is also playing out in some corners of the travel industry as ultrahigh-net worth travelers spend to snap up the top level suites, but travelers with less resources are slower to book entry-level rooms. In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin talks with hotels editor Christina Jelski and Jon Makhmaltchi, the founder of J.Mak hospitality, about how hotel companies are physically configuring their properties to appeal to those at top of the k, the pitfalls of over-relying on one market segment and how hotels and advisors are working to attract entry-level and aspirational luxury travelers. This episode was recorded Jan. 22 and has been edited for length and clarity. Episode sponsor This episode is sponsored by the Globus family of brands https://www.globusandcosmos.com/ Stay on at the end of this Folo episode wraps for an interview with Globus family of brands’ chief sales officer Camille Olivere, by Mary Pat Sullivan, Northstar Travel Group executive vice president of marketing and partnerships. Related links Luxury hotels and the K-shaped economy: A tale of two markets https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/K-shaped-economy-for-luxury-hotels J.Mak Hospitality https://www.jmak.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.