Lifestyle , fashion , fitness , culinary and design brands – from Equinox and Nobu to West Elm and Restoration Hardware – are latching onto the growing demand of customized travel , breaking new ground in the travel and hospitality space to offer innovative ways to further engage their customer base in an age of bespoke travel . At the latest American Express Travel Salon , a series of ongoing

conversations of trending topics with industry experts , American Express Travel uncovered the answers to two key questions : “ Why now and what ’ s next ?”

“ Lifestyle trends have been on our radar for a while and it ’ s exciting to see how the lodging industry continues to evolve , focusing on the design and experiential elements that travelers crave . We ’ re

honing in on boutique and designfocused brands within our own hotel programs , FINE HOTELS & RESORTS and The Hotel Collection , to respond to this new wave of hotel products while handselecting properties that integrate both lifestyle and design elements into the experience ,” says Claire Bennett , EVP and GM , American Express Travel .

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