On Saturday, October 24, the "Luxury Hotels — Out of the Box" session will focus on the shifting landscape of luxury hotels in Greece. It will spotlight the new generations of luxury travelers, the shift from Room ADRs to Hotel Experience Rates, the influence of international Soft Brands, strategic outsourcing, AI automation, and new digital sales channels.
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Day 1 | Luxury Hotels — Out of the Box
10:15–10:45 | Luxury Hotels Out of the Box: The 5 Facts Redefining What It Means to Be a High-End Hotel
A sharp, inspiring opening keynote from Destsetters, presenting the 5 fundamental facts that overturn traditional luxury stereotypes and lay the groundwork for the successful High-End Hotels of the future.
What it will cover:
- The 5 facts that dismantle traditional luxury hospitality stereotypes.
- From Material Luxury to Emotion: the shift from material goods to emotional storytelling.
- Concept-driven ROI: how concept differentiation unlocks a higher room rate.
10:45–11:30 | Next Gen vs Old Luxury: Is There Room for Luxury Hotels with Gen Z & Gen Alpha?
A disruptive analysis challenging traditional luxury hospitality models, examining whether classic luxury hotels can attract the new generations of travelers.
What it will cover:
- New consumer habits of Gen Z & Gen Alpha.
- Mapping emerging high-end destinations.
- Repositioning strategies for traditional luxury.
Why attend:
To understand whether your hotel product meets the expectations of the next generation of luxury guests, and what changes are needed to stay commercially relevant.
11:30–12:15 | From Room ADRs to Hotel Experience Rates: What Changes Does the Shift from Door Rate to Hotel Experience Rate Require?
A sales-focused session examining the shift from simple room charges to a pricing model based on the guest's overall experience.
What it will cover:
- Costing methodology for Experience Rates.
- Designing commercial experience packages.
- Best practices for increasing revenue per guest.
Why attend:
To learn how to escape room-rate competition and increase the value of every booking through a comprehensive, experience-based product.
12:15–13:00 | The Hotel Soft Brand Effect: Why Accor, Marriott, and Hilton Will Change the Game for Greek Boutique Hotels?
Analyzes the dynamic entry of global hotel giants into the Greek boutique accommodation market and the choices facing owners.
What it will cover:
- How Soft Brands operate.
- The impact of international chains on distribution.
- Criteria for bringing boutique properties into soft brands.
Why attend:
To assess whether a Soft Brand could strengthen your hotel, or whether a strong independent concept remains the better strategic choice.
13:00–13:30 | Luxury Real Estate Exit Strategy: How Is the Real Added Value of a Luxury Hotel Asset Created and Realized?
A specialized investment & development presentation by Ten Brinke, analyzing the life cycle of a luxury hotel investment (Buy – Develop – Exit) and the criteria institutional buyers use to value a luxury asset.
What it will cover:
- Requirements for attracting international buyers & funds.
- Risk management & Turnkey Development.
- The mechanics of creating and realizing added value.
Why attend:
To understand where you should invest from a design standpoint, and how every creative choice can connect to the hotel's commercial performance.
14:00–15:00 | The Hotel Interior Debate: Is Interior Design More Important Than Architecture in a Luxury Hotel?
A sharp design debate examining the real commercial weight of interior design relative to structural architecture.
What it will cover:
- The impact of Interior Branding on operations.
- Strategic choice of materials & textures.
- Measuring spatial ROI for the investor.
15:30–16:00 | Luxury Booking Intelligence: What Trends & Data Are Shaping Direct Sales in Luxury Hotels?
A data-driven presentation by WebHotelier decoding high-end traveler behavior, analyzing new booking patterns, booking windows, and strategies for increasing direct bookings for luxury properties.
What it will cover:
- Real-time data & trends from Greek luxury accommodations.
- Strategies for increasing Direct Bookings & Conversion.
- Optimizing the Luxury Guest Journey.
16:00–16:45 | TikTok Luxury Hotel Agencies: Why Is the TikTok Phenomenon Changing the Influence of Luxury Sales Channels?
Analyzes how TikTok is transforming from a social media platform into a powerful, standalone B2B and B2C sales channel for upmarket properties.
What it will cover:
- TikTok Hotel strategy for direct conversion.
- Shifting the balance of power with OTAs & travel agents.
- Success case studies from luxury properties.
Why attend:
To understand whether TikTok can function as a genuine sales channel, and how to strategically integrate it into your luxury distribution mix.
16:45–17:30 | Hotel Outsourcing Departments: Which Hotel Departments Are Being Outsourced to Make More Room for Guest Pampering?
An operational session analyzing outsourcing as a response to staff shortages and a means of upgrading service quality.
What it will cover:
- Mapping which departments are suited to outsourcing.
- Financial breakdown & OpEx reduction.
- Redirecting resources toward Guest Pampering.
Why attend:
To identify where you can reduce operational complexity and free up resources for more meaningful Guest Pampering.
17:30–18:00 | AI Hotel Operation Design: Can AI Automations Be Applied to the Operation of a Luxury Hotel?
Presents how Artificial Intelligence can be practically integrated into a luxury property's operations to optimize processes.
What it will cover:
- AI automations in back-office & front-of-house.
- Personalized service at scale.
- Creating smart SOPs & AI Concierge.
Why attend:
To separate genuinely useful AI applications from the hype, and to identify automations you can implement directly in your operation.
