Trends for luxury travel in 2014 – spirit of adventure and creative collaborations

In earlier posts, we predicted ‘simple pleasures and gourmet discoveries‘ and ‘local life and set-jetting‘ as luxury travel trends to look out for in the year ahead. Here we introduce the final two of our six predicted luxury travel trends for 2014, along with the finest destinations, hotels and resorts that encompass these trends.

Spirit of adventure

There is a growing trend for luxury travellers to take themselves out of the traditional ‘fly & flop’ comfort zone. Venturing into the wild gives space in your life to de-stress, reassess and often fundamentally change your perspective.

Zip-wire the Pitons at Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort, St Lucia

A sugar plantation reinvented, Sugar Beach enjoys one of the island’s most dramatic settings. St Lucia’s famous landmark, the Pitons, provide an ideal base for adventure. Scale Gros Piton for dizzying island views, take a mud bath amongst the fumaroles of the world’s only ‘drive in’ volcano or fly past lush bromeliads and sparkling waterfalls on a zip-wire through the rainforest canopy. The resort has also gained international recognition for its spectacular location for diving. The blue-water paradise allows novices and experts alike to experience some of the best dive sites in the world.

Hike the High Atlas Mountains at Kasbah Tamadot, Marrakech, Morocco

With a name that means ‘soft breeze’ in Berber, this magnificent retreat in the Atlas foothills transcends the merely indulgent. You may find it hard to drag yourself away from the ravishing luxury of the hotel, but the splendour of the surroundings is absolutely worth the effort. The hotel offers many ways to appreciate the breathtaking beauty of the encircling High Atlas Mountains – maybe on the back of one of the hotel’s resident mules, Peppermint and Paprika, by mountain bike or hike through the dramatic scenery on foot.

Creative collaborations

Increasingly, some of the world’s best hotels are teaming up with other premium lifestyle brands and figureheads who have similar values and a shared passion for design, architecture and culture.

Annabel Karmel menus at One&Only Le Saint Géran, Mauritius

Arguably Mauritius’ most established family retreat, it is no surprise that children’s food guru, Annabel Karmel, has devised her first family holiday menu here. Her locally inspired dishes – including baby purées, toddler friendly samosas and guacamole dips, Thai noodles and fruit kebabs to please older children – are sure to make holiday meal times hassle free. Little ones can build up an appetite with gardening courses, computer games and even lifeguard training whilst parents enjoy the Gary Player golf course, spa and plentiful water sports. The aim? To bring new experiences – or a new level of exclusivity – to life for their guests.

James Duigan’s ‘Bodyism’ at One&Only Reethi Rah, North Malé Atoll, Maldives

A compelling blend of discreet ocean villas and sporting adventures, this world-leading spa resort offers an incomparable Maldivian setting for health guru, James Duigan’s first Bodyism retreat overseas. Knightsbridge-based personal trainer to film stars and socialites, Duigan’s health concept is based on a combination of nutritional protocols and personalised exercise schedules. The fitness team at Reethi Rah can assist guests to embrace Bodyism to change or simply maintain their body shape; taking advantage of bespoke menu plans and exercise programmes as they wish during their stay.

Maxine Roberts is Head of Marketing at Carrier.