Luxury Travelers Prefer Spending Thousands on Authentic Nonna’s Kitchen Over Lavish Hotel Suites

Luxury used to mean seaside views, marble bathrooms, and personal butlers. Now, some of the same travelers who pay $2,000 a night for suites are saying their most cherished moments come from cooking in small village kitchens.

Michael Kovnick, co-founder of Culture Discovery Vacations, calls it the rise of “anti-luxury” travel. “There always have been, and surely always will be, those looking for the thread counts, pampering, and white glove service,” he told Investopedia. “However, what we have been seeing internally has been a huge shift toward people looking for something more authentic, something more real and meaningful on a personal level.”

Luxury travel advisor Juliana Shallcross told Investopedia that her clients “don’t like cookie-cutter hotels and crowded tours” and instead want “places that are different or unique to their location.” She adds that while clients still expect high standards of service and design, many are now willing to trade a night in a plush resort for a rustic lodge or village stay that feels authentic.

Changes in Travel

Industry data suggests this may not be just a fad. A recent Preferred Hotels & Resorts survey found that 90% or more of affluent travelers agreed that they “want to see more local charm in international hotels ” and that “the best luxury experiences feel effortless but are thoughtfully designed. behind the scenes.” Kovnick said his company has seen 60% fewer requests for Michelin-starred dining in the last five years, replaced by enthusiasm for meals with local “mamas” and “nonnas.”

That preference has financial weight: although affluent travelers make up only about 21% of global travelers, they account for almost half (46%) of all spending on tours, activities, and attractions.

Luxury travelers don’t just spend more—they travel more. A Preferred Hotels & Resorts survey found that in the next 12 months, they plan to take an average of 5.5 trips focused on leisure only, with another 2.5 that mix business and pleasure. Gen Z and Millennials travel even more, with about 11.6 trips planned in the next year.

Why Village Kitchens Win Over Marble Bathrooms

For Kovnick, the shift away from traditional luxury isn’t about rejecting five-star hotels outright but about travelers craving something “more real and meaningful on a personal level.” As he put it, “It has been increasingly common for us to have very high net worth travelers tell us quite simply that they are tired of the manufactured distance, and are looking more and more for real connections on a human level.”

The appeal of a home-cooked meal in a village kitchen has little to do with food and everything to do with human connection. Kovnick explains: “That cooking class is not about the cooking. It is about the relationship before, during, and after. It is about a true sense of family, and that is what keeps people coming back over and over.”

Shallcross added that clients want access to experiences not searchable on TikTok—intimate, unscripted moments that feel impossible to manufacture. “At the end of the day, while these types of experiences should be exclusive they shouldn’t be totally elusive,” she said.

Some travelers also link the shift to broader changes in mindset. Shallcross points to clients who, after sudden life changes such as the California wildfires, want travel to be about making lasting memories with family.

The Bottom Line

Not every wealthy traveler is ready to give up five-star suites, but a growing share are redefining what “luxury” means. Industry surveys show overwhelming interest in cultural immersion, and tour operators are finding repeat business not from marble lobbies but from kitchen tables in small villages.

In a world awash with automation and sameness, the lesson for travelers might be that true luxury is no longer just about Instagrammable indulgence, but intimate and authentic experiences.