Sydney’s first new five-star hotel since 2000 opened in July this year – the Pullman on Olympic Boulevard.  It was built to be environmentally friendly, featuring solar panels on the roof and has all the latest tech.

They also feature a pillow menu, not unusual these days but the Pullman offers no less than 8 choices of pillows.

Perhaps the more interesting aspect of the Pullman is their Welcomers.  They state on their website that “Our Welcomer greets and assists you throughout your stay, advising you and answering your questions discreetly and efficiently. A good listener, the Welcomer can also anticipate your requests.”  Its interesting to see that Accor has gotten the drift of the new luxury market need for anticipatory service and not simply responding to what you ask for.

The New Luxury Signal: Emotional Stability

The New Luxury Signal: Emotional Stability

Luxury resorts used to sell status and spectacle. Now they sell something quieter: relief. Guests arrive overloaded, and the best resorts are redesigning around sensory calm, reduced friction, and emotional steadiness. Modern luxury is less about what you add, and more about what you remove.

When You Can’t Leave: Designing for the Flight Reflex in Airports, Venues, and Hospitals

When You Can’t Leave: Designing for the Flight Reflex in Airports, Venues, and Hospitals

In high-stimulus public spaces, our bodies do more than react – they strategise.
Airports, hospitals, and stadiums all evoke subtle “Flight” responses: scanning, pacing, early exits.
Understanding how threat appraisal drives behaviour can help architects and planners design calmer spaces – and reveal why relaxation, not excitement, predicts dwell, spend, and satisfaction.

Small Towns, Big Relief: Nostalgia, Tradition, and the Break From Self

Small Towns, Big Relief: Nostalgia, Tradition, and the Break From Self

Small towns do more than change the scenery. They give visitors a break from themselves. This piece unpacks how nostalgia and tradition create identity relief that boosts spend, dwell time, and community value. Practical takeaways for tourism, luxury, food, museums, and policy.

The Last Ten Minutes of Luxury

The Last Ten Minutes of Luxury

Guests pay for days yet remember minutes. The peak end rule explains why a stay often lives or dies on one high moment and the day of departure. What works, what fails, and how to design the arc so memory carries your brand home.