As travel evolves, “sub-holidaying” - simple, low-pressure getaways focused on rest, reset and presence - is on the rise. Rather than forcing itineraries or ticking boxes, people increasingly seek slower breaks where comfort, flexibility and mindful travel matter.

October is now being called the “new peak season” by Little Emperors after a 179 % surge in bookings, with a 22 % year-on-year rise. Travel-makers favour milder weather, festivals and fewer crowds. Many demand flexibility: 64 % prefer late check-out. Members seek “beyond traditional” experiences (like stargazing), and brands respond with perks such as 6 am check-in and flexible check-in/out windows.

“Luxury lives in the details, and our AI does not miss them": From Tinder for hotels to image-based search, Rebecca Masri offers insights into the proprietary AI stack powering Little Emperors’ impressive growth. She adds: "We are opening up our search. You can type in anything. 'I want to ski, I want to surf. I like wine. I want to spend 500 euros a night and stay within an hour of where I live.'"

Little Emperors, the members-only platform offering luxury stays with preferential rates and complimentary benefits has recently announced partnerships with Mr & Mrs Smith and Tablet Hotels. Joining Little Emperors’ MyLER programme, Mr & Mrs Smith and Tablet Hotels opens MyLERs up to an additional, handpicked boutique and luxury stays around the world.

Many agencies are still just getting their feet wet when it comes to artificial intelligence. At Little Emperors, however, it’s becoming a crucial part of the agency's infrastructure. (...) Founder Rebecca Masri MBE has been quietly building a backend system that rewires how content, context, and client data flow through the business. The result isn’t artificial intelligence as most people would think of it. It’s something more grounded and more deliberate: what she calls "automated intelligence."

Rebecca Masri, founder of private members’ club and hotel booking app Little Emperors, said AI should be used to handle “efficiency, logistics and instant personalisation” while humans should focus on “connection, emotion and experiences”. (...) Masri said: “AI has allowed us to scale without losing human touch. It’s a balance we strive for daily. In fact, it strengthens the human connection by freeing up advisors to focus on building relationships.”

Little Emperors has vowed to “never” use chatbots, warning that the erasure of human advisors would be an “outrage” to luxury travel. The elite booking platform has been supportive of AI [artificial intelligence] since its 2010 inception, hailing the technology as integral to its success in this competitive market.

Hannah Millar-Case, head of business development from luxury hotel booking platform Little Emperors (..), who attended a Beckley retreat in Jamaica, shared an emotional account of her experience. Seeking healing from grief, she turned to Beckley after plateauing in traditional therapy. 'I experienced a deep connection with myself and a greater understanding of who I am,' she said.

Rebecca Masri, founder and CEO of luxury travel booking platform Little Emperors, echoes the shift in how tourists travel and what they expect from their visits. "Consumers are choosing to take less frequent trips or opt for trains over planes to minimise environmental impact and are also curating itineraries focused on local exploration," she says.

Everyone is talking about ultra luxury, but how exactly do we define it? And what sort of travel products are part of it? LuxuryWise posed the question to various agencies across the world. "Luxury is not about excess but about distinction – the rare, the bespoke, the impossible made real," says Little Emperors founder, Rebecca Masri.

Climate change is shaking up European travel. “The traditional beach destinations have become less attractive during the heatwave,” said chief executive Rebecca Masri. The increase in popularity during so-called shoulder months in autumn may be explained by cheaper room rates, but “the price becomes illogical with the extreme weather” during the peak season, she added.

Virtuoso travel advisors and other experts around the globe tell us what’s in (and out) in the world of luxury stays. “Regardless of changes in design or technology, hospitality’s fundamental essence remains constant,” says advisor Rebecca Masri. “Guests want to feel valued and cared for.”

Some parts of the continent are getting so hot during the summer that the typical high season is getting longer, said Rebecca Masri, founder and CEO of Little Emperors, a private members luxury hotel club. “With the weather in southern Europe staying warm, booking trends are shifting to September, October and even November.”

More jet-setters are looking for alternatives to crowded European cities and turning to lesser-visited locales. Of course, if you must visit one of the world’s most iconic travel destinations, say Mykonos or the Amalfi Coast, it all comes down to timing. “Our high season for places like Italy and Greece is now September,” Rebecca Masri told Bloomberg.

2024 travel plans are expected to look and feel a bit different – in a good way. Instead of navigating congested urban landscapes, imagine quiet walks through quaint historic villages or finding those special tucked-away locations in travelers' favorite cities. "People are seeking to feel more enmeshed and immersed where they are," says Rebecca Masri of Little Emperors, a luxury travel members club.

Luxury agencies and agency networks shared how they’re getting fit for the year ahead, speaking on a panel at the TTG Luxury Travel Summit. Private travel club Little Emperors uses data to predict trends, to prompt people and to speak to them about what they’re searching for. Founder Rebecca Masri said astute use of data can determine what people of a similar demographic to your clients are searching for.

A panel of luxury experts discuss what's hot, and where travellers are going to avoid it. Masri said that over the upcoming festive season, her agency has seen a large increase in demand for destinations like Norway, Denmark and the “fjords” which are out of the normal. As well as the Alps. “We’ve definitely acknowledged the change due to the changing climate that we’re experiencing in the world”.

The travel boom since Covid-19 appears to be rolling into this fall and holiday season, data from Virtuoso shows. Rebecca Masri, founder of Little Emperors in the U.K., said her membership-based agency isn't seeing much price resistance from its younger client base. "But we've definitely seen an increase in demand for shorter trips, shorter lengths of stay," she said.

While the likes of Spain, Italy and the Greek islands historically draw in holidaymakers during the summer months, record-breaking temperatures have been putting travellers off. Some top destinations have hit temperatures as high as 48 degrees Celsius. Rebecca Masri, founder of private members’ club and hotel booking app Little Emperors, shared how she’s seen an increase in bookings for alternative destinations.

Looking to travel planning in the future, it was the belief of many advisors that the days of last-minute travel are over for the most in-demand experiences and that booking far in advance is advised going forward. "Book as far in advance as you can especially for typical destinations," said Rebecca Masri, founder of Little Emperors. "Go as far as a year. Even though there is much more product, the availability is tight."

Travellers must ‘get out of Covid mindset’ of last-minute bookings. The founder of private members’ club and hotel booking app Little Emperors, Rebecca Masri, said she had clients already booked for Christmas 2024, adding it was “the first time in a long time” she had witnessed such a long lead time. “The old normal was booking in advance then the new normal became booking at the very last minute,” she said.

Record heat in southern Europe sends travelers heading for the Nordics. Rebecca Masri, founder of luxury travel app Little Emperors, says bookings to Scandinavia are up 20% compared with this time last year. She attributes an increase in the past few weeks to the weather in southern European destinations, where the temperature has skyrocketed to near records in recent weeks.

Forbes has cited TV shows and films as being responsible for 96 per cent of travel decisions, while Expedia’s research puts streamed films and tv shows in top position for travel inspiration, overriding the influence of social media. What’s more, Rebecca Masri, founder of private members luxury travel app Little Emperors, noticed a surge in Sicily bookings with 2022’s ‘White Lotus Effect’.

Forget gold taps, these days luxury could mean wriggling through the mud on an exclusive boot camp adventure. Rebecca Masri explains that travellers are on the hunt for authentic experiences. “Rather than spending days on sun loungers in five-star beach resorts, our members are enquiring more about tented safaris in Tanzania, taking a cooking class in San Sebastian, or learning to surf in Hawaii”.

An ideal side-hustle, Little Emperors gives well-connected individuals the tools, tech and training to make money from luxury hotel bookings. Little Emperors is launching an Independent Travel Consultant (ITC) programme called MyLER, which will enable savvy travel lovers to utilise their own network to build a travel business.

Popular movies and tv series increasingly influence where people travel. In Taormina, where the second season of The White Lotus takes place, other nearby luxury accommodations are gaining from on the side. “It’s not just Four Seasons that has benefited”, explains Rebecca Masri, founder of luxury travel company Little Emperors.

Could this be ‘The White Lotus’ hotel for season three? The founder of the private members luxury travel app Little Emperors, Rebecca Masri, explains that the Koh Samui resort has a number of similarities to the first season’s locale. However, the Bangkok at Chao Praya River hotel recently opened its doors to guests in 2020. So, Masri says, its novelty could be attractive to the show creators.

HBO and Netflix are deciding where you’ll take your next holiday. “It’s not just Four Seasons that has benefited,” Rebecca points out, saying the show has been a boon to other luxury hotels in the region. “Rocco Forte and Belmond have hotels in Sicily and they’ve all picked up demand on the back of the series, even though it wasn’t shot there.”

The founder of private members’ hotel club Little Emperors has her eye on emerging hotspots. Here are some of the Middle East alternatives that travellers are considering, either as a more affordable option than the City of Gold or as a second destination to explore.

Rebecca Masri, founder of luxury travel company Little Emperors, says clients — Americans in particular — keep asking about that Four Seasons in Sicily. Demand for Sicily is booming due to the show, she says, but also because it’s cheaper than some areas like the Amalfi coast.

Call it the White Lotus effect. Vacationers are flocking to the locations of their favorite TV shows and movies in rapidly growing numbers. Rebecca Masri, founder of luxury travel company Little Emperors, says clients - Americans in particular - keep asking about that Four Seasons in Sicily.

With the launch of their Independent Travel Consultant (ITC) program, Rebecca and her team are taking a fresh approach to nurturing an affiliate network of MyLERs, equipping individuals with the knowledge, technology, and access to the best travel perks, in a part of their wider mission to reimagine and modernise the role of the travel agent.

Luxury hotel app Little Emperors will unveil a dedicated programme for independent travel consultants in April in a bid to “reimagine and modernise the role of the travel agent”.

Rebecca Masri, Founder of private members’ hotel club Little Emperors, says: “The pandemic led to the shortest lead-times we have ever seen but now people are booking much further in advance.” With this in mind, hotels, airlines, and tour operators would be wise to publish rates and extend their reservation schedules as far in advance as possible.”

The best business leaders know to surround themselves with great people, not get stuck in the past - and when it's time to leave

Rebecca Masri, founder of UK luxury travel app Little Emperors, identifies Rwanda as a trending destination among its members, with booking bolstered by high-end safari lodges launched in recent years.

According to a recent survey by the hotel membership app Little Emperors, 70 per cent of millennial consumers are now prioritising learning from the cultures and environments they visit. “One of the biggest changes I’ve noticed in our members’ booking habits post-pandemic is an increase in trips that offer the chance to exercise brains and learn something new,” notes founder Rebecca Masri.

The self-improvement trip is fast muscling out the fly-and-flop – make 2023 the year you return from your travels calmer and cleverer

Select luxury hotels club Little Emperors brings a White Lotus lifestyle or Lord Of The Rings landscape within reach of any explorer.

The Luxury Lifestyle List: Rebecca Masri, Founder Of Little Emperors, A Private Members’ Luxury Hotel App

From sporty motor yachts to traditional ships with superyacht amenities, these exclusive charters are available only for hotel guests.

Embracing The World Around Us: Travel Trends Report 2023, Part 3

Embracing The World Around Us: Travel Trends Report 2023, Part 3

Little Emperor's Founder Rebecca Masri on 2023 Top Luxury Travel Trends

Ecotourism 2023: The Eco-Travel Trends to Know

A glimpse at the (green) fuel powering travel in 2023

From rising hotel prices to tailor-made experiences, Little Emperors founder Rebecca Masri reveals the trends shaping the future of luxury travel in 2023.

Changing future travel trends

Travel Trends Around the world in 365 days. Rebecca Masri, Founder of private member's hotel club, Little Emperor on travel in 2022 and beyond

The fewer restrictions in place, the more we’ll enjoy our holidays’ Covid-19 measures are easing around the world and bookings for destinations with the most relaxed rules are booming.

It’s been a hard few years for those of us cursed by wanderlust. Some of us have managed a flight or two recently, but nothing like we did in those halcyon days of…2019. God that’s awful to think about. Well, surely that means we’re all overdue a getaway, right?

A moment in time and a seized opportunity saw Rebecca team up with university friends to form Little Emperors.

The private members hotel club offering cut-price rates at some of the most exclusive spots

With both a web and app-based presence, Little Emperors is the essential travel companion for both frequent jet setters and one-off luxury seekers.

Founder of Little Emperors, Rebecca Masri joins us for the latest instalment of From The Desk Of...

Rebecca studied in London at St. Paul’s Girls’ School, graduated from the European Business School, and went on to join Goldman Sachs where she spent almost 10 years between Investment Banking and Private Wealth Management

Rebecca Masri, founder of Little Emperors (a private members hotel club), says the business has seen a 10 per cent uptick in bookings for its London partner hotels since the announcement that EU and US citizens can visit the UK quarantine-free (the rule change came into effect today).

Little Emperors exemplifies how technology can be used to create personalised vacations by truly understanding its members and tailoring each offering to specific preferences. There has been a recent and significant shift in mindsets toward technology, and while it was previously thought that reducing human touch and interaction would depersonalize an experience, Little Emperors demonstrates how the use of technology actually increases personalisation.

Little Emperors showcases how technology is used to create personalised holidays by truly understanding its members and tailoring each offering based on specific preferences.

With an incredible portfolio of over 5,000 luxury hotels around the globe, Little Emperors uses sophisticated technology and a forward thinking, tech savvy app to enhance members’ experience. Little Emperors won the Four Seasons Hotels of the World best new preferred partner award and is the go-to for an honest third-party voice for travel trends.

Rebecca studied in London at St. Paul’s Girls’ School, graduated from the European Business School, and went on to join Goldman Sachs where she spent almost 10 years between Investment Banking and Private Wealth Management. In 2009 following the crash, Rebecca sought an opportunity to create Little Emperors, a private members’ hotel club, extending both corporate rates and leisure benefits in luxury hotels around the globe.

Little Emperors, the private members luxury hotel club offers members affordable luxury like never seen before. Founded in 2009 by Rebecca Masri MBE, Little Emperors has grown into an impressive private travel club with 35,000 members, working with 4,000 of the very best luxury hotels around the world.

Freedom for the senses: Little Emperors founder Rebecca Masri on how to combine wellness with luxury When it comes to our holidays, the days of following the crowd are long gone. Should we now prepare to welcome a new world of freedom-focused travel?

Like staycations, ‘workations’ now in vogue. As international travel resumes, Rebecca Masri tells Candice Krieger about new trends that will emerge post-pandemic, including the rise of a phenomenon known as ‘bleisure’. The past year has been bleak for the hotel industry. Covid-19 brought travel to a standstill. For many, ‘travelling for work’ has meant taking a few steps to the kitchen table or makeshift home office.

The founder of private members’ luxury hotel club, Little Emperors talks to Lysanne Currie about tech, trends and the future of travel.

The luxurious private members hotel club, Little Emperors, provides unprecedented preferred rates to members and added benefits with every booking. Little Emperors announced its new improvements to the MyLE app, to enhance the experience for members and to make an easy-to-use, faster service for travellers on the go, investing time and energy in developing its technology for 2021.

Meet the boutique Travel Company that created an opportunity from adversity

With business butlers and vacation PAs, why the Maldives is the ultimate work from hotel destination

Rebecca Masri of Little Emperors: The Future Of Travel In The Post COVID World

From The Experts: What Is The Future Of Travel?