In a so-called k-shaped economy, higher earners head up on an upward angle, but lower earners, on the lower leg of the “k” drop behind. This bifurcation is also playing out in some corners of the travel industry as ultrahigh-net worth travelers spend to snap up the top level suites, but travelers with less resources are slower to book entry-level rooms.

In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin talks with hotels editor Christina Jelski and Jon Makhmaltchi, the founder of J.Mak hospitality, about how hotel companies are physically configuring their properties to appeal to those at top of the k, the pitfalls of over-relying on one market segment and how hotels and advisors are working to attract entry-level and aspirational luxury travelers.

This episode was recorded Jan. 22 and has been edited for length and clarity.

Winter series:

This episode is part of our annual Winter Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. This episode was originally published Jan. 26 and has been edited for length and clarity. 

New episodes return next week!

Episode sponsor

This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways https://www.amawaterways.com

Related links

Luxury hotels and the K-shaped economy: A tale of two markets https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/K-shaped-economy-for-luxury-hotels

J.Mak Hospitality https://www.jmak.com/