The Luxury Collection Unveils Expeditions, A New Chapter in Cultural Discovery

From expert-guided journeys to bespoke multi-day itineraries, The Luxury Collection Expeditions offer immersive access to the craft, landscapes, and living heritage that define a destination.

BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 18, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Luxury Collection today announces the launch of The Luxury Collection Expeditions, a collection of journeys extending the brand's long-held role as The Destination Authority beyond the hotel stay and into the culture and character of a destination. Whether tracing centuries-old culinary traditions in Kyoto, journeying across the islands of Greece by helicopter, creating bespoke wine blends in Spain's Rioja Alavesa, or exploring South Caicos alongside marine conservationists, Expeditions invite travelers to move beyond sightseeing and engage more deeply with the people, practices, and landscapes that give each destination its meaning.

The Luxury Collection has championed the art of exploration through a global portfolio of more than 130 hotels and resorts across over 40 countries and territories, each reflecting the heritage, character, and spirit of its destination. With Expeditions, the brand builds on this legacy by positioning each hotel as a gateway to deeper cultural discovery, with historians, artisans, chefs, winemakers, conservationists, and other local experts guiding guests into vineyards, workshops, kitchens, archaeological sites, and natural ecosystems. Each journey pairs this privileged access with thoughtfully curated experiences, exceptional accommodations, and seamless service, reflecting the refined hospitality that defines The Luxury Collection.

"At The Luxury Collection, we have long believed that a destination reveals itself through its people, rituals, and landscapes, and through the knowledge passed down over time," said Bruce Rohr, Vice President and Global Brand Leader, The Luxury Collection. "Expeditions are a natural expression of that belief, inviting our guests to venture beyond the walls of their hotel and into the living fabric of a place, where expert guidance and cultural context foster a deeper and more personal understanding of a destination."

The Luxury Collection Expeditions are offered through three distinct expressions, each bringing a unique pathway to discovery while sharing a commitment to cultural authenticity, expertise, and elevated hospitality.

Private Tailored Journeys Across Destinations

Private Tailored Journeys are bespoke, multi-day itineraries crafted around each guest's interests, seamlessly connecting Luxury Collection hotels with private transportation, local expertise, and cultural access across multiple destinations. Each itinerary treats every stop not as a standalone visit, but as part of an interconnected regional narrative that deepens in meaning and perspective as the journey unfolds.

Japan: The Imperial Journey unfolds across Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara over 10 days, using three Luxury Collection hotels as gateways into distinct expressions of Japanese culture, from Tokyo's culinary precision to Kyoto's spiritual heritage and Nara's contemplative pace. Privately hosted experiences include entry into a samurai residence, sushi-making with a fourth-generation master, access to rarely opened temple spaces alongside a resident monk, and an intimate geiko dinner in Gion. Chauffeured transfers and Green Car rail travel connect each chapter of the journey, allowing guests to experience Japan with both extraordinary access and an unhurried sense of continuity.

Inspired by Italy's legendary endurance road races, Italy: The Grand Italia Rally places guests behind the wheel of a classic Italian automobile on a six-night route from Milan to Venice and Florence before returning to Milan. Guided driving legs pass through Franciacorta, Lake Garda, the Apennines, Tuscany, and the Ligurian coast, offering unique rally-style navigation to some of the country's most cinematic roads and landscapes. Each day concludes at a Luxury Collection hotel, with private boat arrivals, rooftop dining, and a finish-line celebration bringing the romance of Italian motoring into a distinctly refined journey.

Across nine days, Greece: The Aegean Odyssey connects Mykonos, Paros, and Santorini through private travel by helicopter and yacht, seamlessly pairing the beauty of the Cyclades with archaeology, cuisine, and island heritage. Guests explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Delos with a local archaeologist, sail to Antiparos and Despotiko, and trace Paros' celebrated marble legacy through its quarries and villages. In Santorini, the journey uncovers the island's distinctive wine culture through tastings of indigenous grape varieties and intimate culinary experiences set within a historic canava that has shaped local life for centuries.

Day Discoveries Rooted in Place

Available at select hotels, Day Discoveries are focused, single-day experiences that highlight a specific craft, culinary tradition, cultural practice, or natural environment to reveal a deeper layer of the destination. The experiences demonstrate how a single day can offer meaningful cultural depth, inviting guests to move from observation to participation through enduring local traditions.

Offered through Suiran, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Kyoto, Farm to Fermentation traces the city's preservation culture through an intimate journey for up to four guests. The experience begins among seasonal vegetables at a local farm before continuing to a fermentation house, where guests learn the rice-bran preservation technique of nukazuke and explore how patience, climate, and seasonality shape Japanese flavor. A picnic in the agricultural landscape and a chef-crafted teppanyaki dinner complete the progression from field to fermentation house to table.

At The Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort, Scottsdale, Desert Icons: A Private Journey Through Living Legacy explores the Sonoran Desert through conservation, architecture, and locally sourced cuisine. Guests enjoy privileged access to the Desert Botanical Garden, including a privately guided exploration of its signature trails and behind-the-scenes entry to its seed bank, herbarium, and greenhouse, where biodiversity preservation and climate-resilient research come to life. The journey continues at Taliesin West with a private tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's iconic desert laboratory, before concluding at The Phoenician, a Luxury Collection Resort, Scottsdale with a farm-to-table dinner inspired by the landscapes, ingredients, and traditions of the Sonoran Desert.

At Bab Samhan, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Diriyah, Doors of Diriyah: A Najdi Palette & Palate reveals the region through the color, geometry, and craftsmanship of its historic doorways. Guests explore the UNESCO-listed A-Turaif district and enter a private Najdi palace before preparing Henini – a heritage dish of dates, ghee, and cardamom – with the hotel's expert chefs. The day concludes with an artisan-led painting workshop, where each guest creates a miniature Najdi door inspired by the pigments and motifs encountered throughout the journey.

Residencies & Collaborations Guided by Expertise

Residencies & Collaborations are limited-time programs that bring guests into direct exchange with leading winemakers, scientists, conservationists, and cultural voices through shared learning and hands-on participation. Spanning disciplines from winemaking to marine science, the programs place specialist knowledge at the center of the guest experience and create opportunities to contribute, create and learn alongside those shaping their fields.

At Hotel Marqués de Riscal, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Elciego, The Art of Winemaking: A Rioja Alavesa Masterclass immerses guests in the full evolution of a vintage over five days. Participants harvest grapes alongside the viticulture team, gain privileged access to the winery's gravity-fed cellar, and enter the laboratory for a private blending session to craft their own bespoke wine identity. Vineyard lunches, rare vintages, a 16-course gastronomic dinner, and a candlelit farewell feast in the historic cellars further illuminate the traditions of Rioja Alavesa. Following departure, guests' personalized wines continue aging in French oak barrels before 40 custom-labeled bottles are shipped to their homes.

At Salterra, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, South Caicos, three expert-led programs reveal the island through its coral reefs, remote flats, coastal cays, and dark skies. Reef Revival Expedition brings guests alongside marine scientists and School for Field Studies researchers to a coral nursery laboratory and guided snorkeling above the reef, with an optional coral-planting dive available to certified divers. On Angler's Paradise Expedition, guests explore the island's secluded flats with a bonefishing expert, tracking fish and casting across the remote waters before returning to the resort for a Caribbean-inspired meal centered on the day's catch. From Tides to Stars Expedition moves from naturalist-guided kayaking through the Northern Cays to private stargazing beneath South Caicos' dark skies. Together, the three programs position the resort as a gateway to the island's living ecosystems, and the local stewards working to preserve them.

Together, the inaugural collection comprises 10 Expeditions across destinations in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean, revealing the cultural heritage, craftsmanship, cuisine, ecosystems, and wellness practices of destinations worldwide. The Luxury Collection will unveil additional Expeditions this fall, continuing to expand the platform across its global portfolio. To learn more about the complete portfolio of Expeditions and participating properties, please visit theluxurycollection.com/expeditions.

ABOUT THE LUXURY COLLECTION
The Luxury Collection® is comprised of world-renowned hotels and resorts offering unique, authentic experiences that evoke lasting, treasured memories. For the global explorer, The Luxury Collection offers a gateway to the world's most exciting and desirable destinations. Each hotel and resort are a unique and cherished expression of its location; a portal to the destination's charms and treasures. Originated in 1906 under the CIGA® brand as a collection of Europe's most celebrated and iconic properties, today The Luxury Collection brand is a glittering ensemble of over 130 of the world's finest hotels and resorts in 42 countries and territories. All of these hotels, many of them centuries old, are internationally recognized as being among the world's finest. For more information and new openings, visit theluxurycollection.com or follow Instagram and Facebook. The Luxury Collection is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy®, the global travel program from Marriott International. The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, exclusive experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including free nights and Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit marriottbonvoy.com.

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