The Illusion Of Luxury.

While luxury hotels often project perfection to their guests, it is not uncommon to find backstage realities that tell a very different story, one that sometimes contradicts the very ideals of hospitality.

Luxury hotels sell a dream: the perfect welcome, service tailored to every detail, and an atmosphere where comfort and attention seem limitless.

For guests, the promise is simple: step inside and everything is taken care of.

And in many cases, the promise holds true.

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Yet behind this seamless performance, there is a backstage where another story often unfolds.

Employees in many luxury properties, particularly in seasonal or tourist-driven destinations, face working conditions that stand in stark contrast to the brand’s glossy narrative. It is not every hotel, of course, but it is common enough to be an industry pattern.

Split shifts that make personal lives impossible, poor-quality food in staff cafeterias, cramped offices with no windows, uniforms paid out of pocket, and little recognition for overtime are all realities quietly endured. Housing for seasonal staff is frequently overlooked, leaving workers to find their own solutions in markets where accommodation is scarce and expensive. Spaces as basic as rest areas, showers, or private changing rooms are often missing.

“I cannot help but notice that, in some hotels, nearly all investment seems directed toward guest comfort, while staff are left to work in dreadful conditions. Unfortunately, the more I speak with people in the field, the more I encounter the same story: in too many cases, luxury only translates into comfort for guests.”

Floris Van de Werf

These are not just operational oversights; they expose a cultural gap.

A hotel’s brand is not only what it projects to its guests but also what it lives internally. If hospitality is about making others feel welcome and cared for, how can a brand remain credible if it neglects its own people? Employees are the first ambassadors of luxury.

When they feel unseen, undervalued, or even exploited, that dissonance inevitably seeps through, no matter how polished the surface may appear.

Of course, no one expects hotels to provide the same luxuries to staff as they do to guests. But luxury, in this context, should be redefined. For employees, it does not mean extravagance: it means dignity.

Nutritious meals, adequate housing, clean and private spaces for rest, fair scheduling and recognition of extra hours, respect for holidays and personal lives. Offices with space and natural light. Uniforms that fit, endure, and are properly cared for. These are not indulgences; they are the foundations of a healthy workplace.

In hospitality branding, the archetype that most often guides and inspires the category is the Great Mother. This symbol embodies care, nourishment, safety, and a sense of belonging; the qualities guests expect when they enter a luxury hotel. The Great Mother archetype functions as a reminder that hospitality is not just about service, but about creating an environment where people feel held and cared for.

But this symbolic force should not be reserved only for the guest experience. It must also extend to employees, who carry the brand’s promise in their daily work. If staff are denied dignity, proper care, and respect, the very essence of the Great Mother archetype is broken.

This is the basic level on which a brand culture can truly establish itself: it begins with dignity. From that foundation, it evolves into brand identity, where the unique archetype of a brand defines its personality: the “how” behind its service, its rituals, its language, and the artifacts and elements that create a distinctive culture.

Yet distinctiveness cannot exist without these elementary conditions. Without them, what remains is a hollow performance, disconnected from the deeper truth of what hospitality is meant to represent.

True luxury, then, is not measured only in thread counts, vintage wines, or award-winning architecture. It is also reflected in the unseen details: the way a brand treats the people who sustain its promise. Hotels that align their internal culture with the values they project externally gain more than employee loyalty: they achieve authenticity.

Because hospitality, at its core, begins behind the scenes.

Ana Tucci