How Travel Experiences Became Holiday 2025’s Most Coveted Luxury Gift

There has always been something magical about the holidays. It’s a season that naturally brings people together and encourages them to focus on what truly matters. In recent years, the definition of a meaningful gift has shifted. The most coveted presents no longer come wrapped in ribbon. Instead, they arrive as an invitation.

Let’s go somewhere together.

In 2025, experiential travel has become one of the season’s most desirable luxuries. The appeal is easy to understand. Many families are thinking differently about what they truly want from the holidays, and what resonates most now is the gift of time, unhurried, uninterrupted, shared time in a beautiful place.

At the heart of this trend is a growing world of private-home hospitality, where guests stay in extraordinary residences supported by attentive, concierge-led service. These are not traditional vacation rentals. They are fully managed homes, often staffed or supported by dedicated teams, designed for people who want the ease of a hotel and the intimacy of a private retreat. And they have become the foundation for a new kind of holiday giving.

Much of today’s life feels accelerated. The holidays, once a time to pause, can easily become another checklist. The rise of experiential gifting reflects a desire to step out of that rhythm. A trip creates space. It encourages presence. It removes the noise and leaves room for celebration to unfold naturally.

More importantly, travel gifts reframe luxury. They shift the focus from what is given to how it is experienced. Rather than a physical object, the gift becomes a setting. A luxury villa on the beach, a view that belongs only to the people standing in front of it, a shared memory that becomes part of family lore.

Tal Maimon, founder of The Maimon Group, has seen this shift play out firsthand. As he explains: “the most popular gifts this season are full-service villa stays paired with curated experiences. Families are gifting long weekend retreats, wellness-focused getaways, and private-chef holiday dinners in our homes. We're also seeing a rise in experiential packages where everything is handled on our end—transportation, spa services, in-home events, and even holiday décor—so the gift feels completely turnkey. Guests want the feeling of walking into a home where every detail is already designed for them.”

Experience-led travel has always had a place in luxury, but today’s hospitality brands have made it easier than ever to give a stay that feels intentional and effortless. Their private residences and thoughtful service help transform a simple trip into something truly memorable.

Brands like Cuvée, lean into the idea of curated experience. Their villas come with guidance from Experience Curators who help shape each stay, arranging in-residence moments, planning activities, and weaving local culture into the trip. It’s a style of hospitality that appeals to travelers who want their holiday to feel immersive and tailored.

In Europe, firms like The Luxury Chalet Company have brought this philosophy into the alpine world. Their catered chalets often include private chefs, spa services, and dedicated in-chalet teams that handle everything from ski planning to childcare, creating the kind of winter holiday where comfort and tradition blend seamlessly.

And in the United States, The Maimon Group reflects the same approach through its portfolio of estates in Beverly Hills, Malibu, Miami, and more. Their residences are complemented by a concierge division that can arrange transportation, private chefs, wellness programming, and bespoke in-home experiences. The type of thoughtful support that encourages guests to let their experience unfold without interruption.

In the end, the value lies in the experience itself, which is why travel has become such a meaningful gift in 2025.

A luxury residence changes the rhythm of the season, especially when it’s set somewhere remarkable. People aren’t just booking a stay, they are choosing destinations that feel special on their own, whether that’s Malibu, the Alps, or a coastal town where the landscape shapes each day. A decorated tree by the window looks different when it frames an ocean horizon or a snowy ridge. A chef-prepared dinner feels especially memorable after spending the afternoon on a trail, at the beach, or exploring a nearby village.

Across these hospitality brands, the focus is on creating a setting where families can genuinely reconnect. Bedrooms give everyone their own space; large kitchens, terraces, or living areas create room for shared moments. And unlike a typical rental home, these residences come with professional support, the planning advice, the on-the-ground help, the reservation assistance, and the local guidance that makes a stay feel effortless rather than complicated.

As Tal Maimon explains, the appeal comes down to how these homes support the way families want to gather: “the theme is privacy, indoor-outdoor flow, and hotel-level amenities without the hotel environment. Clients want homes where they can host their families, celebrate, and relax without ever needing to leave the property. Large kitchens, wellness rooms, theaters, and resort-style pools are driving the trend.”

And while the holidays tend to bring this desire into sharp focus, these spaces extend well beyond the festive season. They become the backdrop for milestone birthdays, reunions, anniversaries, or a simple long weekend when families want to slow down together. A gifted stay can be enjoyed during the holidays or serve as a promise of time together later in the year, when life finally allows everyone to get together again.

A key part of these stays is the level of support available. Concierge teams streamline everything from reservations to in-residence services, shaping an experience that feels intentional and well organized without being intrusive.

They arrange arrivals so that homes feel welcoming from the moment guests walk in. They coordinate meals, activities, and seasonal touches. They help families find the rhythm of a destination without absorbing the stress of planning it. For holiday gifting, this level of support is transformative.

And for many guests, that support extends well beyond the basics. As Tal Maimon explains:

“Private aviation is at the top of the list, followed closely by chef experiences, wellness activations, and curated events inside the home. We're also seeing increased requests for security teams, exotic car delivery, guided hiking or adventure days, and holiday-themed setups for families celebrating with kids… The goal is simple—elevate their stay to a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

It’s these kinds of tailored touches that help turn a stay into an experience worthy of gifting.

As the desire for meaningful connection outpaces the appeal of material gifts, experiential gifting is increasingly becoming the luxury category to watch. It aligns naturally with the values shaping modern travel, expert advice, privacy, authenticity, personalization, and ease. And it resonates across generations. Parents wanting to bring their grown children together, couples creating new traditions, friends choosing a shared experience over individual gifts.

As Tal Maimon notes when looking ahead to next year: “the demand for curated, experience-driven travel is only growing. In 2026, we expect more multi-home itineraries, more wellness-driven programming, and more large-scale family experiences where everything is handled under one umbrella… People want the feeling of being taken care of at the highest level, and that is exactly what we provide.”

It’s a direction that suggests experiential gifting will continue to evolve, driven by travelers who want something thoughtfully built rather than simply bought.

The rise of travel as a holiday gift suggests something deeper about how people want to spend their time. They want moments, not things. They want settings that allow for laughter and rest. They want experiences that carry forward into the stories families tell for years.

And thanks to hospitality companies around the world, giving that kind of experience has never been easier.

For many travelers in 2025, the most treasured gift is the one that begins with a packed suitcase and ends with a memory that lingers long after the season fades.