Are heritage hotels still relevant? The answer lies in story, not stone

The appeal of heritage hotels has traditionally rested on their historic architecture and the aura of bygone eras. However, as luxury travellers’ expectations evolve, history alone is no longer enough to secure their interest. A recent study revealed that 83% of high-end travellers now prioritiseaccommodations that offer a “meaningful story or local connection,” underscoring a shift towards experiences that engage guests emotionally and culturally rather than merely visually (Virtuoso, 2024).

“Beautiful buildings are expected, but what guests truly remember are the memories and meaning they take away,” says Catherine Schulze, managing director of Steenberg Farm. “Heritage offers the foundation, but it’s the way a property tells its story that creates lasting value.”

This evolution in traveller preferences aligns with broader trends in the luxury market. According to research, younger and affluent travellers increasingly value sustainability, privacy, wellness, and authentic cultural immersion over traditional displays of luxury such as opulent décor (McKinsey & Company, 2023). Heritage hotels that can preserve their roots while interpreting their stories in ways that resonate with modern values are better positioned to remain relevant and competitive.

Steenberg Farm, located in South Africa’s Constantia region and boasting over three centuries of history, reflects this approach. Central to its narrative is Catharina Ras, a pioneering woman whose resilience and independence remains inspiring today. This story strikes a chord in an era where solo female travel is surging with women accounting for 71% of solo luxury travellers (Virtuoso, 2023). Such demographic shifts have prompted heritage properties to rethink their guest experience, favoring warm and personalised service over formal rigidity.

Storytelling at heritage hotels is not a passive exercise. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reported a 5% increase in heritage-driven travel in early 2025, driven by tourists seeking immersive and meaningful cultural experiences rather than superficial sightseeing (UNWTO, 2025). 

Visitors engage with heritage on multiple levels from admiring historical architecture and art to actively participating in wine tastings, exploring the surrounds, or culinary experiences that evoke an accommodation’s legacy. Emotional engagement often reaches its deepest form when guests, especially multigenerational families, connect these stories with their own heritage, transforming vacations into moments of personal and familial reflection.

The power of cultural storytelling lies in its ability to engage all the senses and connect guests to the land and community. Wine, food, art, and landscape together create a rich, multi-layered narrative. Condé Nast Traveller has forecast that 2025’s travel trends will focus on “considerate detours”: immersive experiences that foster genuine understanding and appreciation of local culture (Condé Nast Traveller, 2024). Heritage hotels responding to this trend offer curated vineyard walks, open-air sculpture gardens, and dining beneath centuries-old trees, inviting guests to live the history rather than merely observe it.

In addition to crafting compelling narratives, heritage hotels must now also demonstrate measurable social and environmental impact. Steenberg Farm’s partnership with ABALOBI, a platform supporting sustainable small-scale fisheries, allows the estate to share catch-to-kitchen data that evidences its positive contributions to local communities and ecosystems. This transparency around ethical sourcing and sustainability is increasingly influential in luxury travellers’ booking decisions, reframing the value proposition beyond price to purpose.

As heritage becomes recognised as a finite and highly sought-after luxury, experts emphasise that its expression must be intimate and authentic rather than grandiose or ostentatious. The most resonant heritage experiences are built on small, personal moments that elevate the story from a static backdrop to the central experience, giving guests a narrative they can claim as uniquely their own.

“Authentic heritage cannot be manufactured. It is rooted in land, history, and spirit that have evolved over centuries,” says Schulze. “In today’s experience-driven travel market it is these stories, told with care and connected to real places and people, that ensure heritage hotels remain relevant and valued.”

In a world where travellers increasingly seek meaningful connection and purposeful experiences, heritage hotels face both a challenge and an opportunity: to go beyond stone and structure, embracing storytelling and sustainability to engage the hearts and minds of a new generation of visitors.