In Kyoto, check-in happens beside a garden pond with a seasonal drink in hand, and a hot spring rises from under the hotel. In Waikiki, the umbrellas on the beach are the same pink as the 1927 building behind them. In Venice, the palace a doge called home in 1525 now has guest rooms over the Grand Canal. Three hotels with almost nothing in common, and that is the point of The Luxury Collection.
Thirteen pages, about thirty-five minutes: what a stay feels like, where this brand is stronger than its peers, the hotels to plan a trip around, and how to book so the stay includes more. Who it suits less, up front: travelers who want every hotel to feel the same.
The last page has a checklist of twelve things to try at any Luxury Collection hotel. Three cost nothing. One is asking the concierge for something only a local could arrange, which is how several of the stories on page 5 begin.
01 · THE SHORT ANSWER
Landmark hotels that each look like the place they stand in
A Luxury Collection stay is defined by the building and the city around it. The brand's global leader told AFAR in 2024 that each hotel "needs to feel very much connected to the destination," ideally with a local architect or designer. In practice that means a Venetian palace, a pink Waikiki landmark, a Kyoto estate with its own hot spring, and a Kaohsiung hotel built around contemporary art. You book it for the place, and you still earn Marriott Bonvoy points.
| Roots | CIGA, an Italian grand-hotel company founded in 1906; the brand started in 1992 as the ITT Sheraton Luxury Collection |
|---|---|
| Positioning | Marriott luxury, run as a collection: no single design or service template. Full brand map: Marriott's 39 brands, explained |
| Size | 132 hotels at the end of 2025, 39 of them in Asia Pacific including Greater China; "130 hotels in over 40 countries and territories" in a January 2026 release |
| Signatures | Historic or landmark buildings, local architects and designers, at least one restaurant that interprets local food, a concierge positioned as a guide to the destination |
| In Asia | Taiwan's first opened in Kaohsiung in early 2026. Japan includes Kyoto and Tokyo; Malaysia has The Andaman in Langkawi |
| STARS perks | At STARS hotels: US$100 food and beverage credit once per stay, welcome amenity, a note from the General Manager, early check-in, late check-out and upgrade when available; full list on page 11 |
- Pick the placeChoose the hotel for its building and setting first. In this brand, that is what changes most from one address to the next.
- Read the hotelCheck each property's own rooms, spa and restaurants. There is no standard Luxury Collection spa or room.
- Same cityWhere a St. Regis is nearby, compare both. Our St. Regis guide covers the other side.
02 · ORIGINS
An Italian hotel company, a Venetian palace, and a label for the grandest Sheratons
The Luxury Collection began as a list. In 1992 ITT Sheraton grouped its most luxurious and historic hotels under one name, then in 1994 bought CIGA, an Italian company that had owned grand hotels since 1906, including The Gritti Palace in Venice and Hotel Imperial in Vienna.
| 1475 | The palace on the Grand Canal is redesigned in Venetian Gothic style for the Pisani family |
|---|---|
| 1525 | Doge Andrea Gritti makes it his private residence |
| 1895 | The palace becomes a hotel |
| 1927 | The Royal Hawaiian opens in Waikiki on February 1 with a black-tie gala for more than 1,200 guests |
| 1947 | CIGA buys the Venetian palace and names it the Gritti Palace Hotel |
| 1992 to 1998 | ITT Sheraton Luxury Collection is formed (1992), adds the CIGA hotels (1994), and becomes The Luxury Collection under Starwood (1997 to 1998) |
| 2016 | Marriott buys Starwood; The Luxury Collection becomes the most upscale of its collection brands |
Famous guests are part of the inheritance. Cabana counts Hemingway, Somerset Maugham, John Ruskin and Winston Churchill among The Gritti Palace's past guests; Historic Hotels of America lists Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra and President Franklin D. Roosevelt at The Royal Hawaiian.
03 · SIGNATURE MOMENTS
No single ritual, five moments you only get in one place
Ritz-Carlton has its Club Lounge and St. Regis has its evening champagne. The Luxury Collection has no brand-wide ritual. Each hotel's signature comes from its city, and guests remember them by name.
| Kyoto | Check-in beside the garden with a seasonal drink; a ryurei-style tea service at CHAKYO, performed by staff trained by a Mushakouji Senke tea master |
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| Waikiki | Pink everywhere: the stucco, the beach umbrellas, the striped robes and pink "Pink Palace" pancakes; the Mai Tai Bar on the sand |
| Venice | The Riva Lounge, an open-air terrace on the Grand Canal modeled on the deck of a 1930s Italian yacht |
| Tokyo | Arrival on the 36th floor, where the Sky Gallery Lounge Levita looks over the skyline |
| Kaohsiung | Dassai Bar, pouring the full range of Dassai junmai daiginjo sake from Yamaguchi and New York |
The brand does have one shared thread. Since 2011 its Global Explorer program has worked with artists and artisans on objects tied to a city; the AFAR interview describes city-inspired barware by the artist Laila Gohar.
04 · ROOMS AND DESIGN
What you see when the door opens
Every room type in this brand belongs to one building. Kyoto reads as a modern tea room, Venice as a noble house, Tokyo as a high floor over the city. Use the table to match the room to the trip.
| Kyoto | 160 rooms designed as a modern take on the Japanese tea room. Some suites look onto Nijo Castle; the Onsen Suite has a private outdoor hot spring bath. A Fora advisor who toured the hotel recommends garden-facing rooms over city views, and notes the first-floor Premier Rooms have high ceilings |
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| Tokyo | Floors 30 to 36 of Kioi Tower. Deluxe rooms are 42 square meters, with a daybed in the window and blinds run from a tablet. The Luxury Editor photographed Mount Fuji from bed at sunrise |
| Kaohsiung | 147 rooms from about 60 square meters, six to ten per floor, for guests aged ten and over |
| Waikiki | 528 rooms across the 1927 Historic Wing and the Mailani Tower. Advisors find the Historic Wing full of character and the tower rooms brighter and larger |
| Venice | 82 rooms and suites with Venetian tapestries, velvet and Murano glass chandeliers, restored in 2013. Advisors say to confirm a canal view, since many categories have none |
05 · SIGNATURE SERVICE
A concierge who knows the city, and how to use one
Forbes Australia reported in 2024 that the brand positions its concierge as a "destination authority." The stories guests tell back that up: the best moments start with a request about the city.
Stories guests and advisors tell
- Kyoto: a guest asked the concierge for a casual dinner nearby and was walked to the restaurant down the street. The same guest says the hotel arranged a private tour of Nijo Castle before it opened to the public
- Kyoto: guests describe nightly turndown gifts that changed each evening, from pajamas to lip balm made by a local maker; another family was checked in straight away after an early arrival
- Tokyo: a Fora advisor emailed the concierge before arrival to book dinners, and the hotel shipped the family's bags on to Kyoto on departure day
- Waikiki: advisors mention lei greetings, quick fixes to problems and twice-daily housekeeping
- Venice: advisors describe a "welcome home" greeting and staff who handle transfers and reservations quietly
| What is shared | A concierge focused on the destination, local partners for experiences, and at least one restaurant that interprets local food |
|---|---|
| What varies | Spa, room design, club lounges and service style; there is no brand-wide template |
- Before arrivalEmail the concierge your interests and the dinners you want. Through an advisor, these notes go to the hotel with the booking.
- At check-inAsk which experiences are for staying guests only, such as Kyoto's art tour or tea service.
- Moving onIn Japan, ask the hotel to ship bags to your next stop so you travel light.
06 · DINING AND BARS
Where to eat and drink, hotel by hotel
The brand asks each hotel for at least one restaurant that reads the local kitchen. In Kaohsiung, the hotel brought in Japan's UKAI group for its first restaurant outside Japan.
| Kyoto | TOKI, led by chef Tetsuya Asano, mixes Kyoto produce and French cooking around a stock made with Kyoto water; seasonal afternoon tea at The Garden Bar; Italian at FORNI |
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| Tokyo | Levita for the sunset drink; Bar Illumiid, a speakeasy with Japanese whiskies; Souten for washoku, sushi and teppanyaki |
| Kaohsiung | Ukai-tei, the first international outpost of Japan's UKAI group, with teppanyaki and kaiseki; Dassai Bar for sake; In-Jade Lounge turns into a gin bar at night |
| Waikiki | The Mai Tai Bar on the beach; Azure for seafood; the Royal Hawaiian Bakery; Waikiki's only oceanfront luau, Aha 'Aina |
| Venice | Club del Doge, with produce partly from a garden on Giudecca; Bar Longhi, whose vodka martini Cabana called the strongest on the lagoon |
Not every kitchen is a destination. A Fora advisor in Kyoto noted that the hotel has two main restaurants and suggested booking some dinners in the city; in Tokyo, an advisor preferred the bar to the main restaurant. The bars are where these hotels tend to shine.
07 · A DAY AT A LUXURY COLLECTION HOTEL
One day in Kyoto, from the garden at dawn to the hot spring at night
Because each hotel is different, the best way to show a day is at one address. These are the guest experiences HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO lists in the Fora Advisor Portal, in an order that works.
| Morning | A wellness breathing session on the engawa, the wooden garden-viewing corridor of the SHIKI-NO-MA room |
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| Mid-morning | Cross the street to Nijo Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; one guest says the hotel arranged a visit before opening time |
| Midday | A bowl of tea at CHAKYO, prepared by staff trained by a Mushakouji Senke tea master |
| Afternoon | An art tour of the hotel with an ambassador, starting at the Kajii-miya gate; then seasonal afternoon tea at The Garden Bar |
| Evening | The Thermal Spring, drawn from a natural source under the hotel (swimsuits on), or the private onsen, over 100 square meters with its own garden |
| Dinner | TOKI, then a nightcap at The Garden Bar |
08 · ASIA AND THE PACIFIC
Five Luxury Collection hotels to plan a trip around
Each one is a reason to go to that city. The last part of each row is the one thing to do there.
| Kyoto | HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO, across from Nijo Castle, three Michelin Keys. Do: the Thermal Spring after a day of temples, or book the private onsen |
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| Tokyo | The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, sky lobby on the 36th floor, one Michelin Key. Do: a drink at Levita at sunset |
| Kaohsiung | THE AMNIS, the brand's first hotel in Taiwan (2026). Do: a guided visit to ALIEN Art Centre, then sake at Dassai Bar |
| Langkawi | The Andaman, rainforest by the sea. Do: a coral transplanting session at the resort's nursery, open since 2012 |
| Waikiki | The Royal Hawaiian, the "Pink Palace of the Pacific" since 1927. Do: a Royal Mai Tai at sunset, at the bar on the sand |
- Pair themTokyo and Kyoto make an easy pair by train, and the Tokyo hotel can ship bags ahead.
- SeasonsKyoto's garden changes most in cherry blossom season and autumn. Book early for those weeks.
- FamiliesTHE AMNIS takes guests aged ten and over; The Andaman's marine programs suit younger children.
09 · HOTEL HIGHLIGHTS
Hotel by hotel, starting with Taiwan
Two outside ratings help compare these hotels: Michelin Keys for hotels and Forbes Travel Guide stars, as shown in the Fora Advisor Portal in October 2026.
| Kaohsiung | THE AMNIS: 147 rooms, opened as the brand's Taiwan debut (announced January 2026), adults and children ten and over, no banquet halls. Our hotel article: THE AMNIS Kaohsiung, explained |
|---|---|
| Kyoto | Three Michelin Keys; Forbes Five-Star; on the World's 50 Best Hotels list in 2025, according to the hotel |
| Tokyo | One Michelin Key; Forbes Five-Star; on top of Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho, connected to the subway |
| Waikiki | A member of Historic Hotels of America; in World War II the US Navy leased it as a rest center for submarine crews |
| Venice | On the Grand Canal near St. Mark's; Club del Doge and the Riva Lounge face the water |
Taiwan, in one paragraph
THE AMNIS sits on Zhongshan 2nd Road in Kaohsiung's Qianzhen District. Rooms start at about 60 square meters, which is large for a city hotel, and the hotel says it is the only one in Taiwan with its own contemporary art museum partnership. A Fora advisor who visited liked that it serves overnight guests only, which keeps the public spaces quiet, and found the design contemporary to the point of feeling cool; if you prefer warm, traditional interiors, look at the room photos first.
10 · AGAINST ITS PEERS
Where The Luxury Collection is stronger, and when to pick it
Three strengths come up again and again in reviews of this brand.
- A sense of place. The brand looks for local architects and designers and favors adaptive reuse, from a former jail in Boston to a convent in Nice, according to its global leader
- Buildings with a past. A 15th-century palace in Venice, a 1927 landmark in Waikiki, a Kyoto estate behind a centuries-old gate
- Points on independent-feeling hotels. Prince of Travel describes the brand as "retaining many elements of the local character" while still earning and redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points
| vs Ritz-Carlton and St. Regis | Those brands run to a standard, with set rituals and service steps; The Luxury Collection gives each hotel its own character. See our St. Regis guide and The Ritz-Carlton, explained |
|---|---|
| vs Autograph Collection | Both are collections of individual hotels; The Luxury Collection sits a tier higher. Compare in Luxury Collection vs Autograph vs Tribute Portfolio |
| vs independent luxury | A similar one-of-a-kind feel, with Bonvoy points, elite benefits and STARS perks attached |
The trade-off is consistency. Prince of Travel notes the brand is "far less standardized" than Marriott's classic luxury names, so service and facilities vary more between hotels. Read each property, and you get a hotel that could only exist where it stands.
11 · HOW TO BOOK
Same night, same room: what each way of booking includes
The three hotels below show Marriott STARS rates in the Fora Advisor Portal, so an advisor booking adds a fixed set of perks. Not every Luxury Collection hotel is in STARS; check the hotel before you book. Rates were read on October 24, 2026, for December 13 to 16, 2026, three nights, two adults, taxes and fees included in the totals.
| Mitsui Kyoto, Deluxe Room, 1 King, City View (43 to 51 m²) | Three-night offer, room only, public: US$664.02 a night, US$2,669.95 total. Same offer through STARS: US$664.02, US$2,669.95, plus STARS perks. Member rate including breakfast: US$889.15, US$3,564.34. STARS flexible rate: US$885.36, US$3,559.94 |
|---|---|
| Prince Gallery Tokyo, Deluxe King (42 m²) | Member flexible rate: US$492.64 a night, US$1,877.16 total. STARS flexible rate: US$518.57, US$1,975.55, plus STARS perks |
| THE AMNIS Kaohsiung, Deluxe Room, 1 King, City View (59 m²) | Member flexible rate: US$193.26 a night, US$669.65 total. STARS flexible rate: US$203.43, US$704.89, plus STARS perks |
What each route includes
| Points, booked by you | In the Marriott app, when the redemption beats the cash rate. An advisor adds nothing to an award stay |
|---|---|
| Cash, direct | Public or Bonvoy member rate. Elite benefits apply |
| Cash, through a STARS advisor | Welcome amenity; daily breakfast for two; US$100 food and beverage credit once per stay; basic Wi-Fi; early check-in, late check-out and upgrade when available; an in-person welcome and a note from the General Manager. Points and elite nights still post |
| Elite status | STARS perks sit on top of Bonvoy elite benefits. Details in Marriott Platinum, brand by brand and Marriott STARS and Luminous, explained |
Full disclosure: I book hotels as a Fora advisor, and the hotel pays me a commission on advisor bookings. That is why the first route on this list is points, booked by you.
- Points firstCheck the award price before anything else. If it beats cash, book it yourself.
- OffersAsk whether the hotel has a multi-night offer for your dates. In Kyoto the same offer was open on both routes.
- The creditAsk on arrival where the US$100 applies. In this brand, the bar is often the best use.
12 · BEFORE YOU ARRIVE
What to arrange before you arrive
In a brand where every hotel is different, the details you send ahead decide which version of the hotel you get.
| The view | Garden or Nijo Castle in Kyoto, canal in Venice, ocean in Waikiki, Mount Fuji or Tokyo Tower in Tokyo. Upgrades are subject to availability |
|---|---|
| The occasion | Honeymoon, anniversary, birthday. A Fora advisor singles out Kyoto's Onsen Suite for honeymooners |
| Hot springs and spa | Kyoto's private onsen can be reserved by time; ask for a slot when you book |
| Tables | TOKI in Kyoto, Ukai-tei in Kaohsiung, a terrace table in Venice, sunset seats at the Mai Tai Bar |
| Experiences | Tea at CHAKYO, the ambassador art tour, a guided visit to ALIEN Art Centre, a coral session in Langkawi |
| Who is coming | Children's ages (THE AMNIS is for ten and over), allergies, arrival time |
- Two weeks outSend the occasion, view preference and party details. Through an advisor, they go to the hotel with the booking.
- Three days outConfirm dinner tables, onsen times and arrival time.
- On the dayAsk the concierge one question about the city. It is often the start of the best part of the stay.
13 · FIRST DAY AND CHECKLIST
A first day at any Luxury Collection hotel, and who it suits
Every hotel is different, so the first day works best as a pattern: find what the building is known for, then let the concierge take you into the city.
- Check-inAsk about guest-only experiences, where the STARS credit applies, and the hotel's best view.
- First hourWalk the building: the garden in Kyoto, the sky lobby in Tokyo, the terrace in Venice, the beach in Waikiki.
- AfternoonOne local experience the hotel arranges: tea, an art tour, a coral session.
- SunsetThe bar with the view: Levita, the Mai Tai Bar, the Riva Lounge.
- DinnerThe restaurant that interprets local food, booked ahead.
A good fit
- You choose hotels for the building and the setting
- You like history, art and design that belong to one city
- You want local experiences arranged by the hotel
- You collect Marriott Bonvoy points and want hotels that do not feel like a chain
A weaker fit
- You want every stay to follow the same standard; Ritz-Carlton or St. Regis fits better
- You want a club lounge everywhere; it depends on the hotel
- You prefer new rooms; some historic wings feel older, so check room type and age
This article is written in the expected-experience style ("what you will find"). No first-hand stay is described. Same-day rates and STARS perks come from the Fora Advisor Portal, read on October 24, 2026, for December 13 to 16, 2026. Advisor and client comments are paraphrased from the Portal without names.
Sources: Marriott FY2025 Form 10-K (size); THE AMNIS opening release via Journal des Palaces, January 2026; Wikipedia (The Luxury Collection; Palazzo Pisani Gritti); AFAR interview with Philipp Weghmann (June 2024); Forbes Australia (April 2024); Historic Hotels of America and the National Trust's Saving Places (The Royal Hawaiian, Mai Tai Bar); The Points Guy (The Royal Hawaiian, 2018); Cabana (The Gritti Palace, April 2026); The Luxury Editor and Out There (The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho); Michelin Guide (HOTEL THE MITSUI KYOTO); Eco-Business (The Andaman coral nursery); Prince of Travel (brand comparison, 2019); Fora Advisor Portal hotel pages, advisor reviews and client reviews.
Items that conflict between sources and should be confirmed: the brand's hotel count (132 at year-end 2025 in the 10-K, "130 hotels" in the January 2026 release); The Gritti Palace's split of rooms and suites (82 including 10 suites, or 61 rooms and 21 suites); the age of the Mitsui Kyoto site (a "250-year-old historic site" in the hotel's text, a "300-year-old gate" in Michelin's); and the dates of the 1997 to 1998 change from Sheraton to Starwood branding. Images are from the hotels' official galleries in the Fora Advisor Portal and are used with permission; they were not taken by the author.
Keep reading: Marriott's 39 brands, explained · Luxury Collection vs Autograph vs Tribute Portfolio · Marriott STARS and Luminous, explained