Brand USA is promoting a spread of private-access luxury experiences across the United States at IMM LUX North America in Las Vegas and IMM LUX UK in London, positioning exclusivity and personalisation as the sector’s key growth themes for high-end itineraries.
Private access anchors museum and wilderness product
Several experiences centre on removing crowds rather than adding amenities. MoMA’s private before and after-hours tours in New York give groups of up to 25 guests a dedicated art historian and private entrance, priced from $1,100 to $1,400 per party. In San Francisco, Alcatraz’s Behind the Scenes tour, led by a National Park Service ranger, extends into evening hours after standard visitor crowds have left the island.
In Utah, operators including Utah Luxury Tours build custom multi-day itineraries across the state’s five national parks, pairing private guiding with stays such as Camp Sarika at Amangiri, a 10-tent property set among 900 acres of red-rock wilderness. In Arizona, Navajo-owned operator Sacred Edge Tours offers private 4×4 access to the Grand Canyon’s East Rim alongside cultural interpretation from Navajo guides.
Chef-led dining and exclusive retreats extend luxury positioning
Culinary product features prominently, including Kira Omakase in New Orleans, a six-seat, 20-course tasting counter from chef Yoshi Okai, and Los Fuegos by Francis Mallmann at Faena Miami Beach, built around an open-fire cooking concept. Food and wine festivals including the Aspen Food & Wine Classic and Pebble Beach Food & Wine offer top-tier ticket packages with private tastings and chef access beyond standard admission.
Exclusive-use retreats include The Point in New York’s Adirondacks, an 11-room former Rockefeller family estate available for full buyout, and Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort in Hawaii, rebuilt following its 2011 tsunami destruction and reopened in 2023 across 81 acres of volcanic coastline.
Rail product is also expanding ahead of the 200th anniversary of American rail in 2027, with Halloway Private Rail Cars, launched in January 2026, attaching restored vintage carriages to scheduled Amtrak routes through the American West, complete with a private chef and full turndown service.
Wellness retreats highlighted include Canyon Ranch’s new Austin property, opening 15 October 2026 across more than 600 acres of Texas Hill Country, building on the brand’s existing Longevity8 program at its Tucson flagship, which tracks more than 200 biomarkers across an intensive multi-day itinerary.
Brand USA president and chief executive Fred Dixon said the positioning reflected a shift in how luxury travellers define value.
“Across the USA, luxury is increasingly defined not only by where travellers stay, but by the access, personalisation and sense of place they experience along the way,” Dixon said.
