As the world marks World Tourism Day today, travel is becoming about more than just picking a destination and finding a place to stay. For many travellers, the hotel is now an important part of the trip, offering experiences that can add to the way they explore a place.
From dining five metres below the Indian Ocean and meeting Michelin-starred chefs to turning a work trip into a holiday or enjoying a slower side of Goa, these stays offer more than a room for the night. Here are six properties where the stay itself becomes part of the travel experience.
For travellers who want to make gastronomy the highlight of their holiday
Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is home to Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, the world’s first all-glass underwater restaurant, located five metres below the Indian Ocean. The restaurant was also ranked in the top 1% globally in Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best 2025.
The culinary offering gets another draw this year with the Michelin Master Series 2026, bringing three international Michelin-starred chefs to the resort from October 19 to December 7. Guests can experience chef-led tasting menus, beachfront dinners and interactive culinary experiences.
With underwater dining and Michelin-led experiences, the resort gives food-loving travellers another reason to make the Maldives part of their holiday plans.
Why go: For travellers who plan their holidays around food and want an underwater restaurant and Michelin-led dining in the same trip.
For travellers who want to combine an island holiday with Michelin-starred gastronomy
Set on a private island in the South Malé Atoll, Anantara Veli Maldives Resort offers an adults-only island escape with overwater, ocean and beach villas, direct lagoon access and a focus on wellness and dining. Guests can also access the facilities and experiences at sister resort Anantara Dhigu.
The resort’s Around the World Michelin Star Guest Chef Series brings chefs from different culinary traditions to the Maldives for cooking classes and curated dinners. The fourth series, taking place in 2026, features an all-female lineup, with wines paired by Head Sommelier Kanagaraj Natarajan.
The combination of island living, wellness and international gastronomy gives guests more to experience beyond the usual beach holiday.
Why go: For travellers looking for an adults-only island escape with wellness, lagoon experiences and an international culinary programme.
For travellers discovering Pune beyond the business trip
Pune is increasingly becoming more than a business destination, with its food, lifestyle and leisure offerings giving visitors more reasons to stay longer. The Ritz-Carlton, Pune offers a luxury base for travellers looking to explore this side of the city.
The property is home to Ukiyo, its Japanese-inspired restaurant, which features on the World’s Top 50 Best Discovery list. It was also ranked No. 3 among the Top 25 Restaurants in Hotels at the Hospitality Horizon Top 50 Restaurant Awards 2025.
The property also has Aasmana, its rooftop dining destination. For business travellers, the hotel fits naturally into the growing bleisure trend, allowing a work trip to extend into a leisure break.
Why go: For travellers who want to turn a business visit to Pune into a city break centred around food and lifestyle.
For travellers looking for a luxury city stay with a strong culinary address
JW Marriott Hotel Pune combines a luxury city stay with a wide dining offering. Its restaurants include Tao-Fu and Alto Vino, giving travellers another reason to make food part of their Pune itinerary.
Tao-Fu was awarded Tripadvisor’s Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best in the Fine Dining – India category in 2025. The hotel’s dining spaces add to Pune’s growing culinary scene and give guests the option of making meals part of the stay rather than simply stopping by for a quick bite.
For travellers exploring the city, the hotel can work as both a base and a dining destination, particularly for those interested in experiencing Pune through its food.
Why go: For a city break where the dining itinerary can be as important as the sightseeing itinerary.
For travellers combining business with Bengaluru’s tech and social scene
Located in Bengaluru’s Marathahalli-Sarjapur tech corridor, Aloft Bengaluru Outer Ring Road puts travellers close to major technology hubs including RMZ Ecoworld, Ecospace, Embassy Tech Village and Prestige Tech Park.
But the property offers more than a conventional business stay. Its social spaces, rooftop lounge, pool, fitness centre and dining options give guests ways to unwind after work. Echo, its cocktails and tapas bar, has also been highlighted by Marriott as an award-winning bar.
The property therefore works for travellers who want to combine a work trip with some of Bengaluru’s food and social scene, without having to travel far from the city’s technology hubs.
Why go: For travellers turning a Bengaluru business trip into a more social, experience-led city stay.
For travellers looking to experience a slower side of Goa
Goa is often associated with beaches, nightlife and short getaways, but the destination can also be experienced at a slower pace. Hilton Goa Resort offers a base for a more relaxed holiday centred around downtime, leisure and exploring the destination without a packed itinerary.
For repeat visitors, this offers an alternative to the familiar party-and-beach holiday. Travellers can use the resort as a starting point for exploring Goa while also making time to slow down and enjoy the stay itself.
As part of Ventive Hospitality’s wider India portfolio, Hilton Goa Resort also adds a leisure-destination dimension to the company's presence beyond its Pune properties.
Why go: For repeat Goa travellers looking to move away from the conventional party-and-beach itinerary.
This World Tourism Day, the luxury hotel is no longer simply the place you stay. It can be part of the reason you travel in the first place.
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