What is ‘warmth’ in hospitality?

Yesterday was an emotional day for me and although I don’t drink, a walked past a pub I’ve know for 25 years and it called me in. (Can you guess which?). It’s the kind with a coal open fire, quiet corners, and that deep, familiar smell of wood and time. When I sat down I felt at peace. It was something nostalgic . The same sense of safety I remember from childhood, when the world outside could be wild, but inside you were held by inner warmth, light, and presence.

That’s what real warmth in hospitality is. It’s deeper than politeness or personality. It’s when a space or a person triggers that same part of the brain that says, you’re safe here. It happens through small, layered cues such as tone of voice, light, temperature, rhythm, texture. The human nervous system recognises them instantly.

Luxury isn’t all about elevating experience; it’s about recreating that deep familiarity in a new setting. The feeling that even though you’ve never been there before, somehow, you already belong.