Proper Hospitality at TFest 2025: The Calm New Face of Modern Luxury

By Yousuf Basil

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For Proper Hospitality, the future of luxury travel is grounded in wellness, sustainability, and a sense of ease. At TFest 2025, Alyssa Uslaner, Global Director of Leisure Sales, shared how the brand’s hotels are redefining what it means to travel well—inviting guests to slow down, reset, and live like locals in spaces designed for both inspiration and ease.“We’re a very innovative brand full of wellness and lifestyle and design and culture,” Uslaner said. “We really embody the local destinations where our hotels are located.”

Wellness as the New Standard of Luxury

Uslaner described Proper’s philosophy as “taking the best care of yourself on the road when you’re away from home.” That approach comes to life in the brand’s Recovery Suites, which feature red-light and contrast therapy, cryotherapy, ice baths, oxygen treatments, and compression systems—modalities designed to reset the nervous system and support deep restoration.

Proper’s Wellness Guest Rooms continue that mission, with temperature-regulating mattress toppers and filtered water on every shower and sink—proof that true luxury can be found in details that make rest and rejuvenation effortless.

From the Kitchen Up: Seed-Oil-Free and Sustainably Sourced

Proper’s culinary program is just as disciplined.

“We are the only seed-oil-free company for culinary,” Uslaner said. “We use no artificial dyes. All of our oils are natural. We source locally, organically, using farmers’ markets to really be sustainable and offer nourishing-from-the-inside-out products to better the lives of our guests.”

She added that the trend toward conscious dining mirrors a broader shift among travelers, particularly in Los Angeles and Miami, who “want to make a difference and positively influence the environment they’re in.”

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Luxury Travelers Still Lead the Way

Despite reports of a cooling leisure market, Proper’s audience hasn’t slowed down.

“We’re seeing that our guests are still traveling – they’re just being more intentional,” said Uslaner. “They want experiences that feel authentic, connected, and rooted in the places they visit.”

For these guests, she added, travel isn’t about extravagance—it’s about connection, comfort, and culture.

“Anticipatory, But Not in Your Face”

When asked what luxury means to her personally, Uslaner’s answer came without hesitation:

“For me, luxury is anticipatory service delivered with a light touch. It’s when everything you need is available – from a collagen matcha to a detox tea to a great burger – but it still feels relaxed, natural, and grounded. There’s an ease to it. A sense of calm.”

That blend of attentiveness and ease—what Proper calls “relaxed sophistication”—defines the brand’s identity.

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The Shelborne By Proper and Lake Tahoe Proper Resort & Casino

Proper’s latest openings bring that ethos to two strikingly different landscapes.

After a two-year renovation, The Shelborne By Proper has reopened on Collins Avenue and 18th Street, reimagined as an “as a design-forward beachfront oasis.”

“It’s not a party hotel,” Uslaner noted. “It’s a place to restore, exhale, and enjoy the beauty and rhythm of Miami Beach.”

Meanwhile, the Lake Tahoe Proper Resort & Casino, slated for 2027, will mark the brand’s most ambitious project yet—a year-round resort with Proper’s first casino, a wellness center, recording studio, theater, padel and tennis courts, ski and lake access, and a dynamic culinary program.

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Each property reflects the creative vision of Kelly Wearstler, Proper’s celebrated interior designer.

“Kelly Wearstler leads our design vision, and her sensorial, layered approach is a huge part of what defines the Proper experience,” Uslaner said. “She and our co-founder Brad Korzen have built a brand that celebrates design, culture, and a deep sense of place.”

A Quiet Revolution in High-End Hospitality

With red-light therapy suites, seed-oil-free dining, and a design language that celebrates the soul of each destination, Proper Hospitality is ushering in a new era of mindful luxury.

At TFest 2025, Alyssa Uslaner captured it simply: luxury is no longer about excess—it’s about how well you feel when you arrive, and how deeply you exhale once you’re there.