A new study from Club Med finds that North American travelers increasingly prize autonomy over amenities—a finding that carries pointed implications for hospitality operators still building experiences around premium dining and curated programming.
Conducted by Wakefield Research among 2,000 adults in the United States and Canada, the Club Med Art of Free Time Report 2026 identifies what the all-inclusive resort brand calls the "Joy Gap": the distance between what guests want from leisure time and what everyday obligations allow. The numbers are striking. Nine in 10 respondents (91%) say vacation luxury means the freedom to do what they want, when they want—not fine dining or being pampered. Separately, 74% said they prefer an open-ended trip with room for spontaneity over a detailed daily itinerary.
The Cost Barrier Problem
The research also surfaces a friction point directly relevant to hospitality and foodservice operators: upfront cost deters trial. More than three-quarters of respondents (80%) said there are activities they would like to try but have avoided because equipment, lessons, or gear costs feel prohibitive before they know whether they'll enjoy the experience. That hesitation, the report suggests, dissolves inside an all-inclusive environment where sports, activities, and food and beverage experiences are bundled into the stay. For operators considering à la carte pricing strategies, the data points to a meaningful risk: high entry costs can suppress guest participation in the very experiences designed to differentiate a property.
The findings align with a broader shift in hospitality guest expectations that has been building since the pandemic reset traveler priorities. Guests are not spending less; they are spending differently, favoring immersive, flexible experiences over status-signaling consumption.
What Operators Should Watch
For resort and hotel food-and-beverage teams, the report's data on curiosity and first-time experiences is particularly actionable. When respondents last tried something new, 88% reported at least one positive outcome. And 79% said they are likely to attempt an activity they have never done before on their next vacation—suggesting that the hospitality environment itself can be a powerful catalyst for experimentation, including culinary experimentation.
Carolyne Doyon, President and CEO of Club Med North America and the Caribbean, framed the research as a call to action for the brand: "Our curiosity hasn't disappeared, and neither has our desire to experience something new. But somewhere along the way, we've lost some of the spontaneity and playfulness that once came so naturally."
Club Med is pairing the research release with the launch of "The Art of Free Time," a new global brand platform intended to codify that philosophy across its nearly 60 premium resorts worldwide. For hospitality food and beverage programming, the platform signals continued investment in activity-integrated dining and culinary discovery as retention tools rather than standalone revenue centers.
The survey was conducted September 11–23, 2026, covering 1,000 U.S. adults and 1,000 Canadian adults ages 21 and older.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
