The Investor’s Case for Boutique Resorts in a Post-COVID World

Ali Tolóikahn, Managing Director, Soren Hudson International

Over the past three years, the global leisure and hospitality landscape has undergone a profound reset. While the pandemic disrupted traditional travel patterns, it also catalysed a shift in consumer preferences, creating new opportunities for investors willing to reimagine legacy assets.

At Soren Hudson International, we’ve seen a marked uptick in demand for boutique golf and leisure resorts, particularly those that combine experiential luxury with location-led scarcity. For investors with the foresight and flexibility to act off-market, this presents a compelling proposition.

1. A Return to Space, Nature and Intentional Travel

Affluent travellers are now prioritising privacy, space, wellness, and outdoor experiences, making boutique golf resorts with spa, wellness, and residential components increasingly attractive. Golf is no longer just a sport; it has evolved into a lifestyle pillar for UHNWIs and multi-generational families seeking connection, balance, and open-air recreation.

In this context, boutique resorts offer something major hotel chains often cannot: personality, provenance, and exclusivity.

2. Golf Is Experiencing a Global Renaissance

Despite the clichés, golf is in a genuine growth cycle. In Europe and across emerging markets, membership numbers are rising, younger demographics are engaging, and private equity is quietly moving in. In parallel, high-net-worth travellers are combining leisure with real estate, looking for golf resort communities that offer long-term, experiential value.

This demand is fuelling investor interest in acquiring or repositioning resorts with embedded value — particularly where zoning, land, and planning permissions support residential development or lifestyle branding.

3. Under-the-Radar Assets with Strong Upside

Many of the most compelling opportunities are not listed publicly. Boutique golf resorts in heritage locations like Scotland, South-East England, or the Iberian Peninsula often remain within family portfolios or are quietly marketed through trusted channels.

This is where Soren Hudson’s model comes into play: we specialise in sourcing off-market assets that combine prestige with potential. Whether the asset requires repositioning, capital improvements, or rebranding, our in-house team and network of specialists can underwrite, structure, and execute value-add strategies discreetly and efficiently.

4. Long-Term Yield Meets Lifestyle Utility

For UHNW families and private investors, boutique golf resorts can offer a dual function: capital preservation and lifestyle enhancement. Unlike city-centre hotels or retail assets, resorts typically benefit from diversified income streams—golf, F&B, spa, weddings, memberships, and residential sales.

In a low-yield, inflationary environment, this blend of defensive cash flow and appreciation upside is increasingly appealing.

5. A Window of Opportunity

As the sector recovers and valuations begin to normalise, the first movers are quietly acquiring generational assets at favourable terms. Competition is still relatively muted, but it won’t be for long. Institutional capital is circling, and the private buyer segment is becoming more sophisticated.

For those looking to build a portfolio of lifestyle-driven, heritage-backed real estate, now is an excellent time.

At Soren Hudson, we partner with family offices, UHNWIs and select institutions to identify, evaluate, and execute transactions across luxury hospitality and leisure assets. Our focus is not just on price, but on positioning, potential, and performance.

If you’re considering diversifying into this space, we’d be happy to share some of the exclusive opportunities currently in our pipeline.