An author by the name of Bruce Chatwin wrote a book called Utz. The main character, Utz, is a Czech who lived through Nazism and Communism in Czechoslovakia. At one point he finds himself at a spa in Vichy, and remarks that "luxury is only truly luxurious under adverse conditions."

This line has stuck with me, and I"m often reminded of it when traveling. Luxury has nothing to do with 'things.' It's a state of mind and its hallmarks are discretion and intimacy. True luxury doesn't consist of admiring a hotel suite, but being able to use that suite as an experience to relax and sooth the mind and body when they're confronted with difficulties.