In November, a new Cirque du Soleil water-themed show, Ludo, will debut exclusively at VidantaWorld in Nuevo Vallarta, making it the only place in the world where people can see this performance. Guests of Vidanta resorts will also have access to the Bon Luxury Theme Park: 150 landscaped acres with an airborne private gondola and Latin America's only double-launch roller coaster. 

Around the world, at the Banyan Tree in Kyoto, is a rare-for-resorts Noh stage for the traditional Japanese performance art. Meanwhile, Las Ventanas al Paraíso, a Rosewood resort in Cabo, has an exclusive contract with an on-site magician who integrates music, dance, storytelling, and grand illusion into something that's more reminiscent of a Broadway performance than a kid's birthday party.

Welcome to the hotel arms race for entertainment and amenities. The calculus for investing in all these bells and whistles is twofold: one, to keep the audience captive so they spend their dollars on property. And two, luxury travelers who are, in some cases, spending five-figures per night on a room (one bedrooms in the luxury Estates area of the Vidanta properties in Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Maya start at $11,340 per night) are used to the best in class in everything and crave novelty.

A nice house car and a larger spa won't cut it, says Cristina Buaass, founder of travel advisory CSB Travel. What resonated with her clients in the last year have been special experiences like a private tea ceremony, the Shakusui-tei, in the Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto's on-property tea house, or an overnight stay at the Baobab Treehouse in Botswana's Okavango Delta.

Cultivating the flora and fauna on site—or completely replacing them—is part of the one upmanship. On Necker Island, an exclusive-use private island owned by Sir Richard Branson, they've made a significant investment in biodiversity with a dedicated wildlife conservation manager and team to protect endangered animals. Now the island has the greatest biodiversity in the BVIs, including seven types of Madagascan lemurs, giant tortoises, flamingos, and miniature horses that guests can interact with.

In Western Pennsylvania, luxury resort Nemacolin went so far as to re-home three Bengal tigers (they also have African lions in the 2,200-acre wildlife park). Visitors can observe feedings during the resort's Big Cat Encounters, a pinch-me moment in the Laurel Highlands. 

On the highly competitive wellness front, a sauna or infused steam room isn't going to turn heads, at least not in the White Lotus era. Next-level wellness is about connecting with your higher purpose and instilling ancient wisdom. Will the experience change you from the inside?