With one month into the new year, hotels have begun implementing their 2011 plans for growth and with good news: spending on luxury travel is on the rise, allowing luxury hotel groups to price out accordingly and recover from a few years of a less-than-ideal bottom lines.

Today's luxury traveler is back in the game, but with a new set of expectations, and luxury hotels are responding in a positive, and profitable, way. 

As the traveler puts plans into place to hit the road this year, hotels are making changes to their approach in an effort to attract new guests.

The luxury hotel trends for 2011 are nothing short of a powerful re-emergence into an always evolving space:

It's All Social: There's no denying that social media has swayed travelers' decisions in the past few years.

From Facebook to Foursquare and Twitter, more consumers are turning to social media for hotel recommendations, and communications with hotels. As social media fast became the preferred means of communication, hotels jumped into the game and offered consumers a new space to communicate directly with them.

Luxury hotel brands including Ritz-Carlton, Mandarin Oriental, InterContinental, Relais & Chateaux and Four Seasons have found a niche in the social market, thanks to fans on Facebook and followers on Twitter.

Expect more luxury hotels to embrace the social craze in 2011, and more consumers to make social networks their first-stop for travel planning. 

Emergence of the Unordinary: 2011 will be the year of far-out experiences. Luxury hotels are planned for exotic locales including Tibet, Laos, Vietnam, Oman and Doha, and luxury travelers are flocking to these destinations in search of unique and authentic experiences.

Luxury hotels will go beyond fine dining and unique spa experiences, and create more diversified and distinct packages that cater to the personality of the traveler.

Over-the-top service knows no limits in 2011. 

Going Green: Gone are the days when travelers chose a hotel based solely on price and location. Today's traveler feels a sense of social responsibility, and looks to hotels to cater to that need.

Hotels have focused on green efforts for the past decade, but this year more than ever luxury hotels will promote their eco-friendly initiatives - from solar energy-powered lighting in rooms to organic roof gardens - in an effort to appeal to the social conscience consumer.  

The China Collection: Coming off the success of the World Expo in Shanghai and announcements of 2011 hotel openings from Ritz-Carlton, InterContinental and St. Regis, Asia is the hot-spot for growth in the hotel industry.

The target: China. According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization, China will become the world's "most popular tourist destination within seven years," and luxury hotels are prepping for the onset of business and leisure travelers.  

American Luxury: Still the cornerstone country for economic revival, the United States will continue to play a vital role in the profitability of the tourism industry, specifically in the luxury hotel market.

Statistics show hotel demand in the U.S. has been on the rise for the past year - as more consumers gain confidence in their spending habits, more hotels find the confidence to raise prices back to market standards.

To help rebuild consumer confidence, luxury hotel groups will continue to roll out the red carpet for guests. Hotel loyalty programs will play a major role reuniting U.S. travelers with their luxury roots.

Free Internet access, unique in-room amenities and the ‘personal touch' that guests have come to expect from luxury hotels will be a welcome addition to American luxury hotel standards in 2011.

Melanie Nayer is a hotel reviewer and expert on luxury travel around the world. She has covered all aspects of hotels including corporate restructures, re-branding initiatives, historical aspects and the best of the best in luxury hotels around the world.

Melanie writes a weekly exclusive column for 4Hoteliers.com