Exclusive Travel Feature: Luxury hotels are spicing things up this summer: gone are the days of basic beach vacations and simple swim-up bars; Today's chic traveler is demanding more than just what's on the surface.

Here is a look at some of my favorite hotel trends happening around the world this summer:
 
Picnics Get Promoted:  Luxury hotels are taking the traditional picnic and adding a little bling to the basket. Trump International Hotel & Golf Links Doonbeg, Ireland packs a picnic with a shellfish platter, foie gras, artisan cheese, champagne and more.

The The Inn at Little Washington's Picnic Lunch for Two comes stocked with six snackable courses including house-smoked salmon sandwiches on salt crusted rye bread, Virginia country ham on chive biscuits and salty oatmeal cookies.

Wet Workouts: Sure,the hotel pool is certainly a selling point, but what you do IN the pool is what matters to guests today.  Hotels are leveraging their waterfront - or water-in - properties with workout experiences that extend beyond the sand and shore. Guests at Kiawah Island in South Carolina can try out "Surf Kayak Rodeo" lessons, while Loews Hotels & Resorts are getting back to basics with various water aerobics and aqua fitness classes.
 
Cooking Goes Local: More hotels are inviting guests to partake in the full kitchen experience, like the Marti Istanbul Hotel's "Taste of Istanbul" experience, in which guests venture to the city's famed bazaars and markets with the hotel's talented chef to shop for spices and ingredients for a traditional Turkish meal.

Back at the hotel guests will learn to prepare the meal, which changes regularly based on seasonal ingredients. Seafood lovers can go deep-sea fishing for their dinner at Hotel Guanahani & Spa in St. Bart's, then indulge in the meal overlooking the ocean.
 
Kids Just Want to Have Fun: It's no secret that on family vacations, when the kids are happy everyone is happy. That's why more hotels are rolling out all the stops for kids and their parents.

At Lake Arrowhead in California, the spa introduced a "Little Princess" spa package including a mini manicure, pedicure, princess hair styling, makeup and a goodie bag to take home, while Montage Deer Valley in Utah has a "Mommy and Me" spa experience which combines a manicure and pedicure for two. 

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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