Delivering Hotel Experiences for the New Travel Generation

Thanks to a new generation of travelers, your job as a hotelier is no longer as simple as “here’s your room key, enjoy your stay.” Guests, quite simply, want more. What lies behind the “more” is something called the experience economy, which is driven by a growing interest in spending money on experiences rather than on material goods.

Guests who make decisions in an experience economy want to create memories, show off their surroundings and share every detail of their vacation — typically on social media. Of course, it will come as no surprise that Millennials, the nation’s biggest generation by the numbers, are at the forefront of this trend. And it’s their vacation expectations (and their smartphones!) that are shifting hospitality strategy.

Is your hotel primed for delivering experience-driven stays? Here are a few ideas that can help your property engage today’s travelers.

Get Personal

There are many ways you can gather information about your guests and use it to personalize their stay.

One way is to use booking confirmation emails as a survey tool. After they provide the requisite reservation details, their confirmation email can invite guests to answer a few additional questions that will help you make their stay special. Questions such as, “What are your vacation goals?” will allow you better meet their expectations. For instance, based on guests’ responses, have items waiting in their room upon arrival. For sunbathers, provide visors and vouchers for poolside cocktails. For tourists, provide guides to local attractions and free shuttles to popular locations.

Another way to personalize the guest experience is by offering a guest portal. Allowing guests to manage their reservations, input preferences, and requests and communicate with hotel staff will ensure a comfortable, enjoyable, personalized stay for every guest. It also saves you time and money! 

Make Local Connections

Connecting to other local businesses can produce amazing experiences for your guests. Your concierge staff and managers can build up those connections through professional and social networks as well as by doing purposeful outreach to business owners and individuals that can mutually benefit from your relationship. For example, establishing a relationship with the maître d’ at your city’s hottest restaurant could come in handy for guests looking for hard-to-get reservations. It’s all about having the power to provide seemingly exclusive perks that create unforgettable memories.

Create In-Room Ambiance

Make the guest room itself an experience by incorporating unique features that will appeal to Millennial travelers. For wellness enthusiasts, some hotels have rooms with cork flooring, eucalyptus bedding, adjustable lighting, and an in-room fitness zone with yoga mats, resistance bands, and on-demand video workouts. Other hotels are offering in-room amenities for dog lovers, such as treats, a plush dog bed, feeding bowls, and toys. Offering rooms geared toward different niche interests and travel needs will make guests feel understood and highly appreciated for their specialized experience.

Capitalize on Locale

What unique adventures are available in your area? Make the most out of why guests travel to your location and offer to arrange outings or incorporate them into packages so guests can choose from an array of experiences when they book a room. Make sure the experiences you offer are truly site-specific, such as enjoying a champagne picnic in the Grand Canyon when staying in Arizona or going fishing on a sailboat in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. For the best deals and ideas, look into partnerships with local or online tour companies, and focus on attractions that guests will want to post about. Also, look into options that integrate with your property management system for the ability to sell tickets directly through your property.

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