Five ways hotels are targeting the market, benefiting us all
HOTELS, they are a’changin’, as hoteliers develop properties that cater to the younger, tech- savvy generations.
New and older brands are making moves to do away with the beige, interact via apps, double as co-working and social spaces, and score shareable selfie love along the way. But don’t call them “millennial hotels.” While many of the perks and amenities are inspired by research on the group, the properties included below - Hyatt Centric, Radisson RED, Hotel EMC2 and Residence Inn by Marriott - aim to appeal to guests of all ages.
Scott Greenberg, president and chief executive of Smashotels, a hospitality management company near Chicago - and also the owner and founder of Hotel EMC2, a smart, new Chicago hotel with an art- and- science theme in Marriott’s Autograph Collection - says he knows that if he develops a hotel that his three millennial- aged children will love, older generations will follow.
“If we attract young people, old people will show up. But if you build a hotel for old people, young people never show up,” Greenberg says.
Rose Anderson, vice president of global branding and innovation with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, which owns Radisson Red, says she is less interested in resonating with a particular generation and more with a mentality.
Even long- standing brands such as Residence Inn are putting research into uncovering what millennials want.
“You don’t want to be alienating some of your customers in order to appeal to some of your other customers,” says Diane Mayer, vice president and global brand manager of Residence Inn, TownePlace Suites, Protea and Marriott Executive Apartments. “So, if you can find things that maybe are millennia- driven but that have universal appeal, that’s the holy grail.”
While amenities such as free WiFi and stellar bar programmes are practically a given now in hotels looking to woo younger audiences, here are some other trends to look for on your next getaway (millennial- driven or not). • Aspiring to be Instagramworthy: There was a time when beige ruled the roost and hotel room design was rather # milquetoast. Many hotel developers now know that a piece of cool art doesn’t just have the potential to appeal to a guest, it has the potential to appeal to everyone who follows that guest on social media. • Connecting guests with local favourites: At Hyatt Centric - which is targeting the millennialminded traveller and has 15 locations, with plans to nearly double that number globally by 2019 - staffers are encouraged to share their favorite local spots with guests.
“It’s no longer just the job of the concierge to give you recommendations,” says Sandra Cordova Micek, Hyatt’s senior vice president of global brands. “Our colleagues are constantly being asked what their hidden gems are and what they would recommend.”
In addition, the hotel places original local guides in rooms (and publishes them on the hotel’s website). It also highlights local art and food; some properties offer area tours. At Chicago’s Magnificent Mile location, for example, guests are invited on neighbourhood and brewery tours, and a hotel manager leads guests on morning runs.
Residence Inn partnered with Under Armour Connected Fitness to offer its extendedstay guests at more than 700 properties at least one running map, via the app MapMyFitness. “A lot of people like to run or walk because it helps them be in the place they are, even if they don’t get to be a tourist,” Mayer says. • Revamping room service - and menus: Some hotels are moving away from the stodgy, old room service trays with silver domes. Hyatt Centric tailors its room service to on-the- go guests looking to explore the city, Cordova Micek says.
“We’re sort of turning room service on its ear and thinking about it as restaurant-to- go delivery. So, it’s not room service on the big silver tray rolling out. It’s actually having your food delivered in environmentally friendly packaging that comes in a paper bag that you can take with you if you’re going to run around and see the city,” she says.
It’s no longer just the job of the concierge to give you recommendations. Sandra Cordova Micek, Hyatt’s senior vice president of global brands
• Changing the form and function of lobbies: In these days of laptops and mobile offices, people like to work alone - together. Hotel lobbies are accommodating that, offering lots of work spaces - as well as plugs and free WiFi - with easy access to snacks, caffeine and cocktails. At the Hyatt Centric on Magnificent Mile, for example, the lobby is the kind of place where you could spend days on end. It’s filled with playful local art, and includes a library and dozens of comfortable chairs and tables, all of which spill into the bar, which spills into the restaurant, with no walls or barriers separating the spaces. • Adopting a high-tech - or alltech - approach: That Radisson RED app doesn’t just give you access to your room - it’s your key to communication at the hotel. It’s possible to spend a night, or week, there and not physically talk to anyone but still manage to order food at the on- site restaurant, call a cab, check in, check out, request more towels and even chat with other guests. “You want things when you want it and how you want it. The app allows them to control this and do everything,” Anderson says.