THE CHANGING ROLE OF HOTELS

Hotel companies are undergoing rapid evolution, realising they have much more to offer guests than just a room for the night. Groups that have already reinvented themselves include Accor, which recently re-branded itself as an ‘augmented hospitality’ provider with a ‘Live Work Play’ ethos. This is reflected in its new lifestyle loyalty programme, ALL – Accor Live Limitless, which offers members benefits that go beyond a hotel stay, including exclusive gastronomic, entertainment and sports experiences. Members can also earn and burn points when dining at Accor group hotel restaurants, whether they are staying there or not, as the group sets out to enrich their everyday lives.

Many other groups are adopting similar lifestyleand experience-led loyalty programmes with a digital platform to support it, but Olaf Slater, General Manager DACH & Eastern Europe at travel technology provider, Sabre Hospitality Solutions, says the next step is for hoteliers to become retailers, offering their guests personalised offers for lifestyle-related products and services.

“Next generation retailing solutions can help hoteliers grow their business, much like the airlines have done with ancillaries,” he says. “Armed with guest data, unique physical spaces and a local perspective, hotels are in a prime position to capitalise on retailing opportunities that deliver a highly personal experience and think outside the room.”

He believes that in future, non-room products could become a hotel’s highest revenue driver with travellers offered “unbundled and highly personalised services” that meet their travel and lifestyle needs, creating a compelling reason to relive that experience in future.