Attracting the younger generation of travelers, including millennials and Gen Z, requires hoteliers to adapt their offerings and marketing strategies to align with the preferences and values of these demographics. There are some key points for hoteliers to consider when appealing to those younger travelers, according to Hotel Management’s Thirty Under 30 award winners. This special report is sponsored by DIRECTV.
Matthew Abbate
Strategic Business Development Manager
Grays Crossing Investments
Our generation is all about experience and emotion. We want to go into a property that brings back nostalgia or creates excitement. I believe the soft brand property has done a great job at filling this void in the market. However, our generation also wants to feel like they can choose a property within a reasonable budget. This is extremely important to young travelers that do not have large sums of disposable income.
Michaelanne Colarelli
Marketing Manager
Hotel Equities
Intentionality is what sets certain hotel stays apart from others. Whether it be intentional details in design and décor, or intentional communication between associates and guests, intentionality is key in a great hotel stay. The unique touches in design and décor can make an experience feel very curated and elevated, so long as they are tasteful. Staying in a hotel that is aesthetically pleasing is sometimes enough to make an entire vacation memorable.
Caroline Lidl
Marketing Manager
Virgin Hotels Dallas
I think the most obvious misconception about attracting travelers from my generation is the emphasis on digital. “Yes, there is an element of technology expected in this day and age to enhance a hotel stay, but it is without a doubt heartfelt service that makes or breaks a traveler’s experience. Greeting a guest at the door by name or anticipating their needs ahead of their stay will always beat the ease of a digital room key in my book.
Dalen Medina
Category Manager, Operating Supplies & Equipment
Hilton Supply Management
My generation loves to travel 'off the beaten path' and participate in events/experiences with highly specialized itineraries that cannot be easily recreated or imitated by those around them. Travelers my age are placing an immense emphasis and focus on visiting locations no one around us has ever been to—or, traveling to a common destination, but experiencing it in a newly refined way never experienced by those who have come here before you. Nonstandard activities such as mixology classes, unique guided excursions to explore the surrounding area, and/or recommendations to scope out hidden gems nearby are imperative offerings for today’s young travelers. Hotels seeking to engage my generation effectively would be well-served to focus on highly specialized and, ideally, localized experiences that allow these guests to feel important, 'in the know' and like they are the experiencing something unique that is not accessible to everyone—or at least, has not already been experienced by everyone.
Eytan Weinberg
Director of Food & Beverage
Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas
We do not really want to travel 10,000km away to have the same food, drinks and experiences as what we have at home. We would like to experience the destination itself. We want to understand how the locals live, what are their likes and dislikes, what do they eat and drink, how do they relax after work, how they celebrate. We are seeking authentic experiences to see how people live there in order to having mind-opening experiences.