Travelers today are increasingly drawn to more unique experiences. This presents hotels with a unique opportunity to cater to guests in new ways and become more than just a place to sleep. For example, we’ve already seen hotels experimenting in this realm by offering free rooms to guests who can unplug from personal technology on vacation and assigning guests personalized, color-coded rooms based on their mood at check-in. It’s clear that now, more than ever, hotels are striving to attract guests with new and exciting promotions and play a larger role in travel experiences.
With the rise in millennial and Gen Z travel, given Gen Z is entering the workforce and has more disposable income, the emphasis on finding unique experiences with lifelong takeaways is becoming more important than R&R or traditional tourist hotspots. Social media is also playing an increasingly important role in travel, as every guest seeks out new and exciting experiences to share with friends and stand out among other vacation posts. Hotels can act upon this trend by finding ways to connect guests with the local community, playing cultural matchmakers and offering guests memorable experiences that they’ll want to share with others.
Offering Personalized Recommendations
Hotels should take advantage of advanced technology to aid them in connecting guests with tailored local activities. Using a connected concierge platform enables hotels to keep the most up-to-date recommendations, calendars of new exhibits, restaurants and bar openings and even guest reviews and profiles. Connecting this software with current guest profiles arms every employee, from bellhop to concierge to bartender, with the ability to provide each guest a personalized, local recommendation based on their interests. For example, if a guest checks in to your New York location, the front desk could see that at a previous visit to the LA location the concierge recommended and booked them at a steakhouse. The employee could then check the concierge platform and see that a new local steakhouse with great reviews just opened up and offer to book the guest dinner that night.
Building connections between locals and guests
Beyond connecting guests to local events and hotspots, hotels should take on larger roles within their communities to offer cultural experiences without guests even needing to leave the hotel. Partnerships like that of Moxy and Bumble to designate hotels as “BumbleSpots” where guests are encouraged to meet up and interact with new people are a great example. Hotels should find local business partners to host cultural experiences like art shows, culinary tastings and performances to attract guests and locals alike, offering a space for connections.
Sharing experiences on social
When your hotel offers something unique, guests and locals are quick to share with friends on social media. Hosting these events and offering personalized experiences not only brands your hotel as a sought-after geo-location, but also offers opportunities for further interaction on social. Thank guests for attending your events and tag local business partners, artists and restaurants so locals and potential guests can see clear ties to the community and the unique experiences you have to offer.
Hotels are poised to play larger roles in their guests’ travel experiences. By becoming cultural matchmakers in their cities and offering guests and locals memorable experiences they’ll want to share with friends, they can reach new heights.
