Global hotel groups
consumers have become so used to clutching hard at their purse strings and looking for bargains that the habit has now become a way of life. Cutting spending and seeking a deal is the new reality, no matter what the economy is doing. Combine that paradigm shift in how we
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consume with the rise of Generation Y (or Millennial) travellers in business travel in the last few years and you have a scenario that has informed the actions of the top ten global hotel groups over the last year. Talking to the world’s major hotel players, almost all have spent the last 12 months luring this growing market, which is defined as travellers born between 1980 and 2000 (they now account for a whopping third of all US business expenses). These travellers are characterised as being ‘persistent auto- biographers’ who document their lives through social media. They demand instant gratification and don’t like to wait. They are more likely to complain online through social media than face to face if they are unhappy. They take their lead from user reviews of hotels (and will happily post their own), they want their accommodation to be relevant to its location and are unphased by making last minute travel decisions. So how are the hotel giants meeting these demands? Take a look at Marriott. Its decision to import its European partnership with AC Hotels – a design-led operation that has 79 hotels across Spain, Italy, Portugal and France – into the US says everything about the direction all the major players are moving in. AC Hotels in the US will be select-service (which means a scaled back but good quality F&B offering), with 24-hour lounges selling fresh local food and drink brands. There will be free wifi, lots of USB
charging ports for the many devices their clients will be carrying, and in-room technology with personalisation options so that guests can access their Netflix accounts. RFID-enabled lock technology will also lead to keyless room entry.
his spring, a lifestyle survey by retail analysts Mintel found that despite the fact we are now emerging from a global recession,
The same picture is painted in Courtyard
by Marriott’s Next Gen Rooms, which were created to combat a disconnect clients were reporting between the ultra-modern lobbies (think Goboards with news and traffic info flashes, social spaces, F&B areas and mediapods with flatscreen TVs) and the more traditional bedrooms. Present in all new Courtyard by Marriotts opening in 2014, the rooms have a tech wall under the TV with a strip of outlets so that you can line up all your devices neatly. The desk is more discreet when you walk in the room (Gen Y like to relax into their rooms before starting work) and it’s mobile so that you can work anywhere. Little functional innovations like a shower nook with towels reachable from in the stall and a neat luggage drop are also a nod to this new breed of hotel guest.
Marriott’s chief sales tr“ The rise of Generation Y
avellers – or Millennials – in business travel has informed the actions of the top ten global hotel groups over the last year
”
and marketing officer for Europe, Belinda Pote, explains: “We recognise that the needs of travellers are changing and broadening and we have introduced new brands and product innovations that respond to this shift.” She also flags up
the group’s new Moxy
Hotels (the first European branch opening this September in Milan) described as “thoughtful, spirited and affordable” and selling at a very reasonable £70 per night, as a stride in this direction. The group is also known to be dabbling
with remote check in at a number of its hotels, with messages being sent to guests 24 hours before arrival asking about check in details, eradicating the need for this on actual arrival when guests are tired and keen to get to their rooms. Hyatt (which is just outside the top ten global names, hovering around 11th or 12th place) has also tapped into the Gen Y zeitgeist. Research has shown that Gen Ys are willing to compromise on person-to- person service for speed. The Hyatt Union Square New York has
reacted to this by offering three welcome options: an iPad check-in as they enter, a self-service kiosk or the traditional front desk. The company reports that around 40 per cent use the ipad option. Pushing Hyatt out of the top ten this year, Chinese group Home Inns sits ninth in
➔ THE BUSINESS TRAVEL MAGAZINE 55
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