From new in-room design elements to refashioning bars and restaurants to high-tech marketing and service initiatives, hotel managers are paying close attention to make sure Millennials are selecting their brands when it comes to business or leisure travel. The challenge hoteliers face, however, is to strike a balance between serving the needs of established customers — Baby Boomers and Gen Xers — with Millennials’ very different demands.
A special report in the September issue of HOTELS examines how the global hotel industry is rising to that challenge, and HOTELS spoke to the following companies to find out more about their strategies for Millennials.
“To me, it’s a mistake for lodging companies to look at their business squarely through the eyes of Millennial travelers. You still have two-thirds of guests that are Boomers or Gen X, and they’re going to be traveling for a very long time. We have to be careful as an industry that we are not looking at the business squarely through the lens of one generation because Baby Boomers and others want many of the same things: high-speed Internet, digital capabilities, cool design in hotels and social spaces.” – Jim Holthouser, executive vice president of global brands, Hilton Worldwide
“When Millennials select a hotel, they will usually choose those that provide personalized service, as they want to find something different from what the big boys offer. The key to success (with Millennials) is to create unique and attentive service as well as unique and modern design. Because they also tend to check hotels with excellent ratings before they decide on where to book, our SEO and e-commerce program has to be effective and maintained in a way to get their attention.” – Indra Budiman, chief executive officer, Hansar Hotels, Bangkok
“Being active and engaged on all the popular social channels — from Twitter and Facebook to Pinterest — has been a huge part of our success in generating authentic brand loyalty within this group. Our loyalty program has also been a key driver with a strong ROI in reaching and appealing to Millennials. Some of the signature Kimpton loyalty-club perks like Raid the Bar and free Wi-Fi have been extremely popular with this group.” – Mike DeFrino, chief operating officer, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, San Francisco
“[Millennials] were all born during an era when the world economy was on the rise, and many had the opportunity to immigrate, pursue a better education or travel abroad for leisure or study. Those with vast travel experience have perhaps had the privilege to see more hotels, so their expectation is likely to be higher. As hoteliers, it is our job to keep customers satisfied and provide necessities that are as up to date as possible, such as free Wi-Fi, top-of-the-line toiletries and Nespresso machines.” – Erin Chang, marketing manager, Grand Hyatt Taipei
Contributed by Chris Scott