After a year of isolation and limited travel options, it seems that everyone is ready for a vacation. In a recent survey by American Express, 60% of people said they planned to travel more in 2021 than they did before the pandemic. That leaves a huge opportunity for hotel owners and operators, especially if they understand guests’ mindsets in the “new normal.”
Contributed by Johnathan Garrison, principal at the G.A Group and director of New York operations
In a recent proprietary survey we conducted with our partners ADNA across the U.S., U.K. and Asia, we queried more than 12,000 luxury travelers (earning >$200k and typically travelling 10 times a year pre-COVID) and discovered a post-pandemic leaning toward more “authentic and tailored experiences”. In other words, if my risks are higher, my travel must be more meaningful. Interestingly, the data also suggested a move away from the supposed “safety” of the larger branded chains and toward smaller, more boutique hospitality experiences, which, presumably, are better equipped to provide these types of intimate and bespoke touchpoints.
In any case, the take-away seems clear: We can and must make guests safer in a post-pandemic world. But weren’t these always a given? Tomorrow’s hotels will compete on an enriched and enriching guest experience, more than ever, with a judicious use of digital technology in service of the brand and design narrative, not vice versa. In this light, we believe the following trends will be fundamental to re-building brand loyalty.
Put the hospitality back in hospitality
Now is absolutely the time for concierges to step up. Guests are desperate to get back to traveling, but experiences need to be wrapped in a package defined by safety, health and wellness. An intuitive and experienced concierge can deliver all that in a personal way, keeping guests safe and building brand loyalty at the same time.
Personal connections and the human touch are crucial here, particularly in the luxury tier, but we can’t discount the importance of digital tools. When used in a human way, digital tools, infrastructure and apps can become a pathway to a more personalized level of service. We have moved well past check-in touch-screens, buttons that open the blinds and using apps to order room service. Technology is at the point that it can measure behaviors and preferences, give guests control of their space, and help the best staff seem almost intuitive to guests’ needs and wants. At its best, technology should create a more compelling, authentic narrative and be completely in the service of the guest experience.
Make your mark with materials
While it’s highly unlikely that operators or local codes will start requiring anti-microbial materials, we do expect to see a renewed interest in classic, durable materials that have shown their value over time. Aesthetically, in the luxury tier, designs are focused on natural forms and materials and, specifically, pulling forms out of natural materials. This, of course, fits well with biophilic trends we see across the industry, where natural elements, shapes and materials are scientifically proven to provide respite from our increasingly urban and tech-saturated lives.
Expectations about guestrooms are also changing. In mid-tier properties, particularly in cities like New York and Hong Kong where space is at a premium, rooms are designed to be hyper-efficient and economical, which is made possible through innovations in small-space, flexible furniture and furnishings. In the luxury tier, today’s savvy guests expect even larger, more gracious spaces than they may have seen in the past. This is partly because of ongoing concerns about air quality and social distancing, but it’s also about offering the luxury and novelty of space in overcrowded cities.
On a current project in Europe (the renovation of a grande dame historic property), we have recently re-programmed the floor area to reduce the room count by 10% and, correspondingly, to increase the floor area in the remaining guestrooms precisely to cater to this demand.
Use data to drive flexibility
Data can provide real insight into guest preferences and behaviors, but if it doesn’t lead to action, it has no value. Operators in the luxury tier have historically been reluctant to use this type of data, but that is changing quickly.
The challenge is no longer harvesting the data, which can be done easily and across multiple channels, but identifying the patterns that emerge and how to synthesize the information. With a broader lens, hoteliers may find new uses for spaces guests seldom use. With a targeted approach, data can help staff recall, record and anticipate the preferences of specific guests to make their stay special every time.
Design with technology
Using virtual reality has become standard practice when designing for some industries and sectors, but luxury hospitality has lagged behind. Despite the pandemic, and the disparate, remote places from which we all work, we’ve found that using a combination of virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence can be incredibly powerful in bringing clients along for the design journey.
As a far less costly alternative to room mock-ups and models, today’s systems help clients understand space, enclosure and scale—those essential design attributes that are difficult to understand from 2D plans. The tech infrastructure that we’ve all be living with over the last year has indoctrinated many design neophytes into a brave new world of creativity and exploration.
The technology has its plusses and minuses, of course. While it allows us to move faster through the design phases, it underscores the need for a clear design narrative and a proven, experience torch barer to ensure that story remains resonant throughout the process. The use of VR often forces designers to think holistically and design whole places rather than snapshot, individual render angles or vignettes.
Technology is art; art is technology
With all that said, we cannot escape technology, but we can make it part of the aesthetic. Crypto-art, or NFTs, have begun to enter the hospitality industry. An NFT (non-fungible token) is a unique digital item certified on blockchain. “Non-fungible” means that these items are special, cannot be interchanged, and can’t be replaced. Much of the jargon relating to NFT’s is tough to parse, but for the moment, NFTs are synonymous with exclusivity as they enjoy a fascinating rise in interest and engagement for a number of reasons, not limited to the pandemic.
With a lack of cultural programming, people are finding solace in engaging virtually with cultural outlets in new ways, charting new territory. Perhaps it’s too soon to say whether NFTs and this new faction of the art market will have continued relevance and permanence or be a passing trend, but digital art is nothing new. Everyone from David Hockney to KAWS have dabbled in it, including the integration of digital works into hotel projects.
And whether or not NFTs are more than a short-lived trend, in hotel design we are moving away from technology acting as a simple convenience — from customizable art installations to data harvesting, we come back to the importance of technology enhancing the experience and creating visual and philosophical interest which are the hallmarks of a luxury hospitality experience.