As they pull out of the recent recession, many hoteliers are focusing even more on their younger travelers, the Millennial Generation. Comprised mostly of people in their 20’s to mid-30’s, Millennials are obsessed with technology, often walking into a hotel texting on their Smartphone while listening to their iPod, with their laptop and iPad tucked neatly in their bags. All of these devices are ones that require the Internet. “High speed Internet is almost like air to Millennials,” stated Bjorn Hanson, a divisional dean of Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management at New York University. To respond to this, many hotels are remodeling to offer more welcoming “technology lounge” inspired lobbies, with Wi-Fi, comfortable furniture, Art Deco furnishings, and stylish bars connected to the lobby where guests can sip a martini as they surf the web.
In 2010, travel spending by Millennials rose 20% according to American Express Business Insights, a significant enough increase to catch the attention of many hotel owners. “All of the major brands – Hilton, Starwood, Marriott, InterContinental – have developed hip products that are targeted at the younger traveler,” says Chris Klauda, a VP at D.K. Shifflet & Associates, a travel and hospitality market research company. As hotels begin to adapt to this new market and become more innovative with their designs, one thing is certain – traveling will definitely become more interesting!
To read more, check out Janet Morrissey’s article in the New York Times here