During this year’s ALIS Conference, Hilton Worldwide unveiled its newest brand—Tru by Hilton—which is the latest offering aimed at the next-generation traveler.
Seeking to appeal to travelers with a Millennial mindset—not just those in the demographic, but all travelers desiring an experiential, technology-driven, localized experience—many brands have adapted their design and programming accordingly. “There’s so much hype over Millennial travelers,” said Jim Holthouser, EVP, global brands, Hilton Worldwide. “When you look at what next-generation travelers love and expect—cool social spaces, quality food and beverage with local flair, great technology—it’s hard to argue that [Generation] Xers and Boomers don’t like those things, too.”
“Next-generation guests are looking for experiences that resonate with them on an emotional level,” added Toni Stoeckl, VP, lifestyle brands, Marriott International. “Design should be functional—clean shower, comfortable bed—but they’re looking for design to be experiential.”
Local is important. Stoeckl pointed to the Renaissance brand’s Wanderlust philosophy: “The essence of the design strategy is to design hotels with the local community in mind. When we talk to design firms about the brand, we say don’t design a hotel just for the traveler; design for the local because that’s where our traveler wants to be.”
Added Holthouser: “I learned a long time ago that consistency doesn’t equal cookie-cutter. You’ve got brand pillars—in the form of physical attributes or services—but, beyond that, the customer gives you latitude to bring in that local flavor.”
Gordon Beckman, principal and design director at John Portman & Associates, added that the emphasis with local also encompasses connecting to the surrounding environment. He also noted that floor-to-ceiling glass also relates to another trend, minimalism, as it requires less materials.
All agreed that this guest is looking for experiences to share—whether around the dinner table or on social media. “Our owners will look at design not just as a way of making the place aesthetically pleasing, but as a way to generate free marketing through social media,” said Holthouser, noting this is important across all chain scales. “Even our owners of Hampton Inns will create waterfalls, features or focal points they know guests will go crazy about,” he said. “A lot of our owners are savvy and realize it’s a bit of extra money sometimes to create those dramatic focal points, but those big features can pay off big time.”
Elizabeth Lowrey, principal and director of interior architecture, Elkus Manfredi Architects, pointed to her firm’s recently completed project, The LINQ Hotel & Casino Las Vegas, a part of Caesars Entertainment’s portfolio, to expand on that. “The redesigned spaces of The LINQ were purposely created as vignettes, each offering a new backdrop for an Instagrammable moment,” she said. “The wall murals in the rooms; the kaleidoscopic vortex structures of the roof deck; the 3535 Bar; the bar niches; the exteriors; the VIP lounge; the reception desk—they all provide a wide variety of bold, graphic spaces that tell great visual stories, setting scene after scene in which to ‘be seen’ on social media.”
Not surprisingly, given how connected the next-generation traveler is, technology plays an important role in design. Stoeckl noted that this manifests itself in two major ways: digital art and a seamless experience. He pointed to the Renaissance’s new hotel in New York City, which features digital displays projecting along the corridor for the span of a city block that responds to human motion, among other tech features. “Digital projection is an easy way to keep it relevant because we can easily change it,” said Stoeckl. “We always design with longevity in mind.
Holthouser echoed Stoeckl’s sentiments on a seamless experience. “As you put more functions in consumers’ hands, they’re relying less on hotel teams to do things for them,” he said, noting that, within five to 10 years, the function of the front desk will have changed to be more hospitality stations than transactional areas. Stoeckl noted that a positive of this seamless technology would be that it would free up time for guests to be exposed “to more of the design and ambiance.”
Lowrey had this advice for designing next-gen hotels: “Be a concierge for new technology, rather than committing to a closed platform. Invest in commodity hardware and smart software. Don’t embed tech in durable goods with different life spans than the tech itself. With a properly laid foundation, new tech innovations can become new spokes on the hub, rather than requiring a complete tire replacement.”
For next-gen hotels, said Beckman, technology is all about infrastructure. “We’ve been doing fiber-optic backbone systems a lot in hotels. Generally, these fiber systems are thought of for being good for 10-15 years, as far as adapting to changing technology,” he said. “That has become the norm as it allows Internet, cable TV, phones, all of it, to be modified just through software technology… We used to do office buildings with raised floors so you could re-cable. I don’t think we’ve thought about the flexible framework that would allow even greater change, but it’s something we’ll discuss more as time goes on.”
All-encompassing design is also crucial. “It used to be if you went to a Marriott in DC or L.A., it would be the same property. Now, there’s a genuine desire to differentiate. I don’t mean just by artwork on the walls, but how you actually make your project part of that overall urban environment,” said Beckman. Added Stoeckl: “It has to be comprehensive—the entire story, not just a piece of art, but everything from the color scheme to the materials we select.”
“How can we make these places unique and still brand-consistent? Some brands are willing to deviate and others are much less willing to deviate from brand standards. To me, the ones that are more successful are the ones that take a place and say: How can I make this special?” said Beckman.
“Our guests don’t want a cookie-cutter experience; they want the promise of a brand in a local context,” concluded Stoeckl.