In the era of Airbnbs, living like a local has become embedded in the travel mindset - and none more deeply than in Gen Zs and Millennials who favor cool, new neighborhoods, experiences and places. The FOMO is real.
Our poll of 728 travelers between 20-35 revealed that 90% were more likely to choose boutique, independent hotels over big chain hotels. Of course it’s hard to say no to a good discount deal - but beyond slashing prices and selling the key amenities of the room, how do you cut through the noise and make an impression? Well, the biggest turn offs are anything cookie cutter. But we promise it’s not rocket science to win over the hearts and minds (and booking nights) of Gen Z and millennial travelers. All it takes is a bit of personal touch, a dash of the unexpected, and a lean towards local.
Even if you’ve got your guest experience down to a tee - there’s no better time than now to give something new a test run. Here are 5 creative guest experience ideas to help you shake things up.
We love this Welcome Pack by Scribner’s Lodge - a cozy 36-room stay in the Catskills, 2.5 hours away from New York City. In line with their rustic experience focused on the local community, their welcome pack is perfect for Winter Getaways - with a personal touch in a handwritten note, printed Guide to the Catskill Mountains, and individually packed S’mores kit ready to go!
Go beyond something that ‘looks cute’ or consumable - to provide guests with something that is also actually useful. We love this bold tote by 80’s nostalgia inspired Aussie motel, The Sunseeker Byron Bay - which is also available for sale on their shop.
Guess what. Nothing turns us millennials and Gen Zs off more than seeing generic Cadburys and Cokes in the bar / fridge / pantry. On the flip side, win easy brownie points by tugging on our individualistic, hipster heartstrings by showcasing local businesses and makers we would never have known about. Novel = Memorable. We love Silverlake Pool & Inn’s curation here:
If we were to hedge a guess, we’d say that majority of your guests are willing to try something different in their getaway with you. After all, they’ve taken the time to escape their everyday! Cycling around the local neighborhood, or going winery-hopping on an eco-bike tour (depending on where you are located, of course) is something that sounds achievable and approachable. The hardest part of it? Finding a bike! Take a leaf out of Alsace Hotel’s book - with free bikes provided to guests in partnership with a local business, making it easy for them to explore the historical West Adams neighborhood on wheels.
There’s nothing more real and exciting for anyone in a new place, than the aha! moment of finding something genuinely cool that ‘only the locals know’ about. (Also, nothing more frustrating than walking out of a hotel and not knowing whether turning right or left would lead you to a better chance of finding the right places to go to.) So, imagine if you (i.e. your hotel/accommodation) could be the source of local recommendations - that was especially curated for certain types of travelers, trips, and times of year. We love that Kinship Landing has curations for those who want to Get Outdoors, Sip and Slurp, or even hang out with your Four-Legged best friend.
We hope these 5 ideas got your creative juices flowing and we’re here cheering you on.
In the meantime, we would love to chat if Travis is able to partner with your hotel to create a memorable guest experience for your millennial and Gen Z guests, through 1) our Digital Guest Guides, or 2) Travel Tote Bags.
We’re always on the lookout for novel, quirky and creative guest experience ideas so please share with us if your hotel or accommodation is doing something that deserves to be showcased.
Whether it's a road trip, solo trip or group trip, Travis easily helps you and your friends create beautiful, visual interactive Moodboards of your ideas in one place.
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