Hip Hotels

Implications - In line with the ever-growing experience economy, brands are consistently looking for ways to engage and immerse their consumers in new ways. That’s where hotels come in. Brands are not simply collaborating with those in the hospitality industry, but rather, they’re creating completely branded overnight experiences of their own. More of an all-encompassing experience than pop-up, these branded hotel experiences allow retailers to not only showcase their products and services, but create environments where consumers can interact, relax and engage with the brand, turning a standard product experience into an interactive social gathering.

Homework Question - How could you create a story or social experience around your products and services? How can you make it more of an event than merely point of purchase? [More]

Implications - Millennials today are known for their preference to spend on experiences rather than products, and this has impacted and contributed to the popularity of travel among this generation. Layering onto this interest in exploring the world is millennials' interest in self-improvement, which has led to the creation of tailored travel experiences focused around providing a path to wellness as well as a chance to explore the world. This shift speaks to the ways in which wellness has the capacity to impact a huge variety of segments, and the ways in which companies can leverage that interest to create something more appealing to today's young adult consumer.

Homework Question - What role does your company play in helping consumers become their best selves? [More]

Implications - As consumers become more comfortable with artificial technology, its influence is becoming more prominent both in the home and beyond. In particular, it's being seen more often in spaces like hotels. Providing not only practical benefits of easily executing tasks, the integration of AI into hotels also gives this sector of the hospitality industry a competitive edge that home-sharing platforms likely can't keep up with to the same degree.

Homework Question - How is your brand preparing to keep up with consumers' increased expectations when it comes to technology? [More]

Implications - Taking a page out of the smart home book, hotels are integrating learning technology to adjust to consumer preferences for everything from check-in to room temperature. This makes for an easier, more customized, and ultimately more comfortable experience. This seamlessness minimizes the adjustment period most guests fall subject to when staying in a new place; the comfort implemented through this technique is both physical, and psychological.

Homework Question - What could you add or tweak about your product or service to provide customers with a more comfortable experience? [More]

Implications - As consumers become accustomed to IoT within modern homes, hospitality brands are looking to stay ahead of the curve by integrating intelligent connectivity throughout their hotel rooms. Through AI and voice-controlled technology, guests can fully control their environments and easily customize room settings to their preferences. This increased in-suite connectivity ensures convenience for travelers while also ensuring consumer engagement for hotels as many guests would rather interact with digital features rather than hotel staff.

Homework Question - How can you adapt to the modern consumer who increasingly prefers to interact with technology rather than a human? [More]

Implications - While the ideal version of extremely personalized hospitality might have each guest paired up with their own personal concierge, many hotels are leveraging mobile technology that is offering something incredibly close. Through apps and mobile phones that are programmed to offer the same conveniences, tips and insider knowledge travelers are used to receiving from the front desk, the hospitality industry can cater to consumers on a much more individual level, wherever they are. This plays into the need for autonomy many travelers seek, providing them with a sense of confidence as they know they'll be receiving 5-star treatment even off hotel premises.

Homework Question - How can you ensure your consumers are still thinking about your brand even when they aren't directly interacting with it? [More]

Implications - To stay ahead of the unprecedented growth seen by the share economy and companies like AirBnB, hospitality brands are finding creative ways to join them rather than beat them. Through partnering with P2P startups to offer new accommodation experiences or creating their own shared hospitality platforms, hospitality megaliths are subverting consumer preconceptions of large corporations. By acting small, bigger brands can adapt faster to emerging market trends and recapture the attention of the previously elusive Millennial demographic.

Homework Question - What smaller brands are on the rise in your industry and how can you collaborate with them instead of competing? [More]

Implications - In the information age, relaxation is as much about omission as it is about adding experience or value. An example of how this is being applied in the travel industry is through minimalist hotels that swap out tech-enhanced accommodation for basic amenities and the natural beauty of the destination.

Homework Question - What are some naturally occurring benefits of your brand, product, or experience that you can emphasize to provide your customer with simple enjoyment? [More]

Implications - As unique amenities continue to be an important way for hotels to differentiate themselves from competitors like Airbnb, boutique and chain hotels alike are designing stays around innovative health and wellness programs. In addition to highlighting the ubiquitous nature of the wellness movement, this shift speaks to the need to established brands to add value with unique and unexpected new offerings.

Homework Question - How is your brand adding value in order to stay top of mind in a time when the sharing economy is disrupting most industries? [More]

Implications - Brought on by both fears of impending climate change and the age of competitive travel via social sharing, high-intensity polar travel excursions to both the Arctic and Antarctica are emerging in a variety of forms. This progression speaks to the expectation of self-betterment through one-of-a-kind travel experiences that simultaneously offer adrenaline-driven activities that still emphasize a connection to nature.

Homework Question - What are you offering your consumer that no one else is? [More]