The Guest Experience:
Innovative Trends for Creating a More Personalized Stay
As competition for business and leisure travelers intensifies, hotels are
seeking to provide custom experiences and amenities targeted to groups
such as millennials, baby boomers, women and business travelers. The
idea is to build strong brand identities, create loyalty and adapt to popular
attitudes toward the environment, personal health and well-being, and
technology. These perks have reinvented the arrivals experience, in-room
amenities, and meeting and event spaces. Here are some of the
innovative ways hotels are attracting these guests.
At Arrival
As soon as guests pull up to Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, they notice one
particular perk: preferential treatment for drivers of electric or hybrid
vehicles. Appealing to eco-conscious travelers, Fairmont began a program
this year that installed charging stations for electric vehicles at properties
in the United States, Canada and other international locations. One of its
properties, Fairmont Le Château Frontenac in Quebec City, offers
complimentary parking for hybrid and electric cars. To add credibility to
the initiative, the luxury brand partnered with the World Wildlife Fund in
its program.
2
Do a hotel’s environmental
efforts make a difference to you?
39%
No, I’m more concerned with
factors such as room rate
37%
No, but I expect them to have
some programs in place
24%
Yes, I look for hotels with a
commitment to sustainability
“Fairmont Hotels & Resorts works with WWF to raise awareness
among policymakers, guests, employees and suppliers of the need for
business and industry to lower emissions. We firmly believe travel and
sustainability go hand in hand,” said Sarah Dayboll, Fairmont’s manager
of environmental affairs. “We believe our encouragement of the use
of plug-in hybrid electric and battery electric vehicle adoption helps
stimulate market transformation.”
The effort is part of Fairmont’s own pledge to reduce its hotels’ operational
CO2 emissions by 20 percent below 2006 levels by the end of 2013. The
brand also developed an energy and carbon-management program.
Kimpton Hotels also offers free and discounted parking for hybrid and
electric vehicles, an initiative that it has kept even as more people have
started driving them. “Those are the sort of things that we do,” said
Kimpton Chief Operating Officer Mike DeFrino. “The hybrid parking idea
was, let’s try to identify those people and applaud that. But there’s also a
business case for that. If you’re a hybrid driver and there’s an opportunity
to stay somewhere with free parking, you might choose that. Although
it wasn’t intended this way, it probably swayed some buying decisions.”
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Providing Amenities for Different
Lifestyles
When individual properties develop a successful
amenity program, Kimpton has been known to
expand it to its entire portfolio. An example is a
bicycle-share program that started 10 years ago
at Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge, Mass. The bike
friendly city actually required the hotel to offer
bicycles for guest use, but the program was so
popular that other general managers noticed and
wanted to bring it to their properties. Kimpton
made it a brandwide program this summer, and
the launch was so successful that Kimpton is
ordering more for next summer.
“We think we’re the first brand to say, everyone
has bikes that are free for use,” DeFrino said.
“Obviously, it’s not for everybody, and not every
business traveler is going to use it, but invariably
it puts a smile on their face. Maybe they don’t
use it this time, but they’ll make a note and use
it next time. Once they jump on and take it for
a spin, they can’t say enough about it. It gets
written about in the comments all the time. We
think that makes for good experiences, and we
think it makes for good customers who want to
keep trying things at our hotels and restaurants.”
4
Stress-Free Business Travel
At the luxury Langham Place, Fifth Avenue in New York, the hotel will
press five items of clothing upon arrival, a service business travelers in
particular appreciate.
“We first introduced this amenity because we listened to what our guests
were telling us and specifically observed the habits of the business
travelers at our hotel,” said Francois-Olivier Luiggi, general manager of
Langham Place, Fifth Avenue. “In the past, business travelers often came
in the day before their meetings, giving them enough time to prepare.
Now, very often, business travelers arrive just in time to quickly refresh
and then head out to a meeting or a business dinner. We give them the
option of free pressing of five items right when they check in, with the
assurance that their clothes will be delivered back to them within one
hour.”
Luiggi noted that female business travelers in particular appreciate the
service and can time it with a trip to the hotel’s Julien Farel Express Salon,
where a blow-out, manicure and pedicure take about an hour.
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Staying Ahead of Technology Needs
While pressed clothing is truly a luxury amenity,
one perk that travelers are demanding at all
types of hotels is free Wi-Fi. Younger travelers in
particular view it as a must-have for any hotel stay.
A recent Wall Street Journal survey of business
and leisure travelers in the United States found
that free Internet access is the most important
hotel amenity for travelers. Guests use their
hotel Internet access primarily to check and send
email, the survey found, but they also spend time
looking at news online or using news apps on a
mobile phone.
Hotels also want to cater to their guests’
technology needs. At Ocean House in Rhode
Island, every guest room comes with an iPad.
The historic hotel added the modern perk in
April 2013 to invite guests to interact with its
other amenities in a different way, offering
easier access to things such as ordering room
service or scheduling luggage pick up, according
to President and Managing Director Daniel
Hostettler. It also caters to guests’ news needs
by offering apps for The Wall Street Journal and
other news sites. Guests who are not as digitally
inclined still have the option of reading a print
version of the newspaper.
6
Will you stay at a hotel
if it does not offer free Wi-Fi?
Do a hotel’s environmental
efforts make a difference to you?
39%
No, I’m more concerned with
factors such as room rate
37%
No, but I expect them to have
some programs in place
24%
Yes, I look for hotels with a
commitment to sustainability
While providing free Internet access is considered a must-have amenity
at many hotels, including Hawks Cay Resort & Villas in the Florida
Keys, General Manager Sheldon Suga acknowledged it can be difficult
to manage the bandwidth so a handful of users do not dominate the
network, slowing Internet speeds for other guests. He said the hotel
is considering switching to a model that offers a certain amount of
bandwidth for free, then requiring a fee for premium use. “Hotels are
challenged with this,” he said.
57%
26%
No way
17%
Yes, but only if my
company pays
Yes, I consider that
a worthwhile expense
7
Even in a high-tech hotel environment, operators are still offering guests
complimentary newspapers. Nearly 75 percent of travelers said news
consumption is an important part of their daily routine, and two-thirds
said they value the service. Hotels that want to target baby boomers
should note that older travelers who are used to physically reading the
paper particularly appreciate the service. But as smartphones and iPads
proliferate, hotels are adapting by providing digital news options to meet
guests’ needs. For 60 percent of travelers, the survey found mobile is the
primary way they receive their news.
In Room
Hotel minibars have a reputation as being pricey indulgences. But hotel
operators are rethinking how they present in-room drinks and snacks.
Hyatt’s Andaz hotels offer free minibar items such as nonalcoholic
beverages and snacks. The Peabody Orlando—which converted to a Hyatt
Oct. 1—stocks its minibars with items that guests request. With Feed the
Fridge, guests preorder packages of snacks and beverages to be stocked
in the guest room before they arrive or anytime during their stay. The
idea behind it is to give guests the opportunity to customize their stay
with options rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Families can order
the Night at the Movies Package, filled with popcorn, candy and sodas, or
have snacks to take with them to theme parks or other attractions. For
business travelers, the Tiny Bubbles package with Champagne, brie and
crackers is designed for celebrating successes with colleagues or clients.
“Before Feed the Fridge, we had an entire department dedicated to
minibar management,” said John Askew, food and beverage director at
the Peabody Orlando. “In order to keep minibars for 1,641 guest rooms
stocked, we had to maintain an unbelievable amount of stock. If an item
wasn’t moving, you could find yourself with cases of expired soda and
snacks. Feed the Fridge allowed us to better manage our resources while
also delivering a valuable service to our guests. Plus, the savings of Feed
the Fridge allow us to be more competitive in pricing, and ultimately sell
more, because we know today’s guests aren’t interested in the premium
prices of a traditional minibar.”
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Offering More Than Just a Snack
Other snacking opportunities target specific demographics as well. For
families, Four Seasons Hotel Boston invites children to Raid the Fridge!
For three hours on Saturday night, children can choose a complimentary
late-night snack to take back to their room. The idea is to surprise guests
by presenting a fun side to the brand, which has a formidable reputation
as a luxury property. About 20 children attend each week and are
welcome to come in their pajamas.
“We have a large number of families visiting each weekend, and we
wanted to offer something fun, exciting, engaging and unique,” General
Manager Bill Taylor said. “The greatest measure of success for us is the
positive feedback from our valued guests. In this instance, the feedback
has been tremendous across the board.”
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Pet Services
Amenities for pets have become popular as more people are traveling
with them. But for over-the-top pet pampering, the Trump Pets program
offers unique creature comforts. It includes perks such as plush dog
beds, dog-walking services, in-room pet dining, toys and a map with dogfriendly parks. Trump SoHo New York will serve pet meals on embossed
placemats. The program also is offered at Trump International Hotel &
Tower New York, Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago and Trump
International Hotel Las Vegas.
“Our goal is to provide the most customized guest experience in the
industry, and with so many people traveling with small- to medium-size
dogs, a program like Trump Pets was a natural,” Trump Hotel Collection
Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Lisa Potts said. “We collect
and analyze guest preferences via our Trump Card Privileges Program
and learned that an increasing number of guests prefer to travel with
their dogs. Accommodating the family pet at our properties allows
guests more freedom to travel. We’ve had a tremendous response to
the program and plan to build on it in the future.”
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“I think some people just intuitively like the privacy of their room when
they travel,” said Omni Chief Marketing Officer Tom Santora. Omni began
the program more than a decade ago but recently enhanced it by asking
loyalty members their preferred exercise programs, such as spin classes,
pilates or yoga. The hotel’s loyalty ambassador then researches the best
classes in the neighborhood and can recommend them upon arrival,
along with a schedule.
Supporting Healthy Minds and Bodies
Travelers want to stay healthy on the road, which means continuing a
workout regimen. Not everyone feels comfortable using the fitness center,
however. Women traveling alone may not feel safe working out early in
the morning or late at night when the space may be nearly empty. Some
women would rather have a private workout. Hotels are meeting this
need in several ways. The James New York offers a women-only rooftop
yoga program twice a week. Westin sells designated fitness rooms that
come with a treadmill or other exercise equipment. And Omni Hotels &
Resorts offers members of its Select Guest loyalty program a Get Fit Kit,
in which guests can request complimentary weights, a yoga mat, stretch
mat or other equipment to be present in the room at check-in.
Weaving the amenity into the loyalty program means Omni can see
which guests are using it. Santora estimated that about 8 percent of
guests request the fitness kits, mostly people between ages 35 and 55,
and the majority are women. Feedback from guest surveys has shown
the program to be popular. “It’s those comments that lead us to keep
the Get Fit Kit,” he said. “You can imagine every hotel having 10, 15, 20
kits is not an inexpensive proposition. It’s about taking care of your best
customers and allowing them to customize their stay.”
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Wellness encompasses more than working out. JW Marriott hotels
saw an opportunity to incorporate healthy living while transforming its
turndown experience for a particular demographic: VIP guests. “It’s one
of those moments in the experience where you capture guests and can
do something more unique,” said Mitzi Gaskins, vice president and global
brand manager for JW Marriott. The new nightly experience rotates the
traditional bedside chocolate (in this case from Astor Chocolates) with
two custom amenities: an aromatherapy oil and a bedtime snack bar
with natural ingredients intended to promote sleep.
JW Marriott partnered with Aromatherapy Associates—a company that
blends custom oils for royal families—on an oil blend called “Revive.” It
may not sound like a nighttime amenity, but the oil actually is intended
for the following morning, when the scent of pink grapefruit, rosemary
and juniper berry is intended to invigorate guests. It brings the spa to
the guest room, Gaskins said. There’s also a retail component, with the
oil available on the brand’s retail site, curatedbyjw.com.
The other nighttime amenity is the Dream Bar, a snack developed
by noted nutritionist Keri Glassman. Ingredients such as rolled oats,
blueberries, cashew butter, almonds and quinoa make guests feel
relaxed by stimulating serotonin and fighting inflammation.
“We’ve always found with our guests that they are focused on overall
wellbeing,” Gaskins said. “These guests love a very balanced life. They
want to do the same things on the road as they do at home. Offering the
experiences helps add value to their trip. We feel that that’s where we
can create loyalty.”
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Meeting and F&B Spaces
To capitalize on the farm-to-table dining movement, hotels are planting
entire gardens and farms on their properties. One of the largest initiatives
is Grande Lakes Orlando’s Whisper Creek Farm, a 7,000-square-foot
fruit and vegetable garden with an adjoining 6,000-square-foot outdoor
event space that opened in October 2012. The produce and herbs are
used in restaurant dishes, beverages and spa treatments, and guests can
peruse the Primo Organic Garden and even pick and taste the products.
Future additions to the farm include a chicken coop, composting and a
communal fire pit.
For events, Whisper Creek can arrange family-style meals of seasonal
menus served at long communal tables for groups of as many as 250
people. For more intimate events, groups of 12 can sit at a handcrafted
wooden chef’s table.
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“We’ve launched Whisper Creek Farm with an eye toward guests who
are interested in learning about where their food is sourced,” Grande
Lakes Orlando Vice President and Managing Director Jim Burns said.
“Even on a rustic farm, Grande Lakes Orlando provides a fine sense of
craftsmanship and quality that ensures every experience at the resort is
luxurious.”
Hotels without expansive tracts of real estate also are catering to the
growing foodie demographic. The Westin New York Grand Central, a
hotel in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, has a rooftop garden that
grows produce and herbs used in the hotel’s food and beverage service.
On a tour of the garden, which consists of raised beds, Executive Chef
Brian Wieler said guests are more savvy about where their food comes
from and appreciate that the journey from the soil to their plates was as
long as an elevator ride. He has plans to expand the garden.
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Creating a Multi-Media Experience
Screening rooms are becoming a hot amenity at hotels across the country—
not just in Hollywood. Instead of one-size-fits-all meeting spaces, hotels
such as Chicago’s theWit and Miami Beach’s Delano offer theater-quality
media rooms for business presentations and social events.
Delano created its 800-square-foot Media Room in late 2012 during a
renovation. Executives noticed other hotels creating media-screening
rooms but wanted to make sure the space they added could be used for
multiple purposes. So the interior designers gave it a residential feel while
adding the luxurious touches, such as chandeliers, that tied it into the
rest of the hotel.
The 20-person room features an 85-inch screen and state-of-the-art
audiovisual equipment. The project cost about $500,000 including the
audiovisual equipment and buildout, according to JP Oliver, Morgans Hotel
Group regional vice president. “It’s very productive for us and a great
amenity,” Oliver said. “It’s been a very good ROI on the project so far.” The
room is in use about 75 percent of the time, he said, an increase over the
typical industry average of 60 percent. Guests have been creative with its
use. Directors have screened films for potential investors, corporate CEOs
on vacation will use it for videoconferencing, and this spring a sports agent
hosted an NFL draft-day party for three of his clients. One group used
the space for a sushi-rolling class, with an overhead camera projecting
the instructor’s work onto the screen rather than the traditional method
of using an overhead mirror.
15
Do you consume news
differently when traveling?
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
The Wall Street Journal
“We’ve seen unique utilization of
the space,” Oliver said. “It’s been a
tremendous surprise.”
rd
y
Ke
43%
Ca
Yes, I read the print
newspaper since it
is provided free with
my room or in lobby
35%
No, I still read the
newspaper online
or in print, just like
at home
22%
Yes, I am more likely
to read it on my
smartphone or tablet
since I’m on-the-go
What social media sites do you
use for news while traveling?
73%
22%
3%
2%
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DoubleTree Hotel, theWit, has a private, luxury theater dubbed SCREEN.
The room offers seating for 40 on seven levels, along with cocktail
tables throughout and an adjoining reception area. The hotel invested
in projection and content-security measures that meet Hollywood and
Digital Cinema Initiative standards, and it has succeeded in attracting
high-profile corporate groups. Recent bookings include the Chicago
Blackhawks, which hosted screenings of playoff games for Wirtz Beverage
VIPs when the team played away games. Sony Pictures and InTouch
magazine booked a sneak preview of “Burlesque” for VIP advertisers,
decorating the space with pink lighting and boas on the reclining chairs
and serving cosmopolitan cocktails. Warner Bros. used the room for a
sneak preview screening of “Sherlock Holmes” that fans could win entry
to by searching around the hotel for clues.
Conclusion
The practice of designing amenities for specific demographics is a trend
that likely will continue as hotel brands try to differentiate themselves
from the competition and attract new travelers. Hotels are investing
sums both large—for media rooms and multiacre gardens—and more
modest—for custom-stocked minibars and the daily newspaper.
“I don’t find that guests keep expecting us to throw more stuff at them,”
Kimpton’s DeFrino said. “I think their reaction is always such delight and
surprise. I don’t think they’re expecting it. We cast a fairly wide net as
a brand. This is one of the ways that we try to appeal to an audience
that’s diverse. We will continue to try to think of new ways people will reestablish or continue to have a relationship with us.”
The perks instantly speak to various segments of travelers and make
them feel like valued customers. It follows that the amenities can be
leveraged to create loyalty that will drive guests back to the brand in the
future.
Whether your guests are traveling for
business or pleasure, you can satisfy
everyone’s interests with WSJ.com. It offers
a full spectrum of daily news covering
everything from global events, business &
finance to sports, travel and entertainment.
To see how WSJ.com could benefit your
property, click here to watch a short video.
To request further information, click here.
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