Six Ways Luxury Hotels Industry Will Boom In 2018
Luxury hotels has been booming for so many years because a lot of people love staying in them. Admit it
for once in your life you dreamed of staying in one. Their services are great and the way they market themselves—fantastic! But we have also seen the downfall of luxury hotels because of the rise of cheap budget and artsy hostels. Admit it also, aside from the fact that hostels are cheap, they also have amazing interior and exterior features that is IG-worthy!
But don’t fret for the luxury hotel lovers as it’s going to take its spot back this 2018. We’re not trying to compare the two from each other, if anything, this is healthy competition.
Here are seven ways luxury hotel industry will boom in 2018:
Fees Will Hit Markets
As what Nikki Eistein put it perfectly on Bloomberg: Luxury hotels in major U.S. markets will become more expensive next year as the practice of adding resort fees, once reserved for getaways in exotic locales, becomes more and more common at urban properties—often with a nightly price tag of $25. NYU’s Hanson has noticed them most in New York, where high occupancy rates leave picky travelers with few alternatives. (They’re also rumored to be popping up in Chicago and Los Angeles.) Budget for the fee on business trips, as transparency is not yet what it should be. There is one slight silver lining: “This is better than hotels raising their room rates,” says Hanson, “since the fees aren’t subject to occupancy taxes.”
2. Turn-Down Services Will End
Enjoy those chocolates on your pillow, while you still can. “More and more hotels are making turndown service optional for two reasons. One is cost,” says NYU’s Hanson. The second, he says, is privacy. “We go through cycles when people are more private and more open, and right now—for reasons I can only speculate about—people are feeling more private about their personal space. Some people don’t like their toiletries straightened up.” (source: Bloomberg)
3. Connected Rooms
Some insights to ponder: “Technology is top of mind for everyone right now,” says Marriott’s Edmundson—who oversees eight luxury brands, including Ritz-Carlton, Edition, Luxury Collection, and St. Regis—specifically investment in the so-called “Internet of Things” (IoT) tech such as Nest temperature control units or Amazon.com Inc.’s Alexa.
Marriott’s experimental “Internet of Things room,” created in conjunction with Samsung and Legrand SA, includes showers that remember a guest’s preferred temperature, digital wall art that can be swapped for family photos, and mirrors with embedded displays—for on-demand yoga videos. The rooms will soft-launch in 2018; W hotels will likely be first to offer them.
4. Make-Overs For The Front Desk
According to Nikki Eistein, while lifestyle brands, such as Ace and 1 Hotels, have upended the old-fashioned lobby and turned it into a cool, collective workspace, luxury brands have largely stayed true to tradition. That will be challenged in 2018, says Hanson, who predicts that the check-in desk will slowly fade into oblivion, reflecting travelers’ shifting preferences for intimacy rather than formality.
5. Traveler’s Value Will Be Prioritized Alongside Brands
There is one great insight from Bloomberg that we must not ignore: When the Eaton Workshop opens in Washington early next year, it will be the world’s first hotel for liberals. The company may be onto something. “Luxury customers are drawn to brands that communicate a sense of purpose—beyond just existing to sell something,” says Marriott’s Edmundson, pointing to “sky-high” engagement at two W hotel speaker series, “What She Said” and “Queer Me Out,” showcasing powerful women and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBTQ) thought leaders, respectively.
6. Wellness All The Way
“Wellness is going to be the next trillion-dollar industry,” predicts Deloitte’s Langford. “Everyone wants to capitalize on the huge swell, but every brand is making a different play. Nobody has figured it out yet.”
Already, Hyatt has bought legendary wellness brand Miraval for $375 million, while JW Marriott has partnered with the Joffrey Ballet for on-demand barre classes. Meanwhile, Four Seasons has developed wellness rooms with de-chlorinating showers and Deepak Chopra meditation videos. (source: Bloomberg)
Staying in a luxury hotels is really great and it’s an experience that you should not take for granted.
Author bio:
Mark Aldrin Hipolito is a daytime writer for Holiday Inn Parramatta Accommodation, one of Australia’s modern and luxurious hotels in the suburban district. Mark Aldrin gives hotel tips and hacks to help people make the most out of their vacation