Expectations are changing, times are shifting between generations, and forms of travel are constantly evolving. As such, the hospitality industry has seen a big shift in the direction of their clientele across their demographics. One specific age group, millennials, which is generally defined as those born between 1981-1996, have different expectations when it comes to their experience at a hotel or resort. With the rise of social media, millennials in particular are looking for more picturesque and buzzworthy locations and destinations, which has led many hotels to take a more youthful approach when it comes to their branding and marketing. With that being said, the key to success for hotels is to gain a better understanding of what millennials value and how they can attract this particular age group on a consistent basis.
The Rise of Social Media Influencers
With the continued growth of social media, it should be no surprise that millennials are taking charge and are becoming more prominent when it comes to online influencers. Social media influencers instill a sense of trust with their followers, and as such, followers are trusting the influencer’s impressions and reviews of properties, destinations, and overall travel experiences that are being posted. As OneTravel.com explains, social media influencers can be described as those who are, “Instilling a love of foreign travel and a sense of curiosity of the world before they’re even old enough to book their own flight.” With specific profile aesthetics and themes, influencers are able to promote hotels, resorts, and visually appealing destinations by constantly posting and reviewing throughout their trip. This allows more connections online to form from all around the world, creating more buzz and allowing for others to visit the same locations and give their own feedback and reviews, which can only be beneficial for your hotel.
Customizing Your Stay on a Budget
Personalizing the stay to fit their online image is one of the things millennials look forward to the most. The more picture-worth the accommodations are, the more likely a millennial will want to stay there so they can document their stay on their social media accounts. With that being said, millennial travelers often must weigh the benefits of staying at a nicer, more trendy destination versus the costs associated with staying there. As an article from CNBC states, the millennial generation is the most likely to prioritize saving for a vacation, while focusing on planning trips affordably. One way millennials are saving towards a customizable getaway is using hotel loyalty points. Not only are they saving money, but they are building loyalty with that property, which only increases the likelihood of them booking at the same property in the future. With paying for travel using points and creating that personalized, ‘home-away-from-home’ feeling, your most trendy guests will be at your property and telling their friends all about their stay!
An Effective and Effortless Booking Experience
From the mixture of personalization, booking at your fingertips, and using property rewards systems, millennials today are looking for the most efficient, yet effortless ways to book their vacation getaways. With millennial travelers emphasizing and promoting more exposure around specific destinations, their mobile devices are the way they plan, experience and share their getaway through online platforms. One key aspect that is important to millennials is that the hotel’s reputation and branding fits with their style, which starts from the website and online booking process. By leveraging a complete online booking platform such as Springer-Miller’s WorldNXT solution, making and confirming travel plans are simpler and easy to do, all at the guests’ fingertips!
Interested in learning more about how to implement Springer-Miller Systems at your property? Visit our request a demo page and contact us today to learn more!