Hotels, they are a’changin’, as hoteliers develop properties that cater to the younger, tech-savvy generations.
New and older brands are making moves to do away with the beige, interact via apps, double as co-working and social spaces, and score shareable selfie love along the way. But don’t call them “millennial hotels.” While many of the perks and amenities are inspired by research on the group, the properties included below — Hyatt Centric, Radisson RED, Hotel EMC2 and Residence Inn by Marriott — aim to appeal to guests of all ages.
Scott Greenberg, president and chief executive of Smashotels, a hospitality management company near Chicago — and also the owner and founder of Hotel EMC2, a smart, new Chicago hotel with an art-and-science theme in Marriott’s Autograph Collection — says he knows that if he develops a hotel that his three millennial-aged children will love, older generations will follow.
“If we attract young people, old people will show up. But if you build a hotel for old people, young people never show up,” Greenberg says.
Rose Anderson, vice president of global branding and innovation with Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, which owns Radisson Red, says she is less interested in resonating with a particular generation and more with a mentality.