For many consumers, 2022 marks the first time they are booking travel since the pandemic began. Hospitality forecasts indicate that as the public becomes more comfortable leaving their homes, demand within the travel industry will reach pre-pandemic levels.
While guests still expect a decadent, opulent experience when staying at a luxury hotel, their expectations have evolved in the past two years as the world has changed around them. As consumers consider a variety of accommodation options coming back into travel, properties that adapt to providing a unique experience are well-positioned to win over travelers. Here’s how consumer expectations have evolved, and what it means for your business.
Travelers’ priorities are changing, and they’re looking for experiences to match
There’s no doubt that the pandemic has had an extreme impact on mental health, with studies showing that nearly half of adults report increased stress levels. After two years of ongoing stress, work-from-home, and limited travel, more than ever, travelers are looking for experiences that cater to their overall well-being and make them feel seen and special. There are a few emerging trends that stand out as key factors in travelers’ decisions about where to stay.
Ease
Guests desire a wholly relaxing experience, not one that comes with its own set of stressors. As the pandemic continues to cause stress around vacation planning, convenience and flexibility are among the top factors affecting consumers’ travel decisions. They’re looking for venues that offer benefits like flexible cancellation policies, contactless interactions, rate transparency, and the ability to bring along pets.
Longer stays
After going years without traveling, consumers are looking to make the most of unused vacation time. When combined with the increased ability to work remotely, this trend is leading travelers to book longer stays. The home is becoming the new travel destination for its ability to keep consumers comfortable and maintain daily habits during longer stays.
Curated experiences
Guests are no longer just looking for a nice room, but rather an experience. While wellness-based destinations and “slow travel” are emerging as trending travel movements for consumers, consumers are also booking travel with sustainability in mind — whether it be staying at an eco-friendly resort or finding ways to reduce their environmental impact while traveling. These trends also speak to how personalized experiences will become a big differentiator in the hospitality industry going forward. Nearly 70% of customers report that personalization is important for creating a great overall experience, along with other factors like clear communication.
While hotels remain the most popular form of accommodations, as the short-term rental market heats up, so does the competition to attract guests. The businesses that can adapt to guests’ evolving expectations and deliver meaningful and comfortable experiences will be the ones that stand out.
Elevate your space by engaging guests differently
With so many consumers looking for a rejuvenating vacation and business travel slowly picking up, it’s critical to create an environment where guests feel at ease. Hotels need the ability to set an ambiance that matches what they want guests to feel in any given space. As consumers become more accustomed to digital experiences, one opportunity is often overlooked — what’s playing on the TV screens in high-traffic areas. Your TVs are not just background elements to set and forget; they can make or break the experience of a space by shifting the energy.
Play a channel designed for every mood:
Traditional cable can isolate the room by playing content that isn’t designed to be watched in busy settings or only interests a subset of the room. Instead play curated content designed to inform, relax, or entertain guests that isn’t reliant on audio. Atmosphere, the world’s leading streaming TV service exclusively for businesses, offers highly engaging and interactive short-form content that spans humor, sports, kids, tranquil visuals — at a fraction of the cost of traditional cable or connected TV.
Customize what’s playing by the location:
What entertainment is right for your wellness center will not always be the same as what is right for your in-house bar or lobby. Atmosphere’s flexible programming lets you decide on the right content for each of your spaces and shapes the mood accordingly.
Create new touchpoints with guests:
Guests want to feel constantly engaged and in the know — connect with them directly by sharing business updates, special promotions, or advertisements on the screens that they’re already watching. Atmosphere’s Digital Signage Manager plays in between engaging content that captivates guests’ attention and is proven to increase sales.
As the hospitality industry ramps up again, hotels have a renewed opportunity to attract guests with intention. And the primary way properties can do so is by optimizing all of their spaces to create unique experiences that adapt to guests’ evolved expectations. In keeping the key trends in mind, entertainment is an underrated way to elevate the guest experience. With curated entertainment that allows for more personalized communication, you can enhance your property’s environment and engage guests differently — creating customers for life.
About Atmosphere:
Atmosphere is the world’s largest streaming TV service designed exclusively for businesses. We’re revolutionizing TV entertainment by empowering businesses with fully curated, short-form video content that doesn’t require audio to enjoy. In between video content, engage customers directly with custom digital signage or hyper-local advertisements. Atmosphere currently operates in 15,000+ businesses, offering over fifty channels of original and partner content refreshed regularly. To learn more about what Atmosphere can do for your business, visit www.atmosphere.tv.
