Millennials are the customer profile of the present and the most immediate future in the tourism sector. Therefore, more and more entrepreneurs try to understand the changes they must do to address that sector of the population formed by young people born between 1980 and 2000.

As we discussed on the previous post about millennials “Millennials and the hotels that will appear in the future”, when we talk about about this sector we are talking about a generation characterized by their autonomy, personality, freedom and their critical and demanding attitude. Besides, they are considered as digital natives who have developed a multitasking behaviour, that is, with the ability to use more than one channel at the same time. On the other side, they are also social, using the social media as a source of inspiration to choose their next destination and a useful tool through which they share their holidays.

In this sense, the families of the next decade will be formed by millennials, therefore, they are an emerging sector of the population with different needs from those of their previous generations. Millennial parents want to be present in their children’s life and share more experiences with them, for this reason they want to make them accomplices of their holidays and share them through social networks regardless of the age.

When it comes to organizing a travel, families prioritize experiences above all. Those experiences are transferred when looking for accommodation, since they prioritize that different hotels with characteristics that offer them a unique experience.

Therefore, we can see how this sector perceives travelling as an experience, which they are not willing to give up. In this post we will try to explain the essential attributes for hotels focusing on millennial families.

If hotels want to attract that families they must have the following attributes:

• Design: hotels focusing on millennials must know that millennials are looking for an hotel with special characteristics and differences, they do not want to have the same experiences that everybody has. It is essential for having open spaces and differentiated elements as self check-in. At the same time, instafriendly elements are included that allow parents and children to enjoy good time together and share them through social networks (e.g. swings at the lobby).

• Team: it is characterized for being young although the attitude is its main quality; it stands out for being happy, friendly and showing interest for the guests, without being annoying or acting in a forced way. They have special care for children, such as bending down to greet them and doing a child’s check-in. In addition, they use a casual and comfortable uniform with which millennials can identify.

• Elements and areas for children of non-school age: millennial families do not give up on travelling, especially for families with children are in preschool age, that is why hotel services for children between the ages of 0 and 6 are especially important. In this sense, activities are organized so that parents and children can enjoy their holidays together. Crèche service is offered so that the parents enjoy the adults facilities while their children are being cared for. Areas are created where children are protagonists while they are being attended (e.g. kids bar). Rooms must also be equipped to meet the kids needs and make it easier for the adults, with high chair, changing mat, playing areas within the room, etc.

• Connectivity: technology plays an essential role during the stay at the hotel: the quality of wifi connection throughout the hotel as well as a charger area in the common areas are essential at any hotel for this generation; rooms equipped with Smart TV through which you can personalize your stay; development of new communication channels between customer and the hotel to request services (e.g. Whatsapp).

• Safety and care: millennial parents may be afraid of how their children respond to a different environment than they are used to. The hotel should convey to parents the feeling of security and nothing will be missing to their children. In this sense, the personalization of amenities and facilities according to the ages of the children helps to transmit this message to the parents.

Tourism industry is a changing world, and hotels need to continually adapt to the needs of new customer’s profile. Currently, repositioning as a hotel aiming at millennial families is an opportunity due to the lack of hotels focusing on that profile. At the hotel factory we continually analyze the changes and trends that occur in the industry to advise our clients on repositioning and conceptualization projects, and if you have any doubt do not hesitate to contact us and ask for advice.