#Trending This Week: Hilton Has Its Eye On An Out-Of-This-World Destination, The Newest Hotel Amenity, Cocktail Trends For Fall, And What One Hotel Group Is Trying To Retain Workers
Issue 111 • September 28, 2022
What do you do as a hotel group when you’ve expanded pretty much everywhere around the globe? You set your sights on the next new frontier. Some upscale boutique hotels are venturing out a bit beyond the norm for the next hip hotel amenity. We’ve got the skinny on fall’s latest cocktail trends — think anything in a can and the dessertification of American whiskey. And for those still having trouble finding and retaining labor, here’s an interesting employee benefit one hotel group is hoping will turn the tide. Check it all out in our three-minute read below.
Hilton’s Next Destination…Outer Space
Perhaps feeling the constraints of global expansion here on earth, Hilton Hotels has just been appointed the official hotel partner of Starlab, Voyager Space’s planned free-flying commercial space station. Hilton will bring its hospitality expertise to support the design and development of crew suites aboard Starlab, helping to reimagine the human experience in space and working to make extended stays on the Starlab space station — which is set to replace the International Space Station — more comfortable. Read more in Travel Pulse here.
The Newest Hotel Amenity: Cannabis Dispensaries
As pot becomes legal in more states across the country, high-end boutique hotels are leaning into the trend by becoming pot friendly and even offering on-site cannabis dispensaries. Findings from a recent pandemic-era survey indicate that the size of the the burgeoning cannabis traveler audience has increased to 37% of all active leisure travelers, with Gen Z and Millennial travelers, in particular, reporting overwhelming interest in engaging in at least one cannabis-related activity while on vacation. Read more in Travel Weekly here.
And The Cocktail Trends For Fall Are…
Now that fall is here, get set for a seasonal shift in cocktails. Trendspotters are saying we will see a plethora of drinks emerging as “hot” including a ‘90s redux, everything in a can, the dessertification of American whiskey, sophisticated non-alcoholic options, peak orange wine, martinis going maritime, and much more. Read the latest in Punch here.
Hotels Resort To Offer On Demand Wage Access
As the hospitality industry labor shortage lingers, hotels are seeking new ways to attract and retain employees. One group is now offering on-demand wage access, an employer-provided benefit which gives workers instant access to money they've earned, eliminating the delays of a standard pay cycle. With particular issues in hiring for housekeeping and culinary roles, earned wage access can create a more stable financial situation and help employees avoid costly payday loans. It’s just one of many new benefits the hospitality industry is trying out to keep up with the growing demands of the workforce circa 2022. Read more in Benefits News here.