#Trending This Week - Themed Resorts Thrive, How Brands Evolved The Industry, Shoppable Travel Video Content, And Transforming A Hotel Into A Way Of Life
Issue 159 • September 26, 2023
As we are about to enter Q4 2023, there are no signs of a slow down in how travel and hospitality continue to transform. Consider, if you will, how luxury travelers are getting ever more specific in their requests from hotels and restaurants — and hospitality companies may have no choice but to fulfill these sometimes outlandish requests. We’ll take a closer look at themed resorts and how they are continuing to prosper. Margaritaville may have started it off, but now we’re seeing a huge push in Sports Illustrated Resorts and a vacation club concept. The 2010s were considered a great time of evolution in the hospitality industry and we’ll take a closer look at the brands that really pushed the envelope. With streaming content inspiring travel, one company is now making that video content shoppable. And some hotel brands are moving beyond the chase for the highest ADR by working to gain greater revenue by transforming their brand into a way of life. Check it all out below in our three-minute read below.
Themed Resorts Continue To Prosper
With the success of the first Sports Illustrated Resort in the Dominican Republic, the plan is to go ahead and open more sports-themed entities including venues in college towns and vacation clubs as well as Sports Illustrated residential condominiums. One part of the vacation club vision is to provide members a unique opportunity to totally immerse themselves in gameday life with a piece of their favorite college town, plus flexibility to travel away with their team and beyond. Read more in Hotel Business here.
Standout Hotel Brands Evolving The Industry
It is being said that the 2010s were a time of transformation for the hospitality industry. While it’s been somewhat difficult to change the main features of hotel rooms — a door, bed, bathroom, and place to hang clothing — this has been achieved to a point through size, configuration, furnishings, colors, textures, lighting, etc. Yet many hospitality heavyweights have sought to attract audiences differently with things like socially activated common spaces, innovative food and beverage offerings, and tech-forward amenities. Read more in Travel Weekly here.
Creating Shoppable Travel Video Content
Not only have television and movies inspired people to want to hit the road, but now travel companies are taking that video content and making it actually shoppable for consumers by creating tours based upon these popular films and shows. Dharma, a travel startup which offers trips hosted by influencers and brands, has paired with Paramount Global to offer “ultra-curated group trips” built around NetFlix’s incredibly popular Emily in Paris, with itineraries meant to “capture the vibrant and enchanting world” of Emily. Read more in PhocusWire here.
Hotels Are Cashing In On Their Brand Style
Some hotels have developed such a following, they are making products available for guests and others to take home after their stay; therefore cashing in beyond roomnight revenue. A number of the world’s most iconic hotels are leveraging the question of “How much do you love your favorite hotel?” by selling signature wares in the gift shop or directly through the room. Several forward-thinking properties are partnering with outside retailers – or vice versa – to transform their brand name into something much bigger: a way of life. Read more in The CEO Magazine here.
Luxury Hotels Are Okay Fulfilling Wild Dining Requests
It seems that luxury travelers are not shy about making extravagant and very specific requests when it comes to hotel dining, and food and beverage teams do not mind doing whatever they need to in order to fulfill these requests. We’re talking fresh goat milk for afternoon tea, rare caviar, meals monitored for a guest’s specific dietary restrictions, housemade soups daily, and beyond. Read more in Food & Wine here.