36 Hotel Trends for 2023: How Modern Is Your Hotel? [Test]
GALA puts you to the test: does your hotel meet the demands of modern guests? Or does it fall behind your competitors who are putting the latest hotel trends into practice?
We present 36 trends in the hotel industry that will endure beyond 2023. And you can get to keep score at the same time: you get one point for each trend you applied in your business. Your final score – and the right strategy – awaits you at the end.
36 of the Latest Hotel Trends for the Future That Will Ensure Beyond 2023
Our hospitality trends build on studies and mega trends that influence every branch of the business. And the hospitality industry is no exception. They represent long-term changes rather than short-term fads and so form the basis for sustainable investments.
Trend #1 to #11: Digital Hotel Concepts
Sure: digitalization is also impacting on the hospitality industry. It goes without saying that by 2023, every hotel will have paperless accounting and online reservation systems in place. But that’s not enough to stay on the ball.
Does your hotel already have…
#1 The Internet of Things: Smart hotels are considered intelligent when appliances and devices are connected and can communicate with each other. It should be possible to adjust heating and ventilation systems automatically or individually using displays. Parking garages, restaurants and such should be measuring and optimizing occupancy.
#2 An iPad in Every Room: This digital control center belongs in every room. It replaces the guest binder, hotel brochures, and even the phone in the room. Everything neatly organized in one place!
ℹ️ Advantage: you can advertise daily varying services and offerings on the iPad. That’s digital marketing!
#3 Voice Control: Smart home systems for hotel rooms are even more convenient than an iPad. You can change the volume on the TV, set the temperature or adjust the lighting even when you’re flat on your back.
#4 Streaming: Who watches regular TV these days? Not the younger generation, that’s for sure. They don’t want to miss out on their favorite series, even on vacation. A Netflix or Amazon subscription is therefore a must.
#5 Enough Charging Stations: Many people’s pretty much worst nightmare is to leave their room without a full battery. Sometimes three or four mobile devices have to charge at the same time. And they’d be delighted if they could do it wirelessly! Do you need an upgrade?
#6 Smart Mirrors: Even a mirror can do more with the Internet: display the weather (handy when picking out clothes) or advertise events (important when doing your makeup).
#7 Concierge in Video Chat: In the past, guests had to leave their rooms to talk to your concierge to get face-to-face advice. These days, they can do so directly from their room – for example, on their tablet.
ℹ️ The more digital our society, the more people crave face-to-face interaction. The video concierge is one way to connect these two worlds.
#8 VR Tour: Guests want to know if they will like staying at your establishment even before they book. A virtual 360-degree tour of your establishment gives them that certainty – and you’ll only ever attract the customers you’ve always dreamed of.
#9 Smart Prices: How do you adapt your room rates? Are you still doing it by hand? Artificial intelligence can do it better: AI detects when demand is particularly high – for example, by the number of hits on your website – and raises the prices accordingly to increase revenue.
#10 Social Media: Guests are great, regular guests are even better! Your hotel needs a presence on social media to engage with young guests. It complements (or replaces) your brochure or newsletter in a way that enhances your personal relationship.
#11 Your Own App: Use your smartphone to lock the door, book massages, extend your stay – with your own hotel app, you can make your guests’ stay much more convenient. And: you can promote your own services superbly on the app.
#12 Data Security: Guests want their data to be safe in your hands. But without the right IT infrastructure, you risk dangerous (and reputation-damaging) leaks. Investing in cyber security is important.
Trend #13 to #17: Skills Shortage
Skilled staff are a scarce good. And it’s only getting worse. But you can beat the shortage with these hotel industry trends. They’ll lighten the workload on your existing service staff and help attract new staff.”
Ask yourself the following question: are the following tips something you should consider adopting?
#13 More Appealing Atmosphere: You don’t entice the skilled workers of the future with a bigger and bigger paycheck. Pay is important, sure. But they are just as interested in working conditions. Processes should be accelerated, break-times honored.
ℹ️ Good interior design takes the team and their work processes into consideration. Not just the guest rooms, but the break rooms too need to be well planned. Likewise, you should also have all your processes checked for efficiency.
#14 Chatbot: So long as your team is small, you should lighten their workload. Artificial intelligence is already capable of relieving your staff of a number of tasks. A chatbot on your website, for instance, can answer questions that your support staff would otherwise spend hours answering on the phone or by email. At the same time, it can maximize your booking rate.
#15 Robotics: The rise in virtual assistants comes in the form of physical robots. They clean, cook, carry luggage and even engage with new arrivals in the form of a “live chatbot” in the same way as a concierge.
#16 Easy Check-In: Checking in is often just a matter of asking for details. A terminal where guests can enter their own details saves your front desk staff time.
#17 Keyless Rooms: How much time does your front desk waste on lost keys and room cards? If an app or numerical code can be used to open your guestroom doors, you can use your time more wisely.
Trend #18 to #19: Hygiene In Hotel Rooms etc.
Your guests will certainly be more sensitive about cleanliness in your establishment in the aftermath of the coronavirus. Two must-haves you definitely should plan for:
#18 More Cleaning: Your rooms must be clean. Instruct your staff to not only clean but disinfect every surface – and make your guests know about it. Plus, there should be plenty of disinfectant dispensers throughout the entire building.
#19 Contactless Payment: Payment by card or smartphone – i.e., without cash or a signature – should become standard. They reduce the chances of spreading viruses and bacteria from hand to hand.
Trend #20 to #27: Megatrend Sustainability
Your guests across all target groups are placing more value on sustainability. Socially just and ecological practices have to permeate every area of your hotel.
Have you already put the following measures into action?
#20 Renewable Energies: You should at least use green electricity. Suppliers then invest the cost of your electricity in the expansion of wind, hydroelectric and solar power. You can go one step further by installing your own photovoltaic system on the roof or charging stations for e-cars.
#21 Local Resources: Do you already source resources from your local area? Food from the region, just like art, raw materials and consumer good save on transport kilometers and are mostly fairly produced. Additional advantages: travelers from far-off countries in particular get to know your culture even better as a result.
ℹ️ Does your interior design express your culture yet? With the right concept, even Japanese flair can be brought to the heart of Switzerland.
#22 Reduce Waste: Whether by serving smaller portions in your restaurant or using reusable packaging instead of single-use plastic: saving waste earns you the trust of your target group.
#23 Separate Waste: Many rooms currently only have one trash can. Yet environmentally conscious people prefer to use the familiar concept of separating paper, plastic and residual waste.
#24 Save Water: Even small changes can make all the difference. For example, towels only being washed if requested. Or dispensing with water-intensive foods such as meat.
#25 Clean Rooms Less Frequently: Some guests find it too much having cleaning staff inside their four walls every day. Fulfil this wish with the option to extend the cleaning interval.
#26 Save Electricity: Install motion sensors for lighting. Or reduce the standard room temperature. Every kilowatt hour counts!
#27 Building Materials: Choosing the right raw materials right at the building stage has a massive impact on your environmental footprint. For instance, go for recycled materials or renewable raw materials like wood.
ℹ️ A design that incorporates natural materials can even transform an old slaughterhouse into a sustainable shopper’s paradise .
Trend #28 to #36: New Attitudes to Life
Society is changing – and so is the way we travel. Trends you should be aware of:
#28 Personalization: People want to be able to put together their very own dream vacation. This starts with choosing their room – not just by category, but the precise room – and extends to upsell options such as a softer bed, extra pillows or a better view.
#29 Health: Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free food. Non-alcoholic drinks at the bar. Quality beds. Massages and Pilates classes. Rooms shielded from the noise of traffic. A spinning bike in every suite. Plenty of fresh air and light thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows and greenery from indoor plants. Your fitness and wellness-loving target group will thank you!
#30 Flexibility: Guests like to have the freedom to decide what time they check in or check out. Give them the choice! Last-minute bookings are also on the rise. Are you spontaneous enough to accommodate these choices?
#31 Social Relations: Digitalization is causing more and more people to feel lonely. This makes meeting spaces all the more important. Are your lobby, restaurants and events already geared toward social contact?
ℹ️ As interior designers of hotels, we recommend a colorful mix for different occasions: separate areas for families or couples, large communal areas for groups.
#32 Takeaways: Especially active travelers like to take their meals to go. That’s why your restaurant should also offer a takeaway option. A small snack bar in your lobby is an alternative way to boost your revenue even more.
#33 Bleisure Travel: Lots of travelers mix business and leisure. For one thing, they need fast Wi-Fi, meeting rooms and printers. At the same time, they expect leisure facilities, even in business hotels.
#34 Digital Nomads: Digital nomads represent an extreme form of business and leisure traveler. Sometimes they stay in one lodging for weeks or months on end in order to work from there. You can attract them with a kitchen in the room and a co-working space.
#35 Staycation: The mixture of stay and vacation describes a vacation in your own home country. That’s right! Some people take the time to discover their own surroundings from within a different set of four walls. Have you started attracting them yet?
#36 Adventures: In today’s affluent society, people prefer to collect unique experiences instead of lackluster consumer goods. For this reason, hotels have to succeed in immersing their guests in a world they will never forget.
ℹ️ Storytelling is key. This is how you design accommodation that your guests will remember forever.
Score
How many of the 36 trends do you already have in place?
0 to 12: Upgrade required! You may find that a full-scale remodeling is needed. After all, guests are eventually going to expect the trends they’ve seen at other hotels at your establishment as well.
13 to 24: You are on the right track. The important thing is that you embrace the right trends. Ask your staff and guests which of the latest trends are missing at your establishment.
25 to 36: Looking good! You are a pioneer in lots of different areas. Stay on the ball to remain one step ahead of your competition.
Or Set Your Own Trends in the Hotel Industry
At GALA, we want to turn everyday life into an adventure. To achieve this, we transform hotels into worlds that recount stories – from the bell at the front desk to the check-out experience.
What trends would you like to set?
