PHOTO: Boutique hotels like The Cromwell in Las Vegas are hot right now (Photo by Ryan Rudnansky)
The Year 2014 has been relatively kind to most hoteliers after a few years of struggle following the recession.
Destinations like Las Vegas are experiencing record tourism numbers, and a generation other than Baby Boomers is driving business.
But that doesn't mean 2014 has been easy for hospitality companies. Those that have stayed on their toes and been quick to address travel trends have reaped the rewards, but things change so quickly these days with the development of technology that it's easy to miss a shift in the climate.
This year has been fascinating for travelers and those working in the travel industry, myself included. Here are the top hotel stories of 2014 I covered.
Keep traveling, folks. It's a wide, beautiful world out there.
The Development of Las Vegas
I know what you're thinking: Las Vegas couldn't possibly develop much more, could it?
The answer is: Well, yes, yes it could.
Vegas, which flirted with 40 million annual visitors the past couple of years, exceeded 40 million visitors with two weeks to spare in 2014. New buzzworthy hotels such as the Cromwell, Delano Las Vegas and SLS Las Vegas sprouted up during the year. The Linq, a $550 million open-air entertainment and shopping district, certainly played a part in Vegas' rise in tourism, complete with the High Roller, the world's tallest observation wheel. So did the restructuring of the area surrounding New York-New York and Monte Carlo.
Oh yeah, and gay marriage was legalized in Nevada, a boon for the top wedding destination.
Yeah, you could say it's been a good year for Vegas.
The Rise of Boutique Hotels and Alternative Accommodation
Boutique hotels have always appealed to certain niches, but they are becoming more mainstream these days.
As always, Vegas-which basically caters to every demographic imaginable-is a good place to start when identifying trends. Caesar Entertainment's The Cromwell became the first standalone boutique hotel on the Strip in early 2014, featuring boutique-like features such as complimentary coffee and tea in each hallway, backgammon tables and stylish, cozy rooms. MGM Resorts' Delano Las Vegas-replacing THEhotel within Mandalay Bay-followed, bringing the iconic Miami brand Morgans Hotel Group to Las Vegas for the first time.
And, just for good measure, InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the largest hotel company in the world, acquired well-known boutique brand Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants for $430 million to close off 2014.
Other top stories in the hospitality industry included: the rise of "glamping (or glamorous camping)," anti-luxury accommodation websites like Hovelstay.com and the rise of homestays.
Millennials Rule (Baby Boomers Are Still Cool, Too)
As a millennial myself, I may be a bit biased here, but it's hard to ignore the impact millennials had on the hospitality industry-and the travel industry in general-in 2014.
Numerous studies on millennials came out to give hoteliers a leg up on the competition. The rise of experiential travel and authentic travel has been largely attributed to the generation. So has the development of technology in hotels (more on that later). More hotels are focusing on design to accommodate millennials, too.
AC Hotels by Marriott, a wildly popular lifestyle brand in Europe that caters to Gen X and millennial travelers, made its North American debut with the opening of AC Hotel New Orleans in November.
Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts also introduced its Hotel Jen brand (formerly Traders), a brand that caters to millennial-minded guests.
Travel companies still cater to Baby Boomers, no doubt, but millennials are certainly making their voices heard these days.
Culinary/Health and Wellness Travel
The focus on food for hoteliers may be greater than ever now.
The presentation of food to design-savvy guests is more important now. Japanese food and Chinese food is rising in popularity. Guests are looking for coffeehouse environments (check out Delano Las Vegas' 3940 Coffee and Tea). And, of course, healthy and organic eating is blowing up.
Speaking of health, health and wellness is also highly valued by travelers now. Brands from Element by Westin to Le Meridien to EVEN Hotels focus primarily on health and wellness offerings for guests. MGM Resorts and Delos Living finished expanding MGM Grand's "Stay Well" rooms in early 2014 (now numbering more than 170 rooms and suites), while also adding the Stay Well Lounge.
Guests are not only eating healthier now, but they are also living better in general.
Give Me Free Wi-Fi or Give Me Death
Wi-Fi (or wireless Internet, for those of you who don't get out much) is huge now.
Spurred by the younger tech-savvy generations, free Wi-Fi is being offered at more and more hotels now. If you don't offer free Wi-Fi these days (heck, if you don't offer free and lightning-fast Wi-Fi), then, well, let's just say you are at least doing one thing wrong.
Numerous studies and surveys have come out this year about amenities and services guests value the most, and free Wi-Fi has basically become the standard. Technology in general has erupted and there were so many high-profile technology stories in 2014 (I will talk about those in an upcoming article), but free Wi-Fi is what was mentioned the most. The demand has become so strong that it has basically forced the hand of many hotels to offer the service, or at least offer tiered Wi-Fi (free for standard speed, a charge for high speed).
If there's one piece of advice I can give about covering hotels and technology, it's this: DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT rob guests and millennials of their free Wi-Fi. That's the kind of thing that can cause travelers to line up at your properties with picket signs (and maybe even torches).
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