The cookie-cutter hotel experience is becoming a thing of the past. As travelers become more independent, they want hotel stays that provide choices, options and do-it-yourself experiences.
A recent Pinterest survey found that solo adventures are on the rise, increasing by 593 percent, according to the company's Travel Trends Report for 2018 released in March. These independent-minded travelers also want to translate that into their hotel stay, and the lodging industry is responding, expanding beyond pillow menus and updating self-check-in and providing independent services for leisure travelers as well as those on business.
One example is the Solo Southern Retreat Package available at the HarbourView Inn in Charleston, South Carolina. The idea is to give independent travelers a chance to give back to the community with a philanthropic getaway.
The package combines luxury accommodations with soft adventure and a community experience. Guests enjoy an artisanal breakfast in bed before heading to One80 Place, a community kitchen that feeds around 185 lunches per day. After engaging with locals, pick up a complimentary bike from the fleet to begin a cycling adventure down the South of Broad before enjoying a seafood dinner at the city's first communal table, Hank's Seafood Restaurant.
In New York's Finger Lakes, the 1800's Belhurst Castle is also home to the Belhurst Winery and travelers don't have to wait to sip here because they can pour their own glasses right in the lobby.
Guests can take a glass back to the room, enjoy a stroll through the winery, sample an array of elite wines during wine-paired dinner menus and more while staying at the castle.
Independence is extending to the hotel spa experience as well. During the signature bush bath at Jewel Grande's Grande Spa, guests are invited to smell and pick their own herbs-grown in the spa-for their spa treatment.
Keyless entry is also giving travelers more independence. At the new AC Hotel Miami Aventura, guests skip the check-in line and go straight up to the room after a long day of traveling with SPG Keyless.
The mobile check-in system allows guests to use their mobile phones as room keys using the SPG Keyless app.
Hotels have also started offering DIY itineraries. The Hilton New Orleans Riverside gives guests the Navigate New Orleans package that includes a do-it-yourself journey that hits all the best sights in the Big Easy and includes a coupon book worth more than $200.
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