Photo via Twitter/ResidenceInn
Like many hotel brands, Residence Inn by Marriott is appealing to younger business travelers.
But the brand's success has been built on research and innovation. The 41-year-old extended stay brand anticipated the influx of millennial guests and has made notable strides in recent years to address their needs.
Speaking to TravelPulse, Residence Inn by Marriott's and Marriott Executive Apartments' vice president brand manager Diane Mayer said the shift is ongoing.
"As the large baby boomer demographic retires from business travel and the equally large millennial demographic finishes college and hits their peak business travel years, the entire lodging industry will see a dramatic shift in the age mix of guests in a very short period of time," said Mayer.
"In less than a 10-year span millennials will go from less than five percent of our guests to nearly two-thirds," she added. "They will dominate the market the way boomers have for the last 20 years."
In anticipation Residence Inn has already begun adapting to the key demographic.
"Based on information received from research provided by the Next Gen traveler, we redesigned our prototype guest suite five years ago to accommodate their need for flexible and functional work zones," Mayer told TravelPulse.
"We've also re-designed almost every element of our brand offering from both a guest experience and a staff experience."
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As brands learn more about millennial business travelers' needs moving forward, Residence Inn promises to remain on the cutting edge.
"We continue to evolve and explore opportunities that will enhance the extended stay guest experience," said Mayer. "We completely revamped the evening social program into the RI Mix, an initiative that focuses on socializing and networking as well as introducing guests to the local food fare and craft beers."
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With the wellness movement continuing to gain momentum within the industry, Residence Inn has also developed a partnership designed to benefit a younger generation of road warriors.
"Beginning in June, Residence Inn will be the first extended stay brand to launch a partnership with Under Armor Connected Fitness by providing mapped and vetted running routes at all of our hotels worldwide," Mayer said.
Attracting the next gen traveler will also require getting the word out. And according to Mayer, Residence Inn is doing just that through a new ad campaign that's being supplemented by enhanced digital, social media and PR efforts.
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