Like so many things in this day and age, what was once the gold standard of a vacation - comfy beds, sleeping in, relaxation - has changed and this may not be good if you are in the hotel industry says a report in Business Insider.
When busy people go on vacation, they're often looking to put their feet up, catch up on sleep, and just generally enjoy being somewhere else for a spell," writes Madeline Stone. "But in addition to the mental break, it seems more and more likely that what well-heeled travelers value is the chance to have a truly authentic experience, wherever they're headed on vacation."
What does this mean for the hotel industry?
"When the rewards-focused travel portal American Express Travel surveyed 1,540 affluent American adults - defined as having an annual household income of at least $100,000 - it found that 81% valued having a personalized experience over anything else in their travel itineraries," reports Stone.
That means that, when affluent travelers are going on vacation, "cookie-cutter" hotel rooms are no longer en vogue.
"We see lifestyle-inspired, design-focused hotels increasing on the consumer wish list and in fact, are seeing a more than 30% spike in bookings for these type of hotels in the US for 2017," Claire Bennett, executive vice president of American Express Travel tells Business Insider.
It's getting easier and easier for travelers to find accommodations and activities that are more in tune with the local vibe of the city.
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"Travelers want to sample a destination's food, take in its art scene, and go out where the locals do. And with the rise of Airbnb - which launched its travel agent-like Trips feature in November - travelers in the know can do this with ease," notes Stone.
Living like the locals do is becoming more and more important to travelers who are looking for authentic experiences.
"Experiential vacations - this is the big trend, and that has a major impact on the industry. I think you can say that has been one of the things that contributed to the creation of things like Airbnb, because [travelers] want to experience how someone in Prague, in Paris, in Rome, or in New York lives in his own flat," Henri Giscard D'Estaing, global CEO of Club Med, recently told Business Insider.
For more on how the hospitality industry may respond to these new trends, read on here.
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