Is Your Hotel Meeting These 5 Gen Z expectations?

Today’s younger travelers will define what hotels offer guests in the future.

The hospitality industry is constantly evolving. Now hotels are entering a new chapter where guests expect richer relationships with hotel brands. They’re also willing to share personal data and insights, according to “Shaping the Future of Hospitality Together,” a report from technology platform Amadeus Hospitality and InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).

For the report, Amadeus surveyed more than 7,500 consumers from 12 countries in North and South America, Europe and Asia. The survey also included travelers from Foresight Factory’s trend spotter network and industry experts on hotel trends.

The report found that Generation Z travelers who are now in their mid-twenties have high expectations for hotels they book. And they’ll bring those expectations with them into the future.

“Twenty years ago, guests came to expect bathrobes in their hotel rooms, minibars, and hair dryers,” says the Amadeus report. “Now they expect super-fast WiFi, the latest tech in rooms, modern design, and personalized service.

“The rise of smartphones and social media combined with technological amenities like AI-enabled chatbots and in-room technology make it ever more likely that guests of the future will place much higher demands on the travel and hospitality industry.”

Gen Zers: A new type of guest

Gen Z guests are looking for an end-to-end travel and hospitality guest experience, says the Amadeus and IHG report. Here are five important elements your hotel must offer to appeal to this younger, technology-advanced generation’s guest experience demands.

1. Optimized

Gen Zers are prolific on social media and aim for value in each hotel booking decision. Their research tools are typically price comparison, social media and online reviews from other guests. With those tools, Gen Zers feel empowered to make the best purchase decisions.

With so many online tools available, hotels must work harder to capture this generation’s attention with their online presence and marketing, says the report.

2. Seamless

Gen Xers don’t tolerate delays. They expect efficiency and a seamless guest experience.

“From booking, check-in and room service to checking out, paying up and arriving home, [the Gen X traveler] requires a smooth experience with constant overview of [their] account in real time,” says the Amadeus report. “Where appropriate, services are mobile or completely automated.”

3. Individualized

Like most guests, Gen Xers appreciate personalized services. And they’ll expect personalization, even more, when traveling in the future.

“Sophisticated hotel technology means it is now possible to offer [the guest]  upgrades, deals aligned with [their] historical preferences or bespoke personal touches,” says the report. “Future individualization will seep into all areas of the travel and hospitality experience and will become highly personal and relevant.”

4. Experiential

Gen Z guests expect their travel journey and hotel stay to be interactive and experiential. In other words, they want their vacations and travel to be an “experience” to remember that stands out as part of an adventure. They like to interact with technology when seeking services before or during their stay. This approach can also benefit hotels.

“Experiences can drive profit for providers too, either through new commercial opportunities or innovative ways of modernizing customer loyalty,” says the report.

5. Sustainable

Sustainable practices are high on the list of socially conscious Gen Xers. They’re concerned about climate change and plastic waste. They recycle and expect hotels they book to do the same.

“[Guests]  will demand that the hospitality industry invests in more sustainable practices and will start to avoid those providers who fail to meet high environmental standards,” says the report.