How hotel brands are responding to the changing needs of their customers

An app that allows you to order room service by tapping an emoji, a hotel lobby that resembles a co-working office, a bar that serves regional beers, and spaces for the local community – These are just some of the new amenities that have been introduced by hotels of which a growing number are now being modernised. The reason is that growing customer expectations are pushing both operators and owners to create hotel brands that provide a unique experience.

As a result of changes around the world in who hotel guests are as well as the evolution of (or even the revolution in) their expectations, the traditional categorisation of hotels based on stars is being gradually replaced with different segments including budget, business, lifestyle and luxury hotels.

The growing middle class in both Poland and around the world consists, above all, of increasingly savvy consumers who are looking for a unique and authentic experience that matches their individuality. For guests, spacious rooms used mostly for sleep, are becoming less important. Regardless of whether people are travelling on business or for pleasure, they want hotels to be inspiring places that stimulate creativity and promote well-being. Design is starting to play an increasingly important role in hotel reservations.

Tourists driving change on the hotel market

Airbnb has also had a substantial impact on the diversification of the hotel sector. Those behind the portal believe that locality is of the utmost importance. The reason is that while travelling, many people are looking for authenticity and do not want the walls of a hotel to separate them from the culture and everyday life of the residents of a particular city or country. This trend has been recognised by hotel operators who will often arrange rooms and lobbies to reflect the locality. Examples of this include the Hotel Mercure Stare Miasto, the Hotel Indigo in Kraków and the Moxy hotel in Warsaw's Praga district.

London, New York, Berlin and Amsterdam were the cradles of the “lifestyle hotel”. Concepts such as Hoxton, Ace Hotel, Mama Shelter and CitizenM have revolutionised traditional hotel formats by redefining such things as the role of the hotel lobby through the creation of spaces with a less formal atmosphere, with exciting interiors, and live music. As a result the hotel lobby has become a fashionable meeting place, an interesting alternative place to have a business lunch, and a popular venue for a night out. The fact that many aspects of a hotel are now undergoing change has resulted in the trend to redevelop their rooftops. For instance, the Radio Bar in the ME Hotel in London has become more popular than the hotel itself. In Poland, more and more operators want to locate hotel restaurants on the top floors rather than at ground level, such as the Courtyard by Marriott’s very successful restaurant in Katowice.

A few years ago, a hotel restaurant was a place exclusively for hotel guests. Currently, more brands are focusing on creating interesting restaurant and bar spaces, and even local bakeries, such as Puro in Kazimierz and Praktik Bakery in Barcelona. Thus hotels are beginning to compete with local food and beverage outlets, and by attracting visitors predominantly from outside, they are becoming fashionable places to spend your free time.

Still a hotel or maybe an office?

There is no doubt that coworking space, which have been growing in popularity over recent years, has significantly altered the expectations the young have of their workplace. Factors such as the flexible membership contracts operators offer, the increase in remote working and the growing number of freelancers have not only contributed to the development of this office market segment but have also impacted the hotel sector.

Lifestyle concepts, such as Schani in Vienna and The Student Hotel in Amsterdam, provide their guests with coworking zones that resemble the top quality space provided by companies such as Spaces and WeWork. Hybrid projects are another interesting idea, which are also starting to make themselves known on the market. They combine co-living and co-working space. For example, Zoku from Amsterdam offers a place for travelling professionals to live from a few days to several months.

Traditional operators are refusing to be left behind – last year in Paris AccorHotels went into partnership with flexible space operator Nextdoor.

Coworking zones in hotels allow people to maintain their work-life balance on the go - they can rest in a hotel room, and work in designated areas. This seems to be mirroring the trend seen in offices, where there are more and more relaxation zones, and even rooms to take a nap.

Regardless of whether we are tourists or on a business trip, we often want to be part of a group and meet new people. As a result, hotel guests are spending less time in their rooms, and more in communal areas.

It is worth pointing out that with the increasing segmentation in the hotel sector, the boundaries between different formats have begun to blur. A larger number of hybrid models are coming onto the market that are both lifestyle and business hotels. This is all the more important as the needs of hotel guests are continually evolving - people are multi-tasking more, and more than ever travel is being combined with work. As a result people look for places that will naturally correspond to their dynamic lifestyles.