As 2013 draws to a close, it's only natural to wonder
what the trends of 2014 will be - which hotels are going to stay on top
and what new technology will emerge. Conde Nast Traveler has released their
predictions for up and coming trends in the hospitality industry for 2014.
South America is anticipated to become a top tourist
destination because cool new hotels are popping up everywhere from Peru to
Chile, even Columbia is becoming more tourist friendly. The world cup will be
held in Brazil in the summer of 2014 as well as the Summer Olympics in 2016,
which is a huge tourist draw. The relatively inexpensive travel between South
American countries increases tourism for surrounding countries as well.
Business people want comfort and luxury when they
travel, as well as a space to work efficiently in. Hotels are converting
meeting rooms to pop up offices, with more of a trendy Starbucks atmosphere instead
of a boring cubicle. Both Marriot and Westin recently launched programs offering
this. Many other hotels are beginning to offer "microstays" - renting
out rooms for businesses to do work in on a daily basis, or in some cases by
the hour.
Hotels will become more photogenic – we previously
mentioned Starwood and InterContinental hotel companies paving the way for
hotel based Instagrams. Great service and great food isn't enough; it has to be
great service and great food that also provides a great photo op. More and more
hotels are following this trend to engage with future guests in a modern way.
Itineraries will be designed visually, rather than in
list form. Today’s world is increasingly visual so this step only makes sense. Peek,
a website that plans tours and activities allows you to plan your perfect day
by dragging images onto a timeline. The Four Seasons offers Pin.Pack.Go, where
you make a Pinterest board related to your upcoming trip and an expert at the
hotel pins additional ideas to it. These and other ideas like them help to
create a personalized experience for each guest.
2014 will be an exciting year with new hotels popping up around the world and hotels becoming more and more
visually appealing. It's impossible to say for sure what the trends of 2014
will be, but if it continues as expected, 2014 will be a great year for both
travelers and the hospitality industry.
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