Many people make New Year’s resolutions for their personal lives, so why not for your business too? With 2025 just around the corner, resolve to harness hospitality trends that reflect your guests’ needs to elevate your property’s stay experience and bottom line.
A blend of business and leisure, bleisure was coined to represent the trend of combining remote work with a vacation, also known as a “workation.” Eighty-nine percent of American business travelers would like to add on leisure time to their next work trip. To appeal to this demographic, hoteliers can advertise attractive, comfortable workspaces and a “laptop-friendly” environment that promotes both productivity and relaxation. Be sure your Wi-Fi is fast and secure!
However, remote work isn’t “one space fits all.” A private, quiet hotel room is helpful for some, while others find the commotion of a busy lobby or coffee shop a desirable coworking escape from isolation.
You can promote many amenities to this guest base, including charging stations, complimentary coffee and tea, sound-proof call areas, sofas, sit-to-stand desks, on-property daycare, and anything else you can imagine. Don’t leave out leisure amenities. Many execs would like a drink and a dip in the pool after that stressful meeting.
Post-pandemic, wellness travel remains on the rise, with 60 percent of travelers interested in “longevity retreats” involving hypercharged wellness to increase their health and life expectancy. While you may not be able to provide red-light therapy or body vibration, you can still get creative and expand your wellness offerings.
For instance, the gym isn’t the only way to offer physical activity for your guests. Running clubs are in style for Millennials and Gen Z, so what running clubs and other local athletic organizations can you partner with? Court sports such as tennis and pickleball are popular too. Guests can stay fit and explore at the same time.
A spa is a key element of wellness, enabling you to offer staples such as facials, massages, and even acupuncture. The spa services market is estimated to increase by over 65 percent from 2023 to 2032, so prepare yourself to snag a piece of this business.
However, wellness is about food in addition to activities, with guests seeking out healthy dining options. This extends to drinks as well as more people engage in “sober tourism.” It’s time to take another look at your mocktail menu!
The food tourism market is projected to grow from $961.50 billion in 2023 to $4056.12 billion in 2032, an increase of over four times. Travelers are seeking unique and delicious culinary encounters, so give them a taste (pun intended) of your town by providing local ingredients and dishes, establishing your property as the kind of immersive cultural experience today’s guests seek.
Another important aspect of this trend is the diversity of dietary needs. There are many reasons why an individual may have dietary restrictions or preferences, and it is vital to be educated about these different health choices and concerns and accommodate them.
Make sure your labeling is clear and correct and take precautions against cross-contamination. Even if your property doesn’t have a restaurant, you can provide various options for different dietary needs in your vending machines and hotel breakfast station. Simplify things by offering single dishes that cater to multiple needs, i.e., a dish that is both gluten and dairy free.
As environmental awareness and social responsibility come to the forefront, guests use sustainability criteria to determine where they spend money. Boost your reputation by incorporating a few subtle yet effective strategies.
- Natural, eco-conscious design choices: Seek out locally- and ethically-made decor, especially items made of natural materials. Use plants and gardens to create a relaxing, biophilic atmosphere while improving air quality and even doubling as a source of ingredients for your restaurant!
- Accessibility: It is essential to create spaces that everyone can access. Consider neurodiversity as well as physical limitations. Half of all neurodivergent travelers believe that their neurodivergence limits their travel options, and 69 percent are looking for an industry-wide initiative that communicates their needs to airlines and lodging providers in 2025.
Some general accommodations for your guests and employees include closed-captioning, dyslexia-friendly font, wheelchair ramps, sensory-friendly lighting and volume levels throughout your property, and alternative menu options. Be receptive to feedback and suggestions from the individuals who visit and work for your property, as every person has different support needs.
- Working conditions: Guests want to know that the place where they stay treats their employees with respect. Show your staff that you care about them by paying them a living wage and creating an accessible, safe work environment. Being conspicuous about the value you hold for your employees attracts both bookers and potential hires.
- Hotel Technology: Using a cloud-based property management system (PMS) like WebRezPro is more energy efficient than on-site hardware and allows you to go paperless with features like mobile housekeeping reports and digital check-in/out for a seamless guest experience.
Popular culture is inspiring travel plans, especially for younger generations. Guests this year are looking to travel for specific events, be they concerts, sports games, or even celestial activities (remember how many people packed their bags for the 2024 solar eclipse?). “Star Trekking” is trending this year, with a quarter of Gen Z interested in stargazing opportunities. This is a boon for hotels located in the far north who can advertise spectacular views of the aurora borealis.
If you have a star coming to town (whether it’s Betelgause or Taylor Swift), market to that particular fan base across your website, social media, and other channels. However, there’s no need to despair if your town isn’t the next stop on the Eras Tour. Smaller, local events are also fun, so make sure you know what’s going on in your community!
Travelers also flock to areas where their favorite TV shows and movies were filmed. There’s a built-in fanbase here if your hotel is in the right place. For instance, Game of Thrones was a boon for Icelandic tourism, even if Iceland didn’t have actual direwolves.
Hustle is out and hurkle-durkling is in! Hurkle-durkling is a Scottish word for lazing in bed, and it’s trending along with other relaxation-orientated tourism. Instead of FOMO (fear of missing out), travelers are focused on JOMO (joy of missing out), which means taking pleasure in slowing down and enjoying the peace rather than racing after the next thing.
Have amenities and services ready for those guests who want to put their feet up with a cup of tea rather than cramming in another activity (that cup of tea is a start…). Sleep tourism amenities such as pillow menus and soothing scents give your property a boost here as do spa features like a jacuzzi. Hint: Put the jacuzzi on the rooftop or elsewhere with a great view so that guests can sip their drink as they look out over the mountains or city line.
Interior spaces should be comfortable and inviting. Biophilic design with its open concepts and natural materials can create the effect you’re going for. Make sure there is plenty of outside light!
Lastly, think in terms of package trips like moms’ getaways (“GetHerAway”) and mens’ vacations (now with more genuine bonding and fewer bro times). Both of these are trending this year too.
With increasing awareness of overtourism, more travelers are looking for destinations off the beaten path. They’re seeking “Awayborhoods” and small-town charm that they don’t have to stand in line for. Know what makes your destination unique and offer authentic local experiences. Building partnerships with other area businesses is an asset here. Guests can enjoy exclusive activities and discounts, and both you and your partners can grow your audience.
Bonus points if your destination is on the cooler side or has a body of water that guests can cool down in. With climate change no longer on the horizon but here, travelers are straying from the beaten path towards places where they can escape the heat.
While adopting the latest travel trends is essential for your property to stay relevant and competitive, the hotel industry is really all about the people. Focus on personalized service to make your guests feel special and establish loyalty.
Create guest segments to identify and target specific demographics within your general customer base. Using the above example of bleisure travelers, hoteliers can tailor their services and communications to solo workationers, families, or working couples.
WebRezPro automatically creates guest profiles when a reservation is made, providing key information about guest preferences, needs, and booking history that can be used to improve the stay experience each time.
Digitalized service creates a seamless, elevated stay experience for your guests with features like guest messaging, keyless room entry, and contactless check-in/out. From finding and booking a place to stay to organizing where and when to eat and what activities to do, traveling can be stressful—but it doesn’t have to be! Automating these tasks for your guests with the likes of online booking and digital concierge services frees up time they can spend enjoying your property’s stay experience to the fullest.
AI is here to help with that process, and 41 percent of travelers would like to use it to curate their trips. It also streamlines operations, sorting tasks and automating guest messaging.
Evolving trends highlight the continual growth and change in the hospitality industry. Get ready for another year of reimagining the travel experience with these 2025 resolutions for your business.
Editor’s note: This post was last updated in December 2024.
