Luxury hotel trends to watch
Technology is changing the way the hospitality industry works, but so are the environment and comfort. Just look at this list of what's in and what's out from Hawkins International Public Relations, which represents a string of luxury hotels.
Here are 5 trends to watch in the year ahead:
What's Out: Staying up all night
What's In: Sleeping all night
Why party all night when you can get the best sleep of your life? Hotels are putting an emphasis on sleep offerings to help their guests get a good night's snooze. Hotel Vermont in Burlington has a special bedtime menu with a long list of sleep-friendly amenities including a Lunaroma aromatherapy selection, Vermont flannel PJ sets, Vermont teddy bears, bedtime stories, and a hot toddy selection.
What's Out: Dialing "0" to reach the concierge desk
What's In: Using your smartphone or tablet to reach the concierge...and book reservations
Hotels are inviting guests to make requests without saying a word. Three Loews Hotels properties are testing a pilot program that takes guest requests through text messages - from additional pillows to wake up calls - with replies guaranteed within four minutes. Loews Hotels also recently debuted a program that invites guests to make "social reservations" through Twitter: Simply tweet @Loews_Hotels with the hashtag #BookLoews and a Loews travel planner will assist with your reservation.
What's Out: Designer suites
What's In: Designer bikes
Hotels are teaming up with designers to create custom bikes that express the style and individuality of the property. Even as Citi Bikes take over Manhattan, Gramercy Park Hotel worked with Lorenzo Martone to create "the Christian Louboutin" of bicycles for guests. The bikes are all-white save for Martone's signature bright red chain. Le Meurice in Paris offers chic pistachio-green bicycles with all the trimmings including a green basket and elegant gold bike locks, while 45 Park Lane in London invites guests to take a spin on bespoke Brompton bicycles in the hotel's signature purple color.
What's Out: Connecting flights
What's In: Train tourism
One of the hottest travel trends for 2014, train tourism is breaking out in a big way, with tour operators adding rail excursions to their list of trip selections. Mongolian tour operator Nomadic Expeditions is unveiling four new rail trips for 2014, with trans-Siberian routes spanning from Moscow to Beijing and Ulaanbaatar to Moscow. Luxury tour operator Big Five Tours & Expeditions' 13-day Madagascar trip lets travelers observe lemurs in Analamazotra Special Reserve, visit workshops of crafters and artisans, meet the famous Vezo fisherman of Anakoa, and experience culture and scenery on a day-long train journey through the rainforest.
What's Out: Walking Tours
What's In: Experiential Tours
Hotels are offering new ways to get up close and personal with their destinations. Rather than walk through wildlife, fly through it on Omni Mount Washington's canopy tour - the longest zip-line tour in New England, which treats thrill-seekers to views of the East's tallest peak. Guests at The Dolder Grand in Zurich can enjoy an art history lesson with their stay courtesy of an Art iPad app that provides insider info on works in the hotel's impressive art collection, with pieces by Andy Warhol, Salvatore Dali and others. Kiawah Island invites visitors to discover and observe the fascinating flora and fauna that inhabit the island's diverse ecosystems on a "Wildlife in the Wetlands" bike tour.
Reported by: stltoday.com
