Who are Millennials and What are Their Characteristics?
Millennials are those born in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s. Today, most millennials have become young adults. They are usually referred to as the “Me Generation” and often been criticised due to their strong emphasis on individuality. They tend to spend more, compared to previous generations, primarily on leisure activities and products. Thanks to growing up with the convenience and connectedness brought by technology, they’ve also been characterised as demanding, impatient, practical and tech-savvy. These characteristics are influential in shaping their purchasing habits and preferences, as well as their traveling choices.
So, let’s take a look at what hotels should offer to attract millennials.
What Can Hotels Do to Satisfy The Demands of Millennials?
Hotels should have a consistent and respectable digital footprint to attract millennials. They usually don’t expect hotels to have a perfect review score but they expect to come across genuine interaction. They appreciate hotels being friendly and engaging in two-way dialogue with guests.
Hotels should use technology so their millennial guests can access personalised services and communication. One of the best technological solutions is a guest engagement platform. This can also present opportunities for upselling and cross-selling.
Since millennials actively use social media, it’s also a very good opportunity for viral marketing and improving your hotel’s brand image. A consistent social media presence will reinforce the perception that the hotel is accessible and responsive to its guests.
Research amongst millennials reveals that they would like to use the following services through their smartphones when they stay in a hotel:
- Room service
- Wifi
- Watching TV and movies
- Connecting a device to the TV or speakers
- Checking in and out
- Booking external and internal facilities and activities
- Accessing the devices in the room remotely
A guest engagement platform offers solutions for all the above. It allows hotels to:
- Personalise individual guest experiences
- Create and maintain a digital footprint
- Services being promoted on mobile platforms
- Provide information about the hotel to guests
- Resolve guest issues and needs
Since more and more millennials are joining the ranks of the workforce, many are becoming both providers and consumers of goods and services. This is why hotels should understand and appeal to them in order to attract them as guests and future employees.
