Several factors could redefine the hotel experience in the next five years.
The traditional hotel stay might have to make room as other industries enter the hospitality business, sustainable lodging and alternative accommodations become more mainstream and guests continue to chase unique experiences.
Need proof? Look no further than the hotel projects that have opened or are still to come.
Brand warriors
Hotels have built guest loyalty for decades, but retail and food-and-beverage brands own more real estate in the minds of consumers—just wait until they open their own hotels.
Taco Bell opened The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel for less than a week in August 2019 in Palm Springs, California. (Photo: Taco Bell Corporation)
Some already have:
- Fashion icon Armani: Hotels in Dubai and Milan
- Fitness brand Equinox: Equinox Hotels Hudson Yards in New York City
- Craft brewer BrewDog: The DogHouse in Columbus, Ohio
Others have embraced exclusive pop-up hotels:
- Taco Bell: The Bell, in Palm Springs, California (August 2019)
- Nutella: Hotella Nutella, in Napa, California (January 2020)
Which non-hotel brands could be next? Apple? Nike? Wendy’s?
Staying sustainably, alternatively
Expect sustainability to continue to be a priority for guests as they book travel. It’s already a focus for major hotel companies that are re-evaluating plastics use and launching new, sustainability-minded brands such as Accor’s Greet, which will have hotels with between 40 and 80 guestrooms.
Traditional hotels are already being built with non-traditional materials, like London’s Stow-Away Waterloo, a 20-room property made from shipping containers. (Photo: BridgeStreet)
Repurposing materials will affect even hotel construction. Consider Stow-Away Waterloo, a 20-guestroom apart-hotel in London built from 26 shipping containers.
Where no guest has gone before
Tourism is headed for the stars. Is civilian space travel closer than ever before?
The Gateway Foundation is designing its Von Braun Station, a rotating wheel of 24 life-supporting modules that will house residential units, research facilities and a luxury hotel for up to 100 guests. Launch date is by 2025.
The Gateway Foundation aims to launch its rotating Von Braun Station by 2025. A luxury hotel with room for up to 100 guests will be part of its 24 life-support modules. (Photo: The Gateway Foundation)
Want to get to space sooner? Then sign up to earn a room aboard Orion Span’s Aurora Space Station, which could welcome guests by 2022. Aurora can carry just six people at a time, including crew, and guests must undergo preliminary training and conduct science experiments while on board.