This year, the millennial generation is predicted to surpass the size of the Baby Boomer generation by growing to 73-million. That’ll make it the largest living adult generation, and one which is perfectly primed for savvy independent hoteliers to target with their best offers, rates and stay packages. But how do you tempt what is, arguably, a rather dynamic (read: ‘unpredictable’) generation to actually book a room at your hotel and do so regularly? And how do you encourage them to share their experience with friends in a way that makes everyone want to sample the delights of your property?
Welcome to our no-nonsense, quick guide to attracting more millennials to your hotel.
Ensure they can book super-fast
Millennials have no interest in hunting around for ‘Book Now’ buttons; they’ll want to engage with your hotel quickly if they fancy placing a booking. So, why would you hide your online booking engine pages-deep or behind links that are more fancy than descriptive?
If you have hospitality software that includes a live online booking engine, make best use of it by offering the best rates (while complying with rate parity rules – for instance, you could create a package that includes more than the advertised rate on OTAs), and make sure you maximise your presence on the likes of Booking.com.
Make sure people can book your hotel easily, no matter where they happen to find you.
Cater for the flexible working crew
Sometimes referred to as ‘digital nomads’, flexible workers are increasing in number. And it’s a practice that is largely accepted – even by the Australian government – as being good for business. It isn’t just the millennial generation who opt for flexible working patterns over the standard 9-5, either, so there’s actually a vast independent working audience out there you can cater for as a hotel.
These people want to get work done no matter where they are, and if your hotel has ample space in which remote workers can sit down with their laptop and crack on, why not make a big play on the fact? Readily advertise your awesome coffee, quiet working spaces and packages that include a bed for the night and private meeting space if required – you’ll be surprised by how many modern workers take you up on the offer.
Get ethical with your food
Millennials want great food, but they also want to know that it was sourced sustainably. You might be doing this already, but if not, make sure you provide locally-grown ingredients within the food you offer in your restaurants. Go for organic, low food mileage ingredients and put plenty of effort into gluten-free and other allergen-friendly dishes.
As a result, you’ll also be able to work closely with local businesses – something else you can promote and to which the millennial audience will warm.
Add craft beers to your bar
There’s no escaping the rise of craft beers. Head into any bar in virtually any city or town and you’ll find a significant number of brightly-coloured cans and bottles sitting in the fridges. There’s a reason for this: millennials now spend more on craft beer than they do their cell phones and utilities!
Surprised? Don’t be – and make sure you offer plenty of interesting beers behind your bar to ensure a healthy flow of millennial drinkers.
Wrapping up
Millennials might only represent a portion of your market at the moment, but with our tips above, you should be able to draw in far more occupancy from this huge audience.
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CMS Hospitality holds over 30 years of experience in delivering hospitality software solutions. GuestCentrix offers the most complete solution in hotel property management software, whether you’re running a hotel, a resort or a hostel. Our highly experienced support and installations team holds a unique understanding of the hospitality industry and will aim to provide software that suits your property’s needs.
Call us today at (+61) 2 9440 9711, or email us at sales@cmshospitality.com. We will be happy to guide you to the GuestCentrix solution that’s right for you.