Travel looks a lot different these days. In many ways, the “new normal” of the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated some high-performance developments that hotels around the world have rapidly implemented to keep pace with travelers’ ever-changing needs in order to provide the maximum amount of comfort as a home away from home.
In a new report documenting 2022 global travel trends, Hilton identified key areas where hotels are introducing or expanding new programs and initiatives to accommodate the modern day traveler.
From pets to Pelotons, keep on the lookout for these travel trends to continue to flourish this new year.
Welcome to check in, Fido
Stepping into 2022, there is a new, important traveler to consider: the family pet.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, approximately 23 million U.S. homes welcomed a pet, which accounts for nearly 1 in 5 households, according to the ASPCA. A recent survey by Mars Petcare also found that 65% of those households are interested in future travel alongside their new four-legged companions.
For example, the Hotel del Coronado, Curio Collection by Hilton in sunny Southern California offers a gourmet room service menu just for dogs, while the Conrad New York features GPS-enabled dog-walking services, complete with photos and a recap of your pup’s adventure in the city.
Sayonara hotel key cards
Stopping by the front desk to request a physical room key will soon be a thing of the past.
Many hotels have started to introduce digital key cards. While Hilton has had a Digital Key at select hotels since 2015, the brand is now introducing its Digital Key Share, which enables Hilton Honors members to share their Digital Key with family and friends safely and securely.
Hyatt and Apple have also teamed up to introduce digital hotel keys to Apple Wallet so guests can access rooms by an easy flash of their iPhone or Apple Watch.
Fitness on the go
During the past two years, people changed the way they exercised dramatically, resulting in increased sales of in-home fitness apps and equipment, and the introduction of new fitness routines. Major hotel chains, like Westin, Hilton, Marriott and Kimpton, have all partnered with Peloton, so you can take your fitness on the road with consistency. Guests who opt in to Hilton’s Five Feet to Fitness program are given more than 11 different pieces of equipment and accessory options that are located within a convenient five feet from their bed so they can workout in the privacy and proximity of their own room.
Wellness, elevated
The increased focus on wellness is evolving the spa and the holistic hotel experience with unique therapies along with an emphasis on the connection to nature and the outdoors.
Take the new Tierra Luna Spa at the reimagined Arizona Biltmore, A Waldorf Astoria Resort that’s reinventing the modern spa experience with treatments that are centered on desert botanicals, cosmic correction and dynamic recovery, like the Alchemy Mud & Crystal Body Treatment, which features an onsite astrologist.
