In response to the many geo-political, sociological, and technological changes that took place in 2017, five-star hotels are making changes—some small, some large.
Here’s what to expect, based on predictions from a panel of leading industry insiders: Tina Edmundson, global brand officer at Marriott International Inc.; Bjorn Hanson, clinical professor at NYU’s Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism; John Vanderslice, global head of luxury and lifestyle brands at Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc.; and Guy Langford and Marcello Gasdia, of Deloitte LLP’s travel, hospitality, and services group.
New Fees Will Hit Major Markets
Hotels in major U.S. markets will become more expensive next year as the practice of adding resort fees, once reserved for getaways in exotic locales, becomes more and more common at urban properties—often with a nightly price tag of $25.
NYU’s Hanson has noticed them most in New York, where high occupancy rates leave picky travelers with few alternatives. (They’re also rumored to be popping up in Chicago and Los Angeles.) Budget for the fee on business trips, as transparency is not yet what it should be. There is one slight silver lining: “This is better than hotels raising their room rates,” says Hanson, “since the fees aren’t subject to occupancy taxes.”
Turn-Down Service Will Disappear
Pay your respects to those chocolates on your pillow, while you still can. “More and more hotels are making turndown service optional for two reasons. One is cost,” says NYU’s Hanson.
The second, he says, is privacy. “We go through cycles when people are more private and more open, and right now—for reasons I can only speculate about—people are feeling more private about their personal space. Some people don’t like their toiletries straightened up.”
“It’s a fair comment” says Deloitte’s Langford. “My personal view is that there are things you value and things you don’t, and I don’t need anyone to turn down my bed. With certain companies, it may be part of a brand promise. But if it’s not, it’s a cost—and it doesn’t need to be provided.”