How Millennials Are Remaking The Hospitality Market

Millennials want more out of their hospitality experience than their elders, and hotels would be wise to pay attention. That will be one of the themes at our Seattle Hospitality on the Horizon event this Friday at Grand Hyatt Seattle.

HKS SVP and associate principal, director of design Tom Sprinkle, who will be a speaker, tells us "wellness travel" is the next area of growth. Recreational travel isn't quite like it used to be. Travelers are now more interested in active holidays, unique experiences and learning something, and hospitality properties will need to cater to those kinds of travelers.

"Funny thing is, this market is being driven by more new travelers and younger people than Baby Boomers," he says. "I guess all those museum trips as children actually did take root." In its hospitality design practice, HKS strives to design spaces and places where people long to return—places that have enhanced their work, play or stay. Above is W Bellevue, an HKS project.

Washington Restaurant Association CEO Anthony Anton, who is now also CEO of the Washington Lodging Association, is another of our speakers. He tells us the recent merger of the two organizations is important because the industries have a lot in common, especially the issues they face in the public sphere, such as the minimum wage. "We decided it was better to work together. We'd have a stronger voice."

Finding the right solution on the minimum wage is particularly vital to the health of both industries going forward, Anthony notes. "We want to find a place in the middle. That's been our main focus for the last few months." Restrictive scheduling—at its heart, locking in an employee's schedule two weeks ahead of time—is another emerging issue facing both industries, he adds. San Francisco was first to have it, and now it's been debated in other cities, including Seattle.

You can hear more from our all-star panelists at our Seattle Hospitality on the Horizon event Friday at the Four Seasons Seattle, starting at 7:30am. Sign up here.