Hilton sees more wellness, mocktails and all-inclusive resorts in its future
If hotel companies behaved like high school cliques, Hilton would definitely be a forward-thinking tech nerd.
The company is typically ahead of the pack with things like mobile check-in and checkout, digital key technology and connecting room guarantees with its online reservations system. So, when Hilton puts out a report on where it sees future travel trends heading, it’s usually smart to tune in and see what the forecast is. The industry is likely to follow.
The company’s 2024 Trends Report examines how travelers of all ages, from Generation Z to baby boomers, look to interact with a hotel during a stay — and how that might impact your next trip.
Welcome to the era of wellness
The company points to one of its newer brands, Tempo, when touching on how wellness trends increasingly impact how Hilton approaches design and operations at its hotels. Tempo, which debuted this year in New York City’s Times Square, includes various mechanisms to help guests sleep better. A charging puck for smartphones is meant to promote leaving a phone on the nightstand instead of scrolling and looking at the screen well past bedtime.
Canopy by Hilton features sleep-enhanced bedding with features like temperature-controlled and supportive mattresses. Motto by Hilton includes sound-absorbing surroundings in its guest rooms.
Expect to see more sleep features — perhaps quieter ones — in the future, as Hilton notes nearly 10% of travelers around the world travel with a white noise machine. The company estimates that 20% of global travelers request rooms away from elevators or on a higher floor to get away from any noise.
The company is also monitoring how nearly 20% of travelers admit to bringing their own pillow to a hotel stay to ensure better sleep. You can already point to pillow libraries at nicer hotels like Japan’s Conrad Osaka or the Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah as a sign hotels are picking up on this trend. We’ll be curious how this travel trend plays out on a more mainstream level at Hilton brands like Home2 and Tru.
Free-spirited fun at the bar
The company also emphasized ways it is looking to court travelers who increasingly look to consume nonalcoholic beverages for a variety of reasons. The wellness report noted a quarter of Gen Z travelers avoid alcohol before bedtime. But the company doesn’t take this as a sign Gen Z travelers are heading to bed early; they just aren’t drinking as many alcohol-fueled drinks.
The company highlighted its nonalcoholic (or “free-spirited”) cocktail menu at Tempo as one way Hilton can appeal to all travelers. A company presentation indicated some travelers even alternate between spirited and free-spirited drinks throughout the night.
“We don't want to be didactic about how we engage with wellness and our guests,” said Amanda Al-Masri, Hilton’s vice president of wellness, during an online webinar early this month. “We don't mean to tell them what it means to be well. We want to react to their needs and where they are in their wellness journey.”
The all-inclusive resort is no longer just for poolside fun
Wristbands and frozen cocktails might be the hallmark of many all-inclusive resorts, but Hilton is banking that there’s a business travel future for this type of hotel stay. Hilton and its main competitors like Hyatt, Marriott and IHG all have various strategies to beef up their all-inclusive resort offerings in the coming years.
One area of change that likely comes with these hotel giants and their loyalty programs entering a space previously dominated by Sandals and Club Med is that trip purpose might expand. Hilton notes businesses might start to give all-inclusive resorts more consideration for meetings and events travel.
“The past few years have reinforced that there is no true replacement for in-person meetings and events,” Chris Silcock, Hilton’s chief commercial officer, said in a statement included in the trends report. “Today many are embracing the unique value of business travel and want to maximize the time that they have on the road, in the meeting or at the conference to build and strengthen relationships.”
One way the company appears poised to capitalize on the trend is to position all-inclusive resorts as venues that play into the idea of more blended business and leisure travel. It appears to be paying off, as the company claims group bookings at Hilton all-inclusive resorts were up “by double digits” from a year ago.
Yes, that means you might see as many crowds at the business center at a Hilton all-inclusive resort as you do at the swim-up poolside bar. OK, maybe not as many — but close.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.