Future Hospitality

Future Hospitality

Hospitality is all about getting heads in beds, right? Not anymore. “Following the lead of e-commerce retailers like Amazon and the online travel agencies, hotels are increasingly becoming gatekeepers and storefronts to the entire traveler experience,” writes Skift. “This opens up retailing opportunities for a huge range of products and services, whether that’s selling access to transport, food and drink, tours and activities, meeting space, or much more. Best of all, this strategic shift will help hotels generate more revenue while boosting guest satisfaction.” Food for thought – check out the full report.

Hotel or Airbnb?

The vacation rental revolution continues to change the face of the hospitality industry. And hotels are adjusting accordingly. NPR reports that this week, Marriott expanded its luxury home rental business to over 100 markets. But the influence goes both ways. Airbnb recently partnered with RXR Realty to develop 10 floors of Rockefeller Center into a boutique hotel-like service. In other words, the lines are blurring. "You really do need to think of it as 'lodging,' because that is where this convergence is happening, and I don't think we're going to have these definitions a few years from now," says Lorraine Sileo, senior vice president of research for Phocuswright.

Taco Bellboy

Hotels and vacation rentals are starting to look more and more alike. Are fast food restaurants starting to look like hotels, though? They will if Taco Bell has anything to say about it. The chain just announced plans to open a Taco Bell-themed hotel in Palm Springs, California this summer. The Bell: A Taco Bell Hotel will be an immersive experience, with new menu items, a nail-art, fades and braid bar inspired by Taco Bell and a gift shop. “We're really just creating experiences that feel like a reflection and extension of the essence of Taco Bell at its very best," says Taco Bell's chief global brand officer, Marisa Thalberg. If we can get our Cheesy Gordita Supreme from room service, we’re in!

Canine Room Service

And speaking of room service … gourmet dog room service is real. According to Philly.com, the Rittenhouse Hotel has a canine room service menu that might make you jealous. Scottish salmon over scrambled eggs and spinach ($14), organic chicken ($14), medium-rare filet mignon ($32) … Doesn’t sound like your average dog bowl offerings, right? “We understand that guests really care about their dogs’ experience as much as they do their own,” said Abbe Stern, sales and marketing manager for Lacroix, the restaurant inside the Rittenhouse. “It’s that added level of luxury: Not only are you treated to five-star service, but your pet can be, too."

Weekly Moment of Zen

This writer/editor went on a "Hotel Crawl" in San Francisco — and it changed the way he travels.