One of the hardest things for hotels to do is serve a wide range of customers whose needs can be very different. Some of the biggest differences in what guests want and how they act come from how they were raised. This is a significant aspect that hotel owners and operators should put a lot of emphasis on. What a baby boomer wants from a hotel is completely different from what a millennial wants. Here, we will look at how you can appeal to and give guests of any generation what they want from a hotel stay.

What are the different generations?

Before we delve into what each generation expects from their hotel stay, let’s take a look at the different age ranges and their names.

What do they want?

The Silent Generation 

This cohort was born in the years following the Great Depression, and as a result, many members of this group were brought up with a thrifty mentality. Members of the Silent Generation have been retired for a long time, so discounts and special deals on bookings and services are likely to be welcome. 

This generation is looking for a haven where they can unwind, rest, and spend time with their families. Traditional media like magazines, newspapers, radio, and TV are the best way to get people in this age group to notice your hotel, so amenities like newspapers at the front desk will appeal to them.

If you haven't already, now is the time to look at how your hotel helps people who are disabled or older. their luggage or someone to take them to their rooms so that they can get comfortable.

Hotels should have amenities that can be used by all of their guests, not just those who are young and healthy. This means that the hotel needs to have more chairs and benches in different places, as well as bathrooms that are easy to get to and a sufficient number of parking spots for disabled guests. Furthermore, having comfortable beds and linens and level walking surfaces are all significant advantages.

Boomers 

The baby boomers are a group of people who were born right after World War II and grew up during a time when the economy grew faster than ever before. This age group has a lot of money to spend, and if you want your hotel to do well, you need to attract people in this age group. This is especially true when one considers that people aged 50 and over are responsible for eighty percent of the money spent on luxury travel.

Members of this generation are entering retirement while maintaining an active lifestyle. They are always looking for new ways to travel, whether for fun, adventure, or to learn about other cultures. 

Even though this generation came of age during the time of radio, television, and newspapers, they are becoming more tech-savvy by the day. For example, they are more likely to communicate with their friends and family via digital tools such as email and social media, and some of them even do their shopping online. They are becoming more open to alternatives like mobile check-in and being able to use a device to request services like meals in the room.

The boomer generation places a high value on quality. They are willing to pay more for better amenities, like comfortable mattresses and tasty food, because they value these things. They are upset with oversights such as rooms that are not cleaned properly or front desk employees who are not courteous.

Generation X

Members of Generation X are currently at the peak of their earning potential. In spite of the fact that they make up a smaller percentage of the population than either Millennials or Baby Boomers, they are responsible for bringing in 31% of the total income dollars in the United States.

They are the best at researching on the internet of any generation, and they are the most likely to look up a hotel online before making a reservation, paying close attention to price, location, quality, and extras. It is very important to have some kind of influence over them when they are making decisions and to give them all the information they need to make the right choice. 

Generation X people are also more likely to be parents, so if you want to serve them, you need to offer options that are good for families. Think kid-friendly menu options at the hotel restaurant, suites with connecting doors, names of reputable childcare services to recommend, and cribs and cots that are available on demand.

If you go above and beyond to make their stays memorable, they will thank you. The rates of brand loyalty among members of Generation X are the highest of any generation. Members of this group keep coming back to the same brands year after year because they enjoy them, and they are even willing to shell out extra money for an experience that they are confident will live up to their expectations. They are also less interested in trying out new brands than previous generations were. This can make it hard to get first-time guests to stay at a certain place.

Millennials

The Millennial generation used to be the youngest, but now that they are adults, they are spending an extra $6 billion every year. They are also the portion of the workforce that is increasing at the fastest rate, which means that they are significant contributors to both business and leisure travel. Because millennials are always connected, the quality of the amenities provided during their stay, such as the internet, can make or break the experience.

Millennials expect fast responses. It is very important for your hotel to have services that analyse performance and increase efficiency, as well as services that let Millennials get this kind of quick satisfaction. These services should be implemented.

It should not come as a surprise that millennials have a positive response to hotels on social media. Forbes reports that 62 percent of millennials believe they are more likely to become loyal customers of a brand if the brand connects with them on social media channels. They also want their ideas to be heard, and 42 percent of them have expressed an interest in assisting businesses in the development of new products and services in the future. For people in this demographic, mobile is everything. Make sure that the services you provide may be accessed on mobile devices.

Generation Z

This demographic does not represent a large number of bookings because they are too young. But members of Generation Z, who have grown up with technology on a scale that has never been seen before, are already changing the world in unique ways and are likely to become a powerful consumer group in the years to come. It is in your best interest to start paying attention to this group right now, as we anticipate that in the future they will become quite significant for hotels.

They place a high value on authenticity and transparency, and they anticipate that brands will be upfront and honest about the services they provide and the policies they have in place. They are also more open to change, and the vast majority of them are concerned about the world around them and want to work toward making it a better place. Hotels could get ready for Generation Z by putting in place policies that encourage positive change, like eco-friendly and sustainable options.

Which age groups are the most profitable?

The hotel industry's generational groupings that tend to generate the greatest revenue are typically Generation X (who typically spend more money while they are there) and millennials (who travel more frequently all throughout the year). Generation Xers are also known to have a lot of buying power and can spend up to 25% of their total budget on lodging. They care more about keeping a healthy balance between their work and personal lives, and they travel about three times a year, usually when the kids are on break from school. 

The modern guest

So, with all of that in mind, what does a typical modern guest look like? Let's be honest; there is not a single response that can be given to that question, and that may very well be the point. The "modern" guest demographic includes people from all decades who are looking for unique travel experiences. The days of providing guests with a "one-size-fits-all" style of hospitality services are long gone; today's customers expect their own personalised experience during every stay. In the end, this shows that service needs to be more personalised and that each guest needs to be known better. There is a new and enhanced hospitality standard being set by modern customers, and it is the responsibility of hotel businesses to keep up with these new expectations or risk falling behind.