Marriott International is taking yet another stab at drawing in Millennial customers. The chain announced that it is importing its European hotel chain, AC, to the United States. As you may recall, Marriott announced earlier this year that it was partnering with IKEA to create Moxy, a Millennial-geared hotel chain that will develop across Europe.
If Marriott can lock up a good portion of Millennial business travelers, it could mean a big boost to revenue. According to research done by the hotelier, “business travelers ages 21 to 49 who make three or more business trips a year spend $34 billion on hotel rooms,” USA Today notes.
The way AC designers see it, Millennials like a sleek design, free WiFi and communal eating and working areas. Each hotel will feature the AC Library, “offering wide communal tables for working and socializing along with locally relevant reading materials” as well as a lounge. Folks who aren’t staying at the hotel can even use the AC Library if they book space ahead of time on Marriott’s new Workspace on Demand.
We noted last week that Millennials are posed to change how brands will market travel. There is no doubt that the needs of a Millennial traveler differ from previous generations. According to Skift.com, Millennials want free wifi, easy checkins and modern designs among amenities.
In addition to Marriott’s efforts both domestic and abroad, we also noted that Country Inns and Suites is updating its look to attract Millennial consumers.
As the Millennial cohort matures and pumps more dollars into travel, it will be interesting to see how hoteliers market to Millennials.
Photo credit: Flickr.com/uggboy
