Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images

Following her session at the HotelSpaces Conference, our Executive Creative Director, Jamie Cornelius, explores how different industries are designing memorable experiences and what that means for hospitality.

 The word hospitality comes from the Latin word ‘hospes’, which can mean both “host” & “stranger”.

In many ways this perfectly captures the contradiction at the heart of the industry. It has always worked under tension between two conflicting forces; ‘uniqueness’ & ‘scale’.

How do you give large numbers of individuals personalized and memorable experiences?

The industry has, at times, been guilty of fixating on the newest buzzword or concept (think “frictionless”, “omnichannel”, and “immersive”), believing it will the silver bullet that will deliver next level customer experiences.

However, if the focus on convenience culture over the past few years has taught us anything, we must be wary of jumping on the buzzword bandwagon. As we’re seeing across industries, delivering convenience without a meaningful brand expression can lead to a forgettable experience.

Instead, we’re seeing success in leaning into positive tension or friction; The duality of the “&” that sits at the heart of the hospitality industry. Where rather than going down one path, some brands are looking at factors that might be at odds with each other and finding ways to unite them. These “&” experiences find their success not in jumping on the next bandwagon, but by maintaining a delicate balance as customer expectations continue to change.

Below we’ll explore how brands across sectors are innovating the customer experience and what that means for the future of hospitality.

Experiences That Are For Me & My Tribe

Whether digital or physical, tailored experiences are connecting customers to brands and building loyalty. But at the same time there is a loneliness epidemic. People not only want to be seen and heard, but they also want to be a part of something bigger, connected to like-minded individuals. Worldwide, 85% of people say that they don’t have enough time to connect deeply with others. Many brands are looking for ways to bring people together. The wellness industry, for instance, has historically been focused on you and your individual health journey. However, they are now embracing the idea of “my tribe”.

73% of customers reported they expect companies to understand their unique needs and expectations.

What does this mean for the hospitality industry? Hospitality brands have historically led the way in providing spaces and experiences geared towards helping individuals connect. Especially in the full-service and leisure travel space (think resort staff and entertainment programs.) However, the world has shifted and the same old programs don’t cut it. Also, the need for connection extends beyond holiday-makers. It is perhaps even more necessary for business travelers and for society in general. Hotels with their existing space and infrastructure are uniquely positioned to deliver on this need. With the rise in multi-use public spaces in hotels we have seen the draw of creating communal spaces where people can come together and make connections. While individuality and privacy is imperative, finding moments and experiences where the tendency towards isolation can be safely broken will be a powerful differentiator.

And as technology evolves, there will be even more opportunities to drive change and design spaces that are truly innovative and cater to a wide spectrum of needs. Take El Cosmico, which is currently in development in Marfa, Texas and will be the world’s first 3D-printed hotel. At the HotelSpaces Conference this fall, we heard their team speak about how they’re designing a destination that is both communal and individual. Their groundbreaking 3D printing will deliver uniqueness at scale in a way the industry hasn’t fully explored before. The speed and flexibility of 3D printing means the lodgings will each be distinct from one another, while the textures and spacing will maintain a uniformity with the property and the surrounding landscape of West Texas.

Experiences That Are One-of-a-Kind & Always New

Immersive experiences have been the hot topic over the last few years. Buzzworthy destinations like Meow Wolf, the Museum of Ice Cream, or The Sphere are all praised as best-in-class experiences (for everything from their novelty to how they engage guests.) However, the translation of that into an impactful experience that customers return to time and time again is more challenging. Today’s consumers expect newness each time they visit, and the cost associated with creating an immersive experience, as well as keeping it fresh, is difficult for the everyday retailer. Steve Jobs said it best, “You can’t just ask customers what they want and then try to give that to them. By the time you get it built, they’ll want something new.” We are a swipe-right society, and our experiences need to be built for the inevitable changes in customer preferences. Gone are the days of the 10-year prototype. Instead, we need to factor in change when designing for the future. Retailer CAMP is a great example of balancing immersive experiences, while still staying fresh. The retail space remains unchanged other than the product, but the wow, and what brings customers back, are the experiences. Rotating from Bluey to Little Mermaid or even celebrating all things spooky at Halloween. There’s always a reason to return, and each visit provides a powerful new memory connecting customers to the CAMP brand.

Similarly, we’re seeing more and more hotels go “niche” in order to attract an audience with a specific affinity (e.g. the growth in music-themed design hotels, or lifestyle brands telling a particular local story.) But planning for change and flexibility in your design is key. Once customers have seen something “one-of-a-kind”, is there a need or strong pull for them to come back?

While niche offerings are a great start to drive relevance, continued engagement and brand loyalty won’t last without a certain level of reliability and service. Predictability is a major driving force in why customers stay at any given hotel. To keep guests coming back, their expectations must be lived up to, along with novelty.

Experiences That Are Convenient & Showstopping

It is no surprise that, “70% of consumers say that speed and convenience are the most important aspects when interacting with a brand.” If you’re not delivering on convenience, you’re not in the consideration of the customer. What is surprising is that 65% of consumers say they love fewer than three brands, and another 9% do not express loyalty or “love” for any brands. It is critical for brands to use every interaction to build a connection to their brand. So, while we must remove bad friction, the good friction needs to be memorable. While we’ve seen countless restaurants take convenience more into consideration operationally, the brand challenges often go unresolved. The brand has to deliver fast and better service, but with an experience that is undeniably and uniquely true to them.

When it comes to hospitality, guests similarly want to feel stress-free and at ease. And at the most basic level, most people want to feel seen and understood. When we define a brand’s experience principles we think, ‘what do we want customers to think, feel and remember’? We believe engineering the humanity out of an experience for the sake of convenience can lead to a worse experience. Mapping the complete customer journey and understanding and resolving pain points is key. But also understanding where moments of friction are opportunities for meaningful interaction that can make an experience feel personal, warm, and human will become signature experiences that customers remember.

Conclusion

As customer expectations continue to change, hotels will need to be more dynamic in their approach by:

1. Creating experiences that acknowledge and understand the customer & create community. Because experiences are meant to be shared.
2. Creating immersive experiences, but built for change. Give customers a reason to return.
3. Removing bad friction, but amplifying the good friction. Every moment is an opportunity to win the hearts and minds of customers.

The hospitality industry is in a unique position in that they have the existing tools and infrastructure to deliver on all of these, and those who can do so authentically will have greater brand perception, affinity, and loyalty.