International, as well as domestic travel, has been on an increase across the world for the past few decades. This is a result of a number of important changes made globally that led to easier immigration procedures, cheaper flight fares, and increased overall mobility. The latter is particularly visible in developed nations, especially in the European Union where the Schengen zone guarantees freedom of movement for over 500 million people.
The 21st century saw a massive increase in international travel. Flights in Europe, thanks to ultra-low-cost carriers, such as Ryanair and Wizzair, are starting selling at extremely low prices. Flying was once a subject of luxury while people now can book flights for as low as 5 or 10 Euros. This highly affects the number of airline passengers globally as over 4.4 billion people flew in 2018 alone.
When there is such a major boom in international travel and the surge in the number of people going abroad for holidays, the hotel industry is also seeing changes. The recent decade also witnessed the launch of a number of short-term online rental platforms, such as Airbnb. They proved to be quite competitive and as a result, more and more people decide to stay at apartments rather than hotels. The industry soon realized that the service needs to be improved if hotels want to maintain visitors. In this article, we have listed some of the necessities that hotel visitors expect for the price.
Good and free breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for the majority of people. As the first occasion of eating during the day, it gives us much needed energy to start off the day. Food, even other meals of the day, were almost always included in the price decades ago. However, as the diverse range of hotels emerged from motel-style facilities to luxury downtown venues, the concept of a hotel breakfast changed significantly. Today, meals are rarely included in the price tag. However, whether free or not, visitors expect them to be decent and well worth the extra price.
Entertainment
Depending on the type of hotel, its visitors expect it to have quality entertainment services. Although some hotels are purely business-oriented, the majority are still focused on tourists. One of the biggest sectors that drives the hospitality industry is gambling. Recently, an increasing number of online gambling platforms started to pop up all across the world. In particular, digital card games are gaining momentum among players. More and more people realize that with online baccarat and other card games quite a lot of funds can quickly flow in. As a result, the demand for physical casino venues is shrinking.
However, many hotels are known for their iconic casinos. Some were even created as a result of successful casino businesses. For example, the vast majority of visitors at the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas stay there because of its iconic casino. Amid the increasing number of digital gambling platforms, such landmark venues still remain immensely popular. Thus, hotels in this niche should consider stepping their game up to compete with the innovation.
Great in-hotel bars
Bars are, in general, an essential part of the hotel culture. People staying at some of the well-known hotels expect decent bar services as a means of entertainment, a well as for the purpose of socializing. Hotel chains like Hilton or Radisson offer their own, well-established bar chains within the venues. No matter how famous the hotel is, a good bar is an expectation that the majority of travelers have and it has a vast contribution to their experience.
Living a healthy life: gyms
Holidaymakers from all around the world have just a few weeks per year to spend freely on a vacation. For many of them, the lifestyle they have back home is crucial. Thus, people try to keep up with everything they do during the rest of the year while on a holiday as well. This particularly is important when talking about a workout. Getting back on track is rather difficult after taking a break and sipping cocktails for an extended period of time. Thus, having an in-hotel gym or a partnered one is a big plus that will certainly translate into reviews of any hotel.
Room service
People go on holiday to relax and take some time, recovering from their busy lives. Thus, many prefer ordering room service rather than going out to eat on all days. It is an iconic and important trait of the hotel that can not be experienced at apartments. Good service is always appreciated by customers, thus every hotel should aim to make them somewhat special.
