Hotel trends 2023

2023 is just around the corner and with the hotel world forever adapting we have made some predictions for hotel trends to look out for in 2023.

Angela Cameron:

Creating communal/public spaces first

The needs of today's hotel traveller have changed immeasurably in the last 10 years. It's not enough now to offer a beautifully designed, boutique bedroom and restaurant quality food to match - guests want to work, live and be entertained during their stay. It's true to say that many of the industry innovators have been creating their hotel brands with the public areas as a primary consideration for a number of years, but as we head into 2023 this will become much more prevalent in the independent market. It's not that bedrooms have become an afterthought, it's more that wellness, experience and community are first on the list when designing something new. Think adaptable and welcoming spaces which consider the audience from the morning, through the middle of the day and into the late night.

Budget luxe

The aspirational traveller has been a strong feeder of volumes into the luxury independent hotel market for years, but with the ongoing financial crisis showing no signs of improvement into the new year, this group of guests are finding that they can no longer afford the high ADR's of the 4 star + hotel category. Forward thinking brands will design and adapt in 2023 for better value stays whilst still offering some luxury touches along the way.

Turning to tech

The pandemic and subsequent staffing crisis meant that hotels were almost forced to reconsider their current tech offerings including PMS, guest check in and security. Positive learnings across this time have led to further innovations around how we can improve the guest journey and experience by implementing more tech into the hotel stay in general. From improvements in room service ordering, to billing and easier booking processes, 2023 will see much tech come to the fore as a real support to reduced teams on property.

Scott Wood:

The rise of sustainability

I believe that in 2023 we will see a real shift in attention to sustainability in hotels. We are starting to see more hotels consider the environment when making decisions, but I think this will come more to the front on considerations when making decisions. There are many things that hotels can do to improve sustainability, from reducing water waste to using energy efficient light bulbs. I think that sustainability will become more central in marketing campaigns and hotel websites will be shouting about their eco efforts across their websites. As well as this we might see more hotels that have sustainability as their USP, with more net zero carbon hotels. This is a key consideration for the Gen Z audience so hotels need to take note and prepare for the new audience of bookers.

An increase in virtual check-ins

The second trend that I believe we could see is an increase in virtual check-ins. A virtual check in for hotels would mean that people wouldn’t need to interact with a receptionist to check in. People would check in using a machine in the hotel reception, through a website or through an app which could grant them access to their room. We are already beginning to see technology in the accommodation world that allows guests to use their mobile phone as their room key. I think that we will see this increase in 2023, especially with the increase in Gen Z audience who typically prefer to not have to interact with people and are tech savvy.

Co-working space in hotels to gain popularity

My third prediction for a hotel trend in 2023 is for coworking spaces in hotels to gain popularity. In the post-covid world more people are working from home and more people don’t have access to a physical office space provided by their employers. This has resulted in more people working in coworking offices or local coffee shops in order to have a change of scenery when working from home. This presents an opportunity for hotels - especially those that are struggling to fill meeting rooms as a result of the rise of online meetings. Hotels could provide a space for people to come in and work at the hotel, this could be in the hotel lobby or meeting rooms. People could pay a fee in order to use the hotel facilities and Wi-Fi - providing a new revenue stream for the hotel. As well as this, they are likely to spend money in the restaurants to buy lunch or coffee etc during their day. All hotels need in order to offer this is an area where people can work, good Wi-Fi and good marketing to spread the word.

Abi Nock:

More Technology

The classic hotel room amenities such as a safe box, kettle and hair dryer are now necessary for anyone looking for a night away. In order to be competitive the hotel industry needs to evolve to give customers an enhanced experience with upgraded hotel room amenities and facilities.

Smart homes are already a big part of everyone's lives and the hotel industry will need to use some of this technology to create smart rooms. There are many ways technology can be incorporated into the rooms, such as; having a device to control the rooms lights, temperature and Smart TV remotely. Voice activation has become the norm over the past few years, so having an Alexa or Google Home is an easy way to level up a hotel room.

Sustainability focus

Climate change is at the forefront of everyone's minds. Guests are looking to stay in hotels which are taking actions against climate change and are incorporating sustainable alternatives. According to Booking.com’s Sustainable Travel Report 2022, 81% of global travellers said that travelling sustainably is important to them.

There are many ways hotels can show initiative and become more sustainable. Having mobile room keys accessed via a smartphone app eliminates the need of printing environmentally harmful plastic keycards. Using high-efficiency bathroom fixtures in the en-suites is also an important method as they use at least 20% less water than their standard counterparts and reducing water not only helps cut costs for the hotel but is a very sustainable practice. Cleaning is a major hotel operation and so moving away from abrasive cleaning products is another easy way to become more sustainable, by using organic or natural cleaners that are less harmful to the environment and therefore not using petrochemicals.

More outdoor space

Since the pandemic people have wanted to get outside, having ‘space to breathe is a new luxury’. Guests aren’t just looking at the in-room features a hotel offers, they want to know more about what they can do when they are there and the space they offer guests to explore.

More hotels are looking into installing a rooftop garden, alfresco dining spaces and outdoor activities in 2023. Encouraging people to enjoy the surroundings, go on a walk, sit on a bench or eat outside is a great way to get visitors at a reasonably low cost and is one of the factors people look into when searching for a place to stay. Giving the option of an outdoor activity, rather than staying inside (especially during warmer months) is a trend which hotels should focus on going into 2023, building a climbing wall, archery or having a local golf course are other ways to attract more customers and break away from the standard hotel.

Abi Yorke:

Memories to last a lifetime

Experience is what Gen Z cares about. They're not worried about materialistic goods, they want to make the best memories by experiencing life to the max. Hotels need to look at how they enhance their guest experience so people walk away to tell their friends they have to go. From putting on a performance when serving afternoon tea, to inviting a theatre troupe in for the evening's entertainment, make sure the guest experience cuts through the noise and leaves a lasting impression.

The planet comes first

Sustainability and eco-consciousness has been a key consideration for a few years but now more than ever, people want to see tangible action. Hotels need to be clear on what they're doing to reduce their carbon footprint and give significant thought to how this is demonstrated to the customer when they interact with the brand. Locally sourced produce wherever possible, waste limitation procedures in place and energy positive initiatives are just a few considerations that need to be at the forefront of hoteliers minds.

Automating the everyday

It's no secret that staffing and recruitment has been a massive focus in 2022 and this looks set to continue into 2023. Hoteliers would be sensible to look for ways to automate processes. Introducing platforms to automate customer communications, installation of self checkin and checkout software and mobile apps to help answer customer queries are just a few tech pieces that could help save time. We know that technology will never replace our wonderful hospitality workers but it could lend a hand whilst the recruitment landscape is a challenge.