In speaking with Barak Hirschowitz, president of
the International Luxury Hotel Assn., at the ILHA
Inspire Summit, he had this to say about the future
of the luxury hotel segment: “Luxury hoteliers
have an exciting opportunity today to reinvent
themselves and market to the cultures and buying
preferences of a diverse global travel community.
That means engaging with and attracting younger
Gen Y and Gen Z travelers and fusing cultural
trends with the hotel’s food-and-beverage offering
by purchasing the types of amenities and creating
the kinds of personalized menus and services
programs that target this demographic.
Luxury travelers don’t want to just have a meal in
the hotel restaurant; they want to have a dining
experience in a restaurant that just happens to
be in a hotel. Strategic purchasing is making this
type of transformation possible, and it’s playing
an important role in personalizing the guest
experience. The most successful luxury properties
today are those that source products designed
to build meaningful relationships with these next
generation travelers across multiple touchpoints at
the hotel. It’s a new day and an exciting time to be
in the luxury hotel business.”
ILHA 21