As with every year that goes by, trends come and trends go. This is the case in every industry – be it fashion, food and beverage or hospitality. Looking into 2012 there are three key resort trends that guests can expect to see during their stays at hotels across the nation.
Three Resort Trends In 2012
Hotel Lobbies
Scratch out lobbies and make that lounges. Resorts are doing their best to make hotel lobbies more comforting, inviting and enjoyable; similar to a lounge experience, rather than just a place to check in and out.
“Service is at the forefront and that means from the time a guest walks in to the time they leave,” said Robert Livingston, general manager of Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort. “We not only want to make sure guests feel welcome, but that they also feel comfortable in a luxurious space – not just another guest checking in.”
The hotel “lounge” style was incorporated into Harrah’s Ak-Chin new 152-room hotel tower and can also be seen at resorts across the globe. Don’t think of checking-in as just a tedious task; resorts are now making it an experience in itself.
Going Green
Going green has been a popular trend for some time now, and not just in hospitality. But now, more than ever, resorts are jumping on the green bandwagon in a variety of ways. Be it organic sheets, using solar power or offering climate-neutral rooms, resorts are increasingly moving towards offering earth-friendly amenities.
An example of this at Harrah’s Ak-Chin is their ability to conserve electricity and offset carbon emissions by utilizing an AC monitoring system in the new hotel tower. When a guest enters the room, the hotel key is inserted into a slot by the door which activates the ability for them to alter the room temperature at will. When a guest leaves the room and removes the hotel key from the device, the AC unit automatically goes to an even temperature to conserve energy while the guest is away from the room.
Technology
iPhones, tablets, touch-screen kiosks and DVR – in this “I want it now” day and age, resorts are constantly upgrading to keep their guests ever-evolving technological needs accessible. As technologies continue to enable consumers to customize their experience, so is Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino Resort with their new hotel tower’s customized rooms, each with its own media hub.
Whether Droids, iPads, Tablets or playing Wii is a guest’s technology of choice, they have the ability to plug in any and all of their favorite devices during their stay. This, and many other tech-savvy features – think: mobile apps to book and manage stays, text messages from restaurants to let you know your table is ready or connecting to Facebook via resort wristbands to share your experience with friends – will be seen adorning rooms in resorts across the nation in 2012.
Overall, resorts are making it their resolution to offer a more luxurious, earth-friendly and tech-savvy stay for guests. No matter if it’s a stay-cation, a trip across the nation or a stay on the other side of the globe, it’s time to enjoy the many amenities that 2012 will bring.
