How to Cater to Millennials and Gen Z Hotel Guests

Did you know that travelers who fall in the age group of 18-35 value authentic experiences over luxury settings? These travelers are none other than your Gen Z and Millennials, who account for a greater percentage of global travel.

By reading these glorifying statistics, you now understand that it becomes an opportunity for hoteliers like you to attract Millennial and Gen Z types of guests.

With the right marketing strategies, you can attract millennials to your hotel and 10x your hotel revenue. Let me show you how.

Why are hoteliers attracting millennials and gen z guests?

Modern hoteliers are increasingly focused on attracting Millennials and Gen Z guests due to their preference for spontaneous travel planning.

These demographics stand out for their frequent travel habits, typically taking three or more trips annually compared to other age groups. As tech-savvy individuals, they prioritize authentic experiences over material goods.

Their growing appreciation for individuality, sustainability, and technology makes them an ideal target market for hotels.

What makes this generation particularly valuable is their influence on social media. When they have positive experiences at properties, they readily share their recommendations across digital platforms, effectively bringing in new guests.

Their impact extends beyond their online presence, as they actively spread word-of-mouth recommendations offline as well.

Moreover, Millennials' impact isn't limited to leisure travel—they represent a significant portion of the business travel segment. This dual role in both leisure and business travel makes it crucial for hoteliers to cater to their expectations to maintain long-term competitiveness in the industry.

What are the top 7 ways to attract millennials to your hotel?

Let’s discuss some of the most popular ways to attract millennials and Gen Z guests to your hotel-

1. Shift towards mobile first approach

Gen Z guests spend nearly 4 hours and 51 minutes on their phones, whether they're looking for the best destinations to travel to in 2025 or finding hotels that offer contactless check-in/checkout facilities for a better stay experience. 

This means that this type of demographic is the most active in the online world.

It's an undeniable truth that this audience category loves convenience, prefers mobile check-in, and chooses hotels that offer personalized guest experiences from pre-booking to post-stay. 

They consistently embrace a DIY (do it yourself) approach and gravitate toward hotels that value such experiences.

As guests prioritize ease of access and favor a mobile-first approach, it becomes crucial for hoteliers to integrate mobile technology into their key operations. 

Consider this scenario: 

If your hotel doesn't provide mobile check-in options and overlooks the importance of investing in digital technology, guests won't appreciate their stay experience. If they need to call the front desk staff for every minor request, their experience would be negatively impacted.

Conversely, when guests can access services or contact housekeeping staff with just a few clicks, they feel more comfortable and are likely to share positive experiences on their social media platforms. 

A dedicated mobile app or hotel website provides them with the convenience of managing their entire stay using their smartphone. 

2. Technology integration

Beyond mobile technology, hotels can attract Millennials and Gen Z guests by creating a connected environment through integrated in-room technologies such as smart TVs, voice assistants, and high-speed Wi-Fi.

By investing in integrated tech solutions, hoteliers can tap into these demographics' interests while enhancing guest experiences through technology-driven services rather than traditional amenities.

Smart hotel rooms equipped with high-speed internet and voice-activated assistants elevate the guest experience to a new level. 

Using voice-controlled room technology, guests can use voice commands for various services and receive timely responses about checkout times, pool hours, or spa appointments.

For Millennials and Gen Z demographics, experiential travel matters significantly as they seek new experiences to break away from their daily routines.

Hoteliers can further enhance these experiences by implementing creative solutions such as service robots to assist housekeeping staff, providing timely guest services, and handling reservations. 

Such technological innovations are essential for delivering the personalized experience that Gen Z, the most tech-savvy demographic, has come to expect.

3. Health and wellness offerings

To attract Millennials and Gen Z, offer health and wellness offerings that go beyond the basics.

Hoteliers can differentiate themselves and attract young travelers by prioritizing more on health and wellness programs.

Young enthusiasts, especially Gen Z guests, value wellness in their lives, so if your hotel offers wellness sessions, and fitness classes or arranges SPA appointments for guests, then it enhances your hotel’s appeal.

Guests prefer to pay extra when they think that hotels value their physical or mental well-being and offer healthy food options or a fitness center.

Mckinsey's report states that the young generation preferably Genz and Millennials prefer spending more on wellness-related products and services. They’re more conscious about food plans and fitness-related workouts. That’s where hoteliers can tap into.

But health and wellness aren’t about food anymore, it’s also about prioritizing their health and wellness routine by including personalized fitness programs and spa treatments that use organic ingredients.

4. Personalization

Personalization is the key to your hotel’s success and when you offer personalized experiences to guests, you cater to their needs and preferences. That’s possible by combining data with tech. 

A study states that 1700 hotel guests participated, and they said – personalization is linked directly to guest satisfaction.61% of guests reported that they’re willing to pay more when they get customized experiences.That’s how you can distinguish your hotel from others.

Millennials and Gen Z love personalized atmosphere ranging from room preferences to curated recommendations for local experiences. 

Imagine a scenario where you offer personalized travel packages for your guests that cater to their preferences, and Millennials just love the whole experience. The next time they think of booking accommodation, your hotel comes into their mind. That results in repeat bookings.

For instance – Hoteliers can offer welcome baskets, leave a personalized note for them , and suggest room customization options based on the guest’s room history.

Or when you offer popular local attractions near your hotel, it shows you genuinely care about your guest preferences.

5. Focus on sustainability

Another way to attract Millennial and Gen Z guests is through offering sustainable goods and services. These groups of travelers are environmentally conscious and prefer visiting hotels/resorts that adopt green practices in their operations.

Things such as energy-efficient lighting, organic toiletries, green building certifications, and using organic material in room design and operations help to attract eco-friendly guests.

For providing such premium experiences, guests are more likely to spend 9.7% more on sustainable goods/services. It states being sustainable isn't a marketing gimmick; it has become a necessity that every Millennial or Gen Z guest demands today.

On top of that, they said no to plastic and adopted in-house water bottling techniques to ensure they work sustainably and minimize waste across all their properties.

6. Flexible cancellation policies and breakfast option

Today's travelers, especially Gen Z and Millennials, expect the booking process to be frictionless.

As they have a different lifestyle and travel schedule, they expect hoteliers to have flexible booking policies.

They want hotels to offer flexible policies including the freedom for late check-in/check-out or the ability to customize the room as per their preferences.

A McKinsey report states that by 2030, every pain point will be removed, and hoteliers will offer more customization, personalization, and convenience to guests. More flexible options will be provided for guests.

Guests won't have to wait for a specific timeframe to check in, such as until 4 PM.

Similarly, they want flexibility in their breakfast schedule because traditional breakfast hours might not suit them. The best way to cater to these travelers' preferences is through flexibility in ordering meals at all times.

Along with that, Millennials and Gen Z make spontaneous plans for their trips, and they expect hoteliers to offer flexible cancellation options and ensure that they won't charge anything for canceled bookings up to a certain date.

These things instill confidence in them to consider rebooking at your property because you make them feel comfortable even before they stay. Thus, the more flexible your policies will be, the more revenue you'll earn from guests.

7. Building a social media presence

Young generations breathe and live on social media. Creating a presence on social media is a game-changer for hotels to serve Millennial and Gen Z audiences. 

Hoteliers who actively post on social media about their USP and fascinating things about their property attract Gen Z audiences.

Another way to engage younger audiences is through creating user-generated content and doing influencer collaborations. If you want to grow your audience on social media and connect with travelers, then you need more than a hotel's website.

You need to create an optimized social media profile for your hotel, post visual content that can inspire your audience, and hook them to book a stay at your property. This not only enhances your hotel's reputation but also drives direct bookings on your website.

According to hospitalityworld.com, around 42% of young travellers in India prefer going on a trip after doing their research and discovery phase on Instagram.

But being active on one platform isn't a good option; as a hotel owner, you need to increase your online visibility across different social media platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, etc. It also depends on the fact of where your audience hangs out.

Wrapping up

Now that, you know the possible ways to attract Millennials and Gen Z-ers to your hotel , you can satisfy these young generations once you know what they want.

Let's say you noticed that Millennials love to spend time on social media and juggle between finding the best destination ideas.

Then, you need to think about how you will reach them, and that's of course through a good social media presence and shifting your focus toward a mobile-first tech approach. As tech-savvy guests, they want a smooth booking process and flexible payment options.

You need to adopt a forward-thinking tech approach that makes their stay experience more comforting and convenient.