1. Jaypee Hotels 25/08/09
Generation X and the Hotel Industry:
How Hotel Brands are Changing
(and should be changing !)

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11. Online edition of India's National
Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 18, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version
• NEW DELHI: To promote Indian
mythology among Generation X, Mumbai-
based animation expert Karan Vir Arora is
all set to give his comic characters a new
lease of life on the big screen.

12. Why Not Cap d’Agde France

13. Generation X
Wikipedia, a free online encyclopedia defines Generation X
(Gen-X) as a term used in the United States to describe a
group of people born between 1964 and 1976, although the
exact years of birth remain debated. Gen-X has been
described as the generation consisting of those people
whose “teen years touched the 1980s” – the children of the
Baby Boomers. Gen-Xers are now adults between the ages
of 29 and 41 and are having children of their own. Key
characteristics of Generation X include: quest for
emotional security, independent, informality, and
entrepreneurial (“Generation X,” 2005).

14. Art Déco in Clermont Ferrand

15. For decades, the hotel industry has been dominated by Baby Boomers,
whose sensibilities are traditional by today's standards.
Most Baby Boomers were content with a decent night's sleep at an
affordable rate.
Today, however, Generation X is the dominant demographic group
among travelers, and it has its own set of preferences.
The average room rate paid by Generation X travelers exceeded that paid
by Baby Boomers for the first time ever in 2005.

16. • Generation Xers are taking over the positions that
establish corporate travel policies.
• They are now the heads of households who make family
vacation decisions, they are frequent flyers, they are road
warriors, and their expectations of hotels are quite
different from those of their parents.
• Members of Generation X--60 million residents of the
United States between the ages of 27 and 42--are in the
market for an overall experience when they travel.
• They value comfort and style. They tend to be more
social, less impressed by formality, more difficult to reach
through traditional marketing vehicles, and more aware of
the marketing that is targeted toward them.

27. Christopher Reynolds (American
Demographics (May 1, 2004))
• 49.3 million people are in Generation X
(ages 28 to 39)
• Generation X contains 35% less people
than in the Baby Boomers and is 32%
smaller than Generation Y or the Echo
Boom generation
• Generation X has a total buying power of
$1.4 trillion
• 81% of Generation X are employed full or
part time
• Generation X spends on average, 12%
more on entertainment than the typical
American consumer. (Reynolds, 2004)

28. Xers expect high end service and
amenities.
The newer Generation of X (and to an extent, Gen Y) sets a higher bar for business
travel, according to Carlson Hotels Worldwide. The Radisson Hotel chain recently noted
that their younger-than-Boomer guests both expect and even demand the luxuries of
home in exchange for their hard earned travel dollar.
• For Generation X business travelers, a hotel is expected to be their refuge from the
rigors of the road. Xers expect to be pampered and catered to with high end amenities.
• "They are not willing to take what they are given," says Kevin Hanstad, in a recent press
release, as Carlson Hotel's Vice President of Customer Research and Insights. "They
have different expectations than the Baby Boomers."
• Hanstad adds, "Growing up in a service economy, Gen Xers have traveled more, dined
out more and stayed in hotels more often than their parents did at the same time. This
makes them more discriminating and less tolerant of subpar service and amenities."
• The Radisson chain is taking note, since Generation X travelers are less likely to
complain through traditional channels, and more apt to broadcast bad reviews on the
Web 2.0's social networks, making dissatisfaction known via personal blogs,
MySpace.com and among traveler's forum networks.
•

29. Why Does Generation X Expect
More than their Parents?
• Gen Xers have never had anything handed to them, not like the Baby
Boomer Generation, posits the 1995 seminal work "Managing
Generation X" by Bruce Tulgan.
• Xers have generally been a cohort of overeducated, underemployed
and disenfranchised young adults. Now that Xers are succeeding
Boomers into positions of authority, they feel the gains are harder
won.
• "Xers have inherited the Boomer's late 20th century disillusionment
without the having had the opportunity for youthful idealism",
according to Tulgan.
• This generation of business travelers demand more from their hard-
earned dollar. Xers want quiet rooms, on-demand wireless access and
a comfortable space to work and rest. In a comfortable and well-wired
setting, the typical Generation X business traveler can get more work
done on the road than in the office.

39. What Generation X Business
Travelers Want:
• Along with the Carlson chain, the Hiltons and Holiday Inns are taking
note of the finicky needs of the Generation X business traveler. The
USA Today reports, "Hilton is eliminating TV armoires and placing
flat-screen TVs on cabinets. To let guests work more comfortably,
Marriott is installing spot lighting, bedside data and electrical ports
and height-adjustable desks that can be swiveled into different
positions in the room.
• Looking to the Future
• Since Generation Y is even more plugged in and on-demand, hotels
catering to affluent Gen X business travelers will be better able to
handle the larger cohorts of Gen Yers when they come of age

41. Gen-Xers are entering their peak-earning years and are the future
business travelers.
According to D.K. Shifflet & Associates, Gen-Xers are already the most
free-spending of leisure travelers.
They outspend baby boomers on trips involving a hotel stay. In 2004,
Gen-Xers spent roughly $1,297 per trip per person, compared with baby
boomers’ $1,155 (McMahon, 2005; De Lollis, 2005).

42. • Baby Boomer Gen X Gen
• 29 May 2009 ... Forty percent of U.S. baby
boomers stay in hotels five nights or more
when they travel. Gen-X'ers aren't far
behind at 31 percent. ...
www.docstoc.com/docs/6530677/Baby-
Boomer-Gen-X-Gen

43. Market researchers have determined that Gen-Xers want branded items.
For example, they want Starbucks, not just regular coffee. They are not
brand loyal however, so they are willing to search persistently to find a
place to stay that has style, rather than book the same chain hotel they
used on family vacations in the 1980s (De Lollis, 2005).

44. How Hotel Brands are Changing :
Cambria suites brand cites
success in 2007
• National hotel chains are trying to change
their image. They are trying to rid
themselves of their dull personas. They are
offering amenities similar to what is offered
in boutique hotels in hopes they will attract
more Gen-Xers. Kendra Walker, vice
president for brandcommunications at
Hilton said, “Gen X is the current business
traveler and the traveler of tomorrow.

45. Hotel Puerta Americana / Spain

46. Brand Development and Growth at
Cambria Suites
• Due in large part to research and understanding of the new
consumer, the momentum behind the development and
growth of the Cambria Suites brand is outstanding. In
2007, the first all-suite hotels opened in Boise, Appleton,
Green Bay and Minneapolis--Mall of America. Then came
Savannah Airport and Akron/Canton Airport . The Group
is also moving into major metropolitan areas with
franchise agreements in markets like Brooklyn, Atlanta,
Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and Toronto. To date,
more than 65 franchise agreements in 27 states and Canada
have been signed .

47. • This is one group we want to appeal to” (McMahon,
2005). The big hotel chains are trying to keep up with
the boutique hotels which are now winning the loyalty
of Gen-Xers. Since the demand for hotel rooms is
rebounding, the renovations the hotel chains have been
delaying are now in progress.

48. • The hotel industry as a whole, is trying to
implement motionsensor lights, Herman
Miller ergonomic desk chairs, and the
biggest one: flat-screen TVs.
• Room rates are rising and hotel operators
are using the improvements as justification
for the increase.

49. Hilton Hotels Corp. and its franchisees have spent hundreds of millions
of dollars to redesign 230 Hilton brand hotels by the end of 2006.
MarriottInternational Inc. expects its renovations to add an extra $30 to
the average cost of a one-night stay (Johnson, 2005).

50. Exploranter Overland

61. Sweden Ice
• Some chains are even Hotel
launching new hotel brands
designed specifically for the
Gen-X age group.
Intercontinental, which
operates Holiday Inn has
bypassed the upgrades and
created a new line of boutique
hotels, call Hotel Indigo. The
rooms have hardwood floors,
satellite TV service and
stereos (McMahon, 2005).

62. Bedrooms
• The old hard mattresses are being replaced with name-brand
mattresses. Trendy duvets are taking the place of bedspreads and
oversized pillows known as “Euro shams” are being added. The
typical “hotel artwork” is getting replaced with stylish black-and-white
photography.
• Marriott International Inc. has decided to redo its beds with six pillows
and lush, 300 thread-count sheets. Hampton hotels now offer special
desks for guests who want to use their laptops while lying in bed.
Hilton is replacing standalone minibars and dressers with one piece of
furniture that stretches almost the length of the room and acts as a
desk, drawers and entertainment rack combined – topped with a piece
of granite. Marriott’s TV will sit on a redesigned desk that pivots 90
degrees (Johnson, 2005).

63. • Every Radisson hotel features select guest
rooms equipped with the custom-designed
Sleep Number® bed, which enables guests
to adjust the firmness of the mattress to
their individual comfort needs to achieve a
more deep, restorative night's sleep.

64. Hilton Maldives

67. Bathrooms
• Gen-Xers spend more time in the shower.
Marriott’s Renaissance and Hilton upgraded its
showers to be completely glassed-in, while
Hyatt’s shower is one-third open and two-thirds
glass. Hyatt is also introducing Aveda shampoo
and conditioner. Hilton is putting fogless mirrors
in some of its showers as well as allowing more
natural light into the bathroom so that Gen-Xers
are able to shave after shampooing (McMahon,
2005).

68. Technology
• “After the bed and bathroom, the TV is the most important thing in the room,”
says Bjorn Hanson, a lodging analyst at PriceWaterhouseCoopers (Johnson,
2005).
• Over the next four years Marriott plans to add 50,000 flat-panel, high-
definition TVs (which can connect to a laptop computer) in its Marriott, JW
Marriott, and Renaissance hotels. This year, Hyatt Hotels Corp. made 32-inch
flat-panel liquid-crystal-display (LCD) TVs standard in its rooms. Hilton plans
to add 30-inch flat-screen TVs as part of its remodeling effort. Starwood’s W
brand started putting 27-inch plasma TVs in its higher-end suites a couple of
years ago. Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., which is owned by Marriott, in December
2004 made flat-panel LCD TVs that hang on walls a brand standard and
intends to have them in all its hotels by the end of 2006 (Johnson, 2005).
• Hilton hotels are adding MP3-friendly alarm clocks, allowing guests to
awaken to their own music (McMahon, 2005).

69. Half of Boomers and nearly that many Gen X/Y (48 percent) think a
comfortable bed is the most important hotel feature when traveling for
business, and more than one third of both groups indicated the quickest
way to get stressed during their business trip was through a slow or
nonexistent hotel Internet connection.

70. • All Radisson hotels also offer free high-
speed Internet access in the guest room
(wired or wireless), with Wi-Fi access in the
lobby and restaurant.

71. Food and Technology
Generation Xers tend to have more discerning palates than do Baby
Boomers. Some want organic food, others crave decadent meals and
desserts, and many enjoy premium beverages. And, of course, gourmet
coffee and premium alcohol have become the norm. Cambria Suites'
food and beverage offerings align with these preferences to offer
travelers everything they want without having to leave the hotel.
When Baby Boomers say "Let's meet at 7 for dinner," they mean exactly
that. They'll sit down and eat at 7 p.m. When Generation Xers say "Let's
meet at 7 for dinner," they mean," Let's have a drink (or two) at 7 and
chat about what we want to eat." With that in mind, the Cambria Suites
lobby is not just a pass-through area, but rather an upscale and
comfortable gathering spot with club lounge seating, a media wall, a full
bar, and wireless Internet access.

72. Food and Beverage
• Hyatt’s menus are becoming healthier and more organic
(McMahon, 2005). Courtyards and Marriott brands are
adding food pantries that are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week in response to Gen-Xers different eating schedules
and food preferences (De Lollis, 2005).
• Research shows that the Gen-X man is 61% more likely
than baby boomer men to choose a hotel with a “serious”
sports bar in it, so the Holiday Inn Select brand plans to
replace the old lounges with sports bars and expects to test
the idea sometime in 2005 (De Lollis, 2005).

73. • Although Boomer and Gen X/Y business travelers most
likely made their first business trip during different
decades, their preferences and behaviors while on the road
are more alike than different. Both groups chose “in-room
spa” as their top dream hotel amenity (Boomers 56
percent, Gen X/Y 58 percent) and “hot shower” as the best
way to unwind at the hotel (Boomers 38 percent, Gen X/Y
33 percent). When asked what business travel hotel feature
they most deserved, both groups chose “all of the above”
(Boomers 36 percent, Gen X/Y 33 percent) from a list that
included an iPod/MP3 player dock, comfortable bed, free
Internet, free breakfast, and in-room printer, particularly
for boarding passes.

74. Boomers and Gen X/Y business travelers agreed that the top two things
they don’t need from their hotel are expensive mini-bars (Boomers 69
percent, Gen X/Y 62 percent) and aromatherapy (Boomers 12 percent,
Gen X/Y 13 percent). Both groups are also consistent in how they act
away from home. When asked what they don’t want anyone to know
they do on a business trip, both groups noted “watch TV all night”
(Boomers 23 percent, Gen X/Y 20 percent) as a top guilty pleasure,
although Boomers rated “eat junk food” (27 percent) as their other bad
habit while Gen X/Y were more concerned that people know they “don’t
do enough business” (23 percent). And whether new to business travel or
a seasoned veteran, all business travelers passed up business luminaries
including Donald Trump, Oprah and Steve Jobs and selected their own
mom or dad as the business person they most emulate. Nearly half of
Boomers (48 percent) and more than a third of Gen X/Y (36 percent)
looked up to dad and mom.

75. • Stay at Hotel Monaco Denver or the Sky Hotel in Aspen to
take advantage of the "$109 and a Bottle of Wine"
package, which includes deluxe accommodations and a
bottle of wine delivered to your room; also offered at Hotel
Monaco is $99 Sundays through Sept. 7 and its "Cocktail
OR Breakfast for Just $1 More" promotion, which gives
guests a choice to dine or drink for one dollar more than
the best available rate, which start at $170. Visit
http://www.monaco-denver.com (enter SUN in rate code
box for Sunday special or DOLLAR for its "$1 More"
promotion) or call 1-800-990-1303;
http://www.theskyhotel.com or (800) 556-6087 for
reservations.

76. Experience the ultimate
submarine atmosphere

77. Guest Relations
• Marriott is changing the image and practice of
their concierge service. Marriott is allowing staff
members to wear contemporary clothing and use
causal language that is more reflective of guests.
John Wolf, a Marriott spokesman said, “We’re
allowing staff to be more personable, maybe even
a little irreverent. Less prescriptive language fits
with the style of Gen X” (McMahon, 2005). Front-
desk staff at Sheratons will be wearing what looks
like contemporary business attire than blends in
more with guests (De Lollis, 2005).

78. Stay cool, have fun…
A new hedonic luxury in
hospitality ?
• The right amenities also matter. Generation
X travelers, for instance, appreciate a real
gym and spa, not just a converted linen
closet outfitted with an exercise bike.
Additionally, our flat-panel TVs and plush
bedding are also appreciated by guests.

79. Marketing, Branding or
Anticipating : a luxury approach
• The way we market to the new consumer is changing.
• Traditional media are taking a back seat to innovative viral, social, and
user-generated media. We are continually launching new, cutting-edge
viral marketing efforts to get the word out to our new consumers .
Social Media are on the track.
• Cambria received Lodging Hospitality's Leadership Award in the
marketing category and Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association
International's Adrian Award for the mobile, 13' x 30', king-sized
Cambria pop-up suite that is an exact replica of what business
travelers and leisure guests will experience when they check in to a
Cambria Suites hotel. The suite has made appearances at industry
events, airports across the country, and at Mall of America. Joining the
traveling suite, virtual-reality goggles allow us to take the experience
of being at a Cambria Suites hotel to the guest--wherever they may be.

80. • To reward business travelers of all generations and enable
them to stay their own way, Radisson recently launched a
special Business Rewards Package that provides breakfast
(up to $15 USD), early check-in/late check-out and 2,000
bonus Gold Points®, in addition to other great amenities
like the Sleep Number® bed and free weekday morning
newspaper. The package is available now through the end
of the year in the US, Canada, Mexico, Central and South
America and the Caribbean. For more information, visit
www.radisson.com/business.

81. Hotels will be

84. Conclusion
• As this paper demonstrated, Generation X
has become a major factor in the continued
success of the hotel industry. Many of the
major hotel brands such as: Marriott, Hyatt,
Hilton, Intercontinental, and Starwood have
done their research and they have all
determined that change is necessary in
order to win the business of Generation X.
Once the renovations are complete, the
hotel brands will emerge with new images
that should appeal to Generation X as well
as younger generations.

85. Core values and credentials : from
products forced hotels to image
branded hotels
• One thing is clear: Generation X has become the
dominant demographic in the lodging industry,
and its members are looking for a place to stay. In
part, the success of the Cambria Suites brand in
2007 can be attributed to understanding the new
consumer and producing a product and marketing
campaigns with them in mind. The song does not
remain the same and this is just the beginning!

86. WHAT DOES MOTIVATE?
• Value The Individual and Nurture Relationships. Although there doesn't seem to be one
description of Generation X, most will agree that a defining characteristic is that they don't like to be
characterized (as I'm doing in this article!). They don't want to be treated as a single entity, but want
to be looked at as individuals. In addition, this is the first wave of latchkey kids to hit the work force.
They are homesick for the home they never had (due to both parents working). Their focus on
relationships over achievement is what leads Boomers to complain about their laziness. Isn't this
strong sense of community and personal relationships in the workplace just what we need?
• Challenging Work. This generation has sometimes been called the MTV Generation because of
their short attention span. Xers want new challenges and the opportunity to build new skills.
Training is one of the best motivators. They have a tremendous capacity to process lots of
information and concentrate on multiple tasks.
• They don't want to spend a lot of time talking about things or having meetings. They want to get in,
do the work, and move on to the next thing. If you're looking for someone to deliver a report every
week, you don't want an Xer. I recently brought up the subject of understanding twentysomethings
during a coaching workshop. Immediately a manager complained, with a lot of emotion, that kids
today don't want to work and will only stay for a week or so and then leave. Well, the job was very
repetitive and offered little challenge. No wonder!
• Freedom to Manage Time and Work. Xers don't want over-your-shoulder, in-your-face managers
who constantly check what they're doing. Perhaps as a result of their latchkey childhood, these
young workers are not used to being closely supervised and are remarkably good at working on their
own.

90. References
• De Lollis, B. (2005, February 24). Hotels loosen their ties for a younger crowd. USA
Today, p.01b. Retrieved June 14, 2005, from Academic Search Premier Database
(J0E416289889905).
• Generation X. (2005). From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved June 19,
2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generation_X
• Johnson, A. (2005, May 11). Hotel Rooms Get a Major Overhaul. The Wall Street
Journal, p.D1.
• McMahon, S. (2005, April 24). Going the X-tra mile. The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Retrieved June 19, 2005, from
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050424/news_mz1b24going.html
• Reynolds, C. (2004, May 1). Overlooked & Under X-Ploited. American
Demographics. Retrieved June 19, 2005, from
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4021/is_4_26/ai_n6047692

91. • Suggestion for improvements in hotel:
• 1) Must have high wi-fi speed connection in rest room,
meeting rooms and conferences.
• 2) Have theme based rooms.
• 3) Have water games,ice games, squash, billards.
• 4) Have special room for gay (may create negative image
in the mind of Indians)
• 5) Have heli-pad facilities.
•
• more better sugesstion can be made after analysing the
place of the hotel and its customers

92. A few points which can further increase the arrival rate of tourists
in INDIA.
1. Make tie-ups with the super stars hotels in other countries and they
can provide some credit points or membership for Indian's hotels and
vice a versa.
2. Shops of foreign's luxury products so that it can relate the experiene
of shopping as they are buying in their country.
3. Indian hotels can provide the memberships to tourists for future
retaining purpose.
4. Collections of selected scenes so that they can remember their journey
after going.
5. Contacting their abroad's customers on their birthday's and
anniversaries dates.
6. Some hospitality group can go for building some conceptual structure
rather than making in traditional way.

93. There are few concepts which can be used in hospitality industry in
INDIA.
1. They can make a place where everything is in air( tables, chairs, bed)
which can give an experience of living in space.
2. A place where no more light is there and only candles will be there
almost dark everywhere.
3. Foods of every country is available not only few selected but you
name it and we will serve you for that we need a chef from each
country.
4. A structure where you can experience rain always whenever you want.
5. A hotel whch is more dedicated to business class, facility of video
conferencing in each room.

94. Many professionals no longer work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. A workday on the
road may start early and end late, with personal time scattered
throughout. Thus, these professionals are likely to do a good deal of their
work at the hotel during off hours. The Cambria Suites brand meets that
need by making it easy to access the Internet from anywhere on the
property. The guest suites are also designed to allow travelers to spend
time on the phone or check e-mails in comfort with ergonomic chairs and
moveable desks.

95. Generation X big spenders on travel
http://www.usatoday.com/money/biztravel/2005-02-08-xtrav-usat_x.htm
Last year, Xers — the 60 million Americans from age 25 to 40 — spent
an estimated $2,140 per capita on overall travel involving a hotel stay,
vs. boomers' $2,016, according to a preliminary estimate from travel
researcher D.K. Shifflet & Associates. The larger boomer population still
dominates on a total dollar basis — about $157 billion last year, vs. $130
billion for Xers.
.

96. • Vacation spending by Xers has soared 66% per trip in the
past five years, vs. 25% among boomers, ages 41 to 59.
"These younger people are enjoying life," says Jim
Caldwell of Shifflet. The generational change has
significant implications for the travel industry. Compared
with the 78 million boomers, Gen Xers are less brand
loyal, less likely to call a travel agent and less likely to
plan far in advance. They're more likely to book online and
pay for eye-catching extras, such as a Sierra Madre
expedition in the Mexican outback

97. • Customers of tour operator Contiki
Holidays, which caters to young adults,
spend an average of $300, or 11%, more
than the initial price of a European tour for
extra trips, says President Frank Marini.
Among the most popular add-ons: A cable
ride to the top of 13,600-foot Jungfrau
Mountain in the Swiss Alps for views or
skiing.

98. • Spending per leisure trip/per capita
• Gen X- $1,297
• Gen Y - $1,155
• Also, Gen X spends more on extras
• •More activities. This generation stays busy at home — and at play. "They
want to talk at the water cooler about the great things that they did," Peluso
says.That's why, in the past 12 months, Travelocity has added adventure
offerings, such as a Chichen Itza tour of Mayan architecture in Cancun,
Mexico, and a London pass with access to 50 sites for one price.
• •Boutique hotels. InterContinental, parent of the Holiday Inn chain, became
the first big operator to launch a midpriced boutique hotel chain. The first
Hotel Indigo opened in Atlanta; others will open in Chicago and Sarasota, Fla.
The concept, more casual and relaxed than the parent's other hotels, was
designed for people familiar with Pottery Barn's whitewashed furniture and
vibrant colors. "Xers are looking for something different than boomers," says
Mark Lomanno of Smith Travel Research.