VOCAL ABOUT LOCAL

As more guests seek localised services, hotels are forced to pivot into locally connected experience spaces

- VINITA BHATIA

A homogenous environment always breeds comfort, and many hotels have prided on their ability to offer standardised service. However, as guests venture out cautiously, they crave for novelty coupled with safety, not just another room with four walls. After all, four walls are what they have been living within for majority of 2020; and they now want to escape into open spaces that allow them to explore something new.

Hoteliers, realising this, are embedding more local elements and experiences in their property's environments. This is to extend social spaces with an authentic aspect rather just another sanitised bubble for guests to unwind.

Of course, one can’t credit the pandemic for pre-empting this shift to local; it had begun well before that. An IHG global survey in 2019 showed that 75% of luxury travellers want to holiday like locals.

During the tourism boom in pre COVID-19 times, several hotels were experimenting with off-beat experiences for guests. With the business going bust following the pandemic, Anvay Kolwankar, Founder of PPPL Hospitality tells Vinita Bhatia how they are now realising the potential of going vocal with local.

What started as an intuitive marketing idea has emerged as a lifeline for many standalone, boutique hoteliers. Kolwankar pointed out that travellers are increasingly shifting away from city-based hotel chains in favour of smaller properties in nearby towns with unique social places.

How did the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns impact boutique hotel properties?

The complete lockdown for nearly six months hit the travel, tourism and hospitality industry very hard. Unfortunately, many smaller properties were forced to shut down. Having said that, we are now witnessing a spike in customer footfalls and the financial situation is slowly getting back on track.