Case Study

Can you spot a traveler desperately seeking the authenticity hidden from many tourist attractions? This type of traveler is smart, sophisticated and searching for undiscovered, locals-only experiences. They’ve scoured the web from Lonely Planet to TripAdvisor for months before their trip and could probably name more restaurants and things to do in your own city than you can.

From international brands to independent hotels, more places to stay are catching on to this travel trend and mingling local arts, food and adventures with the overall experience.

What’s different about today’s “package?”

Of course, hotels have always been partnering with local businesses to offer guests a unique package. The difference with today’s version is that you need to include an additional secret behind the usual experience. It’s more than a night stay with dinner at a local restaurant. Dinner now includes meeting the executive chef and learning to cook a signature dish. These experiences are like a backstage pass, on steroids.

Three Fresh Examples of Going Local

Behind the Scene with St. Regis
The St. Regis Aficionado Program is one example of the more localized hotel package by offering guests “private access to the world’s premier collections” that is unique to each destination.

Specifically, when in Rome, shopping, and window-shopping, are always on the agenda. Through The St. Regis Aficionado Program, shopping is done with an Italian twist. With the The Pursuit of Beauty package, a Fendi specialist will become a personal shopping consultant and take guests to the Fendi’s private design studios before hitting the flagship boutique where you can create a custom coat.

This behind-the-scenes-and-then-some experience is a great example of how your hotel can take guests out of their rooms and behind closed doors. While the St. Regis example is also very reflective of that brand’s luxurious image, you don’t need to provide a private tour of haute couture to offer an authentic experience. Other examples could include personalized experiences at a local sports stadium, restaurant, winery, brewery, theatre or museum.

Farms and Foodies from Element
Did you know in 2010, the United States had over 6,000 farmers’ markets? In 1994, there were less than 1,800. Farmers’ markets are steadily increasing in popularity along with foodies – the aficionados of fine food and drink that often shop at farmers’ markets. When your guests want a taste for your destination’s local flavors, they often leave the hotel to explore the city’s local market. One big city hotel got creative with this idea and brought a farm directly to their hotel.

The Element New York Times Square West partnered with an eighth-generation Vermont-based farm and Community Sponsored Agriculture (CSA) Group to bring locally-sourced produce and artisanal farm products (such as my favorite, cheese) to the hotel. Individuals that live in the area can also order their own CSA boxes of fresh fruits and vegetables and pick them up at the hotel every week giving the hotel a neighborhood feel.

Telling guests a unique story about where your food comes from is a quick and easy way to connect your guests with the local food movement.

Art Appreciation by Le Méridien
A trip to the museum is on many travelers list of things to do. Le Méridien’s new Hub concept connects guests to their artistic sensibilities with local influences.

The Hub, a rethinking of the hotel lobby, will be different in every city to reflect the local area. Modeled after coffeehouses, it features local art and a hand-selected library of books about the local culture. The concept also uses collectable room key cards called “Unlock Art” which will give guests access to local museums and galleries.

The multiple connections within the Le Méridien’s Hub concept give each hotel location the creativity to both bring local inspiration into the hotel and to take guests out to artistic centers in the area.

Finding your local connection

Are you feeling inspired to incorporate more local experiences into your overall guest experience, but aren’t sure where to start?

The examples from St. Regis, Element and Le Méridien demonstrate that even the biggest brands start small with one core idea (such as food, activities or art) and tie the idea to their overall brand. These are all new programs and new concepts so it’s ok to experiment! Try a fresh idea to inspire today’s traveler on their search for the next new experience at your hotel. We’d love to hear your ideas.