Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, the parent company of Radisson announced that they would be spending $140 million to launch a new brand catering specifically to millennials.
The new brand will simply be called Red; however, the plethora of choices offered will be more reminiscent of a kaleidoscope of colors. The sub-brand will showcase a modern design aesthetic (replete with plenty of Red) and challenge the way that millennials and others view this 100-year-plus brand. Some of the unique choices available will include, but are not limited to, the ability to have personal photos of family and friends on the wall of your room, customizing the mini bar, or having your favorite sandwich made-to-order at the round-the-clock deli.
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Increasingly, millennials are not only looking for, but are requiring something different from traditional hotel brands. For example, behemoths Marriott and IKEA announced a partnership to launch a new brand simply called Moxy. At around 200 square feet, the rooms will be about half the size of a small Manhattan studio and range from $80-100. Marriott states the rooms will have a “Command Center” – equipped to control everything from 40-plus-inch TV’s, state-of-the-art sound systems and customized art walls (think, “The Jetsons”).
Starwood Hotels & Resorts is very adept at marketing and attracting this demanding demographic having 75 hotels in 14 countries emblazoned with the Aloft brand. Starwood has been very strategic in their campaign to attract this highly sought-after demographic. Aloft and MTV collaborated to offer live music access all throughout Asia while on the go.
These are only a few of the hotel brands and unique partnerships that are eager to capitalize on the generation of consumers that is expected to account for 50% of the population by the year 2020. This spontaneous, tech-savvy, extraverted group will definitely be credited for reshaping how we experience most things in the future, most notably travel.