Deep Dive

Why Are Hotels So Bad at Experience?

The hospitality industry has a love problem. I say this as someone who has spent most of her career as a travel writer, loving hotels—good ones, obviously, but honestly decent ones, too. And yet lately I've noticed something: I am loyal to hotels I do not love. Hotels are good at inspiring loyalty through points and perks, like late checkouts and room upgrades. Being able to linger in my room until 2pm rather than rushing out the door by 11 am is a reason to stay. But it's rational, not emotional. If I were to lose my Marriott Gold Elite status, I'd likely choose an independent hotel ten times out of ten. Here's why: Marriott knows what pillows I prefer, my go-to room service order and which floor I sleep best on. But they still greet me with a generic welcome card and a bowl of green apples. And they charge me $8 for a bottle of water. Hotels are inherently experiential spaces They're one of the few commercial environments where someone spends hours, sleeps, eats and potentially has meaningful moments. And yet most are designed for transactions. The experiential industry is built on the idea that the most powerful...