As luxury strategist and futurist Daniel Langer warned the Master Pass audience last June, the Gen Z guest presents a unique challenge for hotels: they have much higher expectations when it comes to experience, ethos and amenities, but they also see the world in a very different way, and can sniff out inauthenticity instantly. (See: Pepsi’s Kendall Jenner-led PR disaster back in 2017.)

While many of those born between 1997–2012 don’t yet have the wallets to rival their Millennial, Gen X or Boomer elders, they soon will. McKinsey estimates they’ll make up a third of global spending power by 2035. Plus, half of Gen Zers would pay up to 75% more for something if it supported a cause they cared about – and there’s no reason to think this wouldn’t extend to choosing a spot to spend their precious vacation time. 

So what’s a contemporary hotel to do? One solution: pick up a pass to L.E/Master Pass, where we’ll be diving deep (via expert-led sessions) into the travel and employment preferences of Gen Z, equipping hospitality’s top 50 leaders with the tools and tech they need to prep their brands for the next generation. 

Until then, here’s three things to start doing now.

Weave AI into your everyday guest experience

Got AI fatigue yet? Hopefully not, as it’s going absolutely nowhere. According to a recent report via GWI, 55% of Gen Z use AI at least monthly – reaching for tools like ChatGPT not only to finesse their written communications but to upskill, research, and even plan out trips.

“Digital is an enabler – it’s the connection between you and your guests,” advises Langer. Ultrafast wifi and ample sockets are the minimum standard, and relatively easy to implement. And it had better be frictionless, too – being the generation who’ve never known life without the internet, they’ve got little time for sluggish WiFi or clunky chatbots. 

Personalised virtual assistants, automated check-ins, robot concierges, smart in-room tech, mobile payment methods – however you AI, they’re investments worth taking seriously. For examples of brands doing AI right, see: Moxy, Yotel (and their ‘Yobots’), and Hilton (and their AI-powered VA, Connie). Happily, many of these options will improve your hotel’s sustainability, too – which leads us on to…

Make sustainability a critical priority (and ban greenwashing)

Gen Z are natural sceptics, long inured to the weak attempts at sustainability proffered by many hotels. They also care more about sustainability than any generation before them – understandable, when the global climate emergency will likely weigh most heavily on their young shoulders. 

“Increasingly, (Gen Z) expect ‘net positivity’,” Langer warns. Basically, they want to know: how are you contributing to the environment, and how will you continue to do so? Before you choke on your paper straw, consider the easy but worthwhile wins: LED lights and motion sensors, reusable or refillable amenities, in-room recycling, or composting. 

Perhaps most important are your comms: if you’re pursuing a more sustainable approach, be sure to actively talk about it – on your website, on your socials, via your in-room copy. Still got a way to go before your green kudos rivals that of 1 Hotels? That’s okay – just be transparent about it. Authenticity is key for Gen Zers, and they’re fluent in greenwashing, so avoid hyperbole or embellishment.

Be Ultra-inclusive in Everything You Do

More than any other generation before them, Gen Z aren’t just buying a room: they’re buying into your brand ethos, and one misstep could mean your hotel or brand being ‘cancelled’. (Did we mention they share literally everything online?)

Like it or not, your Gen Z guests will likely hold you to a higher standard and subject your property and brand to more scrutiny. Here’s what you can – and frankly, should – do: over a third of Gen Z report being sober or sober-curious, so serve a variety of delicious and alcohol-free options in your bar (ed note: no Bud Zero, please). Almost 30% of Gen Z identify as LGBTQ+, so ask for pronouns in the booking process, so you can affirm and respect guests’ identities from the off. 

And, finally: if you contribute to your community via charitable causes, or pride yourself on being particularly BIPOC or LGBTQ+-friendly, actively talk about it in your brand communications.

Want to attract even more Gen Zers to your property, whether as guests, staff, or both? Then you need to pick up a Master Pass, taking place on Tuesday 11 June. Find out more about L.E/Master Pass here, reserved for the top 50 leaders in contemporary hospitality.