“We see millennial travelers more as explorers than tourists,” said Brian McGuinness, global brand leader, Starwood’s Specialty Select Brands. “Our Aloft hotels are specifically designed with them in mind.” Aloft features free Wi-Fi, areas for working poolside or in the bar, and even a robotic bellhop that appeals to tech-savvy millennials, he said. Now, guests who are too busy to talk to a human can order from an emoji room-service menu by texting a string of emoji with their last name and room number to Aloft TiGi (which stands for Text it. Get it.).
To grab the attention of millennials who regularly use social media, Marriott International has gone Hollywood by running its own studio to create short films, TV shows and webisodes that promote its various brands, said David Beebe, vice president for global creative and content marketing at Marriott International. Short films like the action comedy “Two Bellmen Two,” about two bellmen who save the day when a guest’s business presentation goes missing, was filmed at the J.W. Marriott Marquis Dubai and garnered 7.9 million YouTube views. The film, which will soon be featured on Emirates Airline, is also shown in a number of Marriott hotels.
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