Hilton chief says travel tastes are changing
BERLIN – Hotel guests are fundamentally reappraising the value of hospitality, ditching conspicuous consumption for basic good practice and service, according to the chief executive of Hilton Hotels.
Chris Nassetta told the Financial Times he believed the public’s desire to travel and to stay in hotels was undiminished despite a wholesale decline in trading across the industry brought on by the global downturn.
But he said the mentality of the consumer had fundamentally changed, not just towards hospitality but other consumer products, as the public spurns the glitz and glamour of consumption for “sensible, value-related offers”.
Conspicuous consumption may be taboo, but that has not stopped Hilton from introducing a new brand to its luxury and lifestyle collection this week.
Hilton has added Denizen Hotels to its portfolio. A mock-up room was unveiled at the International Hotel Investment Forum in Berlin within a shipping container.
In a media release, Hilton said Denizen Hotels would “offer a global voice with a local accent – cultivating a community for guests to connect within each unique locationâ€.
Further, it would be “appearing throughout the world in international social epicentersâ€.
And in case we were unsure, Hilton reminded us, “denizen literally means citizen of the worldâ€.
Ian Jarrett
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