Jeroen van den Berg · 04 May, 2020

Experiences for the 'new normal'

Social distancing hotel expereinces

Dare we start to imagine what the world might look like once we settle in the new normal? 

Let's start small & with what we know for certain. We have all been cooped up in our houses far too long. We are all itching to go out, catch up with a few friends at a lazy Sunday brunch and make up for all the birthday celebrations we have missed. We deserve a bit of pampering too - and not just finally getting our roots done - I'm talking massage, sauna, the works. 

But, some of us will still want to be cautious and observe some form of social distancing. 

So what does this mean for hotels? A fantastic opportunity to generate significant revenues at their spas and restaurants. If the locals want to come out and celebrate 'freedom', make sure they celebrate in your outlets. But, make sure the experiences you create are still tempting for those who want to remain cautious. Here are a few ideas: 

Dining

Create experiences bordering on private dining: instead of a dinner in a crowded hotel restaurant, could you expand and set up a few tables in your garden, on the terrace, rooftop or the beach? Or perhaps there is no need for tables at all? How about creating distinctly separate areas for families or groups of friends to enjoy picnic-style buffet brunch, separately from the other groups? 

Spa

This one will be tricky. Though there's nothing to suggest the spa environment is virus-friendly, the public opinion on this may be a different story. 

For treatments such as massages or nail care, could you set up private spaces in your rooms or other areas of the hotel? A poolside massage might actually be an upgrade on the usual location going forward.  

Romantic getaways

These tend to be private as default. But, for all experiences added on top of the stay itself, it will be quite easy to switch to a distancing-friendly setup. For example, if your accommodation package includes a dinner or massage, these could easily be had in the privacy of your guests' room. 

 

Needless to say, all of these experiences need to be available for sale via your online shop, also as gift vouchers that can be emailed to the lucky recipient. Contact us to discuss how this can be done easily.