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Hotel Travel Industry Standardization
Since the end of July, I’ve traveled for speaking gigs, consulting opportunities, and personal away time.
I’ve been to Lake Tahoe and Reno, Vail and Denver, up and down the Maine coast, Boston (twice), New Hampshire, Charleston, and Dallas. I’ll add Minneapolis, Tucson, and more soon.
Of course, I’ve got observations and complaints. But rather than bellyache, I’d like to share ideas that could improve our business and personal travel.
The Overwhelming Complexity of Hotel Brand Choices
Because I travel a lot, I have status in at least four hotel brand groups, and I used to recognize differences between the various brands. But now that Marriott Bonvoy houses 31 brands, Hilton has 19, Hyatt manages 28, and IHG operates 18, I’m hard-pressed to know which brand I should choose.
One of the first rules of Building Brand Value is to Make it Simple.
Wouldn’t it make sense if these companies could figure out a way to standardize their offerings so we’d know what we were selecting when we did business with them?
The Decline of Airline Service Quality
Airline travel used to be gracious. Because my dad was in the US Air Force, I remember dressing up to get on a flight. But airlines have shifted to an à la carte service model, stripping away amenities we’ve come to expect. You pay extra for everything, including a decent amount of legroom, checking bags, and so on. Wouldn’t it be easier if the airlines treated their passengers like coveted clients? Standardizing services would ensure consistent, high-quality treatment for all passengers.
The Frustration of Non-Standardized Tech
My cellphone and Airpods require a lightning plug, my laptop and tablet use USB-C, my smart watch needs a specific MagSafe charger, and my Kindle and travel flashlight operate on mini-USB plugs. Plus, airlines, hotels, and rental cars are a toss-up of either USB or USB-C sockets. That means I must carry an unholy tangle of wires and adapters to ensure everything stays charged and connected. The chaos of carrying various chargers and connectors highlights the need for standardized tech solutions.
Consider the last car you rented as an example of how great this could be. Now that most rentals come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and operate over Bluetooth, all your apps—navigation, music, hands-free calls, and text messages—are standardized. Only the cables you need to keep your phone charged remain confusing.
“Luggage” has the word “lug” in it.
The only thing less comfortable than the size of airplane seats is what travelers need to do to get their luggage to their destinations. Besides the excessive charges and risk of lost checked bags, look at what an annoyance it is to drag bags to your destination. Think about the last time you had to maneuver your heavy roll-aboard through a birth canal-wide airplane aisle and then risk bench-pressing it above your skull into the overhead bins.
Why don’t we have reasonably priced, standardized shipping to send our luggage ahead and our dirty clothes back home? UPS, DHL, FedEx, USPS, and Amazon are all jockeying for competitive advantage, and they all have the required infrastructure in place. Why haven’t they partnered with airlines and hotel chains to provide this service? Imagine how much more pleasant travel would be if we could simply wander onto our flight with a paperback and a laptop, knowing our clothes would be waiting for us at our destination.
In the meantime, since you can’t quickly ship your things, here are links to blog posts I’ve written about packing lightly and drastically reducing the weight of the things you bring along.
Tips on reducing travel gear to essentials and the benefits of minimalism in travel.
The Incredible Lightness of Travel
Embrace minimalism while traveling. Reducing baggage makes travel more convenient and enhances the overall travel experience by allowing more focus on the journey.
Reduce travel baggage even further. Enjoy the freedom and efficiency of refining packing methods and carefully selecting only the most essential items for your trips.
Try updated strategies for traveling with minimal luggage. Enjoy the benefits of packing light, including convenience, mobility, and stress reduction.
Practical tips on minimizing travel gear while maintaining efficiency and comfort, emphasizing the benefits of simplicity and smart packing choices.
I sure like your ideas, Bruce!
Thank you Charlie. I sure like your replies!
Hell, yeah! Anyone have connections with the Dept of Transportation? Someone may have to force airlines to standardize. They don’t seem to be very responsive historically…
For those of us who travel a lot, Lee, it feels like a race to the bottom service wise.
You make some great points. I agree with you and what you are saying. It is obvious that they aren’t thinking strategically about the customer first and how to make their lives easier and understanding the clarity that is important. Thank you for sharing and making us think.
It’s indicative of a mature industry’s arc, David. Sooner or later, something will come along and disintermediate the status quo and we’ll see changes.
Love your points and wish someone would pay attention. We are heading to Iceland and France in a few weeks and traveling light (not so much for my 6’1 husband who, for his shoes alone, needs to ship luggage) has always been my travel goal. As a former trade show manager who traveled every week around the world, I learned the value of only taking what you could not live without (there are always stores wherever you go), having great wheels on your luggage, and never checking anything.
Sounds like a great trip, Annie.
Take a look at the links at the bottom of the blog – I think you’ll find lots of good tips for traveling Light.
By the way, at 6’ 4”, I have the same shoe problem as your husband. That’s why I only take a pair of running shoes and a pair of loafers with me when I travel. Otherwise, where would I put those giant boats?