Skift Take

Relevant music acts have been a great way to make all-inclusive resorts relevant to the younger millennial travelers.

Last month we launched a new FREE Skift Trends Report, The Evolution of the All-Inclusive Resort, brought to you in partnership with Club Med. Below is an extract from it, download the full report for free, to get the ALL-INCLUSIVE goodness.

With so much competition in iconic tourist destinations from Rio de Janeiro to Mexico’s Riviera Maya, there’s a powerful drive among the major all-inclusive resort chains to deliver more high-impact experiences on-property. However, there’s growing uncertainty about how to cater to millennials today.

Hard Rock Hotels is a newcomer to the all- inclusive scene with four hotels in Mexico and one in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. Another in Los Cabos is presently under development. The focus on music memorabilia, outdoor live musical events, and a general counter-culture attitude is resonating with younger customers today, as well as parents looking to sync up with the brand’s edgy spirit.

“We started the Hard Rock all-inclusive brand four years ago to turn the all-inclusive industry upside down on its head,” says Frank Maduro, VP of marketing for Hard Rock Hotels All-Inclusive Collection. “We wanted something that was going to disrupt the marketplace so we looked at what would be unexpected. First, it’s a brand you wouldn’t relate to all-inclusives for starters. It’s a qual- ity brand, it’s a world renowned brand. Two, we have elements that aren’t typically found with an all-inclusive brand, like the music and the music memorabilia and the attitude, which are all a little bit different.”

Hard Rock’s mantra is “All Day, All Night, All-Inclusive” with a high-energy vibe that appeals to many millennials. For example, the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya near Playa del Carmen in Mexico has a purpose built concert theater inside the property. The venue hosts the nightly “See The Show” event featuring live bands and dinner, with one show for families earlier in the evening and a later show for adults.

See The Show concert halls are being developed for the rest of the Hard Rock all-inclusive properties beginning next year.

There are also purpose-built outdoor concert stages called Woodstock Terraces with audience capacity for up to 5,000 people, along with full lighting and sound equipment for special events and name musical acts ranging from Flo-Rida to rock and roll icon Jon Bon Jovi.

“We’ve seen tremendous success by offering an experience that rocks, and that’s what we’re looking for,” says Maduro. “I think it helps attract the younger guest because the brand is perceived as a cool and hip brand, versus just a hotel brand, so it definitely opens up the market to a younger clientele. It’s also an aspirational brand for older clientele because they also want to be cool and hip, and remember how they felt during their music days.”

The wealth of music memorabilia from different eras at Hard Rock Hotels helps bring the different age groups together, which is very attractive for multi-generational families and groups. For example, Madonna’s limousine at Hard Rock Hotels Punta Cana provides a great topic of discussion for all generations, based on common interests in global music, fashion and lifestyle trends.

Above is an extract, download the full report for free, to get the ALL-INCLUSIVE goodness.

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Tags: all-inclusive, club med, millennials

Photo credit: The opening of Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in 2014, with Jon Bon Jovi playing. Courtesy Hard Rock Hotel / Courtesy Hard Rock Hotel

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