It’s no longer just a fad: The concept of the pop-up hotel has proven it has what it takes to be a full-fledged trend and now they’re popping up all over the place.
It used to be that only the guests came and went, while the hotel was a constant fixture. Thanks to the popularity of pop-up restaurants, exhibitions, and stores, we’re now seeing a growing number of pop-up hotels around the globe.
And why not? It puts hotels right where today’s guests want to be: directly at the source of experience.
Understanding why pop-up hotels are catching on
Once upon a time, there was camping. It was minimalistic. Then, thanks to generational approaches to re-thinking the design of recreational vehicles, we saw the dawn of glamping. Traditional campers scoffed. Why bring an obviously unneeded luxury item like a martini shaker on a campout?
Glamping has become an industry all to itself. It earned respectability as luxury camping became more about the location and experience than the location. Technology transformed the things that make glamping easier and more affordable. Currently, Baby Boomers and Millennials are pushing sales increases of RVs by double digits.
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The traditional definition of glamping – if there could be such a thing – meant you brought your new-and-improved camping experience to the location of your choice. The objective was to bring you closer to the experience you desired, while still providing accommodations on par or even better than what you experienced back at home.
It isn’t a stretch to see how and why the hotel industry saw an opportunity to take advantage of glamping. The tent experience was never an aspiration. On the other hand, providing a luxury experience that includes a full-size bathroom with hot water, absolutely necessary WiFi, and opulent meals made from locally sourced growers are all things hoteliers know how to do quite well.
It was simply a matter of matching up customer expectations for temporary operations. Pop-up hotels take the form of luxurious yurts, trailers, pods, and even tree houses. They can go where traditional hotels simply aren’t able to fit.
Many pop-up hotels have chosen to stay with the classic yurt – although there’s little that’s recognizable. They feature a suite of furniture, plenty of light and air, and there’s no lack of amenities. Other pop-ups utilize a modernized approach with pods. These are usually plastic or metal bubble-like structures that have been designed to make a minimal impact on the environment. Pods can be placed in more remote and wilder locations, while still offering luxury experiences.
Other pop-ups require you to take to the trees. There’s a growing trend of eco-friendly but luxurious treehouses that add adventure to the mix, but without straying too far from what we might expect in the way of traditional hotel amenities.
Beyond barriers
Pop-up hotels are mobile and temporary. Thanks to an infusion of technology, there’s hardly any barrier to where they can be set up. This plays with perfect synchronicity to the Millennial-led penchant for unique experiences. It also allows hotels to pop up where the action is. For example, Marriott International erected eight luxurious tents during the 2017 Coachella Music and Arts Festival in California.
Marriott modeled this movable experience after several of its premier properties such as Moxy and Aloft. The Coachella pop-up event was so popular that Marriott has already announced it will do it again next year – but with yurts, it plans to model in the style of W Hotels from Dubai, Hollywood, Barcelona, and Bali.
Traveling used to be the sole responsibility of guests. It’s growing more likely that sometime in the future, your hotel will meet you someplace in the middle.
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We specialize in locating, providing, and installing the best furniture, art, and other appliances to perfect your business’s interior design. If you are interested in what we can do to help you, contact us today.