We’re diving into a new season of tournaments, games, meets and championships. Some things don’t change, like the public’s appetite for sports, the desire of kids everywhere to compete and, of course, the appreciation for a great destination to explore before, during and/or after the competition is done.
Housing is one aspect of the industry that evolves, but it remains a key priority for traveling families. Now that we’re fully back from the pandemic, it’s time to review what has changed, what hasn’t and what’s on the horizon. Here’s a snapshot of what’s going on:
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Changes in the Marketplace: We’ve seen some seismic shifts over the past year. Some event owners have been acquired or merged, resulting in larger tournaments or portfolios of multiple sports/events. Others have started their own housing companies and are now serving their athletes internally.
These changes have certainly been noticeable, but there is still plenty of demand for housing and, in turn, for companies that manage that housing. Our company is no exception. We’ve seen a steady flow of business and look forward to serving more clients, athletes and traveling families.
Growth: The demand for housing, in our view, is only increasing. In fact, we would estimate travel is up by about 12 percent compared to previous years (7.5 percent growth compared to 2019 levels). In sports tourism, there are more options and larger tournaments and an increasing number of families are hitting the road to participate. As a direct result, the need for housing has never been stronger.
Preferences for Family-Friendly Accommodations: Upper midscale properties with amenities offering plenty of space are favorites in the youth travel market. Some of the most requested configurations include rooms with two queen (or king) beds and, often, a sleeper sofa as well. This setup helps accommodate everyone in the family (and perhaps a friend who’s playing in the tournament, too). Suite properties are also popular, and among families traveling with multiple children, a kitchenette can be an appreciated perk.
Another popular request is a breakfast buffet or a hot breakfast bar. In fact, having a breakfast buffet or hot breakfast is so important to many travelers that it can make the difference between a hotel being a first choice or a last resort. Any type of breakfast is better than none at all. While luxury properties offer a variety of dining options, most families traveling together prefer to sit down, grab what they need and then leave for their games, without having to wait to place an order.
Housekeeping Demand is Back (by Request): In 2020 and for a while after, many hotels reduced their cleaning services, offering daily housekeeping only upon request. While this is still true at some properties, and guests must request it, daily room cleaning is in high demand again. Some guests don’t mind going without it for days at a time, but for families with children, that visit from the housekeeper while they’re out will be truly appreciated.
As a side note, at higher-end properties, room service is also back in demand, along with services like laundry facilities and concierge information on sightseeing and more.
Other Factors in Hotels’ Favor: What else are families looking for when they travel? From what we’re seeing, kids continue to request hotels with pools. It’s a great place to gather at the end of the day, and it gives parents the chance to unwind and catch up with one another.
Another amenity parents appreciate is the ability to get alcohol onsite, whether it’s sold at the property or available via a vendor. After a long day, parents enjoy having a drink by the pool, and in group travel, it’s important to consider the needs of both the kids and their parents. In the sports market, enthusiastic adults, whether celebrating a victory or mourning a defeat, are a significant part of the travel equation.
One more sought-after amenity is free parking. If you’re traveling by car, it’s frustrating to pay for parking each time you leave the hotel for a game and each time you come back when it is finished or when you go out for meals. Some properties offer open lots with unlimited free parking while others provide hang tags for guests to monitor parking and restrict it to paying customers. Either way, free parking is a big win for parents.
Wi-Fi, which used to be a paid amenity, is now free at most properties (across all levels of service). Hotels that still charge extra fees for Wi-Fi are falling out of favor.
Sustainability in the Hotel Industry: A few years ago, sustainability was a niche concern among travelers. Today, it’s an area of growing interest. Major hotel brands are committing to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. Across all properties, there’s a strong focus on making hotels more eco-friendly.
From water conservation and greywater reuse to composting, sustainable food production, recycling and reducing waste, there’s an emphasis on green behaviors. We’re also seeing sustainable materials being used in the design and construction of new hotels, as well as in renovations and additions.
Some changes are small, but they add up to a big difference. For example, many large properties now offer refillable shampoo, conditioner, body wash and moisturizer containers, replacing the smaller, single-use bottles. While small independent properties might still use plastic bottles, larger chains are increasingly adopting more sustainable practices. Some estimates state that getting rid of the personal-size products can keep as many as 200 million to 500 million small plastic bottles from being discarded.
Additionally, many of the large hotel chains have signed on with soap recycling programs, ensuring that partially used bars of soap are not discarded after every guest; instead, soap bars are collected and sent to a facility that mills all soap scraps and turns them into bars of soap to be distributed in underserved areas of the world. We expect to see more of this in the future.
The Rebrand of Stay-to-Play: The stay-to-play model (where tournaments offer a list of hotels at various price points and require participants to stay in those properties to compete in the tournament) remains strong and necessary for events to succeed. In fact, non-stay-to-play events can struggle to support both the tournament and the local hotels, making it difficult to maintain hotel relationships and competitive rates. Some clients have rebranded stay-to-play as “Support the Sport,” which emphasizes the “why” behind booking through the official housing company.
When you book a partnered hotel for an event, you’re not just securing a room, you’re supporting those hotels in offering competitive rates, supporting the tournament organization that’s working hard to provide a great experience and enabling the hotel to give back dividends that can be reinvested in future events.
We’re sometimes asked if a housing bureau can be used without a stay-to-play arrangement, and the answer is yes. It depends on the event and its needs. For example, a large marathon might use a housing bureau without requiring participants to book through a designated list. Ultimately, it comes down to how each event operator wants to leverage the hotel component for everyone’s success.
For traditional team sports events, like tournaments, there’s a huge advantage in working with a housing company and enforcing a stay-to-play or “Support the Sport” arrangement. It provides several benefits: deeper discounted rates, more comp rooms, better hotel selection, protection against cancellation fees and more. But most importantly, it’s about what such an arrangement gives back.
Ultimately, the lodging industry is a perfect example of the adage, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” There have been many changes and many constants and we remain optimistic for the years ahead. SDM
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