Modern hospitality loves to talk about “experiences.” We’re no longer in an era where hotels merely provide a room and bed; now, each destination is a veritable launchpad for unforgettable moments. But while hotels promise transformative stays, their language remains – how to put it? – distinctly untransformed.
Much of hospitality’s vocabulary appears stuck in a bygone era, a world where we still navigate ‘Lobbies,’ ‘Parking Areas,’ and ‘Dining Rooms.’ You’ll find ‘Concierge Desks,’ ‘Meeting Facilities,’ and ‘Business Centres’ cropping up too. In this brave new age of experiences, where the guest is encouraged to dive into immersion, these functional terms feel like museum relics, struggling to keep up with the experiential promise of the brand. Where’s the magic in a ‘Lobby’? What’s inviting about ‘Guest Parking’?
There are, of course, exceptions; brands that have realised that language itself can be an experience. W Hotels, perhaps the poster child of re-imagined verbal identity, transforms ‘Staff’ into ‘Talent,’ giving every team member a role that sounds more West End than workplace. Even the in-room phone channels this playful tone, replacing ‘Room Service’ with the ever-charming ‘Whatever, Whenever,’ a phrase that flirts with the very idea of limitless possibility. Jumeirah Group, too, has ventured into more emotive territory, replacing the rather stiff ‘Reserved’ on pre-booked tables with a warmly evocative ‘Promised.’
While we’re not advocating that every hotel adopts the breezy tone of W Hotels (not every brand has informality woven into its DNA), perhaps it is high time for the industry to step into a more experiential lexicon. After all, if hotels are keen to claim the role of experience-makers, rather than mere bed providers, shouldn’t their language “speak” to this?
What might this new lexicon draw upon?
A compelling approach might be to honour the etymology of ‘hospitality’ itself. Its roots lie in ‘hospitalitas,’ meaning ‘friendliness to guests,’ a term that shares origins with ‘hospital.’ The word is a call to care, to look after people, whether they are guests or staff. And that, surely, is the philosophy behind W Hotels’ ‘Talent’ and Jumeirah’s ‘Promised’: phrases that, despite their quirks, revolve around the idea of taking care of others. A fresh vocabulary rooted in care, emotion, and connection could well be the bridge between experience and language that hospitality so dearly needs.
In the end, the message is unmistakable: for hotels that pride themselves on crafting unique, memorable experiences, it’s time to reverse the old adage. Enough of ‘walking the talk.’ If hospitality is to meet its own ambitions, then the industry must learn to “talk the walk”.
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