NEW YORK, April 11 — Hotels are concluding that millennial travellers want three things: customised experiences, digital convenience and relevant information on social media.

Call it Canopy by Hilton, Moxy by Marriott or Element by Starwood, traditional hotel chains are catering to the tastes of young adults who have never known a world without the Internet. Even Best Western, known for its budget hotels, has announced plans for a new brand called GLo, which will offer lower-priced small rooms and free high-speed Internet.

According to Phocuswright research, seven in 10 18- to 34-year-olds took at least one leisure trip in 2014, and while millennials spend slightly less annually (US$3,217/RM12,500) than older travellers (US$3,381), they do travel more on the fly. Almost a quarter of Gen Y travelers booked their last trip less than one week before departure, says Phocuswright.

“We see millennial travellers more as explorers than tourists,” said Brian McGuinness, global brand leader, Starwood’s Specialty Select Brands. “Our Aloft hotels are specifically designed with them in mind.”

Aloft features free Wi-Fi, areas for working poolside or in the bar, and even a robotic bellhop that appeals to tech-savvy millennials, he said. Now, guests who are too busy to talk to a human can order from an emoji room-service menu by texting a string of emoji with their last name and room number to Aloft TiGi (which stands for Text it. Get it.).

To grab the attention of millennials who regularly use social media, Marriott International has gone Hollywood by running its own studio to create short films, TV shows and webisodes that promote its various brands, said David Beebe, vice president for global creative and content marketing at Marriott International.

Marriott Content Studio has created shows like Navigator Live, which gave guests in Renaissance Hotels a look at a city through the eyes of touring musicians. The show also ran on the cable network AXS TV. Short films like the action comedy Two Bellmen Two, about two bellmen who save the day when a guest’s business presentation goes missing, was filmed at the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai and garnered 7.9 million YouTube views. The film, which will soon be featured on Emirates Airline, is also shown in a number of Marriott hotels.

Marriott’s Renaissance Hotels have also introduced Evenings at Renaissance, a free event for guests featuring local craft beverages chosen by the hotel bartender and local drink experts. The program is part of the brand’s new It’s Business Unusual global campaign to appeal to young entrepreneurial business travellers.

Hotel chains are also trying to draw young adults to their brands with music-related loyalty program events, like Hilton@PLAY’s concerts.

In December, for example, Hilton presented Neon Trees at the Washington Hilton in the District of Columbia for an exclusive performance for guests. Hilton HHonors members can redeem points to attend such concerts, or can make a gift of the experiences to others.

Exploring the world is a goal for Chris Tung, 25, the coordinator for the original film division of Netflix in Beverly Hills, who is starting to do research for a vacation in Japan next year.

“I try to stay in places that are authentic to an area, where locals hang out,” Tung said. “Price is a big factor. I’m always searching multiple sites to figure out the best deals. I’d love access to online streaming services where I can put in my own account number to watch things, rather than pay a hotel charge.” — The New York Times