In recent years, a new trend has emerged within the travel industry: “bleisure” travel, which blends business with leisure. As remote work and flexible travel schedules become more common, many business travelers are extending their stays to enjoy leisure activities, turning a work trip into a more holistic travel experience. For boutique and concept hotels, this presents an incredible opportunity to cater to this growing demographic by positioning themselves as destinations that serve both business and leisure needs.
But what does it take to attract the bleisure traveler? Let’s explore the unique marketing strategies that boutique and concept hotels can use to appeal to this increasingly influential audience.
What is Bleisure Travel?
Bleisure travel refers to a trip that combines both business and leisure elements. Instead of flying into a city for meetings and flying out immediately after, bleisure travelers take advantage of their business travel to explore the local area, experience cultural attractions, and even relax by the beach or pool. This trend has been accelerated by the rise of remote work, with many professionals now able to work from anywhere, leading them to blend work with personal travel.
While bleisure travelers often travel for business purposes, they are also willing to spend more on dining, entertainment, and cultural experiences, making them an attractive market for hotels. For boutique and concept hotels, which often pride themselves on providing unique, personalized guest experiences, this trend represents a perfect opportunity to market themselves as both productive workspaces and leisure retreats.
Offering Seamless Business and Leisure Experiences
One of the key ways boutique hotels can appeal to bleisure travelers is by offering a seamless integration of business and leisure experiences. For example, hotels can market themselves as ideal workspaces with fast Wi-Fi, comfortable business amenities, and quiet environments for meetings or video calls. At the same time, they can emphasize the leisure activities available to guests, such as access to local tours, fitness centers, spas, or scenic outdoor spaces.
This balance between business and leisure can be highlighted through well-designed landing pages, tailored social media campaigns, and email newsletters targeted at business travelers. For instance, a boutique hotel in a major city can promote its proximity to corporate offices, while also featuring weekend travel packages that encourage guests to stay a few extra days to explore the local nightlife, cultural hotspots, or nearby beaches.
Customizing Packages for Bleisure Travelers
A powerful way to attract bleisure travelers is by offering customized packages that cater to their specific needs. For example, hotels can create “work and play” packages that offer discounts for extended stays, include free breakfast for weekend days, or provide complimentary access to coworking spaces or business centers during the weekdays.
Some boutique hotels have gone a step further by offering packages that include wellness elements, such as yoga classes, spa treatments, or even personalized wellness consultations, helping guests balance work with relaxation. Others offer curated weekend itineraries that feature local tours, museum visits, and dining experiences—all designed to keep bleisure travelers engaged and entertained during their stay.
By offering these types of customized experiences, hotels can differentiate themselves from larger chains and demonstrate their commitment to providing a more personalized and unique travel experience.
Highlighting Local Experiences
Bleisure travelers are often eager to explore local attractions, and boutique hotels are perfectly positioned to showcase the best that their city has to offer. Unlike large corporate chains, boutique hotels often have a deep connection with their surrounding neighborhoods, making them ideal for marketing local experiences.
Hotels can create guides for bleisure travelers that highlight nearby restaurants, hidden cultural gems, or scenic outdoor activities. They can partner with local businesses to offer exclusive experiences, such as private tours of art galleries or behind-the-scenes access to local landmarks. By providing guests with these kinds of curated experiences, hotels can transform a business trip into a memorable, leisure-filled getaway.
Furthermore, hotels can leverage augmented reality (AR) to give guests virtual previews of nearby attractions, offering them an interactive and engaging way to explore the local area before they even arrive.
Remote Work Amenities: The New Standard
As bleisure travelers often work remotely during part of their trip, having the right remote work amenities is essential. Boutique and concept hotels can market themselves as ideal destinations for remote work by offering reliable high-speed internet, dedicated workspaces, and access to printers or other office essentials.
Some hotels have even created hybrid guest rooms that double as office spaces, offering ergonomic furniture, extra lighting, and video conferencing setups. Others have developed “work from anywhere” packages, which allow guests to book rooms for the day and take advantage of a comfortable environment for remote work.
By emphasizing the availability of these amenities in their marketing materials, boutique hotels can appeal to travelers who are looking for a place where they can be productive during the day and relax in the evenings.
Leveraging Influencers and Reviews to Attract Bleisure Travelers
One of the most effective ways to attract bleisure travelers is by leveraging social proof through influencer partnerships and guest reviews. Hotels can partner with business-travel influencers or digital nomads to showcase the hotel’s appeal as both a work-friendly and leisure-friendly destination. Influencers can highlight the hotel’s remote work setup during the week and feature local attractions or relaxing amenities during the weekend.
Additionally, encouraging bleisure travelers to leave reviews on platforms like TripAdvisor or Google Reviews can help build the hotel’s reputation as a top choice for business-leisure travel. Positive reviews that mention the hotel’s flexibility for both work and leisure can act as powerful social proof to convince potential guests to book their next trip.
Conclusion
The rise of bleisure travel presents an exciting opportunity for boutique and concept hotels to position themselves as the perfect blend of business and leisure. By offering customized packages, seamless work and leisure experiences, and remote work amenities, hotels can tap into this growing market and turn business travelers into repeat guests.
As the line between work and leisure continues to blur, hotels that embrace this trend will be well-positioned to attract high-spending travelers who want to make the most out of every trip. To stand out in this space, partnering with a hospitality marketing agency can help hotels develop and execute targeted marketing strategies that resonate with the modern bleisure traveler.
