Your Hotel’s Revenue Depends on Booking More Multigenerational Guests
Families are traveling together in bigger groups, with parents, grandparents, and adult children sharing experiences that bring everyone closer. These trips often last longer and generate higher spend per booking. However, it’s often grandparents doing the hosting, with parents helping out. And these groups have complex questions and considerations before they book. It’s worth it. Hotels that make it easy for families to plan a stay together will not only win more bookings, they’ll earn more through these high-value travelers.
The Family Travel Boom Is Here
Travel plans are stretching across generations. The Family Travel Association and NYU SPS 2025 survey found 71% of grandparents have taken a multigenerational trip and 57% plan to take another soon.
Family travel is driving the strongest growth in the market. Booking.com reports that family bookers grew three times faster than other traveler groups in 2024 and had the highest spend per booking on its platform. They plan earlier, stay longer, and are deliberate in how they choose accommodations. Families compare room sizes, kitchen access, and flexible layouts before booking, and they look for stays that clearly show how all ages can be comfortable. This shift toward intentional, multigenerational planning is reshaping how hotels present and package their inventory.
Multigenerational travel has become one of the most dependable markets in hospitality. It’s active, flexible, and willing to pay for the right experience. Are you addressing it in your hotel marketing?
Hotels Miss This Key Guest Segment
Many hotel websites still focus on solo travelers or couples. Room layouts, booking paths, and marketing messages don’t always reflect what families need.
Websites rarely explain how to reserve adjoining rooms or confirm a layout that fits six people. That gap is costing revenue. Hilton’s 2025 Trends Report recorded 1.4 million connecting rooms booked between August 2023 and August 2024—a 6% year-over-year increase. Guests want this option, and they expect to book it online.
Room configurations aren’t the only issue. Families are also asking for more flexible programming. 54% of parents set aside adult-only time during trips, according to Hilton. They look for kids’ clubs, teen lounges, and family-friendly dining schedules that work for all ages. Hotels that rely on single-room stays or limited programming lose families who need more space and structure.
Smart Hotels are Capturing Family Travel Intent
Some properties have already adapted. Hilton’s Confirmed Connecting Rooms allow guests to book multiple rooms together without calling the front desk. That operational change directly meets family needs and builds trust in the booking experience.
Resorts with kids’ clubs and structured activities position those programs as part of a complete experience, not just childcare. Parents can enjoy adult amenities knowing their kids are engaged and supervised.
Marketing teams are speaking directly to the people who plan and pay. Grandparents often fund the trip, while kids influence the choice, according to a recent TMR report. It also highlighted that 54% of grandparents are the ones planning and organizing multigenerational trips.
Marketers must address these decision-makers and influencers on their own terms, as the eldest call the shots while the middle-generation, caught between the needs of their parents and their kids, research and validate options that must somehow please everyone. Campaigns that highlight accessibility, comfort, and activities for every generation will convert these parties.
How to Win the Booking: Marketing and Operations Working Together
Strategic marketers should stand up campaigns and initiatives with clarity, intent, and consistency across your marketing and guest experience.
Create a Families & Groups hub on your website. Make it easy to see how your property supports larger groups. Include room layouts, connecting options, crib availability, and family-friendly amenities. Add itineraries that show how guests can spend time together and apart, like morning kids’ activities, adult spa sessions, family dinner at sunset.
Optimize for family search intent. Travelers searching for phrases like “hotel with connecting rooms in [city]” or “multi-bedroom suite” in your region should find clear, easy-to-browse information on your website. Build pages that target those queries and answer common questions. Use structured FAQ markup so that AI and search results pull your best answers directly, and cites you first.
Develop targeted offers. “Grandparent-hosted getaway” packages with a second-room discount or early dining options appeal to those who often pay for the trip. Family packages that include flexible activity credits and special amenities like gathering spaces and photo sessions reinforce shared experiences and value.
Craft paid ads with a personalized appeal. For grandparents, focus on connection and hosting. Show family gatherings, shared meals, or a grandparent with a child. Use warm, generous language around bringing everyone together. Emphasize comfort, on-site dining, and easy logistics. For parents, highlight balance and relief. Show adults relaxing while kids play, or everyone enjoying time together. Speak to convenience and shared joy. With strategic targeting and remarketing, your campaign can effectively address the decision maker and influencers.
Deliver the experience you promote. Confirm connecting rooms at booking. Offer early dining, family-style menus, and child amenities that are easy to request. Train your staff to recognize multigenerational guests and adjust service expectations, everything from pace of dining to assistance with mobility needs. Remember: the grandparents are the ones in charge! Keep them happy and everyone else will thank you.
When your marketing and operations align, families see consistency from the moment they click “book” through the end of their stay. That builds trust and repeat business.
The Fast Track to Capturing Family Revenue
Multigenerational travel is now a major revenue stream. Families are already searching for hotels that make these trips simple to plan and enjoyable for everyone.
O’Rourke Hospitality helps properties adapt quickly, and can advise on your next steps. This may include an audit of your website for family intent, identifying booking and content gaps, or spinning up targeted campaigns. When your hotel meets the needs of every generation, you capture more bookings, build loyalty, and strengthen your direct revenue. The opportunity is already here. Reach us to make sure your property is ready.