Hotels Cater to Travelers Over 50 With New Targeted Marketing

The golden rule in travel marketing has been to avoid guests in their golden years. In travel marketing, it’s time to put age before beauty.

Carley is a Skifter.

The brawny, bearded and tattooed man in the summer adventure ad looks like a beach boy. A man who is eligible for Medicare can be seen in his crow’s feet, if you give it a second look.

67 percent of Americans age 50 or older say they have made travel plans for 2022, and Extended Stay America isn’t the only hotel brand trying to tap into that market. For marketers who have written off mature consumers as fixed in their travel habits and brand preferences, courting that large and lucrative demographic is an opportunity for a sea change.

A few bold brands are showing more than just young couples and families. Three brands are spotlighting guests over 50.

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The hotels are called Charlestowne.

The Harbor View Inn is in Charleston, South Carolina.

Each of the properties has a different approach to attracting older guests. The Harbour View Inn in Charleston, South Carolina has a video that it believes shows the feelings its guests have during their stay.

The corporate director of marketing strategy at Charlestowne Hotels said that they used more senior models for the shoot. Boomer travelers are eager and determined.

The Harbourview says it saw a 20 percent increase in online bookings for guests over the age of 65 after posting a video on Facebook. The demographic that accounts for 38 percent of the company’s revenue is something that is important to consider.

Boomer are more active on Bing than other generations are. Bing has a higher return on ad spend than any other avenue.

The Collector Luxury Inn & Gardens has launched an email campaign called Grown Up Saving that offers special rates for weekday stays.

Stay in America for extended periods of time.

A couple in their fifties stay in one of the properties in the video. While travel campaigns for an aging audience mostly showcase couples enjoying their twilight years in a relaxed manner, the surfer was selected to appear in the Summer Adventure Awaits ad.

Kelly Polling is the executive vice president and chief commercial officer of Extended Stay.

A surfer is in an ad.

The best Western hotels.

Best Western takes the concept of an active older adult to a whole new level with marketing that caters to those who like to travel. The chain has a partnership with Harley Davidson that gives 10% to members of the group. Best Western gives a 15 percent discount to members of the American Association of Retired Persons.

Jay Hubbs, Best Western’s vice president of advertising, marketing, innovation and analytic, said that the company has content for touring motorcycle owners that can be found in the Travel Zone blog and on TV ads.

People who ride those tend to be retirees and don’t have kids, and those who spend their time on the road.

Free bike wipe-down towels, access to cleaning stations and reserved parking spaces are some of the amenities offered by Best Western.