Family: can’t live with them, can’t live without them. Am I right?
Travel trends seem to agree as well. According to a survey conducted by global travel network, Virtuoso, multigenerational travel emerges as this year’s top vacation trend. This comes as no surprise, given the rise of social media and the need to constantly feel ‘connected’ in the world we live in. Thankfully, connectivity has also come with the need (and want) to connect more with loved ones also. And if you’ve ever tried to teach an older family member how to use social media, then you’ll understand that you can’t replace face-to-face relationships when it comes to family.
This means that travel brands have had to step up their offerings in order to cater to the preferences among cross-generational travellers. From gen-Z to grandma and grandpa, that’s a wide gap of people to please. One of the biggest trends is home rentals, which was identified as one of the top travel trends for 2019 by Conde Nast Traveller, with family members traveling for short and long periods of time, and needing to rent homes away from home.
We already know about Airbnb, but here are a few other travel brands have begun to prioritize the needs of multi-generational travel by investing in family travel that facilitates bonding and lasting memories between generations — and that you’ll want to book for your next family getaway.
While we may all be familiar with the Marriott brand, allow us to introduce you to its nearest offering Homes & Villas by Marriott International, which is perfect for your next family vacation. Offering the ability to rent homes and villas (that are beautiful, by the way) that accommodates all ages, abilities and interests from their highly curated portfolio of the worlds’ most extraordinary home rentals. This means home-cooked dinners, an old school game of tag in the backyard, epic game nights or celebrating milestone birthdays. Families can now enjoy quality time together during their stay at Marriott’s lavish portfolio of private oceanfront villas, stunning countryside cabins, majestic stone castles and chic urban lofts — all which can be booked using Marriott Bonvoy points. It’s a win-win for everyone.
If you want a hotel-experience combined with a “home-away” feel, Wyndham Destinations is the largest vacation ownership and exchange company, and has resorts in over 100 countries. So whether the family wants to go to Bali, Hawaii or even North Carolina, there will be plenty of (affordable) options to live in the lap of luxury. If you’ve never done one of those timeshare meetings in order to score a free hotel stay (for me, guilty as charged) just know that timeshare resorts provide the “home away from home” families crave, while also providing the reliability and security of a trusted hospitality brand, with the space and modern amenities where travelers can unwind and relax.
For those lucky enough to get extended travel throughout the year, or have work that requires them to travel for long periods of time, Zeus Living is the new kid on the block with some really dope home offerings that are perfect for the whole family. The company, which entered the corporate housing space in 2015, provides travelers with individual homes in smaller neighborhoods around San Francisco, Washington D.C., New York and continues to expand to growing markets. So if you’re looking for living stays for 30-days or more, this is the best option for domestic travel that’s much better than a hotel room living.