For years, luxury hotels shaped their offerings around the adult guests, the presumed decision-maker, the business-traveller and primary target audience for the experience. Children, if considered at all, were an afterthought, given the margins like a play area, a simplified menu, a lone colouring book at brunch. But that model no longer reflects how families travel, or what they expect.
Today’s luxury traveller is increasingly a family unit, and more often than not, it’s the youngest member who’s influencing the experience and shaping the itinerary. In India, over 85% of Gen Alpha and GenZ children now influence holiday decisions and vacay plans. Globally, more than half of parents let their kids choose restaurants or hotel activities and experiences. This isn’t a soft influence, it’s steering the industry to a new age, a bold shift in the old playbooks redefining what luxury means and who it is meant and how hotels are evolving their space, service, and storytelling for a wider audience.
Hotels that once treated children as an add on to the guest experience are now considering them as full participants. This new luxury is leading high-end hospitality pivoting from “kid-friendly” to kid-forward with designing immersive amenities to meaningful storytelling.
The Rise of Emotionally Intelligent Luxury
According to the Global Hospitality Kids Report, most parents now plan vacations around their children’s preferred activities – 77% for activities and 70% for destination choices. Luxury today, especially in family travel, isn’t defined by indulgence alone, but by emotionally rich, memory-led experiences that consider children as full guests. For younger travellers, this does not mean toned down adult experiences, it rather means being given equal attention through thoughtfully designed moments that builds curiosity and purpose.
And that more than heart at play here, it’s strategy. Research shows that up to 25% of brand preferences formed in childhood persist into adulthood. So, when luxury brands invest in thoughtful experiences for children, it’s a long-term investment in future loyalty. Many hotels are taking note and beginning to introduce culture-led, discovery-driven experiences designed for younger guests. At Conrad Pune, that’s the ethos behind Conrad Champs, a pioneering initiative that considers children at the centre of the guest journey through the form of an integrated storytelling approach.
Inside The Insider – Conrad Pune’s Story-First Approach with a blend of hospitality
There’s a quiet, joyful revolution unfolding at Conrad Pune. It’s led not by whispering sommeliers or butlers in crisp suits but one that’s bringing sparkle to small eyes and uncontainable giggles to familiar halls. At the heart of this shift lies The Insider, a printed, cheerful story-driven guide curated for the months of June and July with a special focus on stripe-clad mascot named Stripey specifically for young guests.
The Insider is no ordinary monthly newsletter. It’s a beautifully designed editorial journal, it leads children on a journey of puzzles, questions, clues and hidden surprises woven across the hotel’s spaces that slowly reveal themselves to become a tailored adventure. From the visual layout to the tone of the writing, every detail evokes curiosity and confidence transforming the stay into a choose-your-own-adventure tale.
From its bold colour palette to its cheerful mascot, Stripey, everything about The Insider is intentionally designed for children. But beneath the playful surface is a thoughtful hospitality strategy: one that sees children not as passive participants, but as perceptive guests deserving of their own tailored experience.
The July edition revolves around Stripey’s birthday celebration – complete with interactive dining stations, brain teasers, scavenger hunts, and immersive games that unfolded across the property. Every corner becomes a stage, every corridor a chapter. Along with being an entertaining activity, it’s crafted to bring out curiosity, and is a hospitality philosophy in action.
But beneath the whimsy is a sharp understanding of guest psychology – along with entertainment The Insider also empowers. Children are not passive observers here; they’re heroes of their own journeys. The tone, tempo, and visual identity are all tailored to evoke confidence, independence, and wonder.
“The goal isn’t to distract the kids or keep them busy, it’s about creating a sense of ownership, curiosity and belonging,” says Abhishek Sahai, General Manager, Conrad Pune. Today’s young guests are incredibly perceptive, and pick on details, they also remember and come back for how you made them feel. So, our goal isn’t to just entertain but create an experience where they feel capable, curious, and important. That’s what builds emotional connection,” he further adds.
