Hotel Websites: Targeting Business and Leisure Travelers
This paper analyzes how four New York-area hotel websites target distinct traveler segments using the "upstairs" and "downstairs" guest framework. Drawing on examples from the Grand Hyatt Washington, Ace Hotel New York, Archer Hotel, and citizenM Times Square, the paper examines how each property's digital marketing reflects the preferences of its intended audience — whether business or leisure, socially engaged or privately oriented. The analysis reveals clear differences in the amenities emphasized, the language used, and the atmospheres promoted across each hotel's official web presence.
- Introduction: Upstairs and Downstairs Guest Typology: Defines the upstairs/downstairs traveler framework
- Business Travelers: Upstairs Guests: Grand Hyatt targets private, productivity-focused business travelers
- Business Travelers: Downstairs Guests: Ace Hotel appeals to networked, socially engaged professionals
- Leisure Travelers: Upstairs Guests: Archer Hotel offers retreat and comfort for private leisure guests
- Leisure Travelers: Downstairs Guests: citizenM markets fun, social atmosphere for outward-facing tourists
- Conclusion: Hotels' websites reflect deliberate traveler segmentation strategies
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What makes this paper effective
- Applies a clear organizational framework — the upstairs/downstairs guest typology — consistently across all four hotel examples, giving the analysis logical symmetry.
- Uses direct quotations from hotel websites as primary evidence, grounding each claim in the hotels' own marketing language rather than generalizations.
- Balances contrasting examples within each traveler category (e.g., Grand Hyatt vs. Ace Hotel for business travelers), making differences vivid and concrete.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied textual analysis: it reads hotel websites as rhetorical documents, examining word choice, featured amenities, and positioning statements to infer intended audience. This technique — treating marketing copy as evidence of strategic segmentation — is well-suited to business and hospitality studies.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized into four parallel analytical sections, each pairing a traveler type (business or leisure) with a guest orientation (upstairs or downstairs). A brief framing introduction precedes each section. This grid-like structure makes comparisons easy to follow and ensures every segment of the typology receives equal analytical attention.
Introduction: Upstairs and Downstairs Guest Typology
Within the hotel industry, travelers are often segmented by their social preferences and accommodation habits. Understanding how hotels tailor their digital marketing to these distinct traveler types reveals much about broader hospitality strategy.
Business Travelers: Upstairs Guests
Upstairs guests are defined as travelers who crave intimacy and "who spend less time in public areas and prefer private spaces such as bedrooms over more social spaces such as lobbies and lounges" ("Frequent travelers," 2000). The Grand Hyatt Washington is an excellent example of a hotel that caters to such a demographic. It advertises itself as a place where a traveler can "relax, play and stay connected" and enjoy "Hyatt Grand Beds®, 42" HDTV, and luxury marble bathrooms with Portico spa products" within the privacy of their own suites ("Rooms," 2015). The emphasis is on enjoying the traveler's personal accommodations rather than interacting with other guests.
The website promotes amenities likely to be attractive to business travelers looking for solitude as they attend to important matters: "stay productive at our oversized work stations with a Henry Miller chair, Wi-Fi access and iPod docks" ("Rooms," 2015). There is also the option of a business plan upgrade, further reinforcing the hotel's orientation toward the privacy-preferring professional.
References
Ace Hotel in New York. (2015). Official website. Retrieved from
Archer Hotel. (2015). Official website. Retrieved from http://archerhotel.com/new-york
Archer Hotel NY. (2015). Booking.com. Retrieved from http://www.booking.com/hotel/us/archer-new-york.html
citizenM. (2015). Official website. Retrieved from https://www.citizenm.com/destinations/new-york/new-york-times-square-hotel
Grand Hyatt Washington. (2015). Official website. Retrieved from
Frequent travelers venture upstairs and downstairs in search of space. (2000). PR Newswire. Retrieved from
Hullinger, J. (2015). 7 best hotels for business travelers. The Week. Retrieved from http://theweek.com/articles/541579/7-best-hotels-business-travelers
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