Distinct, but Familiar
While roughly one in four Zillennials report hotel brand loyalty, many still begin their search with trusted names, preferring boutique or lifestyle sub-brands that offer individuality within an established brand umbrella.
This is “loyal-ish” behavior: trust gets the click, but personality wins the booking. To compete in early-stage consideration, travel brands should focus on their lifestyle or soft-brand narratives and visual storytelling with hyperlocal first impression content on social platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Quote from the Tribe:
“I’ll usually start with the big names — they’re reliable — but I look for the version of that brand that feels more my speed, like their boutique or lifestyle line.”
- 26-year-old traveler from The United States - 15 trips per year.
Commercial Takeaway:
Make your sub-brands the hero of your Zillennial-focused search and paid media strategy. Feature vibe-first visuals and positioning to capture attention while leveraging parent-brand-backed service reliability to increase booking confidence.
Message us to discuss how your approach compares.
About the MODIV Tribes Series
Since 2022, MODIV’s always-on Mindset® study has engaged more than 48,000 frequent travelers across 25 countries. Our mission: decode the why behind traveler behavior—so travel and hospitality brands can act smarter, faster, and with greater commercial precision.
Our Tribes series distills what hospitality leaders need to know—direct from the source. Each quarter, we engage Business Travelers, Luxury Travelers, Zillennials, and Meeting Planners through our proprietary Mindset® study, then translate what we hear into strategic insights you can use.
This isn't one-and-done research. Each week, we go back to a tribe to test sharper questions based on what you tell us you need to know. Got a question you want answered? We invite you to add your voice in the comments or reach out directly.
About the Zillenial Travel Tribe
This study reflects insights based on a blended qualitative and quantitative session with 133 travelers from 15 countries who are 1-33 years old and take at least three trips per year for business.
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