The experience market in 2023

With a looming recession and the cost-of-living crisis having a huge effect on consumer choices, added value and a fuller guest experience are more important than ever. The ‘experience economy’ shows no sign of waning, with research from Barclaycard showing that over 50% of Britons would now rather spend their money on experiences than material goods. For operators this brings an opportunity to market their space as an experience, not just a place to stay. Surprising or nostalgic features, such as hidden games rooms, outdoor projectors and outdoor bathing are particularly popular, but there’s also value in the simple fact of allowing guests to switch off and have a tech detox.

This year we’ve seen Canopy & Stars owners taking outdoor bathing to the next level, with saunas and side-by-side baths both emerging as new trends. Our collection now features 6 of the former and 20 of the latter, while ‘hot tub’ and ‘outdoor baths’ are consistently within our top-5 most-selected features during search and half of our top-10 performing Instagram posts feature baths.