The 4 Things Gen Z Wants From Hotels

Look out! Harper’s World is emerging as the discerning eye of Gen Z, and the kid’s menu at many hotels isn’t fooling anyone.

Earlier this year, Harper Hendricks began making waves at a trade event she attended with her mom, Desiree Palmer of I Travel Group, a boutique agency co-founded with Andrea Wolter, Palmer’s mother.

It was a typical day, and Palmer was getting ready to go to a small show in Barcelona with the standard, speed-dating format of 15-minute meetings between advisors and hoteliers.

Her daughter Harper was traveling with, and, before departing for the show, Harper asked her mom if she could tag along. Palmer was initially surprised at her daughter’s interest in a trade event and even explained that “it would probably be boring” for her daughter.

But after Harper elaborated, “I’ll just hang out by the coffee machine with my iPad,” Palmer casually figured: “Why not?” and acquiesced.

Thirteen is a pivotal and formative time for young people, and perhaps adults sometime forget how big a deal it is to be experiencing real autonomy for the first time. While shy when her mom or grandmother are present, Harper is unabashed around other grown-ups when her family is busy.

Once the two arrived at the venue, Palmer went off to attend her meetings and Harper parked herself in the lobby. She then drew a quick “Harper’s World” sign on her iPad, pulled up an Instagram QR code — which effectively became her business card — and began pitching passing hoteliers on why kids deserve to be treated like actual guests.

Sixteen meetings (and new followers) later, she had their attention and a clearer mandate: Make luxury hospitality acknowledge young people or be called out by the very demographic it wants to win.

“It was probably the most authentic and insightful feedback one could receive,” recalled Lorenzo Battaini of the Hotel Arts Barcelona. “I truly believe that, after every journey, parents should take a moment to ask their children how they felt, and never take those feelings for granted.”

Harper's World — Harper’s family on safari in Kenya.
(Harper’s World)

Beyond their work in travel advising, the family also collectively owns La Famille Agency LLC, a hotel representation company built for luxury brands that embrace family-centered hospitality. Together, they bring a rare mix of experience that spreads across multiple international industries.

For example, Wolter’s dynamic career has spanned from entertainment and automotive, from professional sports to global operations. Palmer’s foundation in hospitality brings firsthand understanding of service and guest experience, whereas Kyle Palmer and Rodney Wolter represent the family’s creative edge and experience with the PGA, respectively.

Their collective, multigenerational energy drives the company and within it, Harper’s World stands out as its most dynamic branch.

Co-owned by Harper herself (who, by the way, has already explored 36 countries), the brand channels a lively and authentic feed of what Gen Z actually values into luxury hospitality, helping hotels understand that the youngest guests are not simply along for the journey — they are the future of it.

The thesis is simple: Recognition comes first. If a property cannot be bothered to notice the child by name, the rest is fluff. Stamped passports for kids, a welcome that is clearly for them, and small touches that say “we see you” set the tone for the whole stay.

Unsurprisingly, the coffee machine moment turned into more concrete conversations, and a sales manager later sat down with Harper in the lobby at InterContinental Barcelona, where the trade event was taking place. Harper gave candid feedback, and it traveled.

That interaction (and others like it) are pushing senior teams to look again at the basics, from dining to programming, and to how a lobby greets a teenager who walks in with their parents.

Here is Harper’s operating manual for anyone serious about Gen Z:

Kill the gimmicks, build real experiences: Younger kids may accept cartoon distractions, but by middle school the difference between a staged prop and a real activity is obvious. Scavenger hunts that teach something about the property work. “Kids clubs” that are an afterthought and serve simply as “screen rooms” do not. According to Harper, “Give them movement, discovery, and a reason to leave the room.”
Serve food with a sense of place: The default kid’s menu signals that no one tried. Just because something is smaller doesn’t make it for kids. Harper and her peers are more adventurous than many menus might suggest. Right-sized, destination-specific options respect the guest and the culture. “Make me feel like I’m in Thailand,” says Harper.
Train staff to engage: It takes one person to make a stay feel personal. Guillermo Gorini, a staffer at Hotel Arts Barcelona, noticed Harper exploring a bathroom Bluetooth feature during check-in. He took a moment to show Harper how to pair it, then followed up the next day. Five minutes of attention left a lasting impression.
Design age-appropriate autonomy for teens: Parents do not want to hover, and teens do not want to be parked. Supervised, opt-in workshops and excursions, from mosaics in Barcelona to glassblowing in Venice, turn a trip into a skill, then into a valuable memory and, finally, brand affinity.

Harper is backing her critique with structure and recruiting her friends to build “The Suite Society,” a small peer group to test programs through real teenage eyes. An app is in development to surface genuine, family-friendly hotels and pair them with cultural immersion. And she is launching Harper’s World Awards to recognize properties that get it right — from lobby energy and staff behavior to rooms and bathrooms that invite kids to linger.

At its core, Harper’s World is a multigenerational travel project that puts kids at the center of real experiences, then asks families to reflect on what they learned. The focus is direct engagement with local culture, building practical cultural literacy instead of souvenirs. The idea is that a simple educational layer helps turn trips into habits back home. When implemented, the Harper’s World Awards will recognize young travelers and families who put that curiosity and respect into practice.

Her current benchmark is Brown’s Hotel in London, where a doorman greeted her by name and a kid-coded identity runs through the experience, down to passports and motifs that make it clear someone designed the stay with children in mind. It is hospitality designed with intent, and it shows because it’s an experience younger guests can feel.

Multigenerational travel keeps rising, yet too many programs still treat younger guests as luggage with limbs. Harper’s view, shaped on the road with a family of working advisors, is that luxury has to shift away from trinkets and tiny donuts and start building recognition, independence and place into the fabric of a stay.

Back at that coffee station, high-end hoteliers kept asking, “Why start so young?”

Harper’s answer: “Because my generation will be the next set of parents booking rooms. If the industry wants us later, it needs to notice us now.”

Harper and her friends are already keeping score — informally today, but soon with official awards. The hotels that give them a reason to come back are going to be the ones that win today and tomorrow.

Check out Harper’s World on Instagram

Visit the Harper’s World website

Jacques Ledbetter is a Luxury Travel Advisor contributor and founder of The Luxe Ledger newsletter.