Written by OBMI

For better or worse, social media has changed the way we travel. The millennial traveller is eager to search the globe for a skyline, sunset, or beautiful hotel pool to make their account shine. In our social media-obsessed world, hotels and resorts are being booked solely based on their visually pleasing aspects. In fact, people are prepared to pay more for a picture-perfect room that can increase their likes over saving money on a cheaper room.

Knowing the millennial travel preference is essential as they’re now the largest segment of business travelers, taking an average of 7.7 business trips over the last 12-month period according to report from MMGY Global. And 77% of these younger travelers are more likely to turn a work trip into a vacation, compared to just 58% of GenXers and 43% of Baby Boomers. As a result, hotels are throwing out templates and looking for designers and local artists to create social-worthy spaces.

While a beautiful design has always been at the forefront of hotel development, social media has raised the importance of delivering awe-inspiring design elements. By creating these social-worthy moments, designers can provide hotels with more opportunities to market their property with visually pleasing, user-generated content.

Capella Marigot Bay Resort and Marina in St. Lucia was designed by OBM International with exquisite architecture and a romantic atmosphere that make it an Instagram lover’s dream place to stay. The multi-tiered property includes waterfalls, infinity pools, floating lounge chairs and spectacular lighting. To call it photogenic is an understatement. One of the many Instagram friendly spaces at the resort is the Tree House, which offers an original fairy-tale setting for intimate experiences. Tucked away within the lush foliage, Marigot Bay’s Tree House provides guests with a unique environment for lavish spa treatments or a one-of-a-kind dining setting that is worth documenting.

While some areas, like the pool and lobby, may be obvious photo opportunities, it’s important to create a few unexpected gems for guests to discover and experience. A strategy for storytelling that will appeal to social media sharers may need some additional investment in design, or it might require marketing to come up with a potential contest or campaign. It’s helpful to plan with a hospitality design expert at the beginning stages of development for the best practices to create an Instagrammable hotel.