As group travel evolves, hotels are moving beyond rooms and meeting spaces to create more personalised, seamless and experience-led stays for corporate groups, incentives and celebrations.
For today’s group traveller, a hotel experience is no longer simply about comfortable accommodation and efficient meeting facilities. Increasingly, guests expect hotels to understand the purpose behind their journey, anticipate their needs and create experiences that feel relevant to them as individuals.
For Pranav Vohra, Cluster Commercial Director – Dubai Festival City Hotels, IHG Hotels & Resorts, flexibility and personalisation are at the heart of this shift.
“Group guests increasingly expect flexibility, personalisation and a seamless experience from arrival to departure. They want us to understand why they are travelling, whether for a conference, exhibition or incentive programme, and respond to their needs quickly.”
Pranav Vohra
Cluster Commercial Director
Dubai Festival City Hotels
At IHG Hotels at Dubai Festival City, this experience extends beyond the hotel itself, with access to shopping, dining and entertainment. For Vohra, however, technology is only one part of the equation. “Technology can make that journey easier, but warm, attentive service remains essential.”
That balance between efficiency and human connection is also central to the experience at DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai M Square Hotel & Residences.
Oguzhan Isci, Director of Sales, notes that groups increasingly expect “more than accommodation and meeting space,” with convenience, flexibility, locally inspired dining, wellness and opportunities to connect becoming increasingly important.
There is also greater demand for flexibility within the same group. While some guests may prefer traditional hotel rooms, others may require suites or serviced residences, particularly for longer stays or multigenerational travel.
“Successful group hospitality is about understanding the purpose of the visit and creating an experience around it, rather than offering a standard package.”
Oguzhan Isci
Director of Sales
DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai M Square Hotel & Residences
Different Groups, Different Expectations
Personalisation becomes particularly important when hotels are working across different group segments.
For corporate delegations, efficiency is paramount. Smooth arrivals, reliable connectivity, flexible meeting arrangements and a dedicated point of contact can make the difference between a complicated programme and a seamless one.
At DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai M Square Hotel & Residences, Isci highlights the hotel’s central location, range of accommodation and eight flexible meeting spaces as allowing delegates to stay, meet and dine within one destination.
For incentive groups, the focus shifts towards memorable experiences — from curated dining and rooftop gatherings to opportunities to explore both Dubai’s historic and contemporary sides.
Wedding groups, meanwhile, demand a more emotionally attentive approach. Accommodation, celebrations and individual family requirements all need to work together, particularly when guests are staying for several days.
At IHG Hotels at Dubai Festival City, Vohra similarly emphasises starting with the purpose of the visit. “Whatever brings a group together, each guest should still feel recognised as an individual.”
The Luxury of Anticipation
At the luxury end of the market, this attention to the individual becomes even more pronounced.
At Anantara Santorini Abu Dhabi Retreat, Alizée Kuntz, Assistant Sales Manager, says guests increasingly want “to feel something and take meaningful memories home with them.”
The intimate nature of the retreat allows the team to create bespoke experiences around luxury weddings, celebrations, corporate retreats and buyouts, with particular emphasis on privacy, wellness and personalised dining.
“It starts with understanding why they are travelling and what they want to achieve from their stay, and tailor their experience around this.”
Alizée Kuntz
Assistant Sales Manager
Anantara Santorini Abu Dhabi Retreat
For the retreat, luxury ultimately comes down to anticipation. “It goes beyond attention to detail; it is about meticulous attention to every detail.”
Dedicated 24/7 butlers, remembered preferences and thoughtful touches are designed to ensure that guests feel recognised throughout their stay.
Across these properties, the approach may differ, but the underlying expectation is consistent: groups want experiences designed around them, rather than standard packages designed for groups.
From a warm welcome and personalised amenity to flexible accommodation, locally inspired experiences and proactive communication, the smallest details can have an outsized impact.
As Vohra puts it, “The real measure is whether guests remember the experience and organisers choose to return.”
For hotels, therefore, the future of group hospitality may be less about managing a room block and more about understanding the people within it.
