Too Hip: Hotels Should Chill Out

If you work….well, pretty much anywhere these days where you must in some fashion serve
consumers – and I’m talking about running a small business to working at McDonalds to being in the media – you have
heard the excruciating term “hip”. Most likely some doughy, out of touch middle manager was trying to discuss how to
make your product or service somehow more appealing to young people, and he suggested making things “a little hip”. I
almost regurgitate when I hear the word these days…even though I’ve sadly caught myself using it once in a while. Hip
is so unhip.

Well, seems others are getting as tired of “hipness” as the rest of us. Yesterday’s New York Times
reported
on how lots
of biz travelers are getting weary of hotel’s touting their hipness. Places like Starwood Hotels and
Resorts, for example, announced a brand called aloft that its marketing geniuses said would convey a “hip urban
attitude” to business guests. But it turns out most business travelers are (surprise!) all about business. Just give me
a comfortable room, some towels, a TV and get the coffee to me on time, they seem to be saying. I don’t much care about
the iPod docking station.