In hospitality, Halloween used to mean little more than some fall-inspired decor in the lobby and a spooky cocktail or a pumpkin flavored dish added to the menus. Today, hotels are increasingly treating October with the same immersive theatrics traditionally reserved for December’s winter wonderland activations.
The shift is supported by a pronounced change in traveler tastes, with 65% of all travelers surveyed—and 71% of Gen Z and millennials–expressing interest in booking properties with a “Gothic aesthetic” (Hotels.com).
This historic, moody, and sometimes macabre style signals authority, craft, and nostalgia for younger generations who are looking for an escape from the cookie-cutter, sanitized luxury aesthetic that has been pervasive in newer hotels since the 2010s. The appeal is equally compelling for operators looking to fill a historically slower period between summer travel and the holiday season.
Here are some of our favorite examples of how hotels across the country have embraced spooky season, and turned their property into a destination for Halloween lovers.
