As it becomes clearer that Taylor Swift fans are more than happy to pay top dollar for their concert-going vacations, five-star hotels are starting to court the sequin set.
In London, the plush Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane has unveiled its own "gig-tripping package," ahead of Swift's series of eight Eras Tour shows at Wembley Stadium, which begins on June 21. Though it's best known for its 10th floor spa with spectacular views of London and destination restaurant Pavyllon from star chef Yannick AllA(c)no, it's significantly turning up the volume this summer.
Among other perks, guests who book the package will find karaoke machines in their rooms"-an invitation to belt their hearts out before or after the shows. Besides that, there are glittery welcome drinks, portable phone chargers for the show (also glittery) and friendship bracelet-making kits, an Eras Tour tradition. All this adds £200 ($319) to each booking on top of the standard room rates, which run around £1,000 a night in June"-up to a 20% markup, depending on how long you stay.
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Given the strong data supporting the "Taylor Effect" "-a rise in spending tied to Swift's shows"-all around the world since the tour start in March 2023, it was only a matter of time before the hotel industry attempted to cash in with add-ons. Last year, the first leg of her US tour contributed $4.3 billion to gross domestic product, according to estimates from Bloomberg Economics. And Four Seasons is not the only hotel brand trying to get in on the fun: Marriott International Inc. has used Swift's popularity to court new loyalty members with sweepstakes packages and hotel events in such cities as Madrid and Stockholm.
Raquel Pirola, Park Lane's marketing and sales director, says her team came up with the amenity as they saw more guests, particularly Gen Z and millennial travelers, working Four Seasons stays into itineraries that are driven primarily by concerts"-not just in London but all around the world. The amenity comes ahead of the Swift tour dates, but it can be personalized around other concerts happening this summer, she says, citing excitement around the British Summer Time festival in neighboring Hyde Park. The lineup includes Kylie Minogue, Stevie Nicks and SZA.
"In recent years, entertainment and cultural events have started to really drive luxury travel trends," says Pirola, adding that she's seen Americans booking the gig-tripping package. Luxury is the key word: A report from Skyscanner says 44% of US adults are willing to travel short-haul to see their favorite acts live, but only 18% are willing to fly long-haul for the same reason.
Still, the demand is significant enough to fill planes crossing the Atlantic. Data from United Airlines Inc. shows bookings for US flights to Milan during Swift's tour dates in July are up 45% compared with the same period last year. Demand to Munich is similarly high, with bookings up 40% during the Eras shows.
The billionaire superstar is also outshining the Olympics, according to data from travel agency Embark Beyond shared exclusively with Bloomberg, which showed Swift being a bigger driver of demand to Paris for luxury travelers than the upcoming games in Paris. For example, the Shangri-La Paris saw a 120% increase in bookings over Swift's travel dates in May, giving the palace hotel a revenue boost before peak summer season, according to data from the hotel shared with Bloomberg. The Shangri-La has launched a concert concierge in response; the hotel's teams can arrange things like pre-show beauty services to help guests get bejeweled before the gigs.
Pirola is confident that the story will play out similarly in London, where data from Barclays shows the Eras Tour is likely to provide a £1 billion boost to the UK economy. "Guests will no doubt find a Swiftie or two to exchange friendship bracelets with here at the hotel," she says.
But there may be signs that hotels are coming into the phenomenon too late. Even as Swift continues to smash records, demand for concerts is fading, with some mid-tier acts struggling to sell tickets. Bad Bunny and the Black Keys have canceled tour dates this summer, while Jennifer Lopez canceled her entire tour.
For Swifties, getting a chance to sing London Boy inside a room at one of London's top hotels could be a dream come true. But the hotel is aware that it's not for everyone. Pirola says that the rooms are soundproofed well enough that guests blasting their hearts out to one of Swift's chart-topping hits ahead of the Eras tour won't keep any of their neighbors up at night.
