When it comes to travelling today, two truths seem to hold: tech is king, and innovation is expected.

While some vacationers may opt for the lavish spas and opulent hotels, many others—especially if they call themselves “millennials”—are electing to spend time at smaller, boutique hotels chock full of unique amenities.

This rise of changing consumer preferences may, at first, seem like the sign of worry. But veterans need not fret. Hotel empires long accustomed to catering to guests’ every whim are changing with the tides, showcasing new brands catered towards millennials. And just like the demographic they are targeting, these hotels have tech in mind for every part of the customer interaction.

With personalized decorations, fun offerings, and efficient room designs, new hotels from Hilton, Best Western®, and Radisson® show that you don’t need to be all glitz and glamor to still please.

■ Local flavor with Canopy by Hilton

When looking for fresh ideas for its new Canopy brand, Hilton doesn’t have to go far. Each hotel is inspired by the neighborhood where it is located, including its first Canopy venture in Reykjavik, Iceland, which opened in June.

Drawing inspiration from Reykjavik’s dramatic beauty, Canopy Reykjavik uses natural materials throughout its decor and includes local trinkets in guests’ rooms— including a Reykjavik music box that produces an Icelandic lullaby. The property also boasts an LP music library, a nod to the Harpa Concert Hall that is located near the hotel. Guests are invited to use any of the 10 record players placed around the hotel to jam out to local—or not so local—music, or perhaps unwind with a smooth jazz track and a glass of wine from the bar.

The perks don’t end when the music stops. Guests are treated to a complimentary breakfast in the morning, made with local ingredients. At night, they can enjoy a wine and beer tasting spotlighting local spirits from the region. For the fitness enthusiasts, Canopy by Hilton offers a 24-hour fitness center that includes a running and walking track and an array of professional equipment.

Once guests are ready to explore the area, the Canopy has them covered as well. Located centrally in Reykjavik, the hotel is only kilometers from the famous Hallgrimskirkja Church, Solfar Sun Voyager, and the Nautholsvik Gerothermal Beach. If visiting in the winter, guests can pop outside to experience the awe-inspiring aurora borealis, or stay up all night in the summer thanks to Iceland’s midnight sun.

Reykjavik is only the beginning for Canopy by Hilton, with hotels in Washington, DC; Bethesda, Maryland; Portland, Oregon; and Dallas, Texas slated to open by the end of next year. Each location will offer the same boutique experience guests at Reykjavik are already experiencing—tailored, of course, to the exciting locations where they are found.

■ Twice the innovation from

Best Western Best Western is also feeling a change, with the introduction of two new brands, Vib and Glo, in the last two years.

Looking to liven up the company’s traditional offerings, Best Western announced Glo in 2015 and Vib the year before. With an eye on fresh design, the Glo brand caters to the midscale market with boutique-like style, greeting guests with a bright display of “Light Bright” lights as soon as they walk in the door. Guestrooms will be fitted for convenience with furniture suited for multiple purposes, while a bright and fresh design can be found both in the lobby and the rooms themselves.

With an eye towards a more urban traveler, the Best Western Vib (short for vibrant) brand caters towards a millennial crowd that has a penchant for design — and an expectation for tech.

The Vib brand, like the Hilton Canopy brand, will take notes from its surrounding locations for design inspiration, including local artwork and murals in its lobby. Technology will also be seamlessly incorporated throughout, with checkin kiosks and a virtual concierge to help answer any questions before guests go out and explore the neighborhood.

The perks don’t stop with the lobby, as guests will enjoy free Wi-Fi, a smart TV with Xerox eConcierge® technology in their room, and a luxury shower with an LED lit rain showerhead. While the rooms are smaller than a typical design, the Vib hotel makes the most out of the space with smart design choices like a desk that doubles as a headboard and plenty of storage with drawers under the bed.

The first Vib hotel location, at Chicago’s Midway Airport, broke ground in November 2015, but Best Western isn’t slowing down after that -- the Vib brand has projects in the works in multiple U.S. cities including Miami, Florida and Los Angeles, California, along with international locales like Seoul, South Korea and Vientiane, Laos.

■ Seeing RED with Radisson

Millennials are once more on the mind when looking at Radisson’s new hotel brand, Radisson RED. Launching this year, Radisson was looking for a new way to reach guests with technology and an innovative approach to service—and they didn’t have to look far.

In-line with its guests’ DIY attitude, Radisson RED offers an app that seamlessly connects guests to hotel staff and even other vacationers in the hotel. Once the app is downloaded on their mobile phones, guests can check in and out, request extra towels or pillows from hotel staff, order food from the downstairs kitchen, and even access their room via keyless entry. When looking for recommendations, guests don’t need to go any further than the chat feature on the app, which lets them ask questions from their fellow guests regarding the best food in the neighborhood or rides to the airport.

This innovative way of thinking is reflected in the Radisson RED hotel concept itself, with bold and non-traditional artwork and architecture in each of its locations. Lobbies are decorated with an eye towards music, fashion, and art, with the goal to create authentic experiences through fun locales.

The newly opened Radisson RED Minneapolis, for example, features eclectic murals in each of the guest rooms and contemporary furnishings in the lobby. Guests can dine on local offerings inspired by global street food in the OUIBar + KTCHN and then follow one of the Radisson RED nifty neighborhood guides to all the must-see outings in the city, including Blockly Gallery and the Mill City Museum. Four-legged friends are also included in the fun with the hotel’s open dog policy.

Radisson hopes to spread the Radisson RED fun philosophy to 60 locations by 2020, and is well on its way. With the newest addition in Minneapolis, Radisson RED is now in 14 cities across the globe, including Glasgow, Cape Town, Bali, and Campinas.

With these three new concepts, guests now have more choices than ever to find a unique stay that caters towards their techsavvy lifestyles.