Tailored or Turnkey? How Travelers Want It Both Ways in 2025

Our Global Travel & Hospitality 2025 Outlook shows this divergence is not a paradox — it’s an opportunity. Understanding the motivation behind both ultra-customized and all-inclusive bookings is key to designing future-ready travel experiences.

Ultra-customization: personalization, down to the pillows

Ultra-customizable bookings, led by innovations like attribute-based selling, are giving travelers unprecedented control. Sabre called this a “game-changer” for the hospitality industry and 2025 is proving them right. With this approach, travelers can book based on specific room attributes: direction-facing views, floor levels, proximity to elevators and even in-room amenities like air purifiers or hypoallergenic bedding.

Key stats from our outlook:

• 62% of hotel operators are investing heavily in attribute-based selling to drive revenue and guest satisfaction.
• Marriott has committed $1 billion to digital transformation, a core component of which includes shifting to attribute-based booking.

Expedia is already showing what this looks like in practice. Its search filters let users refine stays based on personalized preferences like wellness facilities, pet policies or proximity to cultural landmarks. The idea isn’t just about filtering — it’s about empowering guests to build the exact experience they envision.

And it’s not just big brands leaning in. Boutique services like Prior offer “Bespoke Memberships” with handcrafted itineraries built collaboratively between travelers and travel designers. Here, personalization becomes a luxury feature and an emotional driver.

The all-inclusive comeback: simplicity meets aspiration

Meanwhile, the all-inclusive model — once the domain of convenience-seeking tourists — is getting a luxury facelift. And it resonates with an unexpected demographic: Gen Z.

Fueled in part by TikTok trends like #allinclusive, younger travelers are rediscovering the joy of having everything (flights, meals, experiences, transfers etc.) all bundled in a single price and interface. And thanks to digital storytelling, these packages are being rebranded from “budget” to “bougie.”

Key indicators:

• 42% of Gen Z travelers say all-inclusive is their preferred travel style.
• Searches using the “all-inclusive” filter on Hotels.com jumped 60% year-over-year.
• Forbes calls this shift “a new era of all-inclusive luxury.”

This new wave isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about reducing decision fatigue. With a generation that prizes wellness, convenience and value, all-inclusives are emerging as the antidote to overstimulation.

Coexisting priorities: what guests really want

These two trends initially seem to contradict one another. Why would the same demographic want both complete control and total passivity?

The answer lies in psychological flexibility. Consumers want agency — to be able to choose whether they lean into personalization or surrender the reins. Sometimes, the same traveler may want different experiences based on the purpose of their trip: planning a romantic getaway might warrant full customization. A spring break with friends might call for the ease of an all-inclusive resort.

Surprise-travel brands like Journee are already capitalizing on this duality. They offer mystery trips based on user preferences, a hybrid model that combines ultra-personalized experiences with turnkey execution. Travelers submit interests and constraints, and Journee does the rest, even keeping the destination secret until the departure date.

Implications for travel brands

This bifurcation of expectations is more than a design challenge — it’s a strategic imperative. Here’s how brands can adapt:

1. Offer modular booking experiences

   Whether on a website or an app, brands must enable both micro-level customization and macro-level package simplicity. Let travelers toggle between detailed and summary views, between à la carte and bundled options.

2. Lean into content personalization

   Use first-party data and behavior-driven recommendations to serve up relevant options but always give the guest final control. Think Spotify Wrapped, but for travel aspirations.

3. Elevate all-inclusive through experience design

   Ditch the buffet-and-beer stereotypes. All-inclusives can be aspirational if designed right: wellness-focused packages, curated excursions, pop-up dining or access to cultural festivals.

4. Enable seamless upgrades

   Attribute-based selling shouldn’t be static. Let users upgrade or add elements during the booking process or even mid-stay — from pillow menus to private yoga sessions. Flexibility is part of the luxury.

Looking ahead: flexibility is the new luxury

Modern travelers want it all and they want to choose how, when and why they travel. The hospitality brands that thrive in 2025 will not try to force customers into one path. Instead, they will build systems that support both the micromanager and the minimalist.

The future belongs to brands that allow travelers to curate their own level of control. Whether that’s booking a corner room on the 14th floor with a sunrise view or clicking “surprise me” and letting the algorithm do the work.

In 2025, personalization isn’t a product, it’s a posture. And every traveler, no matter how they book, wants to feel like the experience was made just for them. Dive into our Global Travel & Hospitality 2025 Outlook to explore further.