From toy rooms to turn-down service, the next wave of travel storytelling puts children at the centre of the journey — and brands like St. Regis are listening.
In its new campaign “The Little Guide to the Grand Tour,” St. Regis flips the travel script: instead of seasoned explorers or celebrity ambassadors, the stars are pint-sized travellers curating their own dream itineraries.
And it’s not a gimmick.
This clever and culturally attuned campaign captures something much deeper — the arrival of Generation Alpha not just as companions, but as influencers in their own right. Born from 2010 onward, Gen Alpha are the digital natives shaping household decisions, curating their own digital footprints, and redefining what family luxury looks like.
1. Little Voices, Big Impact
The campaign leans into a simple truth: today’s children aren’t just along for the ride — they’re co-pilots. From choosing destinations based on YouTube vlogs to influencing their parents’ hotel preferences (“Does it have a kid’s club and a gelato cart?”), Gen Alpha is already shaping travel narratives. By placing them at the creative centre, St. Regis speaks to the power of intergenerational aspiration.
2. Luxury Through a New Lens
In an age where elegance is being redefined by experience, whimsy, and authenticity, luxury hotels are being asked to design for imagination — not just indulgence. Think curated play itineraries, child-sized robes, bedtime rituals designed by wellness experts. The emotional logic? If you can win over a child’s heart, you’ll have the whole family’s loyalty.
3. The New Family Portrait
What this campaign does brilliantly is position St. Regis not just as a destination, but as a stage for memory-making. By letting children become storytellers — complete with film reels, diaries, and polaroids — it acknowledges that travel is no longer a one-dimensional adult pursuit. Luxury is being rewritten as a shared language between generations.
So, what does this mean for luxury travel brands?
- Co-create with families, not just parents
• Embrace play as a design and content principle
• Invest in multi-generational narratives across campaigns
• Rethink the “influencer” — children are tomorrow’s luxury consumers, but they’re also today’s cultural curators
Closing thought:
Where luxury once meant exclusivity, today it increasingly means inclusivity across ages, interests, and imaginations. By putting Generation Alpha in the spotlight, St. Regis isn’t just making a statement — they’re making a bet on the future of travel. And it’s a clever one.
