Hotel hopping is the hottest travel trend right now, especially if you’re a millennial or Gen Z! Forget spending your whole vacation stuck in one spot.
It is an emerging travel trend where travellers opt to split their stay across two or more hotels within a single destination. Unlike traditional multi-city itineraries, the goal isn’t to cover distance, but to change the perspective and maximise the variety of experience.
The practice of booking multiple hotels is rising, with 54% of travelers expressing interest, according to Hotels.com. This surge in popularity, reflected by a 1,100%+ increase in social buzz, is largely motivated by a desire for discovery (exploring different neighbourhoods, 50%) and value (maximising deals, 35%). The trend is most common during city breaks (53%) and island escapes (48%).
The motivation: Diverse vibes and deep immersion
The primary drive for this trend is the appetite for variety and authentic, localised culture. As Cleartrip’s Head of Hotels, Akhil Malik, notes, travelers are “reimagining the itinerary itself” by splitting their stay to experience distinct neighbourhoods.
Mohak Nahta of Atlys explains that today’s traveler rejects a “single version of a city,” instead wanting “contrasting neighbourhoods, different design philosophies, and curated experiences all in one trip.” This allows for creative combinations, such as mixing a luxury stay with a hostel room, or a city palace with a rural haveli, as House of Rohet’s Avijit Singh observes. Ample stay options are available, with hotels now offering unique perspectives even within the same price band.
The double-edged suitcase
“We were in Bangkok, Thailand for 15 days and wanted to live in new areas, so we just booked different hotels every two days, and that was a good decision because we could see how different areas can give a new vibe to the same city. Some areas were very posh, others were very local and had a completely new experience, so we do recommend changing hotels if you are looking to experience more from the same place,” shares travel duo blogger Swarika and Aditya.
While the benefits of diversity are clear, it comes with a significant trade-off. Travel content creator Shenaz Treasury points out the significant downside of consuming holiday time due to the frequent cycle of packing, repacking, check-ins, and check-outs. She adds that it introduces the risk of commitment phobia, where booking short, initial stays can leave you scrambling for a new room if a preferred hotel sells out.
Is the trend here to stay?
Most industry leaders agree this trend is more than a fleeting fad. Devendra Parulekar of SaffronStays calls it a “deeper shift in traveler behaviour,” reflecting an increased demand for slow, immersive travel where the stay itself is the core experience.
Industry insights
The increase in guests splitting their stay across multiple properties is a structural shift – not a fad, driven by a growing traveler desire for variety, and flexibility. This ‘mix-and-match’ travel style will become more mainstream as guests seek to maximise their experience across multi-purpose itineraries and frequent breaks,” Amit Damani, co-founder, StayVista.
Amruda Nair, founder and director of Araiya Hotels, confirms the trend is here to stay, driven by guests taking time to research and plan itineraries around varied experiences like nature and heritage to spiritual and adventure.
However, some locations, such as Tier 3 cities like Jaisalmer, according to the local Marriott’s GM Nikhil Kher, still see guests prioritising continuity, convenience, and a seamless experience over multi-property stays.
Hotel hopping hacks for seamless travel
On check-out day, ask your first hotel to hold your main luggage for a few hours. This allows you to explore the new neighbourhood baggage-free until your next hotel’s check-in time, maximising sightseeing and eliminating the need to drag bags across the place.
Planning a capsule wardrobe helps. Focus on versatile, wrinkle-resistant pieces (for example, synthetics, knits) that can be mixed, matched, and layered.
If possible, “hop” between properties within the same hotel group. This can allow you to keep earning loyalty points, make suite upgrades more likely (especially for shorter stays), and sometimes earn brand-specific bonuses.
For 1-2 night stays, prioritise location (proximity to transit or the exact locality you want to explore) over amenities like a spa or large pool.
