Why Curated Hotel Merchandise is the Next Big Upsell Opportunity
Hotel merchandise has come a long way from logo keychains and souvenir postcards. Today’s travelers are looking for items that carry meaning, memory, and lifestyle value. For hotels and wellness resorts, that shift represents a major opportunity: turning merchandise into an intentional brand extension and a new revenue stream.
1. The Shift: From Souvenirs to Lifestyle
The hospitality industry has traditionally treated merchandise as secondary, if not an afterthought. But consumer behavior has changed. Guests now expect thoughtfully designed items that integrate seamlessly into their daily lives. Examples include: mugs they’ll actually use, apparel they’ll proudly wear, candles that recall the scent of their favorite spa, slippers with a hotel logo, or curated lotions made for them on-site.
As Longitude Design explains, merchandise done well becomes an artifact of belonging and not just a product but a reminder of place and community .
2. Why It Matters: Emotional + Financial Value
This shift is not only cultural but also financial.
Market growth: The global luxury lifestyle goods market is projected to reach $352 billion by 2031 . Much of this growth is being driven by collaborations between hospitality, fashion, and wellness.
Emotional connection: Research from Harvard Business Review shows emotionally connected customers are more than twice as valuable as highly satisfied ones. These guests spend more, stay longer, and recommend more often .
Marketing effect: Every time a guest wears a branded hoodie, carries a tote, or uses a wellness product at home, they become an ambassador. This creates organic, long-tail visibility well beyond the hotel stay.
3. Hospitality’s Merch Moment
Recent years have seen hotels step confidently into the lifestyle merch space. Collaborations like Ritz-Carlton x Late Checkout, or Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc x Sporty & Rich, have sold out quickly and generated significant press coverage .
Even smaller boutique and wellness properties are embracing this trend: curated robes, artisanal teas, and local crafts are often bestsellers in hotel boutiques and online shops.
4. Curating With Intention
Not all merchandise drives value. The key is to curate with intention:
Quality over quantity: Guests would rather buy one premium, well-designed piece than a shelf of generic trinkets.
Everyday rituals: Focus on items guests will use daily - mugs, journals, candles, wraps - so your brand lives in their routine.
Exclusivity: Limited editions and seasonal drops create urgency and repeat business.
Local storytelling: Partner with artisans or local makers to infuse authenticity and differentiation. Guests enjoy buying and sharing items that provide a sense of place to their experience.
5. The Revenue Potential
The upsell opportunity is real. While figures vary, industry benchmarks suggest well-curated merchandise can generate 10–15% of ancillary revenue in lifestyle-driven hotels . In wellness resorts and destination retreats, retail and merchandise often account for 20–25% of on-property spend when integrated effectively .
For example:
Canyon Ranch has cited retail as a “significant contributor” to its overall revenue, with guests frequently purchasing wellness apparel, skincare, and supplements to extend the experience at home .
Ace Hotel and The Line have built entire sub-brands around their merchandise, creating cultural cachet as well as revenue.
Custom Hotel Robes
📊 Did You Know? Stats That Sell Merchandise
Guests emotionally connected to a brand are 2.5x more valuable than “satisfied” guests (Harvard Business Review).
Global lifestyle goods = $352 billion by 2031 (Allied Market Research).
Well-curated retail = 20–25% of total spend at wellness resorts (Wellness Tourism Association).
Conclusion
When done with intention, hotel merchandise is one of the most underutilized upsell opportunities in hospitality today. Curated merchandise is no longer optional for hotels seeking to grow ancillary revenue and deepen guest loyalty. By treating merch as part of the guest journey, not an afterthought, properties can:
Tap into a multi-billion-dollar global market
Strengthen emotional connection and loyalty
Unlock new, high-margin revenue streams
Extend their brand visibility far beyond the stay
✨ At Elevate Wellness Collective, we call our premium curated approach the Elevate Journey Collection — curated, design-forward pieces that extend the guest experience into daily life. Think artisan collaborations, seasonal capsules, and wellness keepsakes that become aspirational symbols of travel and transformation.
