Out with the New, In with the Old – Hotels Go Retro

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5 Ways Hotels are Embracing Vintage and Going Retro

While most hotels choose modern themes with the newest technology, some are are going with that old school vibe.

Here are five examples of hotels embracing the past.

1. Old School Sound… Turntables and Vinyl Records

Get a different spin on music at The Ace Hotel New York with a turntable and vinyl record collection in select rooms. Guests have their pick of vintage records carefully chosen by Other Music, a local indie music store.

2. Get a Glimpse of the Past with Retro Ads

Sheraton Hotels rereleased some vintage ads straight from a Mad Men episode. The ads showcase a time when traveling was a glamorous occasion. Guests are shown lounging in a suit and top hat, enjoying the luxury of air conditioning and frolicking on the beach. Check out more blast from the past images on Sheraton’s Vintage Facebook page.

3. Dial Around on Rotary Phones

We miss rotary phones. Ok, not really, but they are fun once in a while. And for Millennials the following hotels offer a chance to take their rotary phone virginity. The Jade Hotel and High Line Hotel provide rotary phones in every room. Guests get to experience the past and appreciate the present a bit more.

4. Step into a Roaring Twenties Speakeasy

With movies like The Great Gatsby and shows like Boardwalk Empire, it’s clear that were embracing the roaring twenties. And these hotels don’t disappoint. The Omni William Penn Hotel transformed a onetime speakeasy turned storage space back into a dim-lit playground for libations.

The Biltmore Resort in Arizona offers a speakeasy but keeps it on the down low. Open on Sundays from 8pm-11pm, guests need a secret password to enter.

5. Check Out the Library

Sure Kindles and computers provide great reading material, but there’s nothing like holding a good book. Hotels like Heathman Hotel in Portland, Oregon and The Indigo-Atlanta Midtown Hotel are encouraging guests to spend time in the lobby by adding libraries to lounge, read and relax.

Here at Hotel Engine, we love modern hotels, but we think there might be something to the retro approach. In fact, we might just follow suit with an advertisement like this retro hotel commercial.

Featured image by Diamondmagna [CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons