As someone who is allergic to planning, I wasn’t totally shocked to learn that research by Hilton and Morning Consult reveals that 79% of U.S. adults would drop everything to take an all-expenses-paid mystery trip. And their 2027 Trends Report also reveals that 41% of travelers plan to take a solo trip in the next year, with relaxing and recharging as the number one goal. Again, something I can fully relate to.
Those stats became the basis for Hilton’s Whisk Away sweepstakes, part of their New Ways to Stay campaign: six winners get a mystery solo getaway to a surprise destination. To celebrate the giveaway, Hilton set up a pop-up in New York’s Times Square on the doorstep of the Nasdaq MarketSite, where Hilton rang the opening bell.
I attended the event (where I sadly didn’t win a free mystery trip, but did get some tasty cookies) and spoke about the sweepstakes and travel trends with Dan Reynolds, Hilton’s SVP of Global Marketing, and comedian Heather McMahan, whose globe-hopping tours have taught her a thing or two about the benefits of putting a little adventure and luxury in our lives.
Heather, what do you think it says that so many people are like, “I don’t care where we go — just throw me on a plane and get me out of here”?
Heather McMahan: There’s so much going on in the world. There’s so much going on with everybody’s individual lives and I don’t think we take enough time for ourselves just to really truly sit back and do a little self-care. For me, as somebody who travels all the time for my work as a touring comedian, I also don’t take those moments to just enjoy myself and enjoy life. Put down the phone and connect with people. If I got this opportunity to do this trip, I would wanna call my best friend since kindergarten and say, “Pack your bag. You and I are going to Tulum for 48 hours!”
Dan, what are people craving now in terms of travel?
Dan Reynolds: As we look at the data on what customers are looking for, we see they want more experiential travel than ever before. People want to go and be truly taken care of, but they also want to be immersed in the setting that they’re going to. And so I think the combination of those two things for Hilton is an exciting moment. We have about 1,000 luxury and lifestyle properties now in our portfolio, and that’s not something that everybody knows us for immediately. And that’s actually one of the main drivers behind this new campaign that we launched.
Heather, as a professional hotel stayer, what’s key for you to have a good experience?
Heather McMahan: I’m a room service girly. I work weird hours, and when you come back from doing shows all night, I love a great room service situation, strong air conditioning. Because I travel so much, I go back to a lot of the same properties, so I like to know the staff. Talk to them at breakfast, get to know everybody who works in the gym. [Laughs] Yeah, I say that, but you know I haven’t darkened the doors of a gym in a minute!
For people who might be slightly more shy and receding than you, how do you break the ice with staffers?
Heather McMahan: I usually come in and I’m a little disheveled, and they’re like, “Ma’am, why are you sweating so much? We’ll get you a room with good air conditioning. Do you want a cold water?” That’s usually how it happens. They’re like, “You look unwell.” I’m like, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” [Laughs]
Dan, as advice to entrepreneurs, how does Hilton find the problems worth solving?
Dan Reynolds: Our business is grounded in creating hospitality experiences that truly take care of people. And so we believe in it so much that this For the Stay brand platform is almost like an operating system now, right? It’s how we look at what customers are saying about us in post-stay surveys, and what we’re reading on social media about the stay experience, and on property when we’re getting real human-to-human feedback — we’re using all of that to always make adjustments to what products we’re launching or what the experience on property is going to be.
So you actually look at those surveys?
Dan Reynolds: We absolutely do. And we are looking at what people are saying online. How can we jump in and make sure that when we do see something go wrong, that we’re jumping in to make it right, even if it’s perhaps at another brand or another type of stay. So we have social teams who are also jumping in to help bring those people out of those negative stay occasions and bring them into Hilton, which I think is another example of how we truly believe in the stay so much.
Dan, if a car pulled up right now with your name in the window that said, “Get in, we’re taking you somewhere,” do you get in?
Dan Reynolds: Well, my seven-year-old would probably miss me because he’s expecting me home tomorrow. So first of all, I’d need to let him know I’m not coming home for a few days. But after he’s taken care of, yes, I would get in. I would absolutely love a few days of quiet and an experience for sure.
And Heather, are you gonna try to sweet-talk any of the winners to make you their plus one?
Heather McMahan: I’m sweet-talking every winner. And I’m a good hang. I’m great to travel with because I’m easy. I can do carry-on only, whatever their parameters are. I will already have booked all the restaurants in whatever city we’re going to. I’m ready to go. I’m ready. Don’t ask me to have a good time!
As someone who is allergic to planning, I wasn’t totally shocked to learn that research by Hilton and Morning Consult reveals that 79% of U.S. adults would drop everything to take an all-expenses-paid mystery trip. And their 2027 Trends Report also reveals that 41% of travelers plan to take a solo trip in the next year, with relaxing and recharging as the number one goal. Again, something I can fully relate to.
Those stats became the basis for Hilton’s Whisk Away sweepstakes, part of their New Ways to Stay campaign: six winners get a mystery solo getaway to a surprise destination. To celebrate the giveaway, Hilton set up a pop-up in New York’s Times Square on the doorstep of the Nasdaq MarketSite, where Hilton rang the opening bell.
I attended the event (where I sadly didn’t win a free mystery trip, but did get some tasty cookies) and spoke about the sweepstakes and travel trends with Dan Reynolds, Hilton’s SVP of Global Marketing, and comedian Heather McMahan, whose globe-hopping tours have taught her a thing or two about the benefits of putting a little adventure and luxury in our lives.
