Nov. 23–RIVIERA BEACH _ In a race to woo the next generation of travelers, Marriott is renovating three of its Palm Beach County hotels to make them more appealing to millennials.

The changes are designed to make it easier for younger travelers to work, gather and socialize in hotel common spaces like the lobby and bar, local hoteliers said.

“It is not like you go up to your guest room and just work in your guest room anymore,” said Cheri Rutledge, general manager at the West Palm Beach Marriott on Okeechobee Boulevard. Millennials “don’t define work as just that 8 or 10 hour day. They mingle, socialize and work together. We are trying to create spaces where people are comfortable doing that.”

At Marriott’s resort on Singer Island, crews have already begun renovating the lobby area _ known as great room _ to provide more communal seating for guests. Charging station for smart phones and other wireless devices will be installed, and Wi-Fi bandwidth will be increased.

Sun-shades have been removed from windows to allow more natural lighting during the day for business travelers who want to work in the lobby. In the evenings, the lighting is dimmed and scented candles are lit to create more of a gathering area for guests.

“We are creating a communal great room where guests can sit and gather,” said Stacy Lee, Director of Sales & Marketing at Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa.

In the resort’s bar, a large communal table will be installed to allow guests to mingle with each other. Near the outside pool area, new furniture and fire-pits will be installed to create another place for travelers to gather.

Wi-fi will also be available at the beach and the pool, Lee said.

“Millennials are more social,” Lee said. “They liked to be plugged in and they like to be connected.”

In 2013, millennials accounted for about 19 percent of the business room night travel in the United States, according to Marriott’s annual report. The company expects that number grow to 34 percent by 2020, as millennials graduate from college and start traveling for work.

In Palm Beach County, roughly 16 percent of tourists are millenials, according to Discover The Palm Beaches, the county’s tourism marketing arm.

Local hoteliers expect that number to steadily grow.

At the West Palm Beach Marriott, crews have already overhauled the outdoor seating area. The hotel has also begun providing food and beverage services in the common areas.

Fletcher Mayes, general manager at the Palm Beach Gardens Marriott, said similar renovations are also planned at the hotel. Marriott officials are designing the improvements, he said.

Marriott isn’t alone. Hotel chains across the country are revamping their image with millennials in mind.

At the Hyatt Place in Delray Beach, the hotel’s rooms and lobby have been designed with millennial-friendly features, said General Manager David Cuadra.

Guest rooms include a media hub that allows travelers to display their work on a 42-inch television screen. All rooms also include a sectional sofa and ottoman to give guests room to stretch out and work, Cuadra said.

The hotel, which opened in 2012, recently boosted internet speeds to provide guests faster Wi-Fi connections.

“The overall hotel experience is an evolving one,” Cuadra said. “In the past hotel guest most often spent time in their room or at the pool. Today our guests seek semi-private areas in public settings to work, use the Wi-Fi or meet with family, friends or business associates.”

In 2013, the Country Inn & Suite chain announced it was teaming with celebrity interior designer Genevieve Gorder to give its nearly 500 hotels a sleeker and more modern look. The changes were designed to make the chain more appealing to younger travelers.

Meanwhile, Florida’s tourism marketing agency is also working to win over millennials. Visit Florida unveiled a new marketing plan in September aimed at reaching a younger audience by inserting its logo and other marketing material into a popular video game that has been downloaded more than 4 million times.

As part of the marketing plan, Visit Florida partnered with motocross rider Ricky Carmichael, whose “Motocross Matchup” video game will display the agency’s logo as players zoom around the track. Carmichael, a fourth-generation Floridian, will also use Twitter and other social media to promote the state as a tourist destination.

“With the boomers becoming of retirement age, our customers are going to become the Gen X, Gen Y and the millennials,” Rutledge said. “Our focus is really about them.”

Renovations at the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa include:

Communal seating in the lobby, bar and outdoor seating areas

Sun shades have been removed in the lobby to let in more natural lighting

At night, lobby lights will be dimmed and scented candles will be lit

More charging stations for smart phones and electronic devices will be available in the lobby

Wi-Fi Bandwidth will be increased

Waiter service will be available in the lobby area

Firepits will be installed outside near the pool