Most hotel owners understand that a guest’s experience is one of the most crucial aspects of what their property can convey. A disappointing guest experience can lead to poor reviews and a general feeling of dissatisfaction from paying customers. A fantastic guest experience can have many positive benefits.
In this article, we’ll discuss the hotel guest experience. We’ll talk about what the term means and what a guest should expect from a hotel from the moment they first reach out to you. We’ll also cover several ideas you might implement if you’re concerned that the current guest experience at your hotel is not up to par.
Let’s start with a working definition of this term. Simply put, the hotel guest experience is what a guest feels and goes through when they interact with your hotel.
This catchall term might include not just what a guest experiences when they’re inside your hotel, but also what’s memorable about interacting with your hotel before they set foot on the property. The term might also include any follow up with your property or staff that takes place after a customer has departed.
It’s clear to hotel owners who know anything about the business that to satisfy guests and get them coming back, you need to make these individuals happy from the moment they book the reservation to the time they check out when their stay concludes. At every one of the stages in between, you’re looking to elicit an emotional reaction. Make the right one, and a repeat customer is assured, not to mention a five-star review and positive buzz created by word of mouth.
No two guest experiences are going to be exactly alike when staying at a hotel. With that being said, though, it’s helpful to examine and think about what the average guest experience cycle might resemble.
The cycle begins pre-arrival. This is where brand exposure through your marketing choices will come into play.
Maybe your would-be guest booked directly through your website or through some other means. Either way, this is when your property looks attractive enough that they book a room, give you their credit card information, confirm the booking, and communicate anything to you prior to arriving that they’d like you to know. First impressions always make a huge difference, and this is your chance to make one with your guest before they arrive.
On the appointed day, your guest arrives. They will probably interact with your front-facing guest relations team.
What will this moment be like for your guest? Will they be happy with the greeting they receive and their ease of check in? This is another opportunity to impress them and make them feel welcome. A great experience will likely include pleasant interactions with the housekeeper, the bellboy, the receptionist, and anyone else with whom the customer interfaces.
While your guest is staying on the premises is another opportunity to impress them. What is the demeanor of your wait staff if the guest eats at a restaurant in your hotel? How friendly are the housekeepers they encounter? How nice is the interaction with the front desk if they call down for more towels or directions to a nearby attraction? All these, taken together, make a lasting impression.
The last phase of the hotel guest experience typically involves their departure. Checking out should be straightforward and free of any issues. Something as simple as a heartfelt goodbye from the staff and a sincere mention that they enjoyed waiting on your guest might prove to be the impetus for them to return sometime soon.
Now, let’s talk about ways to potentially improve the hotel guest experience. If you haven’t implemented some of these yet, you should take the time to consider them.
Many times, a guest will want to see what’s available nearby that they can visit to get an idea of the local flavor of the locale they’re visiting. If you can partner with area businesses, that should benefit both you and them. By offering something like a shuttle to local attractions or partnering with an entity that gives guided tours, you’re enhancing a guest’s experience significantly.
If you can create a mobile app for your hotel, that will often go over well with guests, especially those belonging to younger generations. One that lets a guest check in without needing to interface with your staff in person can often be to your benefit. One that will let a hotel visitor order room service quickly and easily without needing to make a phone call will probably make some guests happy.
If your app has additional smart features, those will likely come in handy as well. For instance, maybe your app has the capacity for your guests to use it to control the TV in their room or to open their room’s door without a key card. Again, many of the younger generations will likely appreciate having access to that type of tech.
If you have a common gathering area in your hotel, that can be a place where guests might mingle and get to know each other. Often, part of the fun of traveling is meeting new individuals from different locales and backgrounds. You can better facilitate that if you have a site somewhere on the property where the guests can chat, sip some coffee together, or enjoy a cocktail. Consider offering a welcome-drink, this can be a great moment to break the ice with your guests and between the guests themselves.
Putting a loyalty program in place that rewards guests is always a smart idea. No guest will sign up for such a program without the proper incentive, though.
Perks such as discounted room rates or free upgrades will likely get guests excited about your loyalty program. If they know they’ll rack up points the more times they stay at your hotel, that might lead to them booking with you more often.
The more you can personalize each guest’s stay, the better. You might ask about their preferences when they check in and tailor their stay according to what they mention interests them. These small touches are what turn a satisfactory experience at your hotel into an exemplary one. It is important to train your team you register all the info in your systems, then during their next stay you can impress them by anticipating many details you already know they will love.
Teach your staff to pay attention to the little details. If a guest calls down to the front desk at two in the morning because they just realized they forgot their toothbrush, provide one for them. This is the kind of five-star service guests love and will remember later when it’s time to write a hotel review online.
Having a little welcome gift in each guest’s room goes a long way toward making them feel comfortable. Maybe you’ll have fresh flowers in a vase on a table or some fresh cookies set out on a plate. These are small things, but they’ll make your guest instantly feel content and at ease when they arrive in their room.
As the hotel’s owner, you probably can’t be there to greet every guest in person. Any time you can, though, it’s helpful. A guest will feel special if they realize the hotel’s owner or operator has taken the time out of their day to say hello.
When a would-be guest is thinking about booking with you, a difficult process might mean they go with a competitor. By contrast, if booking is easy and doesn’t take more than a moment, you’re likely to win over more customers.
Secure payment processing is a must-have in today’s online world. Ensure your guest knows they can give you their credit card information with total confidence.
Having an automated email you can send to a guest when they book telling them you’re looking forward to their arrival can be helpful, and providing some useful information pre-arrival about your hotel and about the surroundings.
You should also send them one when they leave. The email they get when they depart can thank them, and it might also mention a special incentive or discount that could entice them to come back sooner. Also this is a great opportunity to “push”them to leave a review about their stay and experience.
There aren’t many guests anymore who won’t want to use your Wi-Fi. This should be a priority now and not an option. Having lightning fast Wi-Fi that a guest can easily access is crucial every hour of the day.
A guest who sees a cockroach in their bathroom or stains on the blanket when they arrive is not one who is going to be happy. Stay out in front of these issues by having an exterminator inspect the premises regularly, and make sure every guest room is clean and orderly when they arrive.
You are in the position now to gather vast amounts of guest data. Make sure you use it in the right way for future stays. If you know that a guest likes a certain kind of sparkling wine, ensure you have it ready for them the next time they stay with you.
You can ask about the reason a guest is staying with you when you send them an email prior to their arrival. Maybe they are there to celebrate a special occasion. You can make it more memorable with some personal touches related to that, like champagne and rose petals in the room if they’re celebrating a wedding anniversary.
Some guests like to arrive early and hate waiting for their room to be ready. Many travelers might find an early check-in to be one of the best possible services you can offer them.
A guest will want a sparkling clean room when they arrive, but maybe they would prefer to avoid housekeeping if they’re sleeping in the following day. Make it easy for a guest to refuse housekeeping if that is their preference.
Guest issues are going to arise sometimes, no matter how meticulously you plan. Be ready for when they do.
Train your staff to be accommodating and to quickly find solutions when guests have problems. Dealing with the issue quickly and making sure a guest is happy again will ensure they don’t leave you any poor reviews.
If you know you often have guests from international locations, having desk staff who speak multiple languages can be very helpful. It’s extremely gratifying for a visitor from another country to be able to get directions from a native speaker of their language.
Asking a guest about the quality of their stay when they leave can alert you if they were unsatisfied about anything. If something went wrong, they will likely tell you about it.
Look at these as learning moments. Every time a departing guest tells you about an issue, you will know to be on the lookout for it so that it’s not a problem for future guests.
Not all hotels will allow pets, but it’s something you should at least consider. Many individuals like traveling with their pets these days. Allowing them in your rooms might make you a more attractive candidate than a hotel with a strict no-pet policy.
You might occasionally have a guest who complains and seems like a pain. However, if you train your staff to be empathetic and to take a customer-first mentality, that can often be helpful. If a staff member can put themselves in the guest’s shoes for a moment, they will likely see things from their point of view.
Now, you have several ideas for improving the hotel guest experience that you can put into action if you haven’t done so yet.
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