To maintain a competitive position in the hospitality industry, hotels and tourist accommodations must provide much more than just a room: they must provide an experience. The guest experience is the engine of hotels, it is what attracts other travelers to make a reservation, what encourages them to come back and what elevates the reputation of the establishment.
Of course, in these past years, guest experience has totally transformed. The expectations of travelers change and evolve, and therefore, accommodation must do so. The guest experience makes the difference from one hotel to another. In this post, we will see the stages of the guest experience in any type of accommodation, the role of technology and keys to take maximum care of it. Let’s go!
Stages of guest experience
In order to value and improve the guest experience as it deserves, you must first know what their stages are. Whether it is a rural accommodation or a cosmopolitan 5-star hotel, the stages of the guest experience are as follows:
- Before the stay. The moment guests’ expectations are formed by reviews they’ve read, marketing campaigns they’ve seen, and pre-stay communications. This phase also includes the booking process, so it is important to have a simple and intuitive online booking application.
- During the stay. The moment of truth, when expectations are put into practice. This stage includes the arrival of the guest at the hotel, his stay and his departure.
- After the stay. After checkout, the guest experience continues with post-stay communications, personalized discounts for return guests, and responses to guest reviews.
The importance of hotel guest experience
The quality of the experience in your hotel will not only determine if the guest will make a reservation again, but also if they will recommend you and if they will post positive reviews. Your guests can be the best ambassadors for your hotel (or the opposite).
You need as much data as possible about your guests and your potential clients in order to create an experience that is as adapted and personalized as possible to their tastes, customs and expectations.
- Convenience. Location and proximity to places of interest that they are going to visit, room services (Wi-Fi, entertainment options), and facilities (bar, restaurant, rooms, spa, massages…).
- Comfort. Take care of what is really important: a good bed, pleasant bedding that matches the temperature, towels and bathrobes… Many aspects can determine the comfort of guests, which is why it is crucial that you know their tastes and preferences.
- Service. Friendliness, efficiency, the staff’s attitude and their availability to satisfy the needs of the guests. With a good service, hotels can make up for other shortcomings.
- Quality. The condition, cleanliness and order of the room, the facilities, the furniture, the food, the technology, the equipment… And also, of course, the security in the facilities.
For the continuous improvement of these aspects, it is important that you take maximum care of:
- The processes.
- The services.
- The attention to the guest.
- The correct training of your staff.
Improving the experience thanks to technology
Here are some technological trends in the hospitality industry that are changing the guest experience:
- Automation. Automated features are built into most hotels today. Thus, the most mechanical tasks are carried out automatically so that the staff can focus on other aspects, such as customer service.
- Contactless technology. Self check-in and remote checkout, contactless payments and keys…
- Operability. Technology has also allowed all the teams that work in an accommodation (reception, cleaning, maintenance, management…) to be much more efficient, fast and guest centered.
- Hotel app. Apps improve guest experience by allowing them to self-manage many services without having to go to reception or make a call.
- Management software. To connect all these applications, more and more hotels are turning to a platform that consolidates data and technology.
Finally, let’s see several keys that will allow you to improve guest experience in your accommodation as much as possible:
- Contactless solutions and online check-in and check-out.
- Satisfaction surveys.
- Personalization.
- Good hotel management software.
- Facilities for guest trip planning.
- Prizes and rewards for guests.
- Anticipation of their needs and possible problems.
Ready to take your guest experience to the next level?
