Comfort. Affordability. Good service. Today\u2019s guests want it all\u2014and they\u2019re not afraid to take to Twitter or Facebook to fire off a nasty review if and when a hotel misses the mark.<\/p>\n
As a hotelier, it\u2019s your job to provide your guests with a great experience, and wherever possible, live up to their expectations.<\/p>\n
How do you do that? Read on to find out more!<\/p>\n
When it comes to hotel guest experience, there are so many things that you need to get right\u2014where do you even begin?<\/p>\n To start, you should conduct an audit of your current hotel performance in these 6 pillars:<\/p>\n Talk to your hotel staff, read online reviews<\/a>, and figure out what your strengths are, versus where you need to improve.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve done that, you can brainstorm specific strategies to tackle whichever pillar (or pillars!) you\u2019ve chosen to focus on.<\/p>\n Convenience is a big bucket, and it encompasses several things.<\/p>\n Firstly, is the hotel convenient in terms of its location? Is it centrally located, and near public transport?<\/p>\n If the answer is no<\/em>, one way to mitigate this is to have a free shuttle service to the nearest mall or train\/bus station. For example, it\u2019s common for hotels in Bangkok, Thailand, to offer free tuktuk services to the main road if the hotel is nestled deep within the area, and it isn\u2019t easy for guests to walk out to the main road.<\/p>\n Location aside, in-room amenities and hotel amenities also fall under the bucket of convenience. Do the guests have everything they need, including coffee machines and WiFi? Do business guests have access to a business lounge or center, or will they have to find a local coffee shop to work in?<\/p>\n Comfort is a huge factor in influencing the overall guest experience.<\/p>\n Everyone wants a comfortable bed in which they can get a good night\u2019s sleep\u2014that\u2019s a no-brainer.<\/p>\n On a basic level, make sure your mattresses and bedding are comfortable. If you\u2019ve got an extra bed made up for another guest in the room, that should come with adequate bedding, as well.<\/p>\n To take it up a notch, consider offering different pillow options\u2014some people might prefer softer pillows that they can sink into, and others might prefer more ergonomic ones. Think about installing black out blinds so that your guests can get a good night\u2019s sleep, and provide extras such as fluffy bathrobes or a massage chair in the room.<\/p>\n Bad service is hard to overlook, and can ruin your guests\u2019 experience.<\/p>\n Make sure hotel staff are helpful, warm, and welcoming. Train your staff to anticipate and be responsive to guest needs, such as taking the initiative to offer guests useful information<\/a> about restaurants in the area.<\/p>\n If guests have a request that can\u2019t be met, the hotel staff should also try to find alternative solutions, instead of simply rejecting the guest\u2019s requests.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also want to streamline your operations and processes to become more efficient, and try and minimize waiting time for guests.<\/p>\n For example, allow your guests to submit their details in advance of their trip, so that they won\u2019t have to stand at the reception desk and fill in a long form when it\u2019s time for them to check-in.<\/p>\n What goes into a hotel\u2019s quality? Pretty much everything that guests encounter\u2014including the room, hotel facilities, food, technology, and more.<\/p>\n Ideally, the hotel\u2019s facilities and furnishings should be well-maintained, and not look old or worn out.<\/p>\n Obviously, it might not be feasible to replace expensive items (such as furniture) every few years. But be sure to at least update your bedding and linens\u2014these are less expensive to replace, and having new, well-maintained bedding and linens does make a big difference.<\/p>\n When decorating a hotel room, also go for a clean, classic look rather than something that\u2019s statement-making or trendy. Why is this considered a best practice? Trends move quickly, and if you\u2019ve decorated your rooms around specific trends, the rooms will look dated once those particular trends are no longer fashionable.<\/p>\n You\u2019d think cleanliness is easy to get right, but somehow, many hotels still fall short.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to provide guests with a clean, good-smelling hotel room\u2014if you\u2019re able to achieve that, that\u2019s half the battle won.<\/p>\n If your hotel frequently has complaints about cleanliness, think about how to improve in this respect. For instance, you could provide cleaning staff with more thorough training, or implement checklists to help them clean more effectively.<\/p>\n It also makes sense to look into your check-in\/check-out timings and occupancy rates\u2014you need enough turnaround time for your staff to be able to clean properly; they won\u2019t be able to do a good job if they\u2019re always rushed for time.<\/p>\n Finally, guests always want to feel like they\u2019re getting good value for their money.<\/p>\n If your guests think that the property offers good value, they\u2019ll tend to be more accommodating, even if things don\u2019t entirely meet their expectations. On the flip side, if your hotel feels overpriced, your guests are likely to feel unsatisfied.<\/p>\n Regardless of what type of hotel you\u2019re running, look at your competitors in the same price range, and evaluate whether your hotel is offering more, less, or the same value as compared to them. If the answer is less, come up with a few ideas to give your guests more value.<\/p>\n You\u2019d be surprised\u2014many freebies or experiences don\u2019t cost much to the hotel, but improve guest satisfaction<\/a> by leaps and bounds.<\/p>\n For example, if you give your guests a complimentary $50 dining voucher to use, this doesn\u2019t cost your hotel much. However, this generates a larger-than-proportionate amount of value for your guest, and leads them to feel like they\u2019re getting a great experience.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/visualsofdana-T5pL6ciEn-I-unsplash-1-scaled.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nThe 6 pillars of a great hotel experience<\/h2>\n
\n
Pillar #1: Convenience<\/h2>\n
Pillar #2: Comfort<\/h2>\n
Pillar #3: Service<\/h2>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nPillar #4: Quality<\/h2>\n
Pillar #5: Cleanliness<\/h2>\n
Pillar #6: Value<\/h2>\n