Want to increase revenue? The first step is to listen to your hotel guests.
The hospitality industry is continuously evolving. The things that are important to today’s guests were not even on the radar a decade ago, or frankly, even a year ago.
By scanning hotel reviews and social media, you can get a picture of what the most important factors in booking a hotel room are.
What Guests Want…
- 5G. 5G the fifth generation of mobile broadband and significantly faster than its predecessor. Business travelers prioritize a steady connection and will pay to have easy access to it. 5G has dramatically faster download speeds, which encourages engagement with hotel apps and additional services like smart devices.
- Customizable packages. The more customizable the hotel package is, the more exciting it is to travelers. Some hotels go as far as allowing modifications of guest amenities like soap and shampoo.
- Authenticity. This is truer for boutique hotels, but can also apply to franchises. During a time when travel is just starting to repopularize, people are still seeking out local experiences. Partnering with local restaurants and providing transportation to local attractions is a great way to do this.
- Aesthetics. There is no better advertisement than a tagged Instagram post from a guest. Aesthetically pleasing hotels are the ones that show up on the feeds. A nice lobby that draws in your guests is a great starting point.
- Customer service. Nothing on this list matters is the customer service is faltering. Quality service is a revenue driver.
Understanding the Importance of Guest Reviews
Check out your competition. By looking at guest reviews for other hotels in your area, you can see where they are outperforming you as well as what their guests deem to be important. While you may not be capable of addressing every issue, there is surely some helpful information in there that can help you improve your own operation.
Guest Needs Generally Receiving Positive Feedback
Location – Keep track of local events if you’re not in a tourist location.
A peaceful environment – thin walls and loud parties can guarantee at least one bad review, while a peaceful ambiance will promote at least one positive review.
Staffing – this includes smoothness of the check-in process, enough staff on duty to cover guest needs, and the general attitude of the staff.
Cleanliness – the rooms and the overall facility should get cleaned daily and sanitized multiple times a day in high-traffic areas.
Guest Needs with Regular Negative Comments in Reviews
Sleep and Room Quality – in addition to the obvious, simply being able to keep the room dark to get a good night’s (or day’s) sleep is a problem far too often.
Value – if the guest has perceived value, they are far more understanding about challenges than they are when they feel as though they are being overcharged.
Bathrooms – it is amazing how many reviews, even overall positive reviews, complain about both the cleanliness and condition of the bathroom. This should be a no-brainer, but it is by far one of the biggest areas of neglect in the eyes of guests.
Wi-Fi – the complaints are always the same: too slow, too expensive, and not working properly.
Are your managers not monitoring guest needs and feedback to provide a better experience? If the local market is not providing you with the talent you need, call JDI. Joseph David International is one of the top-ranked hotel recruiters in the country because we work hard to find the top talent in the hotel industry to address the specific needs of your property or hospitality organization. For more information about our hospitality recruiting services, please click here.
Survey Resources: JDPower / InsightsEhotlier.com