How Hotels Can Master the Little Things

There is no single secret to guest satisfaction. As hospitality pros have reported for years, it takes a combined effort to make a guest’s experience truly memorable and get them to consider a repeat stay. As it turns out, many of these factors can be implemented right from the beginning of the guest’s stay.

Dependable Internet

It is no surprise that WiFi is one of the most important amenities for guests today. With the average traveler bringing two or three devices to use for internet access during their trip, the expectation is that the WiFi in the room will be of a high enough quality to use without interruptions. 

This reliance on hotel internet has made many traditional amenities obsolete. From the room phone to the traditional hotel business center, many aspects of 20th-century hospitality have either been eliminated or completely re-imagined in order to stay relevant.

Related: Business Travel Trends & What Hotels Need to Know

Providing WiFi that allows guests with multiple devices to easily gain access will play a massive role in increasing guest satisfaction and fostering loyalty. While increasing bandwidth can be an expensive undertaking, internet access is one aspect of the modern guest experience that cannot be compromised.

The Right Aroma?

Any customer-centric business person knows the power of a first impression, but the fact that this impression takes all five senses into account is not always acted on. Retailers have used this information to “scentscape” their businesses to provide customers with an aroma that will keep them interested in buying the available products.

Hoteliers are not unfamiliar with this concept, as Westin guests have become accustomed to the “white tea” aroma that fills lobbies around the world.

For some businesses, the way smells can be used to entice customers is pretty straightforward. A bakery might pump the scent of oven-fresh bread towards the entrance to entice hungry passers-by, much like how cafe owners would want the aroma of freshly ground coffee to draw in sleepy morning commuters. 

However, hotels that scentscape are less concerned about pushing a single product than they are about creating a specific feeling, one that makes guests feel comfortable and welcome. The smell of something welcoming and homey can take many different forms, but no matter what aroma is used, it is critical that it is not used too excessively. 

Easy Check-In Options

Another way to make a great first impression on a guest is to make their first actual interaction in the hotel as quick and seamless as possible. Much has been made about digital check-in over the last few years, as the assumption is that younger travelers will be more receptive to using their personal devices for this step so they can immediately access their room through a digital key card.

However, this is not always necessary to create a simple check-in process that guests will respond to. What is most important is to keep this interaction pleasant for the guest, straightforward for staff and not too time-consuming for both. Some hotels have installed kiosks in their lobby to let guests who just want to check in and do not have any additional questions for the staff.

Even if the hotel provides a check-in option that skips personal interaction, giving guests a warm welcome is still essential to the guest experience. Proving the importance of a greeting is the fact that welcome emails from hotels generally have a 50% open rate, much higher than a typical marketing email from a hotel.

Listen to Guest Feedback

It seems obvious to pay attention to what guests are saying, but there are times when feedback is not accounted for. This can either be because of a high volume of in-person guest comments or because hotels lack a way to keep all input in one place, monitoring the progress of service recovery efforts.

The best way for hotels to stay on top of the small details that can make or break a guest’s experience is to have an organized method to track feedback and make sure no guest is forgotten. This serves as the most important reminder to guests that their experience is the hotel’s number one priority.

Helix by MicroMetrics helps hotels enact service recovery strategies in real time, preventing negative reviews and developing guest loyalty.

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