How to create perfect guest experience flow?

Have you ever thought about how the guest journey looks like in your hotel? It is not just about getting them to come. In fact, it is more about getting them to come back.

This process of transforming any guest into your loyal ambassador contains a number of milestones:

• before they book,

• before they come,

• during their stay and

• after they leave.

Let’s talk about each one from its most important perspective.

This is how I see it.

Moral of the story: Best marketing is overdelivering to your current guests. To be fully booked with happy guests, continue reading.

I said you could turn any guest into loyal customer, but this is not completely true and let me clear this out first. By doing this work, you will filter your guests significantly meaning that the ones who are not your ideal guests will stop coming and the ones who are will continue. Then, you can make any of THEM loyal.

Make them want you.

This is the milestone I will least go into. This is before they even consider booking. Your main job is to create demand. You should be answering the question of who you are and what you can offer to them, how you are different. This is the place mostly for traditional marketing strategies but doing them genuinely by picturing the real feel one has when staying with you is the secret.

Your main goal is to create desire and good brand image.

Read the blog about 3 ways to stand out for clarity with what really matters in this phase, here.

Make the right people want the real you.

Sell them what they want.

In order for people to book, you need to sell them what they want. Your main job is to understand who they are and what they want. Get to know them. This phase lasts all the way before they arrive at your premises.

So, you sold them on an idea of staying with you and they are ready to book! Think about if it is easy and convenient for them to make a booking, what if they have any questions, what special requests you can offer to them, how you deal with their other requests, etc. What are the protocols here?

It is really important to ask yourself if it is easy to make decision on the room, do you offer too many options causing them to be confused? You confuse them, you loose them - applies here too.

Instead of listing every possible room, can you recommend them the best one depending on their needs and priorities (specious, quite area, nice view, sunrise, sunset, shade, etc.? If so, how can you find out their priorities? Can you make this even more fun e.g. by asking them for their favourite colour or favourite art direction/epoch or type of photography they are most inspired by and give them the appropriate one in that colour, with the relevant art pieces or with animal/portrays/dance etc. photographs?

Eventually, don’t forget to let them know what services they can expect and how you can support them (e.g., planning their fitness activities, providing them with requisites/protein powder/fitness ball etc., providing baby equipment, extra tentative laundry service etc.). Also, offer them instructions on how to come and transportation option if necessary.

Your main goal is to create excitement and understand their wants.

Give them what they need.

Once they are on their way to you, everything should be planned. Everything means the things you find important and are part of your brand promise. These should be consistent and relatable to what you promise.

These may include: the way you welcome your guests, the ways they can check in and pick up their key (including scenarios when it is rush hour and reception is crowded, are there other options), if you help them with luggage and how, what is the welcome package and welcome note about, other special details according to time of the day or anything else, information about facilities, services etc. that you give and so on.

Beside these ones which present the core of your business but are still overlooked when it comes to properly informing guests, I invite you to think in other directions that go long way with your chosen concept. Think about the information that you need to collect about them in order to serve them better in ways that will prove your values in action. For instance, what time they wake up and go to sleep, what their morning and evening routines look like, what their diet is like, if they have any food allergies, what their preferences for cleaning room are, would they prefer having steamer at room or attentive ironing service if they mostly wear silk and/or linen, etc.

Find appropriate ways to gather these but don’t make them repeat themselves, in fact don’t let them even notice what you are doing.

Think about who they really are, what they really need and how you can make their lives easier while they are staying with you. This is really important because between what they want and what they need, there is a gap your guests will overlook but still probably expect.

Your main goal is to create experience and understand their needs.

Give them something better.

Why stop now? Sweep them off their feet.

Your main goal as a boutique hotel is to create above and beyond experiences to be remembered.

Once you got your standards and their expectations under control which is best done with systems in place that work for you, it is time to think about all the ways you can surprise them and support them in unexpected ways.

First, understand why they are coming. What is the main motivator and how do they feel about it, is it a vacation or intense work week? Second, investigate what they will be doing just prior to arrival, if it is a long drive or family visit, but also where they are heading right after they leave, maybe wedding, another city or back home. Eventually, get all those little details that can always serve well such as their favourite flowers, flavour of protein shake or cookies, music that will be playing when they arrive, books, kids' stories, movies, activities, snacks etc. However, a good advice is to always leave them space to change their mind and easily communicate or change their preferences.

You can go further by knowing their most common frustrations, specific fears maybe even location related or inspirations and wishes. These are totally extra but can be a great path to be paved depending on your concept and values you stand by.

What do you want?

Once they leave, you did everything you could to make their stay memorable. What you can do next, is to revise your strategic goals and think about what you can propose to these guests that will serve your goals. Maybe you want them to come during another time of the year, have more events organised or come with friends and family.

Even though this is about you, it does not concern them so let’s make it about them. Plan for them, inspire them, propose and be prepared when they say yes.

Understand why they came at that part of the year, if they had specific event, if they like to come to that region or it was their first time, if they were searching for good place to rest during the weekend, etc. Depending on this, you can inspire them to come again, during some other time of the year but still making it relatable to the original reason you figured out.

Give them ideas, write them a story, make it a great plan, send them a special invitation and again give them an easy way out to say no and make their own decision when they are ready.

Your main goal is to maintain the long-term relationship that you can both benefit from.

This may seem complicated but it is all about right systems and right ideas that will serve your concept, your guests and your goals. It is about consistency in a dynamical system, letting it change while remaining reasonably the same and easy to manage. Follow the process and create your perfect guest flow.

I invite you to share your business wisdom! Tell us, what are the most important moments in your guest journey? Comment bellow.

ELEVATE your hospitality business.

Master consistent excellence DELIVERED in practice.

Be WORTH EVERY PENNY & every second of your guests.

Schedule a free discovery call HERE

Tell us YOUR story & get REAL feedback.