As guest behavior, available technology and your competitors’ strategies continue to evolve, it becomes even more crucial to stay updated with the latest developments. We look into the future of hospitality marketing and suggest ideas that could position your hotel as the top choice for guests.
NB: This is an article from Canary Technologies
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1. The Guest Experience Is Everything
Most markets have a large hotel offering which leads to tough competition. In this case, features like rooms, dining venues and entertainment facilities may not be enough to differentiate you in the eyes of potential bookers.
Instead, guests want to know how you’ll provide the best and most memorable experiences. In fact, 90% of travelers now expect customization throughout their stay.
Key takeaway: Provide more personalization and a fun, easy and relaxing experience via digital touchpoints like online check-in, check-out and messaging on top of traditional offline interactions.
2. Data Will Be Your Most Powerful Tool
According to the State of Personalization Maturity in Travel and Dining Report by Incisiv and Adobe, travel brands that go from one-size-fits-all offers to one-to-one personalization can increase their revenue per guest by an average of 49.8%.
For that, guest data is your most important asset. But you’ll need to go beyond basic demographic information like age or country of residence. Dig deeper to understand guest expectations, how they research and book trips and what’s most important to them.
Key takeaway: Use a customer relationship management system (CRM) to gather data that helps you refine your offering and your marketing for niche guest segments like families with young kids or remote workers. Test your offers, evaluate the results and try new strategies until you see the desired outcome.
3. Guest Reviews and Feedback Take Center Stage
According to TripAdvisor, 80% of their users read between six to 12 reviews before booking. This means reviews have a huge impact on how people perceive your hotel. They also influence your ability to maximize rates. That’s why reviews should play a critical role in your hotel marketing in 2024.
Key takeaway: Get started by generating more four- and five-star online hotel reviews. First, ask guests for their feedback privately e.g., via an email survey. Then, request that your biggest fans share their thoughts publicly on platforms like Google, TripAdvisor or online travel agencies (OTAs).
