A couple of decades ago, the prime focus of hotels was to provide a comfortable stay with basic facilities and services. In fact, guests opted for properties with feasible tariffs and a decent ambiance. 

Currently, this scenario has been flipped over. These days, providing a place to stay is not enough. Guests are expecting a lot from hotels to make their stay memorable. Moreover, they are looking for something unique, exclusive, and exotic.

That’s why the concept of experience economy has gained momentum in the hospitality industry. If you are still unaware of it, this blog is a MUST-read for you. 

What is the Experience Economy?

Experience economy can be defined as a business generated by providing quality products or services to customers and creating a valuable experience for them. Moreover, it’s important that it justifies the investment made.

For instance, why are millennials and GenZ attracted to hostels these days? Obviously, the kind of guest engagement activities they offer, such as adventure sports (trekking, river rafting, etc.), music and bonfire sessions, local food taste tours, and whatnot.

This concept of business is what we can call the experience economy in the hospitality industry.

Why Should Hotels Adapt the Concept of Experience Economy?

You might wonder why adapting to the experience economy is a big deal. Let me explain this with an example. 

I hope you’ve heard of Mahabalipuram in India. Apart from being famous for temples, this place is also known for promoting surfing culture.

There’s a well-known resort in that area that assists travelers by providing professional surfing coaching at their property. They have hired a couple of trainers for this.

In fact, the resort provides certification to the guests who opt for the surfing training course. This benefitted them in two ways:

1. It saved guests from the hassles of looking for classes or an expert to guide them.
2. The property had an edge over your competitors considering they were the first ones to introduce this unique service.

And not to mention, it increased their booking flow. 

The point I’m trying to make here is that the experience economy in the hospitality industry is the need of the hour. And you need to adapt ways to build your business around the experience economy. 

How can Hotels Tap into the Experience Economy?

I’m sure you must be eager to know the ways to incorporate experience economy in your hospitality business. So, let me save you the suspense and give out those precious tips.

1. Learning about your guests

If you want to provide a world-class experience to your guests, then start by understanding your guests. By this, I mean knowing every minute detail about them.

It could be their purpose of travel, food preferences, time of visit, services opted for, and whatnot. But how will you know that?

The answer is, by analyzing guest data. And for that, you need to implement various data-collecting strategies like Wi-Fi marketing, website chatbots, reviews, past booking records, and so on. 

Once you have a concrete database, study it to get a better insight into your guests. Use your findings to curate personalized marketing campaigns and give guests a unique experience the next time they visit you.

2. Adding a personal touch to stay

Since you’ve invested time in learning about your guests, you would be aware of their likes, dislikes, preferences, and other travel habits. It’s time to put that to use. Let’s use a scenario to understand it better.

Suppose,  you have a repeat guest at your property. Upon analyzing his past booking records, you find that every time he stayed with you, he has asked for a wake-up call, because of his early morning flights.

Now that you are aware of his travel habit, you can take an initiative to enrich his experience. And how to do that?

Simple, next time he arrives at your property, inform your staff to ask the guest if he would like to opt for a wake-up call service. Additionally, arrange for a drop if you can, as booking a cab in the early hours is quite a hustle.

You might wonder how it is related to the experience economy. Well, it is. When you start adding a personal touch to guests’ stay or helping them out in some or the other way, it enhances their overall experience at your property.

In turn, they become your on-ground marketeer. This helps you in generating business from your guests’ references. And that’s how you become a part of the experience economy in the hospitality industry. 

3. Offering local experiences

One of the prime things that guests usually look for these days is indulging in local experiences. This could be taking part in any adventurous activity, tasting regional and exotic food, trying hands-on any special skills, or something else. 

Here’s an amazing fact shared by Condor Ferries on experience economy in the hospitality industry:

Around 87% of millennials chose exploring new culture in comparison to partying and shopping.

Hence, you should try to include some form of local experience in your packages. For that, all you have to do is a partner with local activity providers, skill development coaches, and tour guides. 

4. Introducing exclusive services

As I said earlier in this blog, travelers these days expect a plethora of services from hotels. And if you see, there are various services and facilities that used to be counted as a luxury but have now become quite common. 

For example, a decade ago, free Wi-Fi was no less than a luxury for guests. During that period, many hotels promoted it as an exclusive benefit. In fact, there were properties that charged guests for Wi-Fi. And guests reacted like this:

The point is that free Wi-Fi was an exclusive service, and hotels providing it saw an influx of guests. 

Similarly, you can find and introduce certain unique services at your property and give guests a chance to experience something they haven’t done before. 

5. Connecting with guests individually on social media platforms

Next on the list is building personalized connections with your guests. Meaning, you need to connect with your guests on social media platforms. 

Once done, you can send them greetings on special occasions like their birthdays and anniversaries. You can also send them personalized wishes at festivals.

Additionally, whenever any guest stays at your property, you can ask them for their social media handles and permission to click a couple of pics whilst they are enjoying their stay.

You can later use it on your social media pages to promote your property, and simultaneously you can tag the guests in that post. 

Also, guests can share the photos and videos they have clicked at your property on their profile geo-tagging your property.

6. Creating unique moments for guests during the stay

Let’s say you are on a business trip and staying in one of your favorite properties. Unfortunately, your birthday falls during that period.

How would you feel if the hotel surprises you with a birthday cake and arranges a small party for you (Of course, with complimentary wine and dinner)? 

That’s right, amazed and happy.

This is exactly what you need to do if you want to tap into the experience economy. Try to create some precious memories with guests and it’ll enrich the overall experience they had at your property.

7. Bringing in innovation

These days, people are becoming health conscious. Even when they visit hotels, a lot of them demand menus like vegan, keto-friendly, low-carb diets, and so on.

However, many hotels are yet to tap into such a customized menu. That’s where innovation comes into the picture.

You can either find and invest in such kinds of products that can cater to your guests. Alternatively, you can find a solution to a common problem faced by hotels.

These works in 2 ways:

1. You are adapting the ongoing trends
2. You have something exclusive to offer and promote

Note to wise: This kind of innovation can be time-consuming and expensive. So, invest your time and money wisely. Or rather stick to the ways mentioned above to be a part of the experience economy in the hospitality industry. 

Conclusion

We all have heard this saying: Experience matters. When it comes to the hospitality industry, this stays true. 

A good or bad guest experience can change the entire game of your hotel’s business. But, when we talk about generating an experience economy in the hospitality industry, the only option you have is to give your best. And for that, you’ve to think out of the box and go out of your way. After all,

Jokes apart, I’ve listed various ways that can make it easier for you to adopt the concept of experience economy in the hospitality industry. Give them a try and let me know the results. Till then, happy hoteliering.

The post Trending in 2024: Experience Economy in The Hospitality Industry appeared first on eZee Absolute.

Thus the hospitality industry along with many other brands focus on the guest’s first name to create a personalised guest experience. But the cocktail party effect goes far beyond addressing the customer’s first name.

What is Personalisation?

True personalisation lies in understanding the journey of your customers. Once you know their need you can offer the right services at the right time.

“[Personalization] is a chance to differentiate at a human scale, to use behavior as the most important clue about what people want and more importantly, what they need.”

Seth Godin

State of Personalisation in the Hotel industry

The hospitality industry is yet to catch up with the recent personalisation fad. They are adhering to the standard operating procedures (SOPs). It is not that they are not capitalising on the data element in a digital age like today. But the data they collect comprises payment and registration details. Hence, it does not fetch any personal guest information.

A Real-Life Example: A guest checks in the hotel room and finds out that the fruit basket has apples, oranges, and cherry tomatoes. He is elated to find cherry tomatoes and finishes them off. He doesn’t prefer oranges or apples, so those fruits are left untouched. But the hotel keeps on filling the basket with similar fruits every day. And the story continues. They do not notice that cherry tomatoes are getting over every day, but the other fruits are untouched. The hotel fails to understand that the guest likes cherry tomatoes more than the others. Hence, the hotel should have taken care of his preference. This is an example of how a hotel fails to carve out personalised guest experience.

Hoteliers must realise that a personalised guest experience and the hospitality industry are like Siamese twins. To stay relevant, they should make their guests feel valued and empowered. If you are feeling at a loss, no worries, this blog will help you craft personalised service in your hotel.

How to Decode Personalisation in the Hotel Industry? 

One click and you can choose one property over another. The competition is fierce. The only way to hold grounds is to stand out.

Hoteliers should remember that personalised services in hotels go beyond the amenities and the discounts. It is no more an option; instead; it is mandatory. Brush up your listening skill and be attentive to ace the art of personalisation like a pro. 

Let us explore the top five ways to deliver a personalised guest experience at your property.

Have guest profiles at the tip of your finger

Coleridge had said “Water, water, everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.” The saying is valid for the data boom of recent times. There are umpteenth digital footprints that guests leave. But the challenge is to decode those data. 

Did you know, data insights build the foundation of a personalised guest experience?

Hotels should have data like contact details, stay history, birthdays, and anniversaries to identify repeat customers and delight them. And gathering such crucial information is no more an arduous task using technology. 

Use automated PMS to gather and store guest data effectively. It helps you have all the necessary details right at your fingertips.

A Pro Tip: A fine balance of technology and the human element is the way forward for the hospitality industry to remain abreast in this fiercely competitive world. 

Using appropriate technology

Technology will help hotel employees focus on tasks requiring emotional intelligence. They shall have more time to interact with the guest to improve engagement. Guests’ satisfaction becomes more, they feel valued, and they might even become your loyal customers.

Some of the popular uses of technology are:

• Chatbots that allow guests to reach the property seamlessly
• Paper-less and automated check-ins
• AI-backed virtual agents for acquiring instant feedback 

AI-powered applicants offer guests curated personal recommendations considering their behaviour, preferences, and interests. Technology also allows you to save money and upsell your services.

Involving your employees and management

Personalisation in hotel industry is critical for top-notch guest experience. Taking care of your guests’ interests can help you go a long way in establishing customer loyalty. It is possible to offer personalised hotel experience by using the right PMS and CRM tools.

You can send your guests an email on their birthdays and anniversaries or leave a hand-written note when there is a wifi glitch. Gestures like interacting with the guests during check-in can give your guests a positive personalised hotel experience. 

Invest in relationship building

When it is about personalisation in hotels, no technology can replace the essence of guest engagement. A warm welcome and a smiling face can never fail you in the hospitality industry. Building a personal rapport with your guests can help you learn more about them. 

A Pro-Tip: Leave no stone unturned to listen to what your guests have to say, be it your social handles or website, stay glued, to chance upon that golden clue.

Offer a fond farewell

‘All’s well that ends well.’ Here comes the concept of a fond farewell. Bid adieu to your guests thoughtfully. When guests feel happy before leaving your property they will be keen to return. Also, they shall recommend you to their friends and family. It is one of the most effective ways to gain business and to develop a brand identity.

The New Era of Hotel Personalisation

Is the image relatable? It could be the future of the entire hospitality industry where you check into a hotel, and robots greet you. 

You enter the room and you find everything flawless. 

Every time you seek a room-service, a robot serves you. 

Are you thinking this is a scene straight from a sci-fi movie? No, it isn’t! But it could be the truth if the hoteliers become heavily dependent on technology. It may sound super-exciting but it is not the ideal situation for any business.

There should be a harmonious synergy between the two to take your hotel business to the next level. While investing in technology, hoteliers must not forget that it can just automate routine tasks. But when it comes to showing empathy, no technology can replace a smiling face at the end of the day.

As technology makes the travel experience seamless and intuitive, the hotel staff should focus on the creative aspects and emotional intelligence to etch out a personalised guest experience.

The post The Secret to Offer Personalised Guest Experience in Your Hotel appeared first on eZee Absolute.