Back in the past, accommodation businesses wouldn’t bother to dig deeper and gain insights into their potential guests’ preferences. But not anymore.

Over the last decade, hotels are inclining toward data-driven and psychological approaches.

One such aspect of hoteliering is “understanding the guest journey”. And in this piece of article, I am getting down to the brass tacks and help you have clarity around this subject.

What is Guest Journey?

A guest journey can be defined as a collection of events that starts and goes beyond the physical walls of the hotel.

Typically, these events are considered only when there’s an interaction between the guest and the hotel. However, that is not true anymore. A guest’s journey starts way before someone tries to reach out to the hotel.

Understanding the Different Stages of Hotel Guest Journey

Understanding guests is vital for your hotel. It will help you provide them with a great experience at your property, and in turn maintain or even increase guest retention, thereby boosting your bottom-line revenue.

While there are various ways to learn about your guests’ likes and dislikes, I would suggest you start by understanding the various stages.

Here are the prominent hotel guest journey touchpoints:

1. Thought

Emily, a 23 old microbiologist is thinking of taking her first solo trip. And this particular moment is stage one of a guest’s journey.

In this phase, she is reading various vacation articles on the internet, binge-watching solo travel videos, scrolling through her Instagram feed, and whatnot.

Even though you know or at least have an idea of what your Emily is up to, you can’t really get into her mind and manipulate her thoughts.

Then, what’s the point of knowing about this stage, you ask?

Here’s the interesting part.

Instead of trying to become a mentalist, you could try to become a part of Emily’s dream or thought.

What if she could read all the travel articles you have published? What if she could watch solo travel videos on your YouTube channel?

You see where I am going with this, right?

By creating content, keeping the bigger picture in mind, and taking less about yourself, you can become a part of millions of people’s travel dreams. And this is exactly what you’d be doing to make your good hotel great.

2. Research

After mulling over it for quite some time and gathering all her courage, Emily has decided to take her first-ever solo trip to Seychelles.

You go, girl!

Now at this point, she is researching all the locations of Seychelles. From checking out articles to watching videos, she is spending time learning about the place, its culture, etc. She is also comparing options for transportation, accommodation, activities, etc.

Evidently, this is the stage when she is most likely to turn to search engines, OTAs, metasearch platforms, destination marketing organizations (DMOs), and social media.

Emily is open to ideas and you as a hotelier must grab this opportunity to present your accommodation to her.

And how could you do that? By having a significant presence online; be it a dedicated website, Google My Business profile, OTA listings, social media, etc.

You can also reach travelers like Emily through targeted ads on Google, Facebook, and Instagram. But again, you must know the target stage and deliver content relevant to that stage.

3. Budget

Wait! Budgeting comes third?

Yes, and here’s why. 

When you’ll set a budget before anything else, you’ll soon realize that everything goes beyond what you thought and your budget is just useless.

You get the budget right only after your initial research because now you have the knowledge of every single element that’s going to be involved in your trip.

Now, let’s talk about Emily’s trip. She seems excited and I don’t want to ruin her mood.

Emily, upon completing her research on Seychelles, is down to creating a budget. She has gathered all the average prices of everything that could be added to the trip. And voila, her budget seems to be spot on. 

But wait, there’s a little problem. Despite a great budget, she might miss out on a lot of activities it seems.

These kinds of scenarios are undoubtedly perfect opportunities for hotels.

Want to know how?

Create holiday packages that include everything that most travelers ask for or seek. Not to mention, ensure that the price of the package is not high. Keep it within the basic budget of a traveler.

#ProTip: Travelers usually compare packages based on budget. They try to determine not just the price difference but also what’s included. So, you want to be really mindful about it and ensure that your packages are worth every penny. 

Sounds good? Great!

4. Reservation

Emily has booked her two-way flight and is now looking at hotel options. With so many options, she is certainly overwhelmed. From OTAs to metasearch, she’s checking every single platform.

Not to mention, Emily is also checking out the website of hotels and calling them directly to see if a direct booking is beneficial.

This is where your hotel can become her choice if you play your card right.

Here are a few tips that would help you up your game:

• List your hotels on as many relevant OTAs as possible
• Optimize your listing to rank better on OTAs
• Maintain rate parity across all the platforms
• Build and maintain an intriguing hotel website
• Offer exciting incentives on direct bookings
• Perform compset analysis to learn about your competitors
• Keep updating your OTA and website content to eliminate errors
• Have flexible cancellation policies
• Provide phone numbers for guests to book on call
• Make the reservation process supremely easy
• Maintain transparency in policies, pricing, and even on photos of the property

5. Experience

Seems Emily has booked your hotel for the stay. Good for you!

But don’t settle down already. The real job starts now.

You have a couple of days before she lands in Seychelles. So, let me prepare you for a crucial stage that’s about to come.

The very minute Emily walks into your hotel; her experience phase is going to start. Every single element in your hotel will make an impact on her experience.

I have a few tips for you to make her stay at your hotel great.

• The moment she walks into your property, greet and welcome her wholeheartedly.
• Try personalization by placing a welcome goody with her favorite wine in her room.
• Make her familiar with all the technical elements of your hotel that would make her stay great.
• If you’re leveraging WhatsApp marketing practices, drop her timely information about the destination — parties and gatherings happening around, best places to eat local cuisine, what your hotel offers, etc.
• Offer her a good discount on extra nights to lead her to extend the stay.
• Keep your hotel cleanliness game on point. Make sure every corner of the property is spick and span.
• Make guest communication seamless. There has to be someone to address guest queries at all hours of the day. 
• If there’s a query, make sure you respond quickly and come up with a solution. 
• Have empathy towards her and all the other guests at your property, and focus on making their stay memorable.

#ProTip: If by any chance, you have the information that she’s taking her first ever solo trip or coming to Seychelles for the first time, I suggest you offer complimentary pick up from the airport. Trust me, this first gesture is going to make a phenomenally positive impact on her experience. Not to mention, it might also take some burden off your shoulder during her entire stay.

6. Final impression

After a wonderful stay at your hotel and the lovely vicinity, it’s time for Emily to check out from the hotel.

And just like everyone else, she’s a little all over the place. She came downstairs to the reception multiple time, enquiring about several things.  

These types of instances are usually normal for people during their check-out. And as a hotelier, the best you can do is to help them with their chores.

In Emily’s case, here’s what you can do to make an everlasting final impression:

• Get her a cab for airport drop at a reasonable price. If she has stayed for a long time, then you could offer a free drop.
• Remember how you greeted her when she arrived? Well, keep the vibe similar when she’s checking out.
• Make the payment process SIMPLE. She’s got a flight to board; do not make her wait during check-out for payment.
• Contactless check-out is also a great option to make her check-out process seamless.

7. Post-stay

Emily has checked out from the hotel, boarded her flight, and she’s now home.

Does that mean her experience with the hotel and the stay is over?

Well, it’s both Yes and No.

But as a hotelier, you still have tasks to tick. You must be in touch with Emily to drive loyalty and ensure your hotel is on top of her mind when she’s planning the next trip.

Here’s how you can engage with Emily once she check-out:

• First and foremost, you want to get her feedback. Do not just send a feedback form, request her to write your hotel a review on GMB, OTA she used for booking, or directly on your website.
• Next up, automate this process of seeking feedback and review. Use a high-end CRM that sends out automated emails on check-out.
• Reply to Emily’s online review. If she has written something negative, acknowledge it and promise to work on it. If it’s a positive review, thank her wholeheartedly. Not to mention, do sound like a human and not like a marketing bot.
• Add Emily to your email nurture program. Send her monthly newsletters, offers, etc. You can take it to the next level by wishing her on her every birthday.
• Send offers and content that are relevant to Emily. Because when you personalize content, guests are more likely to engage. 

Today’s Travelers Are Value Seekers

The preferences of travelers have changed significantly in the last couple of years.

Travelers today seek value above anything else.

Now, what I mean is that people aren’t hesitant about spending money. However, they want services and experiences that are worth what they are spending.

For example, despite being a first-time solo traveler, Emily wasn’t hesitant about spending. Rather, she ensured that she gets the best sans any hassle.

Let me explain this better with one of my experiences now.

When I travel alone, I tend to do it on a budget. I take the cheapest hostels and eat at budget-friendly food stalls. I feel this gives me the freedom to explore more and spend on experiences.

But recently, I was traveling around Delhi and Amritsar with my parents. And I made sure that the best hotels are booked in every location we visited. I even made reservations on the best sleeper buses for overnight travel. (One bus had a toilet on board. That itself was a super relief).

All in all, I was seeking comfort and a little bit of luxury. And one way or the other it is changing my preferences. I don’t think I would go back to those extreme budget-friendly travels. I would rather work a little to improve my budget and have a comfortable experience.

The post Understand the Hotel Guest Journey to Enhance Experience appeared first on eZee Absolute.

In the midst of this technological evolution, the emergence of the “cloud” has been the most pivotal factor.

It wouldn’t be incorrect to say that the cloud has re-molded the structure of the hospitality industry. The domain which was once completely under the control of large, branded hotel chains has now become a fair play arena for accommodation businesses of all shapes and sizes.

But how did the cloud manage to conquer the hospitality industry worldwide? 

The Effect of  Cloud Computing on the Hospitality Industry

When I think of cloud technology, the first thing that comes to my mind is the ability to work remotely without taking a toll on efficiency.

What do I mean by that?

There is a rising demand for the ability to manage hotel operations from anywhere at any time. And, it has been met by cloud computing since it only requires a stable internet connection to function properly.  

Additionally, cloud-based hospitality management solutions offer more benefits revolving around operational efficiency, cost reduction, and data storage. 

• Operational Efficiency: Hoteliers can stay up to date on many aspects of operations such as room and booking status, housekeeping and maintenance tasks, and guest arrivals and departures, allowing the hoteliers to make decisions based on the latest intel that’s updated in real-time. 
• Cost Reduction: Cloud-based SaaS solutions only require an internet connection. Meaning, hotels do not need to purchase separate software licenses or additional hardware to utilize the software on multiple devices. Instead, once they purchase the software, they can access it via URL on any device.
• Data Storage: Optimized data storage is essential considering the number of guests and personal information that accommodation businesses receive. Cloud technology allows these businesses to store data in secure data centers rather than traditional in-house servers that are less secure and require maintenance regularly.

Now that we have a better understanding of the benefits of cloud technology for accommodation providers, let’s look at how eZee’s cloud-based solutions, powered by AWS, impact guest journey.

How eZee and AWS Together are Making an Impact

eZee Technosys, a hospitality management solutions subsidiary of Yanolja Cloud, utilizes AWS services to offer a full suite of end-to-end cloud-based hospitality management technology. 

With the help of AWS, eZee has been significantly reducing its development cycle and is scaling at a high rate. Furthermore, eZee is helping its customers keep abreast with the changing traveler preferences to provide guests with a great experience.

Enhancing the Guest Journey

Traveler preferences are always changing. What they were seeking last year might not be what they are seeking this year. 

To accommodate these fluid traveler expectations and deliver an exceptional guest experience,  eZee provides an agile and reliable set of solutions ranging from property management systems to contactless mobile applications that can be integrated to facilitate the guest journey from pre-booking to re-booking.

Pre-Booking and Booking

Whether it’s visiting hotel websites to take a virtual tour of the rooms, researching prices on various online distribution channels, or simply going through all the buzz on social media, the guest journey starts even before the guest makes a reservation.

eZee’s channel management system is a great solution to enhance the pre-booking and booking phase of the guest journey.  It feeds available inventory and rates to many online distribution channels for travelers to access when researching and reserving accommodation options. 

Furthermore, eZee’s website builder creates a pleasant user interface for guests visiting the hotel’s website. 

Last but not least, eZee’s booking engine integrates with the PMS to offer hotel guests a superior reservation experience. It allows them to make online payments, access special offers and promo codes, and provides a group booking feature.  

Check-in and Stay

The bulk of the guest experience occurs during the period when guests are physically in the hotel. Therefore, it is essential for hotels to provide fast services to arriving guests and eliminate delays in check-in.

eZee’s PMS allows hoteliers to track and manage room status as well as housekeeping tasks to ensure that the rooms are fully prepared for the guests to use as soon as they arrive. 

Additionally, the intuitive interface of eZee’s PMS, which features a stay-view as well as a room-view, allows the frontdesk staff to check-in guests quickly and easily. Moreover, eZee’s PMS can save guest profile information to service returning guests more efficiently. 

Another feature that speeds up the check-in process is eZee’s guest portal. Through this mobile app, guests can experience a contactless journey, which includes choosing their room and checking in without waiting in line at the front desk.

During the guests’ stay, hotels must not only sustain efficiency in service but also accommodate all the guest’s preferences. 

The guest portal mentioned above fulfills both of these aspects by automating hotel operations and offering an exceptional contactless experience. For instance, guests can reserve a taxi and order room service through the mobile app without having to call or visit reception. 

Check-out and Post-Stay

It is crucial for hotels to nail the check-out phase of the guest journey. After all, this is the last stage and one that will be the freshest in the guest’s memory. If a hotel fails to provide a seamless check-out, especially when guests are on a strict timeline, it will likely draw a negative review.

Remember how we mentioned the efficiency of eZee’s guest portal for the check-in process? Well, the same applies to the check-out process. 

With this contactless solution, guests can check-out right from their mobile devices, without waiting in line by the front desk. 

Now, what about pending charges?

eZee’s PMS accurately manages guest folios as it is integrated with the guest portal. Guests can download folios in their preferred language and currency and make payments directly in the portal.

The guest journey isn’t quite over yet. 

Once guests check out, eZee’s PMS automatically generates emails expressing gratitude and requesting feedback on their stay. It gives guests the chance to speak their minds on the pros and cons of the hotel experience.  

Made Possible by AWS

Backed by Yanolja Cloud, eZee has been in this industry for more than 16 years now and is an expert in building reliable and affordable hospitality management solutions.  AWS has made it possible for us to provide cloud-based solutions to all our customers and help them enhance the guest experience. With AWS being the architectural backbone of eZee’s solutions, we are able to offer world-class products capable of providing uninterrupted service, storing data efficiently, supporting multiple languages, and much more. 

The post Hotel Guest Journey: How eZee Technosys is Transforming the Experience with the help of AWS appeared first on eZee Absolute.