Hotelmarketing'com

Daily must-reads for hotel marketers.

The future of self-service. Many companies have taken automation a step too far, offering a “one size fits all” approach that relies exclusively on self-service.

The future of travel is frictionless. People are looking for easy, convenient ways to meet their needs. Travelers will be seeking out solutions to ease the travel experience and these are driving booking activity, a correlation expected to grow even stronger in 2023.

How Hyatt has made call centers more about care. Company shifts call center operations with a focus on guest experience. Call center operations have seen a dramatic shift in recent years as both the reasons for guests' calls and the methods for staffing have changed over the course of the pandemic.

Hotel CEOs see communication as key driver of success. Correct communication is vital, but so is giving employees freedom in decision-making. Communication is the most crucial tool in a hotel company's arsenal as the industry continues to recover, according to four CEOs who spoke at the Deloitte European Hotel Industry Conference.

Unreasonable hospitality. Restaurateur Will Guidara on his winning strategy to take ordinary transactions and turn them into extraordinary experiences.

Focusing on 'The Stay'. An overwhelming focus on the destination is still a strong convention in the travel industry, amidst which hotels have lost their place in the narrative.

How Hyatt takes a holistic approach to data. AI and machine learning will determine future of guest experience. While much of the discussion about data in the hotel industry revolves around performance metrics, Hyatt's approach to data is designed to tackle every issue possible across the enterprise.

Mobile tipping comes to hotels. Wyndham’s new mobile tipping offering for participating U.S. and Canadian hotels allows guests to scan a QR code to tip a team member.

What do guests really want in a modern hotel stay?. Five essentials of an exemplary guest experience. As much as the landscape in the hospitality industry changes, some things stay the same when it comes to setting expectations for the average hotel stay.

Experiences matter. Nearly 1/3 of Americans now prioritize experiences over products - providing clear advantages for hoteliers.

How the hotel worker shortage could affect your next stay. It’s not all bad news; it’s more a tale of two hotels. There’s no shortage of complaints about hotel stays these days, and one reason why is pretty clear: Many hotels are still severely understaffed.

Experiential marketing can set your hotel apart. Avenues of reaching customers have expanded dramatically. While more “traditional” modes of marketing still have value, consumers have become more interested in developing an emotional connection with hotels through immersive on-property experiences.

Why hotels should get rid of the front desk. Lobbies, lines, and a smiling human handing you a key are so 2017. Technology is starting to replace one of the most traditional pieces of travel industry infrastructure - the hotel front desk and with it, the check-in ritual.

Welcome to the world of hotel automation. What it's like to stay and work in an automated hotel. The fast-evolving world of hotel automation aims to lower labor costs and streamline services for guests by replacing humans with automatic liquor dispensers, noise sensors, offshore concierges on video monitors and more.

The link between payments and the overall guest experience. A new study by Amadeus reveals the extent to which a brand can be damaged by a poor payment experience. 40 percent of respondents recently experienced some kind of problem when paying at the hotel, with more than a third of respondents saying they couldn’t pay how they wanted.

Customer service the Marriott way. Embracing the digital customer experience. Technology is an opportunity for the customer to take control over their travel experience, as the modern customer is increasingly enjoying a digital, self-service experience.

Hotel guest satisfaction declines as travel volume, room rates rise. Hotels manage delicate balance between recovery and guest experience. The surge in demand and steadily climbing prices have not been met with a corresponding improvement in amenities or services, according to J.D. Power's 2022 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index.

McKinsey: Five key talent acquisition trends affecting hospitality globally. Digitalization increasing in all areas of business, requiring new skills. The hospitality industry of the future will require employees with new skillsets, and may need to adopt new ways of working.

Hotels trying to recapture losses with skyrocketing prices. That $500 ocean-view suite now costs $3,000. And you’ll have to make your own bed.. The surge at the luxury end of the market should be a foolproof boon for trip-starved travelers and financially struggling operators. But it’s not.

How CEOs can win the new service game. Four irreversible trends are redefining excellence in service operations, according to McKinsey & Co. The limiting factor to digital potential in many service sectors is not the technology but the underlying business process.

Cayuga: The Gen Z dilemma. Let them make mistakes, because they’re fast learners and faster to rebound. Don’t tell them how to do it, instead, tell them what you want to achieve.

De-commoditizing hospitality: Stop, reflect and feel. In this industry, feeling - not just thinking - is vital. De-commoditization of a hotel experience can make guests feel seen - that their experience was exactly what they needed in the moment.

Hoteliers must reinvest in experiences. Activate spaces, partner with community to enliven hotels. Hotel owners and operators are figuring out how to add experiential, lifestyle offerings; helping activate the hotel by aligning with its surroundings and nearby businesses.

Hotels' unexpected revenue driver: Customer service. Some of the most common guest service problems and how to turn them into a money maker. With recent advances in technology, hotel CTOs have an opportunity to transform customer service from a reactive cost center to a proactive revenue driver.

Customer service vs. customer experience: Key differences. CX is much more than just a trend and should be the beating heart of everything your hotel does. As a guest experience leader, if your business is in it for the long run, it’s time to look at the big picture and assess how to create a better customer experience.

The changing face of luxury hospitality. New hospitality services frameworks build on the strengths of closely-knit frontline teams. Hotels increasingly recruit specialists who can double up as multitaskers, and empower their teams to go the extra mile happily, using their networks to amaze guests by serving ‘weird’ requests.

Brands will use ecosystems to personalize guest journeys end to end. McKinsey predicts share of global sales that move through ecosystems will grow to 30% by 2025. The guest experience will not end at the hotel, but continue to expand into partner ecosystems like restaurants they choose to eat out at, and the shops they buy souvenirs from.

Surveys alone no longer cut it. The singular, go-to customer experience tool of the past is no longer adequate to build hotels’ customer experience strategies or run their daily operations.