Get strategies for accommodating your guest’s schedule before, during, and after their stay through a hotel guest app.
As the hospitality industry prepares for the Spring and Summer travel seasons, guest loyalty is a top priority. In fact, Hospitality Technology reported in their 2022 Lodging Trends study that 77% of hotels rank driving guest loyalty as their top tech initiative. How can properties encourage new visitors to rebook and keep repeat guests? And how can tech be used to cultivate guests’ loyalty? The best place to start is by giving them control at every touchpoint.
Before Their Stay: Give Guests the Best Information
Travelers are already balancing a number of details in order to make their trip a success. Booking their hotel, navigating flight details, keeping expense reports, coordinating transportation, and working around the needs of travel companions are just some of the tasks guests have to get to before they even step foot on your property. Whatever you can do to make their arrival smooth and hassle-free can ensure a great first impression for those headed to your property.
Make the App Worth the Download
First things first, in order for your guest app to facilitate your guest’s ideal trip, they have to download it. Last year, we wrote about how to increase initial app adoption through a welcome email that highlights app features and links directly to the app download. If your guests are able to quickly see how the app will make their stay more convenient, they’ll be more likely to download and use it. Make a good impression by proactively drawing them in with the features and capabilities available to them.
Ride Shares/Shuttle Service
Adding transportation information such as hotel shuttle schedules or rideshare services provides an extra level of convenience for guests. Guests can request valet services or an Uber via a hotel app right on their mobile phones eliminating the need to make a trip to the front desk. Whether it’s going to the airport or going out at night, arranging for transportation via a hotel app becomes so much easier and made entirely on the guests’ terms.
Mobile Check-In
Today’s travelers want a simple process that allows them to check-in and immediately go to their room without the need to visit the front desk. With digital check-in, guests can input their credentials, confirm their payment method and access their room key right on their mobile devices even before they arrive at the property. They can also arrange for food or make special service requests via the app pre-arrival. And in the third year of the pandemic, this has largely become an expectation.
During Their Stay: Give Guests Control of Their Itinerary
Enable your guests to use their mobile devices to plan and manage their entire guest journey –from ordering room service to finding local hotspots and attractions. With an app, guests can design their hotel stay to fit their needs, get hotel and local information and set the level of interactions they want with your staff.
Digital Concierge
Highlight local activities, hotel amenities, and on-property services directly on the guest app. Spruce up app content with descriptions and enticing copy, and enable guests to book reservations for spa treatments and other amenities. Whether you have guests who plan everything ahead or spontaneous travelers who choose their next activity in the moment, the hotel guest app can be there every step of the way.
Housekeeping Preferences
It should be easy for guests to pause, skip, or add housekeeping services–easy as one touch through your hotel guest app. Whether your guests are environmentally conscious, concerned about airborne germs, or just don’t need someone cleaning their room everyday, allowing your guests to set when they want housekeeping service means every guest gets exactly what they need.
Dining
The best way to work around your guest’s schedule is to give them adaptable options so no matter what the occasion is, they can get food how and when they want it. From reserving a table at an on-property restaurant, to browsing highly rated local spots, to ordering for pickup so they can grab their meal as they head out– it can all be done from the palm of their hand. A comprehensive hotel guest app can process payments, communicate with dining staff, and keep track of guest orders so the information can be utilized when the guest returns for another stay.
After Their Stay: Motivate Guest Loyalty
Mobile Check-out
It should be as easy, if not easier, for your guests to leave as it is for them to arrive. If you want to help them achieve their ideal stay, don’t add unnecessary steps to their departure. Mobile check-out means simplicity, easing the annoyance of having to make a stop at the front desk, or worse, wait in a line.
Reviews
Does your hotel app prompt your guests to leave a review? When guests leave a review while their stay is fresh on their mind, you and your staff get vital details about what you are doing right and what needs to be addressed. If it’s a positive review, the app can prompt them to post it, while mediocre or negative reviews can funnel straight into service recovery.
Follow-up
Do your guests know what loyalty points or programs you have available? Driving guest loyalty doesn’t end when your guests step out your door. The communication they get from you after they check-out sets the precedent for future interactions and stays. So let them know how glad you are they chose you and why they should come back. Email, or message through your hotel guest app so you are the first place they think of next time they go to book.
The Term “Personalization” is Buzzing Through the Hospitality Industry
That’s because guests appreciate when their preferences are remembered and when they are treated as valued customers rather than faceless wallets. For hoteliers investing in guest loyalty strategies, ensuring sure your tech responds to and accommodates your guests schedule makes their experience feel individualized to their desires and elevates their experience at every touchpoint.
Want to learn more about how hotel guest apps can promote guest loyalty? Start a conversation today.
