What Guests Want From a Hotel: A Complete Guide
Looking for strategies to boost sales and establish everlasting bonds with your guests? Hoteliers must first and foremost understand who their customer segments (target audience) are in order to make decisions based on what those target markets’ top priorities are when it comes to understanding what is most important to hotel guests.
We’ll go over some of the most significant target market segments for hotels in this guide, along with advice from industry experts on what each group actually wants—and needs. Continue reading to learn some useful advice, examples from the real world, and strategies for enhancing guest satisfaction at your hotel.
The Top Three Important Expectations Of Guests In A Hotel
Be it old or new, every hotel guest wants these qualities to be present during their subsequent hotel stays, regardless of the demographic you are targeting:
- Cleanliness
- Clear/ transparent communication
- Peaceful sleeping environments
Here's a closer look at what a few different types of hotel guests desire when they make a reservation:
You can read more about what top researchers and industry experts believe would influence each target audience to pick a hotel over rival properties in the sections below. But before you begin, keep in mind that only a few of the most fundamental needs and desires of each audience segment are highlighted here. Monitoring customer satisfaction over time and making frequent adjustments to accommodate the constantly shifting expectations and preferences of various groups is the best way to truly appeal to your visitors.
What business travellers look for in a hotel?
Business travellers want a smooth stay. They lack the time to attend to the minor disturbances that some other visitors might. Most of the time, they are either rushing to get somewhere or trying to make the most of their limited free time by getting some rest or catching up on work. In order to satisfy their needs, hoteliers must focus on the two words “fluid” and “functional.”
5G: Faster than its predecessor, 5G expands connectivity and speed options for hotels, but it doesn’t stop there. For all guests, but especially business travellers who need to work from their laptop computers, connect to partner organizations via video chat, and conduct extensive research on the fly, an increase in speed will make your hotel look better, according to Hotel Tech Report.
Transportation: Visitors coming for business purposes expect most of the premium hotels to have a transportation service. In fact, having a transport service has shown astronomical expansion in customer acquisition in the recent years for hotel businesses.
What boomers want from a hotel?
Despite the stereotype that boomers prefer material possessions to experiences, the hotel industry is observing a shift in this demographic toward greater active engagement. Boomers’ needs are evolving along with the changing times, from the need for in-person interaction to a desire for more “sight-doing” than sightseeing.
What Do They Want?
VIP treatment: This target market values it when hotels go out of their way to make them feel special, whether it be with VIP social clubs, lounge area, or tickets to a show
Luxurious designs: Beyond distinctive and genuine local experiences, luxury travel is another area of particular interest for boomers. This shouldn’t be shocking given their significantly bigger travel budget. Only 57% of boomers claim that cost is a consideration when planning a trip, and many are more likely to select upscale services like upgraded tour and activity packages.
What millennials want from a hotel?
When it comes to hotel recovery, millennial travellers are the new hot ticket, and a big part of that begins with personalized service. This is an essential component of any hotel’s marketing strategy. In fact, studies have found that 83% of millennials were willing to let brands track their behaviour in exchange for a more personalised experience.
But in marketing, personalization is insufficient. Additionally, hoteliers must provide millennials with individualised, distinctive, and customised experiences.
While booking a hotel, millenials expects features like:
- Customized amenities
- Immersion in culture
- Mobile-first touch points
Many hotel chains have been making sure that these needs of the millennials are taken care of. Premium hotels like The Blue Lagoon Premium have been among one of the top choices for millennials in the recent years.
What Gen Zers want from a hotel?
Flexing one’s emotional intelligence is one of the best ways for hoteliers to impress Generation Z. Due to cultural changes brought about by the younger generation as well as advancements in technology and sciences Entreprenuer.com refers to it as “the future of work.” It is safe to assume that the future of work will also represent the future of business and the hotel industry as we currently know it for this reason.
Gen Zers want the following from a hotel:
- Amazing customer service
- Trust in the brand
- Authentic emotional connection
- Eco-friendly options