Different types of hotel guests: the right way to deal with them

Hotel guests not only come to spend the night in the rooms they have booked. In the spirit of the motto ’The guest is king’, they want to feel altogether welcome and at home. That means your staff needs to have interpersonal skills and tactfulness, because some guests make it difficult for you to treat them like royalty. To help you deal with different personalities, we present the different types of guests.

The loyal guest

Every hotel lives from its happy 'regulars' who help to assure annual revenues. It is therefore important that this type of guest gets to enjoy certain privileges. That may take the form of a bottle of sparkling wine as a welcome gift, or a bathrobe in the room. This makes loyal guests feel well provided for and they are then happy to return.

The talkative guest

The talkative type of guest tends to recount details of their life story to your service staff. Actually, he is a friendly fellow, but once he has started talking, he easily forgets that you also have other guests to serve. In a stressful situation, if you simply have no time just to stand and chat, you should excuse yourself politely and get on with your work.

The frugal guest

This type of guest is notoriously tight about spending money. In your restaurant they will always order the least expensive meal and no more than one drink. A typical phrase you hear from them is: “I'm fine for now”.

As soon as you notice that they won't generate much revenue, you should not press them to spend money. Otherwise, they will feel ill at ease and will also skimp when it comes to paying a tip. Instead, if your hotel offers budget menus or if there is a Happy Hour for cocktails, guide them towards those kinds of thing.

The critic

This type of guest is always looking for shortcomings in your accommodation. They will talk openly about any points they find worthy of criticism. Examples would be that they find their room too dusty or the meat in the restaurant being too tough. Your staff should always be prepared to deal with criticism. If a guest is dissatisfied, you should remain polite and do your best not to provide any further reasons for criticism.

The poser

The poser loves to be the centre of attention and likes to adorn himself with status symbols such as expensive wristwatches. This type of guest frequently knows a great deal about the hospitality industry, eyes your staff critically and tests them constantly. You should not let yourself get provoked and listen to what they have to say attentively without letting yourself be thrown off track.

The shy guest

The shy guest is the polar opposite of the boastful type. These people would not even complain about dirty bedding or too much salt in the soup. Since insecurity means they always have a guilty conscience, they'd rather tip too much rather than too little. Although that is a positive fringe benefit for your team, you should carefully make this type of guest understand that you are happy to fulfil their wishes and that criticism is also allowed.

The health conscious guest

Lactose intolerance, allergies or vegan food – in your hotel restaurant, the health conscious type of guest will wish to know which ingredients are in their meal. They are also highly likely to want to know the point of origin of the food they order. Nowadays, many people are very particular about the food they eat, so your restaurant staff should know all about the ingredients they serve. Help answer the questions of your guests and offer alternatives if necessary.

The impatient guest

The impatient type of guest gets nervous or may even become gruff if not served quickly enough. These guests detest long queues at the hotel reception desk. If they have to wait for what they deem too long to get served a meal, it is entirely conceivable that they may accost your waiting staff. Give them the feeling that you are going to attend to them swiftly and extend professional courtesy to them.

The influencer

Guest type 2.0 gazes constantly at his smartphone and searches high and low on your premises for the perfect Instagram snapshot. If that snapshot reaches a big audience, this can mean free advertising for you. You therefore need to make sure that you have fast wifi, good lighting and a pleasant atmosphere.

The exultant guest

The exultant type of guest finds everything wonderful and heaps excessive praise upon your staff, the rooms and the food. Although in all probability no constructive criticism is to be expected, only one rule applies here: do everything you can to win that person as a loyal guest!

Gestures of hospitality

When dealing with all of these types of guest, we recommend that you employ small gestures of hospitality to make them happy. Forming a strong bond with a guest often comes down to small details.