Guests' hotel expectations

A bed, a closet and a bathroom – during their hotel stay, guests are no longer satisfied with the bare minimum. To provide an optimal guest experience, hotels and holiday accommodation must come up with something much better.   Here are some tips on how you can fully meet the expectations of your guests.

Personalised and proactive guest services

Nowadays, the guest experience begins weeks before the arrival date. Many travellers plan their stay down to the most minute detail. That is why you should seize the opportunity to assist your guests with planning their trip. One easy way to do so is by sending them a digital guest package along with the booking confirmation. In this package, you can include all relevant information about their stay in your hotel and in your region. 

A digital guest package also offers two additional key benefits. Guests can already start thinking about their accommodation prior to their stay.  For example, they can get many of their questions answered beforehand, which also makes things easier on your staff. In addition, the expectations holidaymakers have regarding additional offers and services keep increasing. A digital guest package can be used to inform your guests of everything your hotel has to offer as well as the possibility of booking additional offers. 

The option of a digital check-in is also part of a personalised and proactive service.  No guest likes having to wait to be checked in. Therefore, you can send them the required registration slip before they begin their stay. Upon their arrival, your guests only have to sign it, which greatly speeds up the check-in process and significantly improves their guest experience. 

Last but not least, part of your personalised and proactive guest service should involve taking advantage of all digital options.  For example, the latest hotel trends include offering chat bots and hotel apps, which provide information to your guests around the clock and allow you to answer their questions.

Cutting-edge technology and digital services

The mega trend toward digitisation is undoubtedly one of the most important hotel trends of recent years. WLAN, interactive screens and channels with hotel information have long become standard at many hotels. And the expectations of guests, particularly the younger ones, keep increasing. When it comes to digitisation and technology, the "digital natives" have high expectations of their hotels and holiday accommodation.

In order to provide your guests with an optimal experience, your hotel should offer a wide range of state-of-the-art technologies and digital services. One of the most important criteria for a positive guest experience is the quality of the WLAN in their accommodation.  For more than half of all hotel guests, the availability of a high-speed Internet connection is a decisive factor when choosing their accommodation. 

Another hotel trend in recent years is to provide a table with all relevant hotel information. Similar to a digital guest package, you can provide your guests with all relevant information relating to your hotel and the destination as a whole. To offer the best possible holiday experience, allow your guests the option of using the tablet to book offers and activities in your hotel and the region.  

 An Internet-ready TV is considered to be standard in premium accommodation types. Many people already use streaming services more than conventional TV for watching films and series. By offering the most popular streaming services on the TV in their room, you are providing your guests with an all-encompassing entertainment experience. 

Technologically advanced hotels also take advantage of the many applications that smart home systems offer. They allow devices and systems, such as the in-room heating, lighting and blinds, to be connected and controlled automatically.  However, if you choose to offer such systems, make sure that you are not asking too much of guests that are not tech-savvy.  You are not doing your guests any favours by providing them technology that is overly complicated.

High hygiene standards and a focus on sustainability

One expectation of guests that has become an even higher priority following the start of the coronavirus pandemic is the maintenance of stringent hygiene standards.  While a poorly cleaned hotel room has always been a bugbear for many guests, their expectations regarding hygiene in the entire hotel have gone up significantly in the past couple of years. Holidaymakers do not just want to feel at home and safe in their own rooms, but also in all communal rooms without having to worry of an increased health risk. A consistent hygiene concept is therefore a minimum requirement for any accommodation. However, when implementing this hygiene concept, makes sure that you find the right balance between safety and comfort. After all, taking the steps required to protect the health of your guests should not take away from their experience in your hotel.

 The issue of sustainability is also becoming increasingly important to holidaymakers. Whether a holiday or a business trip, many travellers value a use of resources that protects the environment and our climate. Therefore, you should give your guests the opportunity to make their stay as sustainable as possible. That includes allowing them to opt out of daily room service or the changing of towels.  In addition, your restaurant can offer locally sourced products and you can do away with pre-packaged food items like butter, Nutella and jam at breakfast to reduce plastic waste. Refillable containers for shower gel and shampoo are also a great alternative to disposable miniature bottles.