One-Timers to Life-Timers: Win Guest Loyalty with Memorable Experiences

How to use tech to turn one-time guests into repeat business

Today’s guests expect exceptional experiences, and operational managers are under pressure to provide them. Embracing the ever-expanding range of services available to hotels and resorts can go some way to meeting these expectations, but each new service adds a layer of complexity – making it more of a challenge to keep hotel operations efficient and maximally profitable overall. And when nearby competitors start to offer the same services too, hotels must find more innovative ways to build long-term loyalty, or risk losing out.

The question is: how? In the past, the answer may have appeared to be lower prices, but this is no longer the case. New research shows that service quality is actually more influential than a cheaper offering when it comes to guest loyalty, so it’s essential that hotels focus on elevating their offering – particularly when the rewards for fostering loyalty are so huge. In fact, loyal customers spend 22.4% more and stay 28% longer than one-time guests. Scale this over a collection of hotels, a year, or even just a season, and you’ve got a serious boost to your bottom line.

So, with that in mind, what should hoteliers be doing to create outstanding guest experiences with positive impact that extends long after check-out, and how can their hoteling software support this

Offer convenience
Even if your offering is similar to that of your direct competitors, guests will usually choose the option that’s easiest to arrange, so hotels and resorts can win big by providing a more convenient way to book.

From browsing and booking through your website to checking in and out, every interaction you have with your customer is an opportunity to build ease into the process. For example, do you know what guests think about your current booking system, or if they were able to find all the information they needed on your website?

Thankfully, modern technology makes it easy to figure out which elements of your service are a source of friction. Focused data analytics can provide a real-time roadmap on how guests are feeling about their stay so far, giving you the power to tailor their experience to maximise loyalty accordingly – rather than trying to win them back after they’ve already checked out.

This not only guarantees a superior stay for guests but enables you to manage capacity optimisation on the fly as occupancies rise, making your hotel more agile and efficient overall.  

Go contactless
Today’s guests are increasingly touch-conscious and pro-digital – and it’s not hard to see why. From hygiene to creating the perception of luxury, contactless tech provides an elevated, future-forward experience that suggests your hotel is at the cutting edge of the latest advances in hospitality.

Where finicky key cards can make a stay feel outdated, solutions like virtual room keys and contactless mobile cards add comfort and reliability to a guest’s stay, all while aiding efficiency. For example, enabling guests to generate a scannable QR key on their phone means no more calls to the front desk over misplaced cards, while offering contactless cards ensures every guest can enjoy seamless, hygienic access to their room, no matter how tech-savvy they are.

By reducing the admin load associated with more traditional touch-based forms of service, moving to contactless options can reduce the requirement for additional staff during busy times, meaning costs can be reduced in tandem – particularly crucial as the hospitality industry continues to experience staff shortages.

Embrace hotel management software
Hotels and resorts are busy places with many moving pieces, and you don’t need us to tell you that maintaining efficiency is key to everything running smoothly. Nevertheless, operational chaos can easily creep in with so much to juggle.

This is where technology can carry the load. It’s never been easier to optimise processes thanks to intelligent automation software. By removing the need to manually coordinate workflows, schedules are automatically adjusted when situations change, leading to fewer mistakes and less time wasted on admin tasks. This gives your team the ability to focus on more profitable, fulfilling activities, with peace of mind that every process is optimally streamlined – so your guests can be the top priority.

Building loyalty with technology
Standing out in a crowded market doesn’t have to be a challenge. The technological advances of the last few years have revolutionised the level of customer experience that hotels are able to provide.

From making processes more efficient to offering unparallelled ease and thoughtful touches to your guests, tech is key to building customer loyalty and ensuring consistency across every location. With the right solutions on your side, you can make every single stay an unforgettably positive experience.

Find out more about how next-generation solutions can help you to exceed your guest's expectations.