The hospitality business is a race for both high-speed runners like luxury hotel chains and leisure joggers like small family inns. In the long run (pun intended), flawless guest experience is the chase, and hoteliers do their best to exceed expectations. 

At the same time, offering a cozy bed and a complimentary continental breakfast is no longer enough. Guests crave personalized experiences and want to feel like royalty – or at least like an Instagram influencer. From the moment guests walk through the door, every touchpoint must create a fabulous impression that will make them text their friends or leave excited reviews. 

How do you deal with the competition and skyrocketing customer expectations? Hotel technology kills two birds with one stone. It gives you the upper hand in crafting personalized experiences and catering to sustainable tourism trends and niche interests. Let’s find out how to make your guests awe with the help of tech.

How guest experience shapes hotel industry in 2024

Spreading the word still matters. According to Expedia, 72% of tourists pick a hotel with a higher rating than an affordable rate. Still, 25 out of 26 customers leave without giving feedback! An average Gen Z or Millennial hotel guest focuses on experience to leave this review, with 78% preferring to spend money on what makes them fully feel the journey rather than buying stuff to bring from the trip. How to make it work for you?

‍93% of owners report improved efficiency from using technology in their hotels to shape guest experiences. And it’s not only a perk for guests – 89% of on-property staff benefited from technology, too. Also, technology makes your guests come back for more. You have a 60-70% chance of selling offers to existing clients compared to 5-20% to new ones.

But it’s not enough to be high-tech. To ensure guest satisfaction, you should keep up with the rising travel trends shaping the industry in 2024.

Top 3 global trends in hospitality experience

Travel and hospitality trends can be allocated into 3 categories. 

TREND #1: Being smart and technological. It also means being mobile-first, because your guests value flexibility and the ability to make decisions on the run:

• 70% of people use smartphones to book holidays 
• 72% of mobile bookings happen within 2 days of searching on Google 

The bottom line: If your service is easy to find and buy, more people will choose you over competitors. Once it’s done, you should focus on personalization – otherwise, 76% of your guests will get frustrated. You don’t want it, right?

TREND #2: Sustainable, ethical, and culture-preserving guest experiences. 

• 69% of guests choose wellness getaways, cultural exploration, and natural adventures.
• 81% of global tourists prefer a greener, more eco-friendly travel experience. 
• 57% feel better staying at a sustainably certified accommodation. 

Learn more about how to be a smarter and more sustainable hospitality business. 

TREND #3: Combining business trips with leisure. It’s called bleisure, or a good old workation. In this economy, many guests cannot just chill for a week without answering work emails, and 89% plan to merge their vacations with business trips. 

With shifting tourist preferences and needs, you need to calculate guest satisfaction and try to improve it. Keep reading to find out how.

How do you measure guest satisfaction?

Guest satisfaction is the degree to which your services meet guest expectations. It involves every touchpoint of the guest journey, from booking to check-out. One of the greatest benefits of exceeding customer expectations is whether the guest becomes loyal or seeks accommodation elsewhere. 

Why is it important to measure guest satisfaction? It impacts 4 pivotal aspects of your business:

• Satisfied guests are more likely to return to the same hotel for future stays, bringing you a steady stream of revenue.
• A satisfying experience in hospitality turns your hotel guests into unofficial brand ambassadors who share their delight through recommendations and online reviews. 
• Satisfied guests are more eager to spend on dining, spa treatments, or room upgrades.
• Guest satisfaction can be the main factor that sets your hotel apart from its rivals. Establishing a solid brand reputation and attracting guests who prioritize exceptional service is a winning combo.

Calculate your net promoter score

The net promoter score (NPS) calculation is a widely used metric that gauges customer loyalty by asking how likely a guest is to recommend the hotel to others. It helps hotels understand overall guest satisfaction and identify potential issues and areas for improvement. The NPS is calculated using a single question: "On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely will you recommend this hotel to a friend or colleague?" 

After answering the question, group guests into three categories: promoters (9-10), passives (7-8), and detractors (0-6). Then, calculate the NPS by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters.

NPS is a handy tool for the hospitality industry. It indicates guest loyalty and helps monitor satisfaction dynamics over time. Net promoter score software gives real-time insights through survey distribution and follow-up. Among the best are QuestionPro for its ease of creation and analysis, SurveySparrow for a personalized survey experience, and SurveyMonkey for a comprehensive survey and industry benchmark platform.

Other guest satisfaction metrics 

Hospitality experience can be calculated and analyzed through other metrics showing what guests love (and what they don't). 

Surveys are a quick and easy way to get actionable insights. Your guests can receive a text or email asking, “Hey, how was your stay?” or a more detailed questionnaire on what aspects of their stays they enjoyed or hated. Hotels use surveys to receive real-time feedback on the guest journey, from the room’s cleanliness to breakfast buffets. 

Social media buzz also tells you a lot. Successful hotels listen to what people say online. If something needs to be resolved, guests would appreciate the help. And if they’re 100% satisfied, they would value your repost on mention – it makes them feel connected.

How technology gives you the upper hand in the hospitality industry

Hospitality technology can be your best buddy in enhancing guest satisfaction. Studies say technology, not staff, will handle 70% of hotel guest interactions by 2025. With hotel automation technology, you can take the repetitive burden off your staff’s shoulders to focus on providing excellent service. Example? With automated check-in, your managers can put their effort and creativity into event planning to create better memories for your guests.

Technology makes things easier and faster for guests as well: 

• Online booking and mobile check-in allow them to skip the front desk line. 
• Hotel in-room technology like smart thermostats saves energy and money, helping your guests feel more comfortable. 
• Verbally activated rooms regulate lighting intensity and temperature. 
• RFID wristbands track guest behavior and automate on-site payment transactions.

Integrating new technology in the hotel industry

65% of hoteliers see adopting new technologies as their biggest challenge. Let’s see how you can do it right. 

Start by defining your guests' needs and the problems you can solve with tech. If you’re unsure how to do it right, we can help you with product development strategy. Once you know exactly what to do, you can look for a ready-made tech solution or develop a custom travel and hospitality management product – a booking platform, a hotel management system, or a guest experience app.

We keep our hands on the pulse of hospitality industry trends and use our tech expertise to audit your existing infrastructure, ensuring impeccable integration that boosts revenue and increases repeat visits. When it comes to marketing, we can improve your digital presence with tailored SEO and content strategy and increase brand awareness through social media campaigns.

5 success stories of companies embracing hotel technology

It’s best to learn by example! Studying the successful use case of new technology in hotels is a good starting point. From implementing seamless hotel booking technology to using guest data for targeted communications to improve guest satisfaction, these examples set benchmarks in the hospitality industry.

#1: Multi-featured CRS for Hilton

Hilton recently received the “Best Hotel App” award from Global Traveler for its Central Reservation System (CRS). In addition to fast booking, the hotel integrated digital keys. This hotel guest room technology allows guests to lock and unlock the doors with their phones.

Personalization is another secret sauce of Hilton’s success. The company has invested in built-in efficiencies, such as search filters that help guests find rooms based on their preferences.

Their policy of adding a personal touch of human interaction was reflected in automated customized messaging. Thanks to smart hotel technology, Hilton increased conversions after the post-pandemic drop.

#2: AI chatbot for Marriot

‍Marriott International improves the guest experience using the latest technologies. Their boutique brand, Aloft Hotels, has released the ChatBotlr service, a new AI chatbot for fast and personalized guest communication. Guests can text the front desk and ask for assistance, and the AI assistant answers their questions at the desk outside of business hours.

This service, called robotic butler, was piloted earlier in 2014. Early estimates reveal that more hotel guests prefer texting these robots instead of directly asking for assistance from an employee.

#3: Immersive guest experience for Best Western

‍Best Western Hotels & Resorts has implemented a virtual reality (VR) experience for all North American hotels. Visitors can experience 2,000 properties through 360-degree videos with narration and music virtually. VR tours provide an inside look at the rooms, lobbies, and other amenities, giving clients better insight before making room reservations. This unique venture in hospitality makes Best Western a pioneer in adopting smart VR hotel technology to uplevel customer experience.

#4: Hotel in-room technology for Wynn Las Vegas

In 2016, Wynn Las Vegas was the first hotel to partner with Amazon to introduce voice-controlled technology. Since then, they have integrated it into all 4,748 rooms. This new technology in the hotel industry lets guests use their voices as command tools over lights, temperature, curtains, and TV via Alexa’s Echo system.

As the project evolved, more functions were added. Now, the hotel is testing a personal assistant who provides information on nearby facilities and answers questions about room service.

#5: Guest experience transformation for IHG Hotels & Resorts

‍IHG Hotels & Resorts announced they are working with Google Cloud on an AI-powered travel planning tool to help people plan their trips on the go. IHG Travel Planner is a great example of innovation in the hospitality industry. Guests can ask questions ranging from general topics such as “Where can I eat supper around this hotel?” to inquiries concerning pet-friendly accommodations.

The AI system will also identify evening-out places for visitors with specific tastes. IHG chose to partner with Google Cloud due to the security-consciousness and data privacy policies adopted by this provider.

Crafting a perfect guest experience with hotel technology

For hotel industry players, impeccable guest journeys are a must-have for success. Tourists don’t want standard hotel experiences anymore. They crave personalized services and sustainable solutions catering to their needs. Achieving this without hotel management software and smart hotel technology is like trying to sail without a compass. 

So, don’t wait up – it’s not too late to introduce smart hotel technology in your hotel, either. Embrace these innovations to increase guest satisfaction, streamline operations, and stay ahead of the competition. By investing in the right technology, you’ll exceed guest expectations, creating memorable experiences that will keep them coming back.

The future of hospitality is here, and it’s smart, sustainable, and personalized. Step into this new era with confidence and watch your hotel thrive.

FAQ

What is making the hospitality experience so important? 

Satisfied guests leave positive feedback. They’re more likely to recommend your hotel to others and return again. Happy guests also increase your revenue by gladly paying for additional services, creating a positive brand image, and acting as brand ambassadors.

What are the main hospitality trends in 2024?

Major trends include smart/mobile booking and services, sustainability, wellness/cultural experiences, "bleisure" combining business and leisure, and niche interests like sports tourism or sleeper trains.

How can hotels measure guest satisfaction?

Common metrics include net promoter score (NPS) surveys, other surveys/feedback forms, social media reviews, length of stays, and occupancy rates.

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