☰
Getting the right hotel room can make or break a trip for a guest, which can, in turn, lead to a favorable or terrible TripAdvisor review. There are almost always several hotels to choose from when planning travels but there are some key factors that guests take into consideration. Savvy travelers will inquire about a variety of room and/or hotel related concerns to get the best room for their needs, so make sure your hotel staff is well prepared to handle the following requests:
1. Room Locations: Savvy travelers have usually had their fair share of traveling. They know what works for them and they’ll likely be upfront about what it is they want. Whether it’s their choice of floor, location on the floor, what the room faces, what’s located near the room or something else, your front desk staff needs to be well versed on the layout of all floors as well as where everything is located such as stairs, elevators, vending machines, ice machines, housekeeping areas, and other potential noise generating or high foot traffic areas.
When a guest books their stay using the INNsight eCommerce Engine, they are asked to write any special requests which are then transmitted directly to the hotel so your front desk staff can take action before the guest arrives.
2. Hotel Rooms with Connecting Doors: A common nuisance for guests can be a room with a connecting door when they didn’t want or need one. Late night noises from TVs, crying children, snoring, or even loud talkers can keep guests up at night. Assign rooms accordingly to avoid potential next morning frustration from a guest who wasn’t able to sleep because of the noise coming through the connecting door.
3. Completed and Current Renovation: It’s always a proud moment to show off those newly renovated rooms. All of the time and money devoted to your hotel shows what a truly great product you have and guests are going to be happier than ever. During your renovation process, you’re going to work in phases, so make sure you strategically plan how to get through the process in order to create the least amount of disturbance and inconvenience for your guests.
Leverage INNsight’s messaging feature to notify guests of any renovations, work, or equipment failures so you can pre-empt any complaints before the guest even books their stay.
4. ADA Compliant Rooms: ADA compliant rooms should be saved for those that actually need them. Usually, a traveler without any special needs will not want to be in a room designed for such purposes. Be upfront about the room they are going to receive. Overnighters might be okay with it, but those on a multi-day trip may not be as forgiving. If the room type is your last and it happens to be ADA compliant, it’s better to inform the guest during check instead of having the guest get to the room and then voicing dissatisfaction.
The INNsight system can show off all ADA Amenities, your ADA room floor plans and allow you to manage this inventory separately from your other room types.
5. Loyalty Programs: Guests traveling with loyalty points or those that are earning points during their stay usually travel a fair amount. These guests are loyal to the brand, so you want to make sure you’ve got their correct program number and that it’s been entered correctly alongside their reservation details. When they check in, confirm to let them know you have their loyalty program number for their piece of mind.
At the end of the day, striving for customer satisfaction should be your main goal. As a hotel owner, making decisions that are guest-centric are going to yield the most satisfied travelers. Know your guest and put yourself in their shoes – What’s going to make you happy? What’s not? What gesture, no matter how small, can the front desk staff make to improve your guest’s stay? Often, it’s as easy as just asking.
The final feedback loop is to request your happy guest to leave a review. If you have handled all of your guest’s requests and even any complaints professionally and courteously and shown a high level of hospitality, you will be able to confidently solicit an online review.
See our tactics to use with TripAdvisor and other online reputation management sites to solidify your quality rankings and drive even more guests back to your hotel’s website Powered by INNsight.
