What matters most to hotel guests?

What matters most to hotel guests?

Hotels are always a place of relaxation, a sanctuary and a home away from home. Whether you travel for leisure or for business, travelers make it a point to book hotel rooms that do not only suit their needs but also satisfy their wants on a certain level.

With lots and lots of accommodation today—including Airbnb’s and condominiums for rent, it is vital for the hotel industry to determine: which matters most to hotel guests?

According to various studies, researchers, and surveys, the long list of the guests’ criteria on choosing which hotel to stay in during their travels become long and long as the technology advances. In fact, the secrets of the trade have long been changed. Guests don’t look only for a clean, comfy, and safe hotel—they have lots of added preferences too.

Staying connected.

Indeed, internet connection is deemed a necessity today—be it for work or for socialization. One study revealed that 53 percent of hotel guests wish free, stable Wi-Fi connectivity was a standard amenity. Customers are willing to pay for Wi-Fi but generally, consider it a perk when a hotel offers complimentary Wi-Fi.

Moreover, social media also plays an important role for hotels to get direct feedback from their guests. The fact is, more and more travelers are posting running commentaries on social media, describing where they go, what they do and how their trip measures up. Travelers can either criticize a hotel for neglecting facility upgrades or boast about its innovation.

So, a free and reliable internet connection is always a plus—if not a must.

Entertainment

Since a huge chunk of hotel guest demographics is business travelers—who arguably have no time to travel around the area, having an in-room entertainment is always a plus. In-room entertainment matters to guests. Studies have found that guests also react negatively to outdated entertainment technology—such as television, DVD players, among others.

The same study also revealed that economy, midscale, upper midscale and luxury classified customers are unanimously willing to pay more for improved in-room entertainment and still favor watching content on a television as opposed to a mobile device.

How do guests define “bad in-room entertainment”? It ranges from outdated technology such as aging standard definition TVs, built-in DVD players and broken or missing remotes/buttons – causing guests to beg for their household amenities.

High-end amenities

Another thing that always convinces a guest to stay in a certain hotel is its amenities. Whether it is the view of their room or the Olympic-sized pool they offer. The size, comfort level, and cleanliness of a room’s bed and linens were of top concern to guests, as they have shared on their social networking sites collected by an independent research.

Through the internet, guests can voice out their opinions on cleanliness, bed size and comfort level—which just show they want to get what they pay for through the amenities offered by the hotel.

At the same time, guests also seem to get very excited about bathroom amenities, including bathroom features, ranging from the types of soap/shampoo offered to the water pressure, or having phones or televisions by the toilet.

Food and Service

One of the most important concerns of hotel guests too is the food and service of the hotel staff and personnel. Of course, it is just normal to have food is a major issue for any traveler. Aside from the taste and quality of the food, they also consider whether they have in-room snack options available, to free breakfast in the hotel lobby.

Guests who participated in surveys and studies have overall strongly agreed that they would be willing to pay much more for significantly improved services from responsive and respectful employees. Regardless of their room type, all guests—big or small should feel as though they are able to approach any member of staff and be treated in a respectful and friendly manner.

Does art matter to hotel guests too?

Today, more than ever, guests from all over the world are fueled by intrigue, and the desire to experience as much as they can. This phenomenon is very much common to the newest breed of travelers, the Millenials. A decade and a few years after the new millennium, the tourism and hospitality industry has become a witness to the rise of the newest breed of tourists and travelers alike, who are slowly dominating the globe-trotting population.

Today, art is no longer merely for the pleasure of the eyes as mere decorations, but hotels now double the function of their space as collectors of artworks from all kinds of artists. This trend of adventurous, knowledge and experience travelers is only beginning.

The hotel industry has discovered that incorporating distinctive pieces into a property’s design can enhance the décor, feel and ambiance of a hotel – regardless of its classification: luxury or budget. In fact, Art is used by luxury hotels to stand out from another.

While budget or local hotels use art to showcase history and tradition. Art incorporated with tourism gives a cultural lift on every travel or trip. Ideally, hotels feature the artworks of their local artists, as a way of giving them exposure, and at the same time sharing the culture of their place to their visitors.

Because of this, people don’t only view artistic hotels as aesthetic, but also as a cultural phenomenon that they can connect to and learn a few things from.

Art consultants and hotelier experts alike believe that art has a key role to play in helping the new enterprise to find a distinctive voice. Art is no longer just for decoration. Today, it is a voice—a brand character and personality which can make or break a hotel’s name and branding. Indeed, it is a way of hotels to set themselves apart.

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