Guest engagement is at the heart of every successful hotel. Turning guests into loyal advocates takes more than impeccable service—it requires harnessing the power of modern marketing technology. By using data-driven insights and delivering personalised experiences through effective omnichannel communication, hotels can elevate guest satisfaction, drive growth, and inspire loyalty.
Let’s explore actionable strategies for leveraging customer engagement research and marketing technology to optimise a hotel’s operations and create memorable guest experiences.
Takeaways
Data personalisation boosts loyalty: Using guest data to personalise experiences drives loyalty and satisfaction.
Unified tech stack matters: Integrate CRM, loyalty, and feedback tools to enhance guest experience and personalisation.
Multichannel engagement is key: Engage guests via social media, email, and apps for a seamless experience.
Experimentation enhances strategy: Test marketing, pricing, and loyalty approaches to improve guest engagement.
Tech and guest focus: Combine modern tech with personalisation to stay competitive and boost guest satisfaction.
Benefits of a unified marketing tech stack
A disjointed marketing technology stack can lead to fragmented guest experiences. Many hotel businesses face challenges with tech integrations, often losing personalisation and engagement opportunities.
Hotels should invest in CRM platforms that support integration with their booking systems, loyalty programs, and guest feedback tools. This integration allows a holistic view of each guest, enabling personalised experiences from booking to checkout.
Use customer data platforms (CDPs) like Salesforce to gather and analyse data from various touchpoints, like website visits and direct interactions. This data informs room upgrade offers and tailored dining recommendations.
The role of data in enhancing guest engagement
Data is essential for enhancing guest engagement in the hospitality industry. By leveraging various data types effectively, hotels can understand their guests better and create personalised experiences that drive loyalty and satisfaction.
Key data types include first-party data, which involves gathering information directly from guest interactions on the hotel’s website, booking platforms, and loyalty apps. This data helps connect with guests directly, offering insights into their engagement habits.
In addition to first-party data, spend insights are also important. By analysing guests’ purchasing behaviours, hotels can identify patterns and preferences, enabling them to make informed decisions about their services and experiences.
Third-party data, obtained through collaborations with external providers, provides additional insights into broader consumer behaviour trends across the industry, helping hotels stay competitive.
Zero-party data, which guests willingly share, such as their preferences and survey feedback, provides another valuable layer of information for delivering tailored experiences.
For example, a hotel might notice an increase in weekend spa bookings among loyalty members during the winter season. This allows the hotel to create exclusive spa packages explicitly targeted at these guests, ensuring a personalised and memorable experience that meets their needs.
Transforming data into personalised guest experiences
Hotels need to take actionable steps to fully harness the potential of data. First, they should centralise all guest data into a customer data platform (CDP), allowing them to create a comprehensive profile of each guest. An integrated view is crucial for understanding guest behaviour and preferences holistically.
Secondly, hotels should employ analytics tools to identify meaningful patterns and trends in the data, which can then inform strategic decision-making. Finally, marketing campaigns should be personalised based on the insights drawn from guest spending habits and behavioural data, making communications more relevant and engaging for each guest.
Through these steps, hotels can move from a generic service approach to a personalised guest journey, enhancing the overall experience and fostering long-term loyalty.
Creating memorable guest experiences
Personalisation is critical for modern guest engagement. Hotels that customise experiences according to individual preferences achieve higher guest satisfaction and loyalty. A hotel’s data is the foundation of modern marketing, where the guest experience is crucial.
Data collected through loyalty programs or app interactions allows hotels to personalise communications, such as sending birthday discounts. Loyalty programs should be developed to reward guests based on their preferences and history. Although a small percentage of customers engage with these programs, this indicates room for improvement. Additionally, AI-powered personalisation can be implemented to provide real-time personalisation, such as offering specific room types based on guests’ previous choices.
Personalisation to enhance guest experience
- Send a welcome email with a discount on spa services for first-time guests.
- Offer room upgrades to frequent travellers through loyalty programs.
- Customise room amenities, such as gluten-free snacks for health-conscious guests.
Technologies like AI and machine learning make personalisation scalable and ultimately assist in suggesting dining options or activities based on a guest’s past preferences.
Benefits of personalisation
- Enhances guest satisfaction by addressing individual needs.
- Builds stronger emotional connections with your brand.
- Increases revenue through targeted upselling and cross-selling.
Actionable steps for hotels
- Invest in AI tools to automate guest recommendations.
- Train staff to recognise guest preferences and provide tailored services.
- Use A/B testing to identify the most effective personalisation strategies.
Multichannel engagement
Today’s guests expect seamless, consistent experiences across all channels, whether online, via a mobile app, or in person. To meet these expectations, hotels must engage guests wherever they are.
Key channels for guest engagement
- Social media: Showcase hotel amenities and events and share guest stories to foster connection.
- Email marketing: Use personalised offers, booking confirmations, and post-stay surveys to maintain engagement.
- Mobile apps: Enable convenient services like check-in and digital room keys. Push notifications can share timely offers or updates.
By integrating these channels, hotels create a more seamless experience. For example, a guest might book a room online, receive a personalised email, and later use the app for room service—all interactions reflecting their preferences.
Actionable steps for hotels
- Use CRM tools to manage guest interactions across all channels.
- Develop a content calendar for social media and email campaigns.
- Ensure your website and mobile app are user-friendly, visually appealing, and easy to navigate.
- Train staff to reflect digital interactions, ensuring guests receive a personalised experience online and in person.
Experimentation is a crucial component
Experimentation is important for optimising marketing and operational strategies. Testing different approaches helps hotels identify what resonates with guests and refine their efforts.
What hotels should test
- Marketing campaigns: Experiment with different email subject lines, messaging, and visuals.
- Pricing strategies: Test dynamic pricing models during peak and off-peak seasons.
- Loyalty program offers: Compare different reward structures to see which encourages more sign-ups.
For instance, a hotel could test two versions of a winter promotion: one offering a free night, the other offering discounted spa services. The hotel can refine future campaigns by analysing which offer generates more bookings.
Actionable steps for hotels
- Use A/B testing tools to evaluate different strategies. Test different marketing messages, offers, or promotions to enhance booking rates and guest satisfaction.
- Set clear goals for each experiment, such as increasing email open rates.
- Regularly review results to refine strategies.
- Use guest feedback to shape experiments. For example, if guests frequently request late check-outs, test promotional offers for this service.
Conclusion
The hospitality industry is transforming at a remarkable pace, and guest expectations are rising. Hotels must embrace modern marketing technology to meet these demands—integrating data-driven personalisation, loyalty programs, and omnichannel engagement.
A successful strategy combines technology with a guest-centric approach: personalisation that makes every interaction meaningful, loyalty programs that encourage return visits, and engagement across all channels. Hotels that embrace experimentation and refine their strategies will remain competitive in this dynamic landscape.
Every guest touchpoint is an opportunity to create a lasting impression. By leveraging the right tools and adopting a tech-savvy approach, your hotel can foster loyalty, boost revenue, and deliver unforgettable experiences that guests will want to relive.
