Key Takeaways:
- A hotel’s guest journey map provides a comprehensive overview of all the interactions that take place during a guest’s stay, from pre-trip planning to post-stay.
- Hotels can boost services and tailor experiences by identifying touchpoints and pain points, which increases customer satisfaction and loyalty.
- Update the route map frequently to reflect evolving guest preferences and comments. It will help you remain ahead of the competition in the hospitality sector.
A hotel customer journey mapping describes the complete visitor experience, from initial interest to post-stay interaction. As it highlights key touchpoints impacting bookings, understanding these journeys is essential. Globally, hotel occupancy is expected to rise by 2.5% next year, with the average daily rate (ADR) projected to grow by 4.9%.
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This is where a hotel customer journey map becomes essential, allowing hoteliers to refine their services. We will examine the customer journey hotel map offering a detailed guide on its creation and types. Let’s begin!
Keep your hotel's customer trip map up to date by adding real-time input and making adjustments for changing guest preferences. With this flexible approach, you can be confident that your services are always up to the standard, which will increase customer satisfaction and loyalty.
What Is Hotel Customer Journey Mapping?
Hotel customer journey mapping, sometimes called a guest journey map, shows the whole process a visitor goes through when interacting with a hotel. It covers all phases, from initial research to activities after the stay.
At each step, it draws attention to the most significant events, emotions, touchpoints, and potential pain points.
This map functions as a strategic tool, providing valuable data about the needs, expectations, and overall views of visitors. It assists hoteliers in assessing the quality of service at each touchpoint by offering a full perspective of the visitor experience.
How To Create A Hotel Guest Journey Map?
With every encounter guests experience during their stay, a hotel guest journey map offers a visual summary of the overall experience. An effective technique for assessing and raising customer satisfaction is this hotel guest journey mapping.
To construct a guest journey hotel map that works, follow these detailed steps:
1. Identify Key Touchpoints
Make a note of every interaction visitors have with your hotel to begin with. All of the times a visitor interacts with your services—both online and offline—count these as touchpoints.
Using the hotel’s services, like using the spa or gym, ordering room service, checking in at the front desk, and perusing the website, are a few examples. Determining these significant moments helps in grasping the locations where visitors engage with the hotel and the ways in which these interactions impact their overall experience.
2. Divide into Phases
Organize the selected touchpoints into distinct phases of the visitor’s journey. Common phases include:
- Pre-Arrival: This stage includes initial research, booking processes, and any pre-stay communication like confirming reservations or special requests.
- Arrival: This covers first impressions of the hotel, checking in, and initial room experience.
- Stay: This section covers all aspects of the visitor’s stay, like contacts with employees, usage of the facilities, meals, and any problems that may arise.
- Departure: This stage includes making final impressions, the check-out process, and making arrangements for departure.
- Post-Stay: This last stage includes any membership program interaction, guest feedback gathering, and follow-up correspondence.
3. Develop A Guest Persona
Make complete descriptions of the different types of guests your hotel receives. These personas ought to contain unique needs, travel goals, interests, and demographic data.
For example, a business traveler will place greater emphasis on reliable internet, whereas a leisure visitor might give greater priority to comfort and leisure activities. You can modify the trip map to represent the distinct experiences and expectations of each guest segment by creating these personas.
4. Map Emotions and Actions
Keep track of the guests’ emotions and actions at every touchpoint. For instance, a guest may experience anxiety or excitement when making a reservation. Depending on wait durations, people may be filled with anticipation or frustration upon check-in. Charting these feelings makes it easier to determine what influences good or bad experiences.
Take note of the things that visitors do as well, like using the hotel’s app on their phone, contacting the front desk, or going about the area. Determining what visitors appreciate most during their stay is made easier by understanding these behaviors.
5. Identify Pain Points
Examine the mapped emotions and actions to find any areas of pain or dissatisfaction. Pain points can include challenges like long check-in lines, unclear signage, unresponsive staff, or insufficient room amenities.
Finding these areas of discomfort is essential to knowing where changes can be made to improve the visitor experience. It’s also beneficial to record recurring complaints or issues that visitors encounter.
6. Design Solutions
Brainstorm and put solutions into action after you have a solid grasp of the hospitality customer journey and its pain areas. It can be simplifying digital channels for communication, optimizing room service efficiency, or revamping the process of checking in to cut down on wait times. Consider introducing an easier, rapid check-out process.
For example, check if visitors frequently become irritated throughout the check-out process. Also, think about providing employees with training to better respond to questions and concerns from visitors. It will make their stay more simple.
Try to create an enjoyable experience that meets the needs of visitors and goes above and beyond their expectations.
You May Also Read: 15 Essential Hotel Marketing Strategies to Get More Bookings
What Are The Different Stages Of The Hotel Customer Journey?
The stages of the hotel customer journey, which span from initial inspiration to post-stay activities, represent a guest’s experience. Every phase is essential in determining how satisfied and how the guest feels. Let’s explore these phases with some examples:
1. Dreaming Stage
During the dreaming phase, prospective visitors envision and research potential spots for their upcoming vacation or work trip. Travel blogs, social media, ads, or word-of-mouth suggestions from friends and family can all serve as inspiration. The need for an experience or a vacation fuels this stage of the guest experience journey.
Source: hotellinksolutions
Example: While browsing Instagram, a family discovers some stunning pictures of a resort by the ocean. They begin to fantasize about relaxing on a beachside vacation, playing in the sand, and taking in the views of the setting sun. They begin to imagine the resort as an ideal holiday spot owing to its attractive pictures and excellent customer ratings.
2. Planning Stage
In the planning phase, travelers start learning more about the place they have selected. They research different lodgings, points of interest, pastimes, and modes of transportation. This phase entails researching recommendations, reading reviews, and contrasting various accommodations.
Example: The family begins investigating the beachside resort and its attractions while still in the dreaming stage. They look into various hotel types, amenities, and activities that are suitable for families. To make sure the resort lives up to their expectations, they also check travel blogs and read reviews on travel websites.
3. Select Stage
During the selection phase, visitors limit the number of opportunities they have and choose where they wish to stay. Choosing from a selection of hotels at this point is generally dependent on multiple factors, including pricing, location, amenities, and reviews in the customer journey map for a hotel.
Example: The family examines a few coastal resorts and settles on a specific hotel due to its excellent ratings, child-friendly features, and convenient location close to local attractions. They feel confident that this hotel will offer the relaxing and enjoyable experience they desire.
4. Booking Stage
When visitors make a reservation with the hotel, it is known as the booking stage. It can be done by calling the hotel directly, using a third-party travel website, or making a direct reservation through the hotel’s website. At this point, guests can also choose specific packages in the customer journey map hotel.
Example: Using a great offer that includes complimentary breakfast and membership to a kids’ club, the family books a room at the preferred resort on the hotel website. An email confirming their reservation and any extra services they choose is sent to them.
You May Also Read: 15 Ways to Improve Direct Bookings for Hotel Business
5. Preparation Stage
During the preparation phase, visitors get ready for their journey. Packing, making travel arrangements, and potentially getting in touch with the hotel for any specific requests or more details are all part of this process.
Example: The family ensures they have everything they need, including beach toys, sunscreen, and swimwear, when they prepare for their beach vacation. Along with requesting a cot for their kid, they also get in touch with the hotel to confirm their arrival time. The hotel ensures all of their demands are satisfied by responding quickly.
6. Experience Stage
The entire hotel guest experience, including check-in, room experience, dining, facilities, and interactions with employees, is included in the experience stage. It is the most crucial phase since it has a direct bearing on future business and visitor satisfaction.
Example: The family checks in at the hotel and is greeted pleasantly by the staff. They appreciate the considerate welcome package for their kids and the room’s ample size with an ocean view. They take advantage of the resort’s facilities, which include the kids’ club, pool, and on-site restaurant, during their visit. Their entire experience is improved by the staff’s promptness and friendly mindset.
You May Also Read: 16 Ways to Enhance Hotel Guest Experience
7. Sharing Stage
Guests frequently tell friends and family about their experiences on social media or throughout their stay. Writing reviews, sharing them on social media, or giving the hotel direct feedback are a few ways to do this. While negative reviews can point out issues that need work, positive sharing can strengthen the hotel’s image.
Source: hotellinksolutions
Example: The family posts pictures from their trip on Instagram, showcasing the lovely surroundings and entertaining activities offered by the resort. Additionally, they write a customer review, complimenting the hotel’s first-rate amenities and family-friendly service. Their views can influence prospective visitors and improve the hotel’s online reputation.
8. Return Stage
Satisfied customers consider going back to the hotel in the future or telling others about it during the return stage. Personalized follow-ups and loyalty programs may encourage visitors to stay at the hotel again.
Example: The family, impressed by their amazing stay, joins the hotel’s loyalty program, which entitles them to savings on subsequent visits. The hotel also sends them a follow-up email expressing gratitude for their visit and providing a great deal for their subsequent reservation. The family is so satisfied with their holiday that they want to come back and tell their friends about the resort.
You May Also Read: 7 Trends that Will Define the Future of the Hotel Industry
Conclusion
A hotel customer journey map is a strategic foundation for creating outstanding client experiences. You can identify opportunities for innovation and improvement by meticulously charting every encounter visitors have with your hotel.
Users can pinpoint problem areas, improve workflows, and design memorable, tailored encounters. Mapping the experiences of your guests is a continuous activity. The world of guests is always changing, and your strategies should, too.
To stay ahead of the competition, get input frequently, adjust to changing preferences, and make use of technology. A well-crafted hotel guest journey map has the power to inspire customers to become loyal supporters of your business rather than merely making them satisfied.
Tools like Lucidchart, Miro, and QuestionPro offer features to visually map the hotel guest journey, gather feedback, and analyze interactions, helping to identify opportunities for improvement.
By identifying problem areas and potential improvement areas, customer journey mapping helps hotels improve customer satisfaction and loyalty by streamlining operations, customizing interactions, and attending to client demands.
The common challenges faced in hotel customer journey mapping include accurately recording a variety of guest experiences, incorporating feedback from several touchpoints, securing staff support, and regularly updating the map to reflect changing visitor preferences and behaviors.
Priya is a seasoned writer with expertise in the SaaS industry. With over five years of experience in the field, she deeply understands the requirement of this specific industry, its techniques, and tools. Her articles, whitepapers, and blog posts are known for their clarity, practicality, and actionable insights. Priya also possesses in-depth knowledge of SEO and content marketing, which enables her to develop effective strategies to increase website traffic and improve brand visibility.
