How to Welcome Your Hotel’s Guests
Every hotelier knows the importance of welcoming guests to a property. Whether your guests are travel weary or excited to explore their destination, a friendly welcome gives their experience a boost. Here are the five best ways to welcome your guests:
Make an Exceptional First Impression
Think about the first things guests will observe upon arriving at your property, and make sure you’ll exceed their expectations. Keeping your lobby spotless with frequent cleanings, or even adding living elements like flower arrangements, can help you put your best foot forward. Another important factor is the staff they interact with. Training your staff to be polite, helpful and, most importantly, friendly, will go a long way.
As we’ve discussed at length on this blog, your guests hate waiting. A long line at reception upon arrival can ruin a guest’s perception of your hotel before they even set foot in their rooms. We are big advocates for streamlining the check-in process as much as possible, which reduces long lines and wait times for everyone.
2. Get on Board with Technology
Traditionally, hotels have welcomed guests the old fashioned way - with a letter left in each room or a packet handed over at check-in. We believe that, while a personal touch works for some, the majority of guests prefer to receive information in a digital format.
One benefit of welcoming guests via SMS or email is that you aren’t limited to doing so after guests arrive. Many guests prefer to have essential information about the property or the city before they reach their destination. Instead of a lengthier letter or packet in guests’ rooms, we recommend shorter, automated messages sent at booking, on the morning of arrival and upon check-in.
Automated welcome messages also allow for flexibility, making it easy to update information if things change as well as the ability to personalize messages to each individual guest (more on that below).
3. Personalize, Personalize, Personalize
We live in an age of personalization. As we’ve discussed before, your guests don’t just want personalized communication - they expect it. When welcoming guests, personalization gives you a chance to impress.
Personalization in guest messaging can be low-effort, for example using a guest’s name instead of “Valued Guest” or another placeholder. If a guest is returning to your hotel, use “welcome back” in your messaging instead of “welcome.” It’s the little things that make the difference.
Take it a step further by tailoring recommendations for guests' stays. If there are children on the reservation, suggest child-friendly activities or events. If guests have booked as part of a wedding block suggest daytime attractions around the city, as they will be busy in the evening.
4. Don’t Forget the Essentials
Think about the common questions your guests might ask you - and answer them before they have the chance. This means providing the most basic information about your hotel, like details about the restaurant or cafe, fitness center, pool hours, your coworking space, continental breakfast or any special events that are happening during the stay. Your guests will appreciate having all the information right in front of them, and your staff will appreciate not having to answer the same questions over and over (of course, they’ll still get questions, but we can help with that). Pro tip: don’t forget to include the Wifi network and password.
5. Let Guests Know You’re There For Them
Knowing they can ask you anything at any time is essential for guests who want to make the most of their stays. Let them know how and when they can reach you throughout the stay.
At Ameniti, we’re partial to our 24/7 automated guest communication, because it gives guests the instant gratification they expect by answering the majority of questions with no staff intervention. Guests can use their preferred communication method, like SMS or a phone call, to get immediate answers to their inquiries at any time. This type of service makes guests feel taken care of, and excited about the rest of their time with you.