The Hotels at Face Value report revealed the changing expectations of modern hotel guests. The report was commissioned by Alice and conducted by third-party research firm YouGov.
The new research uncovering what factors influence hotel satisfaction and the most frustrating part of a hotel stay is unfriendly staffs. Almost two-thirds of guests (62 percent) with complaints said the unfriendly staff is the most frustrating part of their stay.
According to the research, when booking hotels nearly three in five (59 percent) guests who prioritize amenities care most about high ratings and reviews, and almost half (49 percent) prioritize friendly hotel staff—calling attention to the need for hoteliers to ensure staff are attentive and welcoming, delivering more favorable guest experiences to ultimately drive positive reviews.
During their stay, guests with frustrations expressed a demand for hotels to improve their operations and guest-facing technology. When discussing the most frustrating experiences about hotel stays:
1) 38 % said the front desk taking too long to complete requests,
2) 34 % said outdated technology in rooms,
3) 31 % said delays in service from hotel staff.
When communicating needs to hotel staff, nearly a third (32 percent) of guests said they prefer to do so by walking up to the concierge, front desk or other staff members directly. However, this preference is not representative of all guests, as the research indicated hotels should provide a diversity of communication channels.
“No hotel guest is the same, which is why, above all else, hoteliers must perfect the practice of personalization and deliver tailored experiences to every single guest. Knowing that a majority of guests pay the most attention to staff friendliness and attentiveness, hoteliers cannot afford to forget the art of hospitality,” Alice co-founder and President Alex Shashou said in a statement. “Hospitality is a feeling guests get, and personalization is how it is delivered. If hotels don’t want to be viewed as a commodity, then they need to stop treating their guests like one. The biggest brands in the world are looking across their entire customer journey to create experiences and hotels do the same. A guest is so much more than their reservation. Guests deserve to be treated like family. Once they are, meaningful relationships will not only forge but flourish.”
Alice commissioned YouGov, a third-party research and consulting organization, to poll the views of 1,219 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between Dec. 12-13, 2018. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all U.S. adults, aged 18+. ALICE is a hotel operations platform that improves staff communication, task management, and guest satisfaction and YouGov is an international Internet-based market research and data analytics firm, headquartered in the UK, with operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
