Identifying your Type of Hotel Guest
Every single type of hotel guest has an expectation. As a hotelier, it is your responsibility to ensure that your hotel lives up to those expectations.
But where to start?
Well that begins with identifying your guests. Depending upon your guest segments, you can adapt not only your service, but your online marketing footprint. And by optimising your hotel’s online presence for specific guests, you can drive up bookings in no time at all.
You don’t have to stick with a single guest segment either. Experienced hoteliers can vary their marketing style from season to season. By cycling through your most popular guest segments, you can maintain maximum room occupancy all year round.
Why is the Type of Hotel Guest Important?
For the same reason as any business. You are fulfilling a need and your goal is to reach out to people with that need. If you can align your hotel with your customers’ desires, then bookings will fill up.
On the other hand, if you mismanage your hotel marketing you will attract fewer bookings or bring in hotel guests who have very different expectations to what you have on offer.
That is why you must identify customer segments to plan ahead. Generally speaking there are SEVEN major types of hotel guests – let’s take a look at them.
Find Your Type of Hotel Guest
The Social Travellers
As the name may suggest, the social travellers are interested in engaging with friends. They tend to fall between 24-49 years old, and arrive in groups of family or close friends.
They rely on word-of-mouth and recommendations above all else, and quite often will be travelling with young children.
Recommendations:
- Child-friendly areas or babysitting services are a huge bonus to advertise online.
- Encourage social interactions with other guests by hosting events. These social travellers define a good holiday by meeting new people.
The Luxury Travellers
These couples have a big budget and they aren’t afraid to use it. Regardless of whether they are regular travellers, or they have saved up for that special holiday – they search for enjoyment above all else.
They are fantastic opportunities for hotels situated near hot, coastal destinations, and study online reviews of hotels and nearby attractions a great deal.
Recommendations:
- Promoting high-quality experiences and attractions near your hotel will swing this type of hotel guest in your direction.
- Ensure a luxurious stay and promote special attention on these travellers to bring them back as regular guests.
The Independents
These individuals go one of two vastly different ways, so it is up to you to pinpoint your most likely customer segment.
While independent travellers are often young, they are either very high or very low earners. Regardless however, independents always look to embrace the local culture of the destination. They search for adventure, and to learn about the area they are staying in.
Their young age means an extraordinarily high engagement in social media. Whether it is a travel Vlog, or a constant stream of Instagram pictures.
Recommendations:
- A big focus on local, cultural events and holidays is recommended.
- Provide local connections to help them engage within the local culture.
- Promote your hotel on Google and ensure that your social media strategies are up-to-date and ready for engagement
The Budget Travellers
Budget Travellers are an underrated and often misunderstood guest segment. This type of hotel guest may sound like a low-profit one, but they come with their own benefits.
Nowadays they are usually Millenial or Gen Z, and they are not cheapskates. Instead, they are looking for the best value. In fact a study from the European Travel Commission found that three of the top four reasons for Gen Z travel revolve around cheap flights, accommodation and value for money.
They will travel to locations nearby public transport services, and search around for the most interesting activity / sight. They are heavily influenced by online presence and will deeply research all possible options before making a decision.
Although on a budget, this type of hotel guest will make multiple recommendations and reviews both during and after their stay. This results in more earned media for your hotel.
Recommendations:
- Promote local deals.
- Increase your hotel website page load speed (or they won’t book!)
- Offer surprising and unique experiences.
- Social media advertising across all channels to give a cohesive presence for them to read up on and engage with.
The Habitual Guests
They know what they want, and they know where to go.
This type of hotel guest travels to the same destination year-after-year. They tend to be 35+ and look for relaxation more than activities.
Recommendations:
- Focus on nearby facilities, beaches and other activities for unwinding and relaxing
- Table service and room service are a big plus for this type of hotel guest – make it so that they do as little as possible for themselves.
Leisure Guests
Leisure Guests may appear to be a very vague definition of a guest type, but in reality they are a very specific one.
They lie somewhere between Luxury Travellers and Budget Travellers and have very specific reasons for doing so. Their aim is to relax, to experience new sights and to open themselves up to suggestions while at the same time not being constrained by financial restrictions. Leisure guests aim to get the most bang for their buck – and they are prepared to fork out for good quality.
In short – leisure guests are the perfect guest type for upselling!
Recommendations:
- Aim to raise the quality of your hotel without bursting the bank. Fluffy furnishings and cosy bathrobes won’t cost you too much, but it makes a world of difference for a leisure guest.
- Network with local businesses, tours, museums and adventure parks in order to give a discount to guests at your hotel. By working together, you’ll make your own hotel seem more attractive, while at the same time boosting your local economy!
- Employ automated marketing emails to offer upgrades / add-ons / bonus services. These guests are willing to dig a little deeper, as long as they value the experiences that you offer!
The Planners
They find the optimum holiday ahead of time. Therefore this type of hotel guest has researched, planned and organised every possible facet of their trip.
Usually a high-earning couple, they take online recommendations very seriously and use Google to plan activities near to their destination.
Recommendations:
- Their love of online research means you must promote your hotel on Google and social media. (Here are 80 hotel social media post ideas for inspiration!)
- Promote the latest and best reviews online.
- Ensure that your hotel is geotagged.
The Corporate Travellers
The business guest does not come during peak season, which is why they can keep your business ticking all year round.
Generally male and in the 30+ bracket, these guests look for efficiency, location and relaxation. Busy with high-stakes work during the day they desire everything taken care of until the moment when they finally clock off and relax.
Recommendations:
- Paperless check-in and check-out to expedite the process.
- Planned and packaged meals ready in advance.
- Excellent wifi, and advertised online for corporate guests.
- Promote nearby spa / massage facilities.
Is This Every Type of Hotel Guest?
By all means no, but these seven categories provide the broadest segmentation available to your range of travellers.
Each type of hotel guest can vary bearing on age, profession and destination desires. That is where your hotelier experience comes in. By planning each season ahead of schedule, you can adapt your marketing skill in advance.
At the end of the day, you must follow the latest trends within your target segment. Just as the trend of sustainable hotels is changing the way hotels market themselves, every season will see something a little different.
Now you’ve selected your target segment(s) you can get cracking! Or alternatively you can book yourself a free consultation with a member of our team to work out how to improve your digital marketing presence!
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