A look inside the hotel room- What matters?
When a guest walks into their hotel room there is a lot more components of the room that matter other than the room containing just a bed and a shower. Travelers have shown to truly care about the amenities that a room offers, especially those that make them feel like a high end guest. Judging by PwC's Consumer Intelligence Series Report on hotel brand loyalty, room quality is the number one reason for choosing a hotel, for both business and leisure travelers. In an article posted on Hospitality Net title "Hotel Room: Things that Matter Most to Your guests" author Lillian Connors states what amenities included in the room are most valuable to a guest. Lillian makes several points that I agree with when it comes to guest satisfaction based on my experience in the industry and work that I've done in hotel rooms that she left out a few.
Lillian's list of amenities that appeal to most guests are :
Soft, oversized towels
Full-sized quality toiletries
Breathable linens and plush pillows
Complimentary refreshments
I have worked in and stayed at a variety of different hotels across all segments (high end, limited service, middle tier) and the quality of bath towel is important. Most hotel rooms only offer 2-3 towels and in some hotels those towels are quite small that don't fully wrap the body. Lillian adds that "having a towel that doesn't cover you is inconvenient and awkward especially when sharing a room." Based on guest feedback Andy own personal feedback having large soft towels makes a large difference in the overall stay. The importance of the toiletries giving in the bathroom is high as well. I have worked in many high end hotels that provide top tier products and the feedback from guests is always positive. I have even had guests contact me after their stay asking where to get certain products that were provided for them in the hotel. As seen across the industry guests are coming from all over the place and a majority of the time will require some travel in order to get to your hotel, providing them with lush pillows and top quality linens will make a huge difference in the guests good night sleep. Although for some hotels upgrading the quality of sheets may not seem worth it, the luxury and comfort of the bed will add to the luxury and comfort of your hotel.
One thing that I have noticed that has truly made a difference in a guest's stay is the complimentary refreshments offered in a hotel room. Lillian acknowledges that mini bar fees really up the hotel room cost which is important, but offering free of charge water in glass bottles and samples of coffee and tea shows that guest that you truly care for them. In one of my internships we offer certain tiers of amenities for frequencey of a guests stay- such as chocolate or Champagne with a personal note thanking them for their return. By doing this we always get positive feedback and it makes the guest feel like we care for their patronage and on them staying with us again. Hospitality is all about making your guest feel welcome and special. Although some hotels might cut these items out because they are trying to cut costs, the hotels that go the extra mile in the ways stated above will be the hotels that will stand out ultimately to guests and be the cause for their return.
