59 Exceptional Ways to Delight Your Hotel Guests

In the era of Airbnb and other travel market disruptors, delighting your hotel guests is no walk in the park. You need to work harder and serve better to wow today’s guests.

In this post, I present 59 ways to delight your guests during hotel stays.

As long as it’s not a fly on their food or a stained bed sheet in their hotel room, our guests generally love surprises.

Surprises give customers a feeling that they got more than what they paid for. These extra touches make them feel that you care about them and went out of your way to make them happy.

Surprises make people feel that you are genuinely grateful to have them as your customers.

1.      Lend an Ear:

Always make your guests feel that you are listening to their problems, as clear and concise communication is the key to great customer service.

Respond to their problems and if you cannot respond immediately, then make a note and be sure to follow up.

You can also facilitate surveys that will help you understand your guest’s needs.

Also, keep in touch with your guest through social media, emails and other communication channels.

2.      Do a Little More:

Times have changed and guests no longer get impressed with just pleasing words or gestures. They often look for memorable experiences and dynamic service from the hotel staff.

Little gestures like extending the check-out duration, giving unexpected discounts, small gifts or customizing the menu according to their needs is what impresses them.

These little things count and can drive in more business to the hotel

3.      Stick to Your Words:

If you wish to turn your guests into recurrent guests then deliver the service as you promised.

Guests are more likely to get irritated when they don’t receive the special services or products that have been offered during the booking. Avoid making promises that cannot be fulfilled.

Many hotels develop cheap marketing gimmicks to attract travellers only to disappoint them once they arrive.

Never make that mistake of promising something and then delivering something else.

4.      Offer Personalized Service:

Always remember that happy guests often turn into loyal guests. Train your staff to provide stellar service from the time they check-in till the time they check-out.

Be sure that your staff is 24/7 available to your guests as no one likes waiting or being refused for specific services as this might lead to your guests being swayed away to your competition.

5.      Train and Monitor your Staff:

Though this point has been touched upon since ages, it is more critical than ever now to have staff who are trained to handle guests. Because any carelessness on the part of the staff can snowball into negative reviews on social media, review sites and blogs instantly doing instant damage to your hotel’s reputation.

It is important to provide training to your staff members regularly on how to handle both easy-going and tough guests. Train them on resolving issues and ask them to observe their managers on how they handle situations.

Another way to share best practices with co-workers is to hold weekly meetings where employees can share their experiences that have dazzled the guests. Encourage these employees with small gifts or vouchers that will boost their confidence. More likely than not, the others will follow suit and adopt the same practices.

6.      Bear in mind their likes and needs:

There have been unbelievable tales of hotel hospitality wherein guests have surprised newly-weds with free mementoes and gift cards.

If the guest has a preference for a certain brand of tea, make that readily available and give him a free gift pack or a guest who is a chocoholic can be pleased by placing a chocolate pack on the pillow.

Understand the guest’s personality and likes and recreate a memorable experience, tailor made to charm each guest as per their own taste and choice.

7.      Make it unique and exclusive:

Hoteliers need to differentiate between freebies and exclusive surprises. For example, a hotel chain earned praise for surprising their privileged and loyal hotel guest on the day of his retirement.

Make a special effort to go through the birthday and anniversary details of your guests and send across a bouquet and an email with discount vouchers and packages.

Hoteliers need to pay attention to the finer details, if they want to hear the applause!

8.      Be exceptional:

Customer satisfaction is pivotal but there is a difference between luring and charming. Freebies and gift cards are luring delights but paying attention to a guest’s unique request and desire is ‘charming’.

Hotel management should know the difference of how and when to appeal, lure and charm their guests.

Use your guest’s name while addressing, and help with the maps and places to see without them asking for it.

Follow up with guests to ensure that their stay was pleasurable.

9.      Offer Something Free:

Everyone likes freebies! No matter how small your gift may be, your customers will surely appreciate the gesture. A bottle of water or cold drink upon arrival.

10.  Waive the Extra Charges:

This is a favourite among many customers. Waiving the extra costs is a great way to delight your customers as well as build loyalty. Maybe you take off the Resort Fee, Safe Fee or Delivery Charges for particular guests.

11.  Spend Time:

When guests walk into your lobby, they expect that you won’t spend a whole lot of time with them. Take them by surprise by really getting to know them, listen and then recommend local hot spots or your favourite restaurant. Just get to know your patrons.

12.  Upgrades:

People love upgrades. It makes them feel special and experience some luxury. Yet, budgets only get tighter and many hotels, big and small, don’t offer these.

Dare to be different. Challenge the status-quo and surprise and delight guests with the occasional room upgrade.

People love to talk about their vacations, especially delightful experiences. So, give your guests something to brag about! Your corner suite will do just fine.

13.  Wish them Luck:

It sounds unconventional, but giving your customers a lottery ticket is a great way to surprise them. Who know? You might be giving out a lottery ticket that will eventually change someone’s life.

14.  Personalize:

Customers these days are getting done with the cookie cutter business approach. If you really care about them, you would spend time and resources to personalize their experience with your brand.

This means greeting your guests by name, tailoring your amenity and extra offerings to suit their preferences and demographic.

You could even make use of a label maker and put names on complimentary gifts like chocolates or wine bottles.

Personal touches not only represent a fun novelty for guests but also embed a memory that your hotel took the time to cater specifically for them, which is important when trying to boost return stays.

15.  Welcome Phone Calls:

You have no idea how big of an impact a simple phone call can make in terms of building a relationship with your customers. Personally call guests you just checked in and confirm that everything in their room meets their expectations.

16.  Deals:

Send your most loyal customers exclusive access to coupon codes and discounts that they can use with their next purchase in your store or next stay at your hotel. 

17.  Special Occasions:

Call them on their birthday. Surprise moms with an e-card on Mother’s Day. Send a card near the holidays. Remembering your customers during these special occasions will convey to your customers that you are sincere about building a connection with them.

18.  Anticipate:

Another great way to surprise and delight your customers is to anticipate their needs. For example, if you know the itinerary of your hotel guests and you see that they’re hiking, you can surprise them by leaving a bag of trail mix in their room with a note that says – “Just in case you need a boost on your hike today.” Now, isn’t that a nice surprise?

19.  Postcard or Handwritten Notes:

People love getting postcards! A few days after staying at your hotel, send your guests a handwritten note and signed from a couple members of your staff.

20.  VIP:

Before launching a new product or a new promotion to the general public, ask your existing customers to come to an exclusive event to get first dibs on your new offerings. For hotels, invites guests to have a VIP experience in your newly renovated rooms.

21.  Bake a batch of cookies:

There’s something delightful about the smell of fresh-baked cookies. When you offer these to guests, they’re surprised.

Maybe it’s the aroma and taste, or it may simply remind them of home. Either way, guests aren’t expecting to be treated to an out-of-the-oven delectable. And that’s where the magic of surprise and delight unfolds.

Savvy hotel chains have cookie-making baked right into their guest-experience strategy, and it’s no surprise why. We’re more connected now than ever in a digital age in which word travels fast. Just think, over 1.7 billion people worldwide use their Facebook account monthly to share information.

When it comes to travel, review sites like Trip Advisor, Fodor’s, and Yelp are chalked full of helpful, user-generated content. Many travellers write candid reviews of their hotel stays, and not just when they have negative experiences.

Give guests something to write about when they stay with you: that surprise and delight of fresh-baked cookies!

22.  Occasionally offer a free mini-bar:

Mini-bar fees are the number one disputed charge during a hotel stay. Surprise and delight guests by telling them that the mini-bar is on the house today. For little-to-no extra cost you’ll wow your customers by doing the opposite of the competition.

Almost everyone opens that mini-bar, even if only out of curiosity. Though for many guests, it appears as somewhat of a forbidden fruit due to the numerous mini-bar horror-stories online. Surprise and delight brand-loyal guests and newcomers by offering it for free. When paired with excellent Wi-Fi connectivity, it may just be the ideal setting for a glowing, in-the-moment hotel review.

23.  Get in touch before arrival:

Take the initiative and send an invitation to the guest to connect via email or text message in advance of their arrival. When you do this, you’ll also be able to answer any questions they may have before they check in—another great way to get more data on your guest that you can use to impress them throughout their stay.

24.  Stock the fridge:

Be it craft beer, specialty sodas, or a bottle of local wine, guests love it when personal touches are added to their stay. Keep track of the guest’s data and stock the fridge with their favourite beverage before they check in

25.  Use the guest name:

Using the guest’s name is one of the simplest, most effective ways to recognize a guest, and yet, it is one of the most commonly missed standards Coyle finds in hotel evaluations. Everyone likes hearing their name….Everyone.

26.  Ask caring, open-ended questions that cannot be answered with a dismissive yes or no:

Ask the guest how their trip was, or how their stay is going thus far. The guest wants to feel valued, comfortable, and welcomed. This is a strong emotion, and it can only be achieved through proactive efforts.

27.  Anticipate guest needs:

The good news is that your staff now practices the occasional open-ended question like, “How is your stay going so far.” If a guest mentions casually that he is feeling under the weather, has dinner reservations at 8, is tired, or can’t wait for the opera tonight, he has just told something very important about himself.

Try role-playing these things at a staff meeting, and your service aces will come up with some amazing ways to anticipate needs and create a memory. It is inexpensive and easy to perform these acts, yet even the best hotels miss them frequently because we are a transactional species by nature.

28.  Perfect Service Recovery:

What is the one thing we know about every guest? They all have the following in common: they aren’t home. 

This means that they are separated from their normal, trusted resource networks. They are vulnerable and know that if only a couple of things go wrong, their business trip or vacation is at peril.

Talk about being emotional. This vulnerability means that there are times they are really going to need you. A smiling face and a little empathy starts the moment of truth off on the right foot.

Again, not a sure thing for a guest approaching the desk who just realized tonight’s event is black-tie. What is a guest expecting from your front desk when they mention room service was late this morning? A standard apology will ring to a deaf ear which happens to be connected to a hand holding an $800 check-out folio.

The opportunity that most hotels miss? They do not follow through and see that the remedy they prescribed did indeed work and that the guest was satisfied. Imagine having someone fix a problem and then check back to make sure everything was fine? That is a surprise and delight.

29.  Monogrammed bathrobes:

Bathrobes for guests are a norm these days so take the initiative and get monogrammed bathrobes for your frequent guests.

Before they check-in, lay out their personalised bathrobes and slippers next to the bed to let them know you’re hoping they have a moment to relax and unwind during their stay.

It’s thoughtful and fun and we know that guests love a personal touch.

30.  Farewell gift:

Another way to show that you care about your return guests is to bid them a fond farewell when they check-out. Thank them personally at the desk, check up on when they will be returning again and offer to arrange any transfers ahead of the next visit. Then, give them a simple farewell gift as they leave which could be a jar of home-made cookies or a small bag of the hotels coffee beans or ground coffee. It doesn’t have to be a big gift, just a small token of appreciation.

31.  Teddy for the little ones:

A sweet idea for travellers whose children are small and miss their mums and dads when they travel is to give each returning guest a small teddy bear to take back for their children at home. Different hotel monogrammed bears are such fun and each time the guest stays, he or she could take home a different bear for their child until eventually, they have a small collection. It helps to ease the frustration of being away just slightly.

32.  Small things make a big impression:

Based on the guest history you have collected; small touches are always appreciated.

A favourite drink, WiFi vouchers, a complimentary laundry service, a favourite newspaper or even a packed lunch can be offered / delivered to them to create the WOW factor.

Upon check-in, chat to the guest about their stay and what they hope to achieve, and then find ways to make their stay completely stress-free.

For example, if you know that they have a series of busy meetings ahead of them, check that they have adaptors, cables, bottled water or a packed lunch to get them through the day.

33.  Fruit infused water: low-cost but refreshing, and an instant crowd pleaser (my favourite is watermelon!)

34.  Board games: if children will be present, equip the room with a few games to keep the kids entertained (think monopoly or Uno)

35.  Umbrellas: bring them out when bad weather hits

36.  Phones and laptop chargers: “rent out” chargers, because none of us can live without fully charged devices

37.  Come on, Get Happy:

The vast majority of business travellers are traveling alone. While not all will have time for extracurricular activities, there will be some who will appreciate an opportunity to spend some time with others while they’re on the road.

Hosting a hotel happy hour and inviting guests for a complimentary drink and snack creates a real feeling of community for guests and allows them to break the monotony of a business trip. They’re all in the same boat, and hosting events that allow them to let their hair down and enjoy themselves can be the difference between feeling like they’re on a leisure cruise instead of a sinking ship.

38.  Local Flavour:

While there’s much to be said for creating a consistent experience across a hotel brand or chain, travellers are also coming to expect a nod to local restaurants, music and culture during their hotel stays.

Properties worldwide are responding with creative events and experiences so delightful that they’ve become go-to destinations for local residents and travellers alike.

Here are some creative ways to give your property a local flair include:

• Inviting a local chef or restauranteur to do a kitchen takeover of the hotel restaurant
• Asking the city’s most popular food trucks to park outside and offer specials to hotel guests
• Having local bands or DJs play music in the lobby or event spaces
• Getting a local brewery or distillery to do a tap takeover or tasting in the lobby bar.

39.  Grab-and-Go Meal Options:

It’s a trend that began in supermarkets that’s making its way to hospitality: healthy, pre-packaged snacks to go.

Cut back on the frozen meals in your lobby market and stock up on fresh salads, pre-cut fruits and vegetables, and cheese trays for the on-the-go travellers who want to grab something quick but healthy after a long day in the office or for the plane ride home.

40.  Extra Tissues:

Leaving extra tissues and/or tea service if you notice your guest is feeling under the weather or has the sniffles. A “Get Well” note with the associate’s name offering additional assistance is a thoughtful touch.

41.  Extra Bottle:

Leaving an extra bottle or two of water if the guest is a runner or utilizes the fitness centre. Additionally, leaving a note and wishing them a great workout is a nice gesture.

42.  Offer Suggestions:

One fool proof way to wow out-of-town guests is by offering them suggestions on local activities and events that you think might interest them. Do a bit of research and include noteworthy event and restaurant information in their welcome kits.

43.  Let Them In on Some Local History:

Everyone likes to feel like they’re a part of something bigger, so be ready to share with your guests a slice of the local history.

No matter where you are in the world, there’s always a great story just waiting to be told. Like if you happen to be a manager of one of the world’s oldest hotels, why not tell your guests about the generations that kept the hotel alive?

44.  Look After the Kids:

Travel has become more and more a family affair these past years, so it should be part of your business model to cater to the young generation. Creating a welcome pack that suits the age and gender of the children staying in your hotel would be highly appreciated.

45.  Flowers:

Fresh flowers always make an impression. This can be a costly exercise but the alternative is to grow your own lavender or other fragrant flowers and pick a few springs to place in a small vase or on their pillow – to show you care and also to leave a fresh scent in the room.

46.  complimentary parking bay:

If a female guest is travelling alone, why not offer them valet parking or a complimentary parking bay close to the entrance. You could also offer them an escort from the parking lot into the entrance of the hotel for safety.

47.  Inform and assist:

Keep an eye on travel news in the area and tell your guest in advance of any likely disruption.

If you know where your guest is travelling from, for an enhanced wow make it someone’s task to keep tabs on live travel feeds and send brief, helpful text messages to help your guest avoid some roads or prepare for delays on others.

48.  People, not room numbers

Avoid asking guests for their room number at breakfast, supper, or when booking any of the hotel’s facilities. A name should be enough. Train staff to refer to a guest’s name, even when the guest isn’t within earshot: “room service for Mr Jackson” is better than “room service to room 142”.

49.  We thought you’d be interested in…

If, on a previous stay, you helped a guest with booking tickets for a concert, play, exhibition or sporting event, keep an eye on nearby events in similar territory that may appeal to them this time. Include event information in the welcome note in the room and on in-room tablets, link to or snip local and national press reviews, and if other guests have been happy to leave their own thoughts and reviews, include those too.

50.  Departing from the script:

It can be easy for staff to fall into a flattened, machine-like intonation of the same phrases during a busy day.

Variations on a theme of “is there anything else I can help you with, Mrs Jackson?” are more engaging, easier to inflect and less likely to come across as by-rote responses.

51.  Never make guests wait to check-in:

Making a good impression when your guests first arrive can set the tone for their stay. If a guest has to wait twenty minutes to check-in, they obviously will start to wonder if they came to the right place. Make sure your front desk is well staffed and well-trained to welcome guests. Visitors may be tired and a little grumpy from traveling all day to get to your hotel. If there is a delay, make sure you let everyone know that you are working hard to move the line along. Offer them some cold drinks and maybe a small snack while they wait.

52.  Accommodating the needs of families:

Being a kid-friendly hotel is very appealing to people on vacation with their small children.

While most hotels will rent you a crib for an extra charge, there are many other small things that will have Mom and Dad smiling.

Keep kids happy by offering video games and age-appropriate movies. For younger kids, a hotel should offer electrical socket protectors, free loaner strollers and maybe some baby suntan lotion with the little shampoos and soaps. To make kids really happy, surprise them with a small toy or gift upon check-in.

53.  Give away the recipe for your signature dish:

This is taboo, but having a transparent restaurant culture could really make your establishment stand out.

So give away the recipe of your signature dish, without leaving anything out.

Have your chef share how he makes it on social media. Trust me, your guests will still order at your restaurant. They may even order more often. 

Allow guests to sample wine & beer. 

This is a little thing that can go a long way: If a guest asks for a sample of wine or beer, always be willing to bring them one, showing superb customer service. 

54.  Respond to enquiries with lightning speed:

For a hotel, it's important to reply quickly to any enquiries made by guests and visitors. Nowadays, guests can get in contact via phone, email and on social media.  

It's not a good start to your holiday if you're waiting ages for a hotel to respond to your email about your booking. Guests have a great memory when it comes to bad experiences so it's important there is someone constantly managing the hotel's email inbox, social media and returning phone calls.

55.  A Touch of Luxury:

All guests love a touch of luxury, especially if it is unexpected. High thread count sheets, an antique chaise longue, or a luxurious cashmere throw on the bed scream boutique hotel. Go for timeless style and elegance and you won’t need to redecorate for a few years.

56.  A Pop of Colour:

Too many hotel rooms are an oasis of cream or pale grey. Muted colours are relaxing, but they can also err on the side of boring. Whilst a scarlet red room is likely to be rather disturbing to the majority of guests, there are some very good reasons to introduce a pop of colour at least somewhere in the room.

If you elect to paint the walls in muted shades, use bold colours in your accessories. For example, yellow ochre or burnt orange work well with pale teal or soft grey. Colour is good in the bathroom, too. Instead of designing clinical white bathrooms, select a strong colour for one of the walls and accessorise with matching toiletries.

A well-designed hotel room is a smart investment. Too many modern hotel rooms are nothing more than generic boxes, so go the extra mile and make your brand stand out from the crowd.

57.  Place engaging towel changing cards in your rooms:

These are possibly the easiest way to implement green practices into your business as done by many hotels already but do it wisely! Pay careful attention to the text you put on the cards – showing your guest how the previous visitors have acted is actually a very good motivation! According to the Green Hotels Association, asking your guests to consider not changing their sheets and towels daily can save hotels up to 6 euros per room per day. As well as saving you time and money, you are showing your guests you have a clear commitment to sustainability and are aware of the environmental impacts of running your hotel.

58.  Replace single serve toiletries with better quality organic toiletries in refillable dispensers:

Replacing your single-use toiletries with refillable dispensers for your guest toiletries will save on both packaging and product waste. Soap, shampoo, conditioner and moisturiser can all be dispensed hygienically through no-waste fixed dispensers. This change should be linked with introducing better quality products (than the one you provided in single serve bottles).

Have a look around for a local business producing premium organic toiletries who you may be able to work with – perhaps reduced cost supplies in exchange for product information in the rooms. Community relationships can have powerful benefits for all participants and can enhance the guest experience on a number of levels.

59.  Develop a site-wide recycling policy, with recycling bins installed in rooms and public areas:

Do you have recycling bins in place in guest rooms and public areas?

Easy to set up and effective, recycling bins are an easy way to show your guests you care about the impact of waste, and empower them to reduce their environmental impacts. Bins are more effective when they are accompanied by pictures of which waste typically goes into which bin, especially for foreign guests who are not familiar with the language or the bin colours.

A 2009 article in Green Hotelier noted that hotels can reduce their waste disposal bills by up to 50% by removing paper, plastic and other recyclables from their waste. This reduction can create significant savings, particularly for hotels in locations with high disposal costs.

Conclusion:

You must have heard the famous proverb, “Give Respect, Take Respect”. The way you would like to be treated by anyone is the same way how others like to be treated. Excellent behaviour leads to excellent service that in turn leads to excellent guest satisfaction.

I hope you find this article helpful. Thanks for reading.

Note: Content ideas inspired by @Rupesh Patel. Please read more on this link