MANCHESTER, England — Technology is a tool for collecting data and feedback, but it doesn’t replace listening to real customers, according to a panel of hospitality experts discussing how hotels can get guests ‘through the door’.
Speaking at the Annual Hotel Conference (AHC) taking place at the Manchester Central Convention Complex on 4 October, Joanna Kurowska, managing director, UK & Ireland, IHG Hotels & Resorts, said that segmenting guests into categories “is not knowing who someone is… it’s artificial, internal, and nobody walks into a hotel feeling ‘I am a bleisure customer’”.
Jonathan Mills, CEO of Choice Hotels EMEA, agreed that businesses needed to understand what a consumer wants “irrespective of the demographic”; while Neil Kirk, chief operating officer at L+R Hotels said that technology had “a time and a place” but warned the sector not to try to use technology to “solve everything… certain needs can only be met by a person”.
The panellists offered a varied response to the question of what guests want by moderator Robert Holland, managing director, UK & Ireland, HotelPartner Yield Management.
Kurowska said that guests want safety, to be valued and taken care of, which she said underlined the importance of loyalty recognition. Kirk said it varied by asset and trip. Bryan Bachrad, senior director, global accounts at online travel agent Expedia Group, suggested that travellers wanted experiences as seamless as using their Netflix and Amazon accounts.
Mills quoted Choice’s own research, which found that brands remained “of significant importance” to guests in terms of reassurance. The research also highlighted that guests want to be well looked-after, have their home comforts, and for hotel businesses to support their communities, whether promoting it externally or using local products internally. As a result, Choice refreshed and relaunched its brands based on that feedback – although Mills also highlighted the risk of addressing the customer of today and investing in that but missing the future needs of the next generation of guest if they do not think ahead.
Kurowska described a brand as a means of communicating with the buyer: “we feel safer and reassured that what we are getting is what we got yesterday and what we will get tomorrow – and that is our relevance,” she said.
Although panellists also acknowledged the importance of brands being flexible and evolving to remain relevant.
When it comes to using data to get guests through the door, Bachrad explained how Expedia was investing in initiatives such as Trip Boards, which it will be expanding from its Vrbo vacation rental platform to its main site to allow groups of travellers to collaborate on trips and share itineraries. Expedia will also be introducing a hotel guest experience score drawing data from guest reviews and refund history.
“We think it’s a win for travellers – they’re going to get better experiences – and for hotels,” he said.
According to Expedia Group Media Solutions data, travel brands’ commitment to inclusion, diversity and accessibility is influencing consumers’ purchasing decisions, with seven in 10 consumers saying they are willing to pay more to make a travel choice that is more inclusive to all types of travellers. Meanwhile, an Expedia Traveller Value Index survey revealed a major shift in interest away from price towards flexibility when making a booking.