Boutique Hotels: Digital Recommendations that Empower Every Employee

Today’s technology is changing the way hotels attract visitors and repeat stays. For the hotelier, it represents a powerful opportunity for hospitality innovation. The key is to identify the best way to implement digital solutions that empower your team and enhance the guest experience.

Is your digital presence a differentiator?

New technological trends are dictating hospitality innovation. The forward motion of hospitality technology is only going to continue with cloud-based data, voice recognition and more. The driving force comes from today’s travelers and their proclivity to access just about everything from their screens. Check out what the numbers are saying:

• Only 38% of US hotel guests interact with the concierge
• 89% of guests are interested in using their smartphone to find things to do nearby
• Over 60% of guests want hotel recommendations for local places to eat and things to do
• 80% of bookings that are made at the last minute are performed on mobile devices

The opportunity is there for those who get comfortable with creating a digital experience sooner rather than later. Between their devices and your concierge staff, you have the opportunity to create an exceptional full experience.

Increasingly, the guest experience comes down to micro-moments and personalization. The basic expectation of guests is that information is readily available and easily accessible wherever they go. To get a sense of whether or not your online presence and experience is a differentiator, ask a few of the following questions.

• Do guests know what makes your hotel unique?
• Can all members of your team help guests navigate the hotel and around the location?
• Does the hotel capture the local flavor?
• Can your guests choose their method of interaction — personal or digital?
• Is it easy to book experiences on and off location through you?

Empower Every Employee to Think Like a Concierge

Every point of contact your guests have with your hotel makes an impact — whether personal or digital. Each interaction is an opportunity to exceed the expectations of your guests. Empowering your entire staff to act as concierge gives you a team of experts who can bring solutions to any situation.

Digital solutions provide you with a resource for both your staff and guest. You can familiarize each staff member to the local culture and highlights during training. Even more, by providing your guests with access to staff knowledge on their phones — you’ll increase the availability of your front-facing staff. Most importantly, aligning your digital offerings with your staff training creates one seamless high-quality experience for your guests.

Local Tie-in and the Boutique Advantage

The natural attraction of the boutique concept should be played to your advantage. This departure from gigantic chains and emblematic brands lends itself to the trend of increased personalization in hospitality. Boutique hotels, by definition, are set up to attract and retain today’s travelers — as long as they’re highlighting the right information in the right places.

One of the best ways to distinguish your hotel is to capitalize on your hotel’s ties to its locale. More and more, guests are searching for insider information on local culture and sites. Visitors are drawn to the unique personal aspects of the experience. You want to highlight everything that makes your boutique unique. That being said, if you’re only using a concierge, then you’re message is missing 62% of travelers. You may have the right story, but it only matters if you’re also using the tools your guests use every day.

Personalization and the Right Data for Your Team

Once you effectively share what makes your hotel and location unique — its time to learn the same thing about your guests. What demographics do you serve? Where do the go when the leave your location? What type of content and attractions do they like to visit?

According to an Oracle travel survey, 75% of US travelers have paid more or recommended a brand that offered personalized services. The more you and your team know your guests — the better you’ll be at creating an experience that feels like a ‘home away from home’ and keeps your visitors coming back.

Digital solutions help you two ways here. First, content platforms can automatically tailor your offerings based on a customer’s past behavior. Think similarly to how Netflix tailors its recommendations based on watch history. Second, analytic insights about your guests are a powerful tool for your team. Once again, it’s key to make sure that your online/digital interactions and in-person interactions create one seamless experience for your guests.

Small but Mighty: Boutiques on the Rise

When it comes to hospitality innovation — it’s not a choice of if but how. Solutions that work for large chains may not scale down to the boutique level. It’s important to choose digital tools that play to your strengths without minimizing the role of your team and the boutique experience. Smaller hotels have the ability to experiment with technology and implement digital solutions faster to set themselves apart from larger chains. Your digital experience isn’t just a tool for your team — it’s one of the players.