customer journey in a hotel

• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer
• QuestionPro

• Solutions Industries Gaming Automotive Sports and events Education Government Travel & Hospitality Financial Services Healthcare Cannabis Technology Use Case AskWhy Communities Audience Contactless surveys Mobile LivePolls Member Experience GDPR Positive People Science 360 Feedback Surveys
• Resources Blog eBooks Survey Templates Case Studies Training Help center

Hotel Guest Journey Map: Step By Step Guide + Examples

When it comes to the hospitality industry, providing an exceptional experience is paramount. In the age of customer-centricity, understanding your guests’ journey from start to finish is not just beneficial; it’s essential. This is where the concept of a hotel guest journey map comes into play.

What is a Hotel Guest Journey Map?

A hotel guest journey map is a visual representation of the entire guest experience, from the moment they start researching a hotel to the time they check out and beyond. It outlines each touchpoint , interaction, and emotion a guest encounters throughout their stay. It’s a roadmap that helps us understand guests’ needs, desires, and pain points at every stage of their journey.

A well-crafted journey map typically includes key milestones such as booking, arrival, check-in, room service, amenities, and departure. It also delves into the emotional aspect of the journey, capturing moments of delight, frustration, or indifference.

Why is a Hotel Guest Journey Map Important?

Creating a hotel guest journey map is not just a trendy exercise; it’s a strategic imperative for several reasons:

• 1. Customer-Centricity: The guest experience is a key differentiator. Understanding your guests’ journey allows you to tailor your services and offerings to meet their specific needs, fostering loyalty and positive reviews.
• 2. Problem-Solving: A journey map helps identify pain points and bottlenecks in the guest experience. By addressing these issues, you can enhance guest satisfaction and drive operational efficiency.
• 3. Innovation: It provides a clear picture of opportunities for innovation. For example, identifying moments where personalization can make a difference or where technology can streamline processes.
• 4. Employee Engagement: Employees who understand the guest’s journey are better equipped to deliver exceptional service. It aligns your team’s efforts with guest expectations.
• 5. Continuous Improvement: The guest journey doesn’t end at check-out. Feedback and post-stay experiences are valuable sources of insight for ongoing improvement.

Hotel Guest Journey Map Step-by-Step Guide

Creating a hotel guest journey map is a comprehensive process that involves several key steps. Let’s break it down into a step-by-step guide to help you navigate this essential tool for enhancing your guests’ experiences.

Step 1: Define Your Goals

Begin by setting clear goals for creating the hotel guest journey map. What are you hoping to achieve? Improved guest satisfaction? Increased loyalty? Higher online ratings and reviews? Having a well-defined purpose will guide your efforts and ensure that the map serves a specific function within your hotel’s overall strategy.

Step 2: Identify Guest Personas

Understand that not all guests are the same. They come from diverse backgrounds, have distinct preferences, and expect different experiences. Create guest personas or segments to represent your typical guests. Consider factors like age, travel purpose (business, leisure, family), and expectations (luxury, budget, convenience). These personas will help you tailor the guest journey map to specific guest groups.

Step 3: Map Touchpoints

Start by listing all the touchpoints or interactions guests have with the hotel. These include pre-booking, arrival, check-in, room service, dining, check-out, and post-stay feedback. Make sure to consider both physical and digital touchpoints. This step involves gathering data on each interaction to understand the guest experience fully.

Step 4: Gathering Data

Collect data on each touchpoint. This can include guest feedback, surveys, online reviews, and insights from staff. Utilize technology and software platforms like QuestionPro to streamline data collection and analysis. The more comprehensive your data, the more accurate your guest journey map will be.

Step 5: Create Guest Journey Stages

Divide the guest experience into stages that align with the guest’s progression, from initial interest to post-stay follow-up. Common stages include Pre-booking, Arrival, Stay, Departure, and Post-stay. Define the key activities, emotions, and expectations associated with each stage.

Step 6: Identify Pain Points and Delight Moments

Within each stage, identify pain points (negative experiences) and delight moments (positive experiences). Pain points could be long wait times at check-in, unresponsive room service, or uncomfortable beds. Delight moments might include a warm welcome, a surprise room upgrade, or personalized recommendations.

Step 7: Prioritize Improvements

Now that you’ve pinpointed pain points and delight moments, prioritize improvements. Focus on the most critical issues that need immediate attention, and plan enhancements to turn pain points into delight moments. Keep in mind that not all pain points may be resolved quickly, so consider long-term strategies too.

Step 8: Develop Actionable Strategies

For each stage and touchpoint, create actionable strategies to improve the guest experience. Involve the staff in brainstorming solutions and empowering them to implement changes at their level. Assign responsibilities and timelines to ensure accountability.

Step 9: Implement and Test

Put strategies into action and closely monitor their impact. Be open to feedback from guests and staff. Continuously test and refine the approach to optimize the guest journey.

Step 10: Measure and Iterate

Measure the success of the improvements through feedback, reviews, and key performance indicators (KPIs). Use these insights to iterate and refine your hotel guest journey map continually.

Remember that creating a hotel guest journey map is an ongoing process. As guest preferences evolve and new technologies emerge, the map should adapt to stay relevant and effective in delivering exceptional guest experiences.

Key Elements of a Hotel Guest Journey Map:

This table provides a concise overview of the key elements to consider at each stage of creating a hotel guest journey map, making the process more organized and manageable.

Hotel Guest Experience Journey Examples

To truly understand what a seamless hotel guest experience journey should look like, let’s explore some real-life examples.

1. The Booking Process: The journey often begins with online research and booking. An ideal experience involves an intuitive website, clear pricing, and easy booking. For instance, online platforms where guests can effortlessly browse options, read reviews, and complete bookings are ideal.

2. Arrival and Check-In: Upon arrival, guests expect a smooth check-in process. Hotels like Marriott have implemented mobile check-in, allowing guests to skip the front desk and use their smartphones as room keys, streamlining the process and reducing wait times.

3. Room Comfort: The guest’s room should be a haven of comfort and functionality. High-quality amenities, spotless cleanliness, and modern technology, like smart thermostats and entertainment systems, enhance the stay. Brands like Four Seasons excel in this regard.

4. Dining: From breakfast to room service and fine dining, food plays a crucial role. Hotel chains like Hilton invest in diverse culinary options, catering to various tastes and dietary preferences.

5. Concierge and Assistance: Exceptional service is about going the extra mile. The Ritz-Carlton is renowned for its dedicated concierge team that assists guests with everything from arranging transportation to making restaurant reservations.

6. Check-Out: The check-out process should be as seamless as check-in. Many hotels now offer express check-out options, allowing guests to settle bills and return room keys quickly. Airbnb streamlines this process by handling payments online.

7. Post-Stay Engagement: The journey doesn’t end when guests leave. Engaging with guests post-stay through personalized emails, loyalty programs, and special offers keeps them connected. The Marriott Bonvoy program is an excellent example of post-stay engagement.

Do’s and Don’ts of a Hotel Guest Experience Journey

Creating a successful hotel guest journey map involves understanding what to do and what to avoid. Here are some key do’s and don’ts:

• Empathize with Guests: Understand their needs, preferences, and pain points.
• Collect Guest Feedback: Use surveys , reviews, and direct feedback to improve continuously.
• Personalize: Tailor experiences based on guest profiles and preferences.
• Train Staff: Ensure your team is well-trained in delivering exceptional service.
• Leverage Technology: Embrace technology to streamline processes and enhance convenience.
• Overcomplicate: Keep processes and interactions simple and user-friendly.
• Ignore Feedback: Dismissing guest complaints or feedback can lead to dissatisfaction.
• Neglect Maintenance: Ensure rooms and facilities are well-maintained at all times.
• Lack of Communication: Keep guests informed about any changes or delays.
• Underestimate Cleanliness: Cleanliness is a top priority; overlooking it can lead to negative reviews and lost business.

Crafting the perfect hotel guest journey map is a continuous process that requires empathy, data-driven insights , and a commitment to delivering exceptional experiences. By understanding your guests, optimizing each touchpoint, and adhering to best practices, you can create memorable stays that lead to loyal, satisfied guests.

A hotel guest journey map is not just a map; it’s a blueprint for creating remarkable customer experiences . By meticulously charting each step of your guests’ interaction with your hotel, you can uncover opportunities for improvement and innovation.

Understanding the significance of a hotel guest journey map is the first step toward delivering unparalleled guest experiences. It empowers you to identify pain points , streamline processes, and design personalized interactions that leave a lasting impression. Remember, in the competitive landscape of hospitality, exceptional service is the key to guest loyalty and positive reviews.

As you embark on the journey of mapping your guests’ experiences, keep in mind that it’s not a one-time endeavor. The guest landscape is ever-evolving, and so should your approach. Continuously gather feedback, adapt to changing preferences, and leverage technology to stay ahead of the curve.

In the end, a meticulously crafted hotel guest journey map can lead to more than just satisfied guests; it can transform them into enthusiastic advocates of your brand.

Remember, if you’re looking for tools to help gather guest feedback and improve your hotel’s services, QuestionPro offers a range of solutions that can elevate your guest experience strategy. Start your journey towards exceptional guest satisfaction today.

LEARN MORE         FREE TRIAL

MORE LIKE THIS

Age Gating: Effective Strategies for Online Content Control

Aug 23, 2024

Customer Experience Lessons from 13,000 Feet — Tuesday CX Thoughts

Aug 20, 2024

Insight: Definition & meaning, types and examples

Aug 19, 2024

Employee Loyalty: Strategies for Long-Term Business Success 

Other categories.

• Academic Research
• Artificial Intelligence
• Assessments
• Brand Awareness
• Case Studies
• Communities
• Consumer Insights
• Customer effort score
• Customer Engagement
• Customer Experience
• Customer Loyalty
• Customer Research
• Customer Satisfaction
• Employee Benefits
• Employee Engagement
• Employee Retention
• Friday Five
• General Data Protection Regulation
• Insights Hub
• Life@QuestionPro
• Market Research
• Mobile diaries
• Mobile Surveys
• New Features
• Online Communities
• Question Types
• Questionnaire
• QuestionPro Products
• Release Notes
• Research Tools and Apps
• Revenue at Risk
• Survey Templates
• Training Tips
• Tuesday CX Thoughts (TCXT)
• Uncategorized
• What’s Coming Up
• Workforce Intelligence

How travellers go about booking a vacation (aka the hotel guest journey) has changed over the years. Where postcards sent via snail mail would’ve encouraged others to visit the same destination, online reviews shared in real time now paint a more accurate picture.

There might be a couple of differences, but the key stages that travellers complete each time they book hotel accommodation have essentially stayed the same. By understanding the guest journey and its basic elements, as a hotelier, you can meet your guests’ needs and expectations better. What’s more, you can uncover various revenue-generating opportunities that the newer guest journey offers.

Continue reading and discover the main steps guests take in their journey and learn how to build a journey map for visualising it.

What is the hotel guest journey?

The hotel guest journey includes all the different points of contact that guests have with your hotel . From researching to writing a review, there are various unique stages that all play a part in shaping their overall guest experience .

The hotel guest journey is not linear

Previously, the hotel guest journey took a linear approach. In other words, there was a clear starting point, and travellers completed the steps that followed in a specific order.

However, the modern hotel customer journey is best described as scattered or dispersed. The stages of the journey can no longer be organised chronologically.

Instead, travellers typically jump back and forth between the different steps. For example, travellers can now post on social media about destinations and hotels that they would like to visit before they’ve actually visited these places in person.

The major benefit of the non-linear guest journey is that it opens up opportunities to engage more with the guest, which wasn’t possible before. Hoteliers can utilise the moments between scattered stages to their advantage. For instance, they can use upselling even before guests have checked in at the hotel (at the pre-arrival stage), thanks to the possibilities of hotel tech.

Hotel guest journey template

One of the main goals at Oaky is to empower hotels to boost their bottom line by offering an enriched guest experience. To help hoteliers work smarter, we’ve created this hotel guest journey template to guide them through all the key stages.

6 stages of the hotel guest journey + essential touchpoints

Even though the guest journey is non-linear, for convenience, it’s usually broken down into the following stages:

1. Travel inspiration and research stage

During this stage, prospective guests research your hotel. They compare it to competitors and become inspired to stay. Their desire to travel is what guides them during this stage of the guest journey.

Touchpoints that influence guests to embark on a journey:

Social media

Online travel agencies (OTAs)

The hotel’s website

Word-of-mouth recommendations (both traditional from social circles and electronic in the form of online hotel reviews and forum discussions).

How to drive guest engagement at the research stage

In today’s digital age, social media has a huge impact on travellers’ decisions. Therefore, you need to create a solid online presence on key channels, like Instagram and TripAdvisor.

Make sure to share high-quality photos and attention-grabbing videos. Keep in mind that your hotel branding needs to be aligned across all the different channels. In addition to visuals, you should also remember to use tags and comments to your advantage. Encourage guests to share content about your hotel on their social media accounts and create a hashtag for them so that they can tag you.

When it comes to OTAs, focus on your rank and the number of reviews. To help facilitate guest reviews, remind guests to leave feedback by means of your post-departure communication.

In addition to OTAs, also keep your Google Business Profile in check. Ensure the contact information, location, and details about amenities are up to date. These guest reviews are very effective at encouraging travellers to research your hotel further and book a stay.

While social media plays a massive role in the hospitality industry, it’s no replacement for a business website. To help your website show up higher in the search results, pay attention to search engine optimisation (SEO), page speed, design, and layout. In short, your website should be traveller-friendly . In other words, it should be easy for website visitors to find the information that they need.

In addition to making it easier for guests to use word of mouth, also invest in digital advertising. Paid search campaigns can help to advertise packages via search and social.

Download the hotel marketing checklist to incorporate the best hotel marketing practices in your strategy.

Hotel Marketing Checklist

This is the stage when consumers make a decision to book a place at your property. It’s undertaken with more seriousness than the research stage, and price becomes a determining factor. To help travellers identify the most suitable hotel, they will typically complete a price comparison. In short, the goal is to identify the hotel that will offer the best value.

Touchpoints that influence guests to reserve a place at your hotel:

An optimised booking software

A help desk or chat option on your business website.

How to improve the customer experience at the booking stage

At this stage, OTAs are the most important factor. Diversify your distribution channels by ensuring that you have a strong profile on platforms like Booking.com and Expedia. Then, to help you keep a good rank, take the time to reply to negative reviews and comments. It can boost your chances of booking.

An optimised booking software that’s able to handle all the bookings on your company’s website smoothly, error-free and fast is key. Ideally, invest in a booking engine and channel manager that offer direct rate comparison. It helps to make the whole process more transparent, something that guests will appreciate.

As you’ll most likely receive several pre-booking questions, include a chat option on your website to interact with guests. This tool can help to decrease the abandonment rate too.

A reliable channel manager is another tool that you should add to your tech stack. Set up your channel manager so that you can sync your bookings across the different OTAs.

Apply dynamic pricing to your room rates. This way, you can sell your rooms at optimal rates that are beneficial for you as a hotelier. Not only can this pricing strategy help you to maximise earnings, but also increase occupancy in the slower seasons.

A sufficient tech stack is important, but it’s no replacement for an optimised website. To improve your ranking on Google, ensure that your web pages are mobile-friendly and focus on visuals. People scan text quickly and pay more attention to pictures and videos.

3. Pre-arrival

This stage begins when guests book your hotel and finishes when they arrive. Guests will pack their luggage and purchase excursions and activities at the destination during pre-arrival preparation. This phase is critical when planning your guest journey because many emotions are involved.

You can also utilise this stage by beginning to offer upselling deals. In fact, extra information about your hotel’s offering can help guests to navigate this stage.

What do your guests expect before arriving at your hotel:

Booking confirmation

Additional information and deals in a pre-arrival email

Notifications about important updates via email, text message, messaging platforms, etc.

A follow-up email before check-in

A help service/desk

Check-in information.

How to improve your customer experience at the pre-arrival stage

An automated pre-stay email that allows guests to customise their stay further by taking advantage of popular upselling deals can make a world of difference. A software solution like Oaky can help hotels add that personal touch, one of the major guest expectations, to guest stays.

In addition to promoting upselling deals, also remember to share the more basic details like things to pack, maps, etc. You can, for example, create checklists and to-do lists that you include in a pre-arrival email .

To help you answer questions that guests might still have after reading your emails, use guest messaging tools. This type of tool will make it much easier to provide all the necessary information to your guests.

4. Check-in

This is the stage when your guest steps into your hotel, either for the very first time or as a returning guest. In the scattered customer journey, though, the check-in process might take place before your guest enters the hotel, in case a contactless check-in option is available online.

Depending on your capabilities and guest preferences, you might choose to stick to the traditional check-in route with some front-desk upselling opportunities .

While all the stages are important, a negative experience during the check-in phase of their trip can have a lasting effect. For this reason, it’s crucial that management train staff on how to make guests feel welcome the moment they step through the door.

What do your guests expect at the check-in stage:

A secure and stress-free arrival

A point of contact to reach out to in case of any issues during arrival pop up

A quick and easy check-in

Front-desk personnel who go above and beyond.

How to improve your customer experience at the check-in stage

Train your staff on how to greet and welcome guests. Not only will a personal greeting let your guests feel right at home, but you can also gain valuable information about the purpose of their stay that you can use to personalise upselling later on.

Invest in front desk upselling software to help you offer the right deals at the right time. Oaky’s front desk upselling automation functionality can help you streamline the upselling process at this crucial step of the journey map.

Automate your front desk upselling

• In addition to sharing clear check-in guidelines, also take the time to create guidelines regarding public transportation and other relevant services that your guests might need.

This stage starts as soon as the guest checks in and ends upon checking out. Now is the ideal time to impress your visitors with facilities and services.

During their stay, they might also start to post about their experience on social media. For this reason, you need to make a concerted effort to follow up with them during their stay. This way, if there are any problems, you can address these before they turn into something much bigger like a bad review.

What are the guests expecting while staying at your hotel:

A comfortable room

Excellent and prompt customer service

Well-maintained facilities (spa, pool, parking, etc.).

How to elevate the guest experience during the stay:

Communication tools, like a guest messaging app, can once again help you during this stage of the hotel guest journey. Use your communication tool for a quick, mid-stay follow-up message.

• Use In-stay upselling to offer guests opportunities to book special services, like a spa treatment and other deals during their stay. Oaky users can, for example, refer to its Deal Library for inspiration and proven ideas.

6. Check-out and post-stay

This is the final part of the hotel guest trip when your guest will wish you farewell. A smooth check-out can have a huge impact on whether they decide to return to your hotel.

Guests might have posted about their experience during their stay already, but now they’ll review your hotel and its offerings officially. As reviews are valuable social proof, make it as easy for your guests to leave a review.

Touchpoints that influence guests at the end of their stay:

A streamlined checkout process

A late checkout option

Helpful and friendly staff.

How to encourage guests to leave a review after their stay:

Once again, messaging tools can be used for this step of the process. You can, for example, let guests provide you with direct feedback via a channel of their choice, such as email or WhatsApp.

QR codes can also be used effectively to collect more reviews. Instead of using a printed review card, let them scan a QR code which will redirect them to an online survey. Not only is this more convenient, but also kinder to the environment.

Send a reminder email to guests a couple of days after checking out. In addition to asking about their stay, you can also use this follow-up email to encourage them to write a formal review.

If guests have taken the time to leave you a review on Google and/or other platforms, return the gesture and engage with them by thanking them for their feedback.

For guests who opted to receive future communication from you, you can use post-stay targeted marketing. You can, for example, offer a discount for their next stay to help you increase customer loyalty

6 benefits of mapping out your guest journey

The introduction of Big Data has changed the importance of journey mapping. By clearly identifying the steps discussed, hotel guests’ journeys can be improved significantly.

Other advantages of knowing the path your guest takes include:

- Personalise guest experience at every touchpoint

By getting a more thorough understanding of guest experience , you can perform better at your touchpoints and provide a better quality service.

- Drive a greater return on investment

You can increase the precision of your marketing by targeting the right guest with the most effective strategies. This will also help to increase your brand exposure and fulfilling your guest needs better which will ultimately boost your ROI.

- Get more bookings

You can generate more bookings by posting frequently on social media and ensuring that what you post aligns with your branding. Combine these efforts with an SEO-optimised website. This will create a solid online presence that will market your property around the clock.

- Generate more upsell and cross-sell revenue

By knowing the needs of your guests at every step, you’ll be better positioned to leverage upselling. Now you’ll know which deals to push when and possibly even identify new opportunities that you’ve ignored in the past.

- Get more positive reviews and social media mentions

By improving your overall customer journey and providing a great hotel guest experience at every touchpoint, you can organically generate more positive reviews and social media mentions.

- Align your strategy and operation across teams

Your guests won't be the only ones to benefit. Your hotel staff will also become aware of the critical role they have to play and the actions they need to take at every stage. What's more, it improve collaboration by distributing the areas of responsibility more efficiently and fairly.

Final thoughts

The Internet has had a major impact on the hotel guest journey. What used to be a linear journey with a clear starting point has turned into a scattered approach.

From social media to official business websites to OTAs to traditional word-of-mouth suggestions, travellers hop from one source to the next when booking a trip. What’s more, thanks to the advances in tech, they no longer need to wait until they check out before they can start reviewing the accommodation and its amenities. They can take a photo on the spot and with a click of a button it can be shared on multiple channels online.

Both the internet and the global pandemic have changed how travellers approach booking a hotel room. Face-to-face interactions at the check-in and checkout stages can be replaced with contactless services. Plus, during the stay, guests are more comfortable using software to book facilities and services.

Considering that travellers have grown familiar with various digital tools and that these tools can help hotels basically throughout the guest journey, it’s a worthy investment. Whether that’s upgrading your email provider or signing up for an upselling software, ask yourself in which area you need the most help and start working smarter.

Upsell across the entire guest journey

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive our latest content, any questions about oaky feel free to reach out.

Senior Marketing Manager 

Don’t want to miss any news from Oaky?

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive a curated selection of our best content.

Your web browser is out of date.

Update your browser for more security, speed and the best experience on this site.

Hotel Guest Journey Mapping: Everything You Need To Know

Understanding the hotel guest journey is an essential aspect of providing top-notch service in the hospitality industry. Creating a visual and analytical representation, also known as Hotel Guest Journey Mapping, of this journey enables hoteliers to grasp the various stages that travelers experience, from initial awareness all the way through to post-stay engagement.

This process, known as guest journey mapping, serves as a strategic tool to cater to customers’ needs effectively and ensure they feel their investment in their stay is worthwhile.

In the competitive landscape of hospitality, the focus is always on delivering an exceptional experience. By breaking down the guest’s interaction with the hotel into phases, hotel operators can pinpoint areas of excellence and opportunities for improvement. The mapping covers touchpoints such as the search and booking process, the on-site experience, and the follow-up communication, aiming to optimize each step to achieve customer satisfaction and loyalty.

As someone who’s navigated the hospitality industry’s ups and downs for over three decades, I’ve witnessed firsthand how aligning hotel operations with the guest’s journey can transform service delivery, boost satisfaction, and drive loyalty. Drawing from a rich tapestry of experiences, from my early days of hands-on roles in family-owned hotels to operating my own hotel, I’ll share insights that demystify guest journey mapping and illustrate its impact on your business.

Join me as we explore practical steps to map out your guests’ journey, identify their needs and expectations at each stage, and implement changes in your business that make a real difference.

1. Understanding Guest Journey Mapping

In the hotel industry, Guest Journey Mapping serves as a strategic approach to enhance the guest experience. It is instrumental for hotels aiming to meet and exceed customer expectations.

Defining Guest Journey Mapping

Guest Journey Mapping is the process by which hotels chart out each step a guest takes, from initial research to  post-stay engagement . By visualizing the guest’s experience through different stages such as  booking a room  or checking-in, hoteliers can identify key interactions and moments that shape the guest’s overall perception.

Importance for Hotels

For hotels, understanding and optimizing the Hotel Guest Journey is crucial. It allows them to deliver a personalized and memorable experience, leading to increased guest satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy. By utilizing a  Guest Journey Map , hoteliers can streamline operations and tailor services to meet the specific needs and preferences of their guests.

Key Components

The Guest Journey Map consists of several core elements:

• Touchpoints : All the points of interaction between the guest and the hotel.
• Phases : The stages of the guest’s journey, from awareness to  post-stay .
• Emotions : How guests feel at each touchpoint, providing insights into their experience.
• Opportunities : Identified areas for improvement or innovation based on the mapping.

By analyzing these components, hoteliers can make data-driven decisions to enhance the guest experience from start to finish.

2. Stages of Guest Journey

The guest journey in the  hotel industry  is often segmented into structured phases, each with its own distinct characteristics and critical touchpoints.

Dreaming Phase

In the  Dreaming Phase , potential guests imagine the possibilities for their next trip. It’s a time filled with inspiration, often fueled by stunning images and compelling stories.

Planning Phase

The  Planning Phase  involves meticulous research and comparison. Guests evaluate different accommodation options , looking for the perfect fit that aligns with their needs and desires.

Booking Phase

During the  Booking Phase , a guest makes the decision and takes action to reserve their stay. Ease of booking and clear communication are crucial elements that hotels must ensure.

Experiencing Phase

The  Experiencing Phase  is where guests immerse themselves in the actual stay, interacting with the hotel’s amenities and services. It’s the core of the hospitality offering, aiming to meet and exceed guest expectations.

Sharing Phase

Finally, the  Sharing Phase  is where guests reflect on their stay and often share their experiences with others through reviews and social media, impacting the hotel’s reputation and future guest interest.

3. Implementing Guest Journey Mapping

Implementing Guest Journey Mapping requires a structured approach to capturing the detailed movements and experiences of guests. It involves gathering data, creating engaging content, integrating technology, and training staff, all aimed at delivering personalized experiences and continuously enhancing service quality.

Data Collection

It begins by meticulously gathering data through  surveys , guest feedback, and  online reviews . A  CRM system  could be instrumental in organizing guest information, including preferences and past interactions.

• Surveys : Collect guests’ input post-stay.
• Feedback : Encourage online reviews and ratings.
• Observations : Note direct experiences and behaviors.

Content Creation

You can also create website content to target each phase of the guest’s journey, from initial awareness to post-departure. This content ranges from informative blog posts about  mapping the hotel guest journey from A-Z   to enticing marketing emails.

• Awareness : Educational blog posts, social media posts.
• Consideration : Testimonials, marketing emails.
• Decision : Promotional offers.
• Retention : Follow-up emails, loyalty program details.

Technology Integration

You should be integrating technology like booking engines and mobile apps that align with the  hotel customer journey map , enhancing the guest’s experience and simplifying processes.

• Booking Engine : For easy reservation management.
• Mobile Apps : Enable direct in-app communication.

Staff Training

Conduct regular staff training sessions to educate employees about the importance of each touchpoint in the  hotel guest experience journey mapping . Staff become adept at recognizing guest needs and delivering exceptional service.

• Role Play : Simulations of guest interactions.
• Workshops : Education on guest journey’s importance.

Personalization Approaches

Utilize customer data to tailor experiences and offers, knowing that personalization can make a significant impact on guest satisfaction and loyalty.

• Preferences : Using data to customize room settings.
• Special Occasions : Recognizing birthdays or anniversaries.

Continuous Improvement

Try to establish a culture of continuous improvement, where feedback is actively sought and used to fine-tune the guest experience as described in steps for understanding the guest journey.

• Feedback Loop : Regularly reviewing guest comments.
• KPI Monitoring : Tracking performance against goals.

4. Challenges and Solutions

As hotels strive to enhance  guest experiences , they face distinct hurdles in crafting an accurate and functional Guest Journey Map. Identifying these challenges and implementing effective solutions is paramount for a successful outcome.

Data Collection Issues

The process of gathering sufficient and accurate data to map a guest’s journey can be daunting for hotels. Clarity and precision in data are critical, as they enable hoteliers to fully understand guest interactions at every touch point. To combat these issues, hotels should invest in sophisticated  data analytics tools . These tools can provide real-time insights, enabling more nuanced adjustments to the guest experience.

Integration with Operations

A common stumbling block is ensuring that the Guest Journey Map integrates seamlessly with day-to-day operations. For successful integration, alignment between the digital mapping strategy and the  operational workflow  is essential. This often entails adopting  Centralized Management Systems , which can synchronize information across various departments, ensuring all team members are on the same page.

Ensuring Staff Buy-in

Staff commitment  to the guest journey is pivotal in translating mapping efforts into tangible results. To secure buy-in, management should focus on transparent communication and inclusive training programs. Engaging staff in the process and emphasizing the benefits for guests and employees alike help to foster an environment of shared objectives.

Dealing with Negative Feedback

Responding to and learning from negative feedback is a crucial component of refining the Guest Journey Map. By implementing responsive  Feedback Management Systems , hotels can systematically address complaints, turning potentially negative experiences into opportunities for improvement. This approach not only enhances the current guest’s experience but also sharpens the accuracy of the journey map for future guests.

5. Measuring Impact and ROI

After hotels have implemented journey mapping strategies, they should measure the effectiveness of these changes using concrete metrics.

Key Performance Indicators

To quantify the impact of guest journey mapping, hotels consider several  Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) . These can include occupancy rates, average daily rate (ADR), and revenue per available room (RevPAR). Tracking these figures before and after applying journey mapping techniques gives a clear picture of the financial returns.

Guest Satisfaction Surveys

Guest satisfaction surveys  are direct feedback tools that measure the guest’s experience against their expectations. Surveys typically ask for ratings on various aspects of the stay, from check-in efficiency to room comfort, providing quantifiable data that reflects the effectiveness of journey mapping.

Online Reviews and Reputation Management

Monitoring  online reviews  and managing a hotel’s reputation can offer insights into the guest experience. High ratings and positive reviews can correlate with successful journey-mapping strategies, signaling an increase in guest satisfaction and likelihood of repeat business.

6. Future Trends in Guest Journey Mapping

The hotel industry continually evolves, and the methods for mapping guest journeys are no exception. With technological advancement,  hotel guest journey mapping  is expected to become more intricate and data-driven. Here are key trends that industry professionals are paying attention to:

• Integration of AI and Machine Learning : Hotels are expected to increasingly utilize AI and machine learning algorithms to  personalize the guest experience . By analyzing previous interactions and behaviors, hotels can offer tailored recommendations and services.
• Advanced Predictive Analytics : The use of predictive analytics will aim to foresee guest preferences and potential issues before they arise. This proactive approach can greatly enhance guest satisfaction.
• Virtual Reality Previews : Potential guests might be able to take  virtual tours  of hotels and their amenities, allowing them to experience their journey before it begins.
• Contactless Technology : Enhanced by the pandemic, the trend for contactless interactions continues, with mobile check-in/out and digital concierge services growing in popularity.
• Sustainability Tracking : Guests are increasingly environmentally conscious. In response, some hotels may begin to map and showcase the sustainability aspects of a guest’s stay, from energy use to food consumption patterns.
• Internet of Things (IoT) : The IoT will play a larger role in personalizing room settings to individual guest preferences, from temperature control to entertainment systems, all adjusted before the guest even steps into the room.

By leveraging these technologies,  hotels  aim to deliver seamless and highly personalized experiences that meet or exceed modern traveler expectations.

Wrapping Up: Hotel Guest Journey Mapping

We’ve talked a lot about how to make a map that shows what guests do and like from the start to the end of their stay at your hotel. This map helps you make their visit really special, so they’ll want to come back and tell their friends about it.

If making this map sounds hard, or if you’re not sure how to start, I’m here to help you. I know a lot about hotels and how to make guests happy. If you want me to help you make a map for your hotel, check out my services page and see how we can work together.

Let’s work together to make your hotel a place guests love to remember!

Related Posts:

Understanding Guest Intent in the Hotel Industry

Born into the hotel industry, Donna Hawkins is a seasoned expert who began cleaning rooms at age 12 and owned her own hotel by 23. She is the founder of Accommodation Insiders, a platform dedicated to helping hotel owners succeed through actionable advice on content writing, email marketing, and SEO. Donna is also a successful travel blogger and has built multiple websites from the ground up. Her unique blend of industry experience and digital marketing expertise makes her a go-to resource for hoteliers looking to elevate their business.

A COVID-19 update: Read more…

Hotel Guest Experience Journey Mapping: How to Map 7 Essential Touchpoints

The hotel guest journey can be likened to an extended road trip. Beyond the basics of finding a room, booking a room, and staying for one or two nights, the entire hotel guest journey covers multiple guest touchpoints that occur during and after their stay. Hotel guest journey touchpoints consist of any interaction or point of contact between a customer on their journey and the hotel business.

The adventure begins from the moment a potential guest finds your website and interacts with your content and core amenities. Booking a room is only the beginning — with hotel guest journey mapping, hotels can identify hotel guest touchpoints, strategically engage with guests at different stages until check out, and continue their impression on guests until long after their stay is over.

7 Essential Hotel Guest Journey Touchpoints

For hoteliers, having a firm grasp on the customer journey for hotel guests means zooming out and seeing the big-picture view, as well as zooming in and examining how well the hotel accommodates guests at each stage. Here, we highlight how to use hotel guest journey mapping to identify the most essential hotel guest touch points through the hotel guest journey.

1. Crafting a Responsive, Informative Website

First impressions matter, especially in a busy digital era when attention spans are short. Your hotel’s website often serves as that first impression, so it needs to resonate with prospective guests with the right information and delivery of content.

Having a responsive website – one that offers a clean and easy experience across all types of devices – is a fundamental necessity for the first guest touchpoint. Data shows that nearly 45% of travelers use mobile devices to book their accommodations and 85% use a smartphone to book travel activities.

A responsive and informative website is a must-have for hotels to reach their target audience and increase brand awareness. With that in mind, here are a few important boxes to check:

• Online presence: A well-designed website can ensure that a hotel is getting in front of potential guests at the right moment. With a website, a hotel can appear in search engine results, provide the details that guests are looking for, and make the reservation process far easier.
• Clean layout: A clean, sensible, and easy-to-understand organization is one of the most important hotel website features. A website must be easy for visitors to use and navigate; if a consumer cannot find what they are looking for on their customer journey, they are likely to leave the site for a competitor very quickly.
• Mobile-friendly: A mobile-friendly website is an essential hotel guest touchpoint for hotels, as more and more people are using their mobile devices to search for and book hotels. Having a responsive website that displays well on mobile devices can help boost bookings.
• Informative: A hotel website is a primary source of information for guests. It should provide all the necessary details about the hotel, including amenities, location, and contact information.
• Communication: A hotel’s website is a key avenue of communication between the hotel and its guests. It should be easy for guests to contact the hotel for further information or to make a booking.

Investing in professional photography, interactive online tours, and other web-related features can also provide high ROI in booking more guests. Pro tip: Consider adding an FAQ section to answer common questions guests might have before booking. Also consider turning your website into a marketing powerhouse by integrating SEO, social media, and email.

2. Engaging Social Media Presence

Having an engaging social media presence acting as a hotel guest journey touchpoint is critical for hotels for several reasons. For one, some potential guests overlook visiting the hotel’s website entirely, solely relying on social media search engines and social pages for their information.

According to Expedia , 90% of Gen Z travelers make decisions influenced by social media. This provides a powerful advertising launching pad to use as a hotel guest journey touchpoint, as many prospective guests turn to Facebook or Instagram to browse photos, reviews, and other socially relevant content to validate whether a hotel is hip to their liking.

But beyond connecting with young travelers, social media as a whole is a crucial asset for a wide range of reasons.

• Improve customer engagement: Social media provides an opportunity to act as a hotel guest journey touchpoint for hotels to engage with their customers and respond quickly to queries, provide support, and build relationships with their customers. By being active on social media, hotels can create a following and put themselves in a good position to be found by new potential customers.
• Increase brand awareness: Social media has become an essential tool for hotels to reach their target audience and increase brand awareness. By providing engaging content, like behind-the-scenes photos and videos of staff or user-generated content from guests that encourages interaction from followers, hotels can make a lasting impression on prospective guests even before they arrive at the hotel.
• Make a direct connection with guests: Social platforms are one of the most effective ways for hotels to have a direct connection with guests in various markets. By sharing a live video, posting photos of hotel amenities or local attractions, or showcasing unique offerings, hotels can create social media content that engages their audience and builds loyalty.
• Increase bookings: Social media is a driving force to increase hotel bookings and sales rates, as it is an efficient way to maintain visibility among the proper audience. By leveraging the power of social media as a hotel guest journey touchpoint, hotels can create a strong brand, allow greater exposure worldwide, drive sales, and create and maintain better relationships with customers.
• Share visual content: Guests understand content visually, and social media is a valuable element of a hotel’s marketing toolkit. Without a strong, active social media presence on the hotel guest journey, hotels may lose the attention of potential travelers.

By leveraging the power of social media as a hotel guest touchpoint, hotels can create a strong brand, drive more bookings, and build loyalty among their customers. Next to having a website, prioritizing Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and/or Snapchat is vital when mapping the hotel guest journey.

3. Personalizing Guest Welcome Emails

Welcome emails are a hotel’s digital handshake, the first step to building a rapport with guests. It’s about resonating with guests on a more meaningful level that fosters a sense of loyalty throughout the customer journey.

A study by Experian showed that personalized emails can generate up to six times more revenue than conventional, non-personalized emails. While this data looks at emails as a whole, personalizing guest welcome emails is an easy win for hotels when done right.

So how can hotels tailor their email communications to be more personalized with guests? Consider these approaches:

• Use the guest’s name and mention any special requests or preferences the guest has indicated.
• Include essential details such as check-in and check-out times, hotel amenities, and local attractions.
• Consider adding a welcome message from the hotel manager or general manager, or include a special offer or discount for the guest’s stay.
• Use high-quality images of the hotel and its amenities to make the email more engaging.
• Leverage email templates that can be easily customized and automated for improved communication with guests.
• Encourage guests to engage with the hotel by leaving a review or sharing their experience on social media.

Personalized welcome emails help hotels build stronger relationships with their guests and improve the overall guest experience. There are many ways a welcome email can be personalized toward guests, and these ideas are just the tip of the iceberg.

4. Customized Marketing and Upsells

In hospitality, customized marketing and upselling techniques can be game changers. Hotels can leverage hotel guest journey mapping to understand guest’s preferences and create custom-tailored offers that resonate with them. Making your guests feel special is not only about increasing revenue but also providing them with a personalized experience.

Hotels can offer a variety of customized upsells to enhance the guest experience and increase revenue. Here are some examples:

• Room upgrades: Guests can be offered the option to upgrade their room to a higher category, such as a suite or a room with a better view.
• Packages: Hotels can offer packages that include additional amenities, such as spa treatments, dining experiences, or local tours.
• Late check-out: Guests can be offered the option to extend their check-out time, either for a fee or at no additional cost.
• Transportation services: Hotels can offer transportation services, such as airport transfers or car rentals, to make it easier for guests to get around.
• In-room dining: Guests can be offered the option to order food and drinks to be delivered to their room.
• Special occasions: Hotels can offer customized upsells for special occasions, such as a bottle of champagne for a honeymoon or a birthday cake for a guest’s birthday.
• Personalized amenities: Hotels can offer personalized amenities, such as a pillow menu or a choice of bath products, to cater to guests’ preferences.

As with guest welcome emails, personalization is key to successful upselling, and hotels can use guest data to tailor their upsells to guests’ preferences and needs.

5. Gentle Check-Out Reminders

The check-out stage of the hotel guest experience journey is a crux that requires a mindful approach. Hotels can use gentle check-out reminders to ensure that guests leave on time and to avoid operational issues.

Automated messages to remind guests of the check-out time the night before their departure can help avoid any confusion and ensure that guests leave on time. But while automated, hotels can personalize check-out messages via SMS or email and include the guest’s name and any special requests or preferences they have indicated. It’s also helpful to communicate any late check-out fees upfront and include them in the check-out message to encourage guests to leave on time.

A hotel’s check-out reminder could be a text or email message saying something like, “Hi Sarah, don’t forget checkout is at 11 AM tomorrow. If you need more time, please contact the front desk about arranging a later check-out time.”

With this approach, guests feel cared for even in their final moments and leave with a positive impression that lingers long after they’ve left the property.

6. Request a Positive Review

One of the final and most valuable touchpoints in a hotel guest’s customer journey comes after the stay is over. Your hotel’s reputation can skyrocket when guests share their positive experiences online — but encouraging guests to leave positive reviews is easier said than done. Here are a few best practices to request positive reviews from guests:

• Ask in person: The best time to ask for feedback in person is when the guest is raving about something they enjoyed at the hotel. Hotels can ask guests directly for a review and provide them with a business card or a small sign with their review profiles.
• Include a message on check-out receipts: Hotels can include a message at the bottom of check-out receipts, inviting guests to leave a review online on their preferred review site if they enjoyed their stay.
• Send post-stay emails: Hotels can send post-stay emails to guests thanking them for their stay and asking for feedback. They can include a link to their review profiles and encourage guests to leave a review.
• Provide incentives: Hotels can offer incentives to guests who leave a review, such as a chance to win a free night’s stay or a coupon for on-site services.  However, hotels must be sure to offer acceptable incentives that do not violate any laws or regulations.
• Respond to reviews: Hotels should respond to all negative reviews and some great reviews as well. Thoughtfully responding to online reviews can show guests that the hotel values their feedback and is committed to improving the guest experience.
• Include a review button on social media: Hotels can create a highlight button on their social media page that is called ‘5-Star Reviews’ and collate any positive mentions in there.

By following techniques like these, hotels can more seamlessly request positive reviews from guests and bolster their online reputation. After all, research from TripAdvisor found that 81% of people always or frequently read a hotel’s reviews before booking.

7. Leverage Email Incentives for Future Stays

As a boon for establishing customer loyalty, email incentives can offer guests special deals, discounts, and packages that they may not find elsewhere. Not only can this help build loyalty and encourage repeat bookings, but email incentives act as hotel guest journey touchpoints that provide a direct line of communication between the hotel and its guests.

Hotels can harness the power of email incentives in many creative ways:

• Send post-stay emails to guests thanking them for their stay and offering personalized rewards for future bookings. This can help establish a personal connection with guests and let them know that the hotel values their experiences.
• Offer special offers and promotions to guests via email to encourage them to book future stays. This can include discounts, packages, and exclusive deals.
• Promote their loyalty programs and offer rewards to guests who participate. This can include points for future stays, free upgrades, and other perks.
• Send event and special occasion emails to guests to promote upcoming events and encourage them to book future stays. This can include holiday promotions, seasonal offers, and other special events.
• Notify guests who have started the booking process but haven’t completed it with abandoned cart emails. These emails can offer incentives to encourage guests to complete their booking.

Additionally, hotels can use post-stay email incentives to solicit guest feedback and encourage them to leave reviews. Technology is a critical foundation to all this, enabling effective hotel guest journey mapping and optimization across each hotel guest touchpoint. This is where the support of companies like Blueprint RF comes into play.

Optimize the Hotel Guest Journey with Blueprint RF

A key component to enhancing the hotel guest experience and improving guest satisfaction is connectivity. Blueprint RF provides secure and reliable hotel WiFi services to ensure that guests have a high-speed Internet connection throughout their stay. Via hotel automation and dashboarding solutions, Blueprint RF also helps streamline various aspects of the guest experience journey. In turn, this can help hotels better analyze customer data and improve their operations to support strategic initiatives. For more information, contact Blueprint RF.

Other similar articles

• guest service
• hospitality communication
• Hospitality Technology
• Hotel Technology

Discover Must-Have Features, Benefits & Trends for Hotel Property Management Software Systems In today’s competitive standards of hospitality service, hotel property management software (PMS) has become a crucial investment. When integrated effectively, hotel PMS platforms can improve the efficiency, guest experience, and level of automation across various aspects of a hotel’s operations. Hotel property management […]

• hotel management

The Benefits of Mobile Room Key Integration Into Guest Rooms Mobile room keys have become a staple technology across many types of hotels. Global hotel chains like Marriott, Hilton, IHG, and AccorHotels, as well as luxury resorts like The Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, and Mandarin Oriental, have all adopted mobile room keys for guests. Using cell […]

  Hotel guest room technology has advanced dramatically in recent years, revolutionizing the hospitality sector and transforming what it means to offer remarkable stays. Today, hotels now have access to an array of automated, AI-driven, and mobile technologies that can improve guest experiences while streamlining their operations. From smart thermostats that optimize temperature control to […]

We work with several major brands and management companies, including:

Navigating excellence: crafting a Hotel Customer Journey Map for unforgettable stays

In the realm of hospitality, delivering exceptional guest experiences is paramount. Hoteliers keen on leaving a lasting impression need to understand every touchpoint a guest encounters during their stay. This understanding is where the concept of the hotel customer journey comes into play. By charting out each phase of a guest's experience, hoteliers can fine-tune their services to perfection. In this article, we'll delve into the essence of a hotel customer journey map, providing a comprehensive guide on its creation and sharing an example.

• What is the hotel journey?
• What is a hotel customer journey map?
• Example of a hotel guest journey
• How to create a hotel guest journey

Key take aways

What is the hotel customer journey.

The hotel customer journey refers to the complete sequence of interactions and experiences that a guest goes through, from the initial awareness of a hotel's existence to the post-stay engagement.

This journey encompasses various stages, including researching the hotel, making a booking, arriving at the property, experiencing the services and amenities, checking out, and providing feedback. The emotions, guest wants and needs , and expectations of the guest evolve at each stage, influencing their overall perception of the hotel and their likelihood of returning or recommending it to others.

What is a Hotel Customer Journey Map?

A hotel customer journey map, or guest journey map, is a visual representation that illustrates of the guest's voyage through the hotel's services – the step-by-step process a guest follows when interacting with a hotel, from the very beginning of their research to well after their stay. It outlines key touchpoints, emotions, actions, and pain points that the guest encounters at each stage of their journey.

A hotel customer journey map is an important strategic tool; it provides insights into the guest's expectations, needs, and sentiments, thus providing a holistic view of the guest's experience. It also helps to assess if a hotel fulfills all service standards at all touchpoints. These insights enable hoteliers to identify opportunities for improvement and create or refine their strategies to enhance guest satisfaction and create memorable experiences.

Example of a Hotel Guest Journey

Let's consider a typical hotel guest journey to illustrate the concept:

• Awareness : A potential guest discovers the hotel through online research.
• Consideration : The guest then proceeds to explore the hotel's website, reads reviews, and perhaps interacts with the hotel's social media accounts.
• Booking : Once the decision is made, the guest books a room.
• Arrival and check-in : Upon arrival, the guest is welcomed by the hotel staff.
• Service e xperience : Throughout the stay, the guest interacts with various touchpoints such as room service, concierge assistance, and housekeeping.
• Check-out : On the last day, the guest checks out and leaves the room and pays the bill.
• Post-stay engagement : The guest provides feedback or reviews.

Tip: for folks designing services for high-class hotels, our guide about customer experience of luxury might be a relevant read.

Here is an full example of a hotel customer journey map. This high-level map includes steps from pre-service until post-service. It visualizes the channels of communication that have been influencing the experience, as well as the customer satisfaction / emotion. A storyboard helps to quickly grasp the situation, as well as easily navigate the journey map.

For more examples, check out our collection of customer journey examples.

How to create a Hotel Guest Journey Map

To create a hotel journey map, you can use the following steps as your orientation:

• Identify the touchpoints: Begin by listing all the touchpoints a guest interacts with, from online channels to physical interactions.
• Segment phases: Divide the guest journey into key phases, such as Awareness, Consideration, Booking, Arrival, Stay, Check-out, and Post-Stay.
• Create a guest persona: Develop a guest persona to better understand their needs, preferences, and emotions at each phase.
• Plot emotions and actions: Alongside each phase, map out the guest's emotions, thoughts, and actions. For instance, during the "Arrival" phase, emotions could range from excitement to relief.
• Highlight pain points: Identify potential pain points where the guest experience could falter. These could include long check-in queues or unresponsive customer service.
• Craft solutions: Brainstorm solutions to address these pain points and enhance guest satisfaction. For instance, implementing a mobile check-in option could reduce wait times.

In the competitive landscape of the hospitality industry, understanding the nuances of guest experiences is indispensable. The hotel customer journey map serves as a guiding compass, enabling hoteliers to create remarkable stays for their guests. Through the phases of Awareness, Consideration, Booking, Arrival, Stay, Check-out, and Post-Stay Engagement, hoteliers can strategically enhance touchpoints, mitigate pain points, and craft memorable moments.

... and now?

Embark on the journey of crafting exceptional guest experiences by mapping their path to perfection!

With Smaply you can create your first hotel journey map – for free, forever.

Isabel Grillmayr

Isabel has a multifaceted background that seamlessly weaves together business acumen, sustainability expertise, and a profound understanding of tourism management. A true marketer at heart, she is driven by her passion for crafting exceptional experiences through service design, all while prioritizing sustainability and fostering innovation. Currently pursuing a master's degree in sustainability management, Isabel's commitment to shaping a more responsible and forward-thinking business landscape shines through her inspirational articles.

Related articles

Journey Mapping

Customer journey mapping in SaaS: innovating software experiences

Create an e-commerce customer journey map with a free tool

Customer journey orchestration: what it is, benefits, and tools

CX innovation tips and insights, right into your inbox!

Get our most empowering knowledge alongside the tool! Inspiring customer experience case studies, practitioner insights, tutorials, and much more.

I confirm that my email address is being processed by  Webflow Inc. and could thus be stored on servers outside of my home country. I understand the potential consequences and I am able to make an informed decision when I actively send in my data.

We are a European software company, located in the mountains of Austria.

Smaply is fully compliant with the GDPR and German DSGVO.

2024 — Smaply by More than Metrics

• Property Management System
• Channel Manager
• Booking Engine
• Marketplace
• Revenue Management
• Cloudbeds Payments
• Digital Marketing Suite
• Whistle for Cloudbeds
• Cloudbeds Insights NEW
• B&Bs and Inns
• Hotel Groups
• Vacation Rentals
• Channel Connections
• Ambassador Partner Program
• Cloudbeds Horizon
• Become a Partner
• Customer Stories
• Resource Center
• Guides & Reports
• Calculators
• What to Expect
• Customer Success
• Knowledge Base
• Compass What's new in Q2
• Product Updates
• Cloudbeds University
• Government Compliance
• Company News
• Meet the Team
• Careers We're Hiring!
• Become an Ambassador
• Event Schedule
• Cloudbeds Insights

The guest journey: How guests find, book, and experience your property

The guest journey begins the moment someone decides to take a trip. Depending on their preference, a traveler may start researching places to stay on their favorite OTA or do a quick Google search for top hotels in the area. 

Once a traveler has found the perfect place, next comes the booking. No matter where a reservation is made, this process needs to be as seamless as possible. For direct bookings, this includes a user-friendly booking engine and integrated payment process. 

After booking, confirmation emails and pre-arrival communications containing important property details and upsell opportunities help establish trust and connection ahead of time. 

Upon arrival and throughout the stay, lodging businesses have the opportunity to make a significant impact, delivering exceptional service and guest experiences. After a guest has left, the journey isn’t done. Proper follow-up and nurturing are crucial for a continued relationship. 

In this article, we explore how to cater to guests throughout the entire journey and deliver positive guest experiences that will keep them coming back (and referring their friends). 

What is the hotel guest journey?

The guest experience journey, also called the traveler or hotel customer journey, is the path people follow when planning a trip, from the inspiration stage right through to the post-stay travel experience. While it’s called a journey, it involves much more than travel; it also includes pre-arrival planning, the booking process, and post-trip sharing.

The guest journey can be divided into several stages or phases, which are often referred to as dreaming, planning, booking, experiencing, and sharing. Each stage presents opportunities, or touchpoints, for hotels to connect with travelers, influence their decisions, and ensure guest expectations are met.

Understanding the guest journey is critical to hoteliers and hosts because it helps them build their marketing, distribution, and customer experience plans. This, in turn, drives more bookings, incremental revenue, and higher guest satisfaction.

The guest journey: A funnel or a circle?

Traditionally, marketers have used a purchase funnel model to illustrate the customer journey. In this model, the journey starts at the wide end of the funnel when buyers are just beginning the shopping process and considering a broad array of choices. As buyers move through the process, eliminating some and homing in on others, the funnel narrows. At the end of the funnel, the buyer purchases a product, and the journey ends.

But what happens after the purchase? Several years ago, McKinsey & Company put forth an alternative, circular model that encompasses the post-purchase stage and the cyclical nature of purchasing and repurchasing over a customer’s lifetime. This model features a “loyalty loop” that is highly applicable to the hotel business. When guests are happy with their accommodation choice, on their next trip they may skip the dreaming and planning stages and go straight to rebooking the same property.

What is a guest journey map? 

Whether you prefer a funnel-shaped or circular model, it’s a good idea to create a guest journey map to illustrate the typical path your guests follow to find and book your property. This will help you visualize the key phases of the guest journey and the potential touchpoints along the way to deliver positive experiences.

Download the guest journey map. Download now  

5 stages of the guest journey

Marketers use various labels to describe the steps of the customer journey. In the hotel industry, Google’s Five Stages of Travel can be particularly helpful. Below, we explain what happens at each stage and how hotels can connect with travelers and guide their choices at every touchpoint. 

Today, many of these touchpoints take place on digital channels. With the help of hospitality technology, hotels can automate tasks to save time and ensure opportunities aren’t missed.

Stage 1: Dreaming

In this initial research stage, travelers are looking for inspiration. They are open to ideas and exploring a variety of options. They might be considering several destinations and comparing options for transportation, accommodation, and activities in each. In this stage, search activity tends to be broad and destination-oriented, favoring platforms like Google, Tripadvisor, destination marketing organization (DMO) sites, and social media .

Strategies for hoteliers and hosts in the dreaming stage:

• Make sure your Google Business Profile is accurate. Information from these listings is displayed in popular travel research products like Google Search, Google Hotel Search, and Google Maps and will help a traveler discover your property.
• Revisit your Tripadvisor listing to ensure the content is fresh and current.
• Ensure you’re listed on the websites of local, regional, and national destination marketing organizations or tourism bureaus.
• Your listings on each of these platforms should be complete and up to date with details about your location and amenities, quality photos and videos, and appealing descriptions that answer the questions travelers may have at this stage of the journey.
• Share photos, videos, and other content on Facebook, Instagram , TikTok, and YouTube to promote your destination and local activities. Encourage your guests to do the same.

Check out Cloudbeds’ comprehensive guide to hotel marketing. Read guide .

Stage 2: Planning

In this decision-making stage, potential guests narrow down their options, select the destination, and evaluate options for accommodations and activities. Online travel agencies (OTAs) like Booking.com and Expedia and review sites are especially popular during this phase for comparing location information, amenities, pricing, and reviews. Travelers also check out hotel websites to find out more.

Strategies for hoteliers and hosts in the planning stage:

• Diversify your distribution . The more channels you’re listed on, the better the chances travelers will find you. This includes not only the most popular OTAs but also metasearch engines, the GDS for travel agent bookings and other providers, and, if applicable, alternative accommodation sites like Airbnb, Homeaway, Vrbo, and Hostelworld. Use a channel manager to efficiently manage rates and availability on multiple sites.
• Ensure your OTA listings are complete with descriptions, photos, amenities, and other helpful information, such as your wifi availability. The quality of your listings is important because it affects your ranking on OTA sites. The higher your quality score, the greater your visibility. It will also help conversion rates by giving travelers the information they seek.
• Respond to negative and positive reviews promptly, fix issues that come up in complaints, and incentivize your team to earn five-star reviews. Traveler reviews and ratings also affect OTA rankings and can have a major impact on booking decisions. You want to make it clear that you care about your guests and that your property is equipped to fulfill travelers’ needs.
• Optimize your website. Content should be easy to navigate and SEO-optimized, with all the information site visitors, need to make a booking decision. Consider using a chatbot to make it easy for users to contact your property and respond quickly to inquiries.
• Focus on visual storytelling. Travel planners tend to scan text quickly and spend more time viewing photos and videos. Feature imagery captures the imagination, gives a sense of place, and inspires emotions like desire, nostalgia, relaxation, productivity, and a sense of fun.
• Make sure your digital marketing strategy includes a paid search campaign to reach travel planners with targeted ads on Google, Facebook, and Instagram.

Stage 3: Booking

Now, the moment of truth. Travelers have narrowed the options to one property and are ready to book. Will it be your property? During this phase, travelers tend to visit and revisit numerous sites, such as OTAs, metasearch platforms, and hotel websites , to compare pricing and offers before they make their final choice.

Strategies for hoteliers and hosts in the booking stage:

• Maintain a dynamic pricing strategy . Your goal is not just to sell rooms but to sell them at the highest rate travelers are willing to pay. This means constantly adjusting rates to reflect changes in market demand, occupancy, and competitor pricing. Revenue management software will help you optimize and automate this process, ensuring you always offer the right rates to the right guests at the right time.
• Play the metasearch game. Platforms like Google Hotel Search, Kayak, and Trivago are especially popular at this stage for comparing prices across booking channels. A hotel metasearch marketing strategy will help you maintain rate parity across channels and compete with OTAs for bookings.
• Diversify your offerings. Offer a variety of room types and packages to appeal to a broad range of traveler types, from budget travelers and business travelers to attendees of special events and last-minute bookers. Remember that traveler preferences change over time. 
• Make direct bookings easy. A fast and reliable hotel reservation system with an integrated booking engine will enable travelers to check availability and make a booking in real-time on your website using their credit card or other payment option. Offer a best-rate guarantee and incentives to book directly and limited-time offers to create a sense of urgency to book now.
• Send a confirmation to summarize the details of the guest’s stay using email automation.   

Stage 4: Experiencing

Your work doesn’t end with a booking; in some ways, it’s just beginning. This stage starts with the guest’s arrival and continues through to departure. Here are some ways to enhance the hotel guest experience .

Strategies for hoteliers and hosts in the experiencing stage:

• Ensure a seamless arrival experience by sending an automated pre-stay text or WhatsApp inviting the guest to check out the digital concierge. Include an opportunity to secure room upgrades, add breakfast, reserve a table in the dining room, or schedule airport pick-up. 
• Make the check-in experience hassle-free for guests by offering online check-in to skip the line upon arrival. Guests can upload all relevant information, take a selfie for ID purposes, and pay, all on a web-based app. Implement door locks so guests can open their room from their phone. 
• Reimagine the welcome experience. If using digital check-in, give your staff the chance to welcome guests in unique ways. Whether that’s crafting personalized itineraries or giving guests tours of the property and its amenities upon arrival. 
• Use guest messaging functionality to keep in touch with guests and send them important notifications during their stay on the channel of their choice, whether by text, Messenger, or WhatsApp. You can also use this channel for guests to reach out with any questions, concerns, or requests they have during their stay. 
• Check in with guests partway through their stay using an in-stay survey solution. This will give you the opportunity to resolve issues while the guest is in-house and find ways to turn a good stay into an unforgettable experience.
• Utilize an integrated point of sale system (POS) so that guests can easily make contactless on-site purchases charged back to their folio. That way, guests don’t have to be concerned about carrying cards around the property and can pay for everything during the check-out process.
• Use internal workflows and communication channels to automate and streamline tasks. If a guest texts the front desk asking for an extra towel, automatically route this request to the housekeeping team. 

Stage 5: Sharing

This stage begins after guests depart and continues through to their next trip when the traveler’s journey recommences. This is the time guests are most likely to share their experience with others through word-of-mouth, on social media, or in online reviews.

Strategies for hoteliers and hosts in the sharing stage:

• Send an automated post-stay survey to solicit guest feedback or ask to post an online review on their travel site of choice.
• Invite guests to follow you on social media and share photos and comments about their stay.
• Invite them to join your loyalty program to take advantage of special perks, rewards, and incentives.
• Using your customer relationship management (CRM) system , set up targeted marketing campaigns to entice guests back.

And that brings us to the end of the guest journey in the hospitality industry, although it’s certainly not the end of your relationship with the guest. If you’ve done a great job communicating with guests and taking care of their needs at every touchpoint, they may bypass the Dreaming and Planning stages and go directly to rebooking your property on their next trip. The more guests who follow this loyalty loop, the more you will save in marketing costs and the more long-time, loyal guests you will earn.

See how Cloudbeds helps thousands of properties reach more travelers. Book a Demo

The upsell playbook

• First name *
• Last name *
• Property Name *
• Property Type * Property type* Hotel Bed and Breakfast Hostel Apartment Groups Vacation Homes Alternative Accommodations
• How many listings do you have?
• How many Addresses does your business have?
• Language for your demo * English
• Increase revenue
• Delight guests
• Streamline operations

• Cloudbeds Hospitality Platform
• Ambassador Program
• Cloudbeds Login
• Terms of Service
• Privacy Policy
• Data Security
• Cookie Policy
• Accessibility

• Privacy Policy

The 7 Effective Travel Customer Journey Mapping Stages

Last Updated on February 26, 2024 by The Digital Travel Expert

Welcome to the realm of travel customer journey mapping, a dynamic process that transcends mere transactions to create unforgettable memories.

In a world where travel isn’t just a means to an end but an experience in itself, understanding the intricate dance between customer expectations and service delivery is paramount.

But what exactly does it entail, and why is it crucial for travel businesses across diverse niches?

Join us on an exploration as we unravel the layers of effective stages. From luxury escapades to budget-friendly adventures, we’ll delve into how businesses in various niches can craft experiences that resonate deeply with their clientele.

Embark on this journey with us as we navigate through the stages, from the initial spark of inspiration to the post-trip reflections, discovering the pivotal touchpoints that define memorable travel experiences.

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler seeking new insights or a business owner aiming to enhance customer satisfaction, this exploration promises to provoke thought and inspire innovation.

Buckle up as we embark on a voyage through the realms of customer journey stages, where every stage holds the potential to transform a simple trip into an extraordinary odyssey.

Table of Contents

1. Understanding customer journey map in the travel and hospitality Industry

The travel journey map refers to the process that customers go through while thinking about, planning, and experiencing a trip. It involves several stages, starting with the initial inspiration and research phase, followed by the booking and preparation stage, and finally culminating in the actual travel experience and post-trip reflections.

Understanding the stages of the customer journey in the travel industry helps businesses understand the touchpoints and emotions that customers encounter at each stage. It enables them to provide personalized and memorable experiences that meet the customers’ needs and expectations . Understanding client journey mapping will also allow your travel business to identify potential pain points and areas for improvement to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Importance of understanding unique specificities

The importance of identifying unique needs and challenges as the first step in journey mapping will make a difference. This brings back the need for tour companies or hotels to focus on a travel niche that aligns with their expertise and resources. If you are going for a luxury travel niche , it makes sense to have a clue as to what an affluent tourist will need to have a memorable and exclusive experience.

With the unique needs and expectations of customers at each touchpoint, your luxury travel businesses will tailor offerings and communications for a seamless and delightful experience. The travel industry is different from other online businesses in that it involves an online experience but most importantly, the human touch.  

– Overview of journey mapping structure in the travel industry

This article will again discuss in depth the unique needs and expectations of tourists and how travel businesses can cater to them. It will then highlight the importance of tailoring offerings and communications for a seamless and delightful experience. Next, it will emphasize the customer journey analysis in the travel industry, starting with the online experience but ultimately leveraging the human touch. Finally, the article will conclude by emphasizing the significance of this distinction in the online business landscape. Let’s explore the pre-travel stage now. 

2. Discovery Stage of the Traveler Journey Mapping

During the discovery stage, potential travelers are seeking inspiration and information about their next destination, not necessarily knowing which one . Probably the client read a book about a certain country, studied history at school, or saw a sports athlete from a specific country perform exceptionally well. There are reasons why people choose certain travel destinations over others, and these reasons can vary greatly from person to person.  Some may be drawn to the natural beauty and landscapes of a certain country shown on TV or in travel magazines. Others may be interested in the rich history and cultural heritage that a destination has to offer.

For instance, some avid adventurers who enjoy adrenaline-inducing activities in the USA may have an idea about similar activities in other countries. Similarly, those who appreciate the arts and architecture in one city may be curious about experiencing them in different parts of the world. In a few words, the inspiration stage is an important piece of stages of the client journey.

3. Pre-travel Stage

– Inspiration and research

People travel for different reasons. Whatever reasons and needs lead travelers to think about planning a trip, tourism businesses must understand the challenges their target audience goes through. During the pre-travel stage, tourists seek inspiration and conduct extensive research to plan their trips. They explore various online platforms, such as travel websites, social media influencers , and review sites, to gather information about destinations, accommodations, activities, and local experiences. 

To capture your clients’ attention and stand out from the competition, your travel business must create compelling travel content that sparks curiosity and provides valuable insights.  It’s not enough to draw attention, but being able to deliver on the concrete needs of your target audience will help your tour company or hotel thrive in the long term. Running a travel business is like running a long-term relationship with people. 

– Digital platforms and social media as primary sources of information.

Travelers no longer rely on print magazines as their only source of information. Digital marketing and communication have revolutionized the way travel businesses, destinations, and travelers connect. However, the digital sphere has a lot of options and can be overwhelming to navigate. From social media to influencer marketing and travel SEO strategy , endless digital marketing strategies exist to explore and implement.

Your travel business needs to leverage platforms and strategies that align with your target audience and business goals and, most importantly, where you can meet your target market. Finding the right sphere where your clients hang out is the key to client journey mapping. Whatever marketing channel you choose, make sure your communications address their problems and challenges.  

– Influence of reviews and ratings

You know how reviews influence your purchasing decision before buying a product from Amazon or any e-commerce website. The travel industry isn’t different. So, your tour company reviews play a significant role in convincing potential customers about your travel business services . Positive travel reviews and high ratings on platforms such as TripAdvisor tend to boost confidence in customers and increase the likelihood of them choosing your tour company for their travel needs.

However, the way you respond to negative reviews and handle customer complaints can also greatly impact your reputation and potential for future business success . So, in their journey to finding the right tour company, your response and resolution to any negative feedback will play a crucial role. 

Regardless of what reviews and ratings say about your travel company, they are an integral part of the journey. 

– Role of travel businesses

In most cases, your travel business has the power to make the online experience seamless. The role of travel businesses goes beyond just providing services and packages to customers. You need to educate, inform, and assist tourists from the online to the field experience. To do this effectively, tourism businesses( usually travel agencies and hotels) must leverage technology that streamlines not only the booking process but also enhances communication and provides personalized recommendations.

In tourism, there is such a thing as pre-tour customer satisfaction or experience. Digital transformation and human skills go hand in hand for a seamless and enjoyable journey for travelers.

– Planning and booking

This is a crucial stage for both travelers and the tour businesses involved. On the one hand, the tourist goes through stages of gauging if the travel company they find is the right one. On the other hand, the travel company needs to ensure that they provide a seamless and satisfactory customer experience to pass the vetting process. Let’s explore them one by one. 

– Comparison of different travel options

When you want to book a hotel room in a destination, you will need to compare hotel rates. The same applies to your customers. Your excellent online customer experience is not convincing enough for travelers to book with your tour company.  Your pricing strategy needs to take your target audience into consideration . Your clients will email two or three travel companies to make an informed decision and choose the most suitable one for their needs and budget. Your client journey mapping is also defined by your pricing strategy. 

– Consideration of budget and preferences

Budget is not the only deciding factor. Other factors should be taken into account. The travel packages should be designed in a way that meets your target market’s budget and preferences while also aligning with your pricing strategy. The overall customer experience, tour offerings, and complementary services are also important considerations.

– Importance of clear and transparent booking processes

Travelers hate unexpected costs the same way you do when shopping online. They want to know exactly what they’re paying for and not be hit with hidden fees or charges. This should be clearly stated in your offerings on your website; otherwise, a lack of clear information can disrupt the search prematurely. 

– Preparing for the trip

So far, so good; the client has booked the trip with you and is excited about it. The journey hasn’t stopped. Is there any extra information about the trip that the client needs to know, or is everything clear and ready? Whether it is an update about your destination or an event happening during their travel period, the client will be happy to receive this information.

– Gathering necessary travel documents

Is the visa available on arrival, or should it be applied for before their trip? Supplying all required information about vaccinations, visas, and any other necessary travel documents will prove your professionalism. And you want to be known as such.

– Packing and organizing essentials

Just imagine the expectations or fears you had when you traveled abroad for the first time. Traveling overseas can be overwhelming, but with thorough preparation, it can be an unforgettable experience. Nobody wants to carry unnecessary clothes that won’t be worn. 

– Managing expectations and setting goals

On the traveler’s side, before embarking on the booking trip, the client will take some time to manage their expectations and set realistic goals. Even though they understand that not everything may go as planned, they will keep a positive mindset, and being adaptable will make the experience more enjoyable. As a tour service provider, being in the shoes of the traveler will allow you to better understand their needs and provide a more personalized and satisfying experience.

You will be more prepared to help them achieve their goals. Whether it’s learning a new language, immersing oneself in the local culture, or simply creating lasting memories, you have the power to enhance a traveler’s experience. 

4. Travel Stage

– Departure and transportation

If your tour package includes assistance with booking flights and airport transfers, you must provide detailed information about transportation options at the destination. Clear communication alleviates any stress or confusion your clients may have once they land. Picking up your clients from the airport on time is the first impression of the actual tour. It sets the tone for the rest of the tour. A quick briefing about the activities of the following day is something that should be observed at all times. 

– Logistics and coordination of travel arrangements

The best travel management will ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for your clients. This means comfortable transportation to and from airports, hotels, and various tour destinations. This is a crucial moment. If you carefully manage the required logistics, you will minimize any potential delays or inconveniences that may arise during the trip. Again, if things don’t go according to plan, make sure you have a plan B already set. Having a backup plan can help avoid major disruptions and keep everything on track. Remember, the traveler has built his goals based on the detailed itinerary. Your travel business should always strive to deliver on its promises and be flexible and adaptable in case any unexpected changes occur. 

– Airport procedures and security checks

Airport procedures are usually the same, but not always. It is important to provide enough information about any special requirements when entering or exiting the destination. Are there any airport taxes, fees, or additional charges that need to be paid? If well prepared, the traveler can better manage their time and avoid unnecessary stress. 

-Modes of transportation and their unique experiences

Remember, the itinerary submitted to the traveler is a highlight of the main sites or activities they will do. A well-versed tour service provider will be able to improvise and suggest additional sites or activities based on the traveler’s preferences and interests. This comes from the communication between the traveler and the guide. Those unique experiences usually make the most of their time and create unforgettable memories. They can be anything from exploring hidden gems in the city to participating in local cultural events. Those small details will make a difference and add depth and meaning to their overall travel experience.

– Accommodation specificities

The choice of the accommodation facility is important for the tour experience. The travel company should be able to choose or at least recommend hotels or even unique accommodations like eco-lodges or homestays that align with the traveler’s preferences and budget. The quality of the accommodation and meals plays an important role in ensuring a satisfying and memorable travel experience . 

– Choosing the right type of accommodation

The right accommodation doesn’t mean the most popular hotel in the city. There is no conventional best accommodation. Great accommodation means finding a place that suits the traveler’s needs and preferences, whether that be a cozy bed and breakfast or a luxury resort. The accommodation should provide comfort, convenience, and a sense of relaxation for the traveler to truly enjoy their trip. 

– Checking-in and room selection

In the same way that some travelers prefer aisle seats when flying, some clients will need a room facing the beach. Hotels often offer various room options and amenities. If you happen to have a client with a specific preference for a room, just inform the hotel in advance so they can accommodate their request. Small details like this can make a big difference in the overall experience. Going the extra mile for your clients is not cheap. 

– Amenities and services provided by the accommodation

Tourists don’t only focus on the quality of the room and meals when rating a hotel. From luxurious spas and gyms to complimentary breakfast and concierge services, these offerings can elevate their stay and leave a lasting impression. They also consider the overall ambiance, cleanliness, and customer service. Your role as a travel company is to partner with hotels and lodges that won’t compromise the quality of your client’s tour experiences. 

– Experiencing the destination

Travelers choose a destination for different reasons. Whether it is an adventure of a lifetime, a cultural experience, or simply relaxation, the goal is always to create memories that will leave a lasting impression. Help your guests go and explore the world, embrace new experiences, and make unforgettable memories. The possibilities are endless when it comes to creating lasting impressions and unforgettable memories.

– Engaging in local culture and traditions

This is a key to gaining a deeper understanding of the place they are visiting. From trying traditional cuisine to participating in local festivals and rituals, these experiences provide a unique insight into the customs and way of life of the destination. Engaging in local culture and traditions not only enriches the travel experience but also fosters connections with the local community, creating meaningful interactions that will be cherished for years to come. That’s where the tour guide’s expertise comes in handy.

5. Online Reviews and Recommendations 

It has become a culture for travelers to review tourist attractions and tour companies they have traveled with.  Reviews and recommendations from satisfied clients greatly impact the reputation of your company. Whether they are happy with your services or not, your clients will likely share their experiences on third-party travel platforms like TripAdvisor and others. You shouldn’t sit and watch. A week or so after the tour, email your clients and ask them if you can write a review about their travel experience.

Don’t be shy about telling them how it helps your business. While not all satisfied clients will write a review, at least they will know you value them and appreciate their feedback.

6. Offline recommendations: word of mouth

If your company has amazed them, travelers will tell their families and friends where they have been and about the great tour company that treated them well. It is so easy to share a story or a recommendation with others, especially when they have had such a positive experience. The story isn’t only about the destination but everything that goes with it—people, food, weather,…

There are travel clubs where tourists who share a common interest in exploring new places can connect and exchange their experiences, tips, and advice. It could be a club for luxury travelers, hiking, wildlife adventure, and heritage travel. Whatever club your clients belong to, make sure they have a positive experience. Your great (or poor) customer experience will be communicated to fellow travelers. 

7. Loyalty stage: booking again with your travel company

-Repeat travelers 

If you offer services that your clients can book more than once, the happy ones will come back to you for future trips and recommend your company to others. Your travel company must earn their loyalty by providing exceptional experiences and top-notch customer service. Travelers who come back to you will usually value the trust, personalized attention, and seamless planning process that your company offers. Although the journey for a loyal traveler isn’t the same as a first-time one, you should never compromise on service quality.

In the same way you pay attention to small details for new travelers, you should do the same for loyal ones too. If you have a chance of going further, do it. Are there any discounts, special offers, loyalty cards, or rewards your company can provide? Build a loyalty culture for those repeat clients. 

-Referral programs

If you are more serious and ambitious about your travel business, you should understand a referral program as part of the stages.  While some travelers will recommend your services to friends and colleagues without any compensation in return, it will make more sense for most travelers if they can get a reward for their referrals. It could be an Amazon voucher or a commission on bookings made through their referrals. Referral is a practice you will always find in an e-commerce customer journey.

The referral program works well with travel bloggers and influencers . It is a great way to incentivize loyal customers to refer your services to their friends and family. When you offer discounts or rewards for successful referrals, you not only encourage repeat business but also expand your customer base through word-of-mouth marketing. 

What is Customer journey mapping?

Customer journey mapping is a strategic tool used to understand and visualize the entire experience a customer goes through when interacting with a brand or product. It helps businesses identify pain points, opportunities for improvement, and areas where they can enhance customer satisfaction. You can find a free customer journey map template but you should always personalize it.

Example of customer journey map

One example of a customer journey map in the travel industry is the Out-of-market Stage, where potential travelers become aware of different destinations and start dreaming about their next vacation. During the Awareness Stage, they begin researching and gathering information about various travel options. In the Consideration Stage, they narrow down their choices and compare prices, itineraries, and reviews. The Intent Stage is when they make a decision and start planning their trip in detail. The Purchase Stage is when they book their flights and accommodations.

How to create a customer journey map

The first step involves understanding your target audience and their pain points to find a solution to their travel needs.

What are some common challenges faced during journey mapping and how can they be overcome?

Some common challenges faced during journey mapping include limited access to customer data, difficulty in identifying all touchpoints, and resistance from stakeholders. These challenges can be overcome by conducting thorough research to gather customer data, using techniques like customer interviews and surveys. Additionally, involving stakeholders early on in the process and addressing their concerns can help mitigate resistance and ensure their buy-in

What tools or resources can assist me in conducting effective journey mapping? 

There are several tools and resources available to assist you in conducting effective journey mapping. Some popular options include customer journey mapping software, such as UXPressia or Smaply, which provide templates and visualization tools to help you map out the traveler’s journey. Additionally, conducting customer surveys, and interviews, and analyzing customer feedback can provide valuable insights for journey mapping. It is also helpful to consult industry research and case studies to gain a deeper understanding of best practices and successful strategies in journey mapping. 

How can journey mapping benefit my business?

Journey mapping can benefit your business in several ways. Firstly, it helps you gain a deeper understanding of your customers’ experiences and emotions throughout their journey with your company. This allows you to identify pain points and areas for improvement, leading to enhanced customer satisfaction and loyalty. Additionally, journey mapping helps you align your business processes and strategies with the customer’s needs, resulting in more effective and targeted marketing campaigns . Ultimately, journey mapping can lead to increased customer retention and business growth.

What are the frequent challenges to travel journey mapping?

They include accurately capturing all the details and experiences of the trip, as well as organizing and presenting them in a visually appealing and informative way. Additionally, incorporating subjective elements such as emotions and personal reflections can be challenging, as they may vary from person to person. 

What makes travel company or hotel journey mapping effective?

Travel company or hotel journey mapping is effective because it provides a comprehensive understanding of the customer’s experience throughout their entire travel journey. It helps identify pain points, areas of improvement, and opportunities for delivering exceptional customer service.

Customer journey maps for travel agencies

It includes several stages. First, the customer becomes aware of the travel agency through various marketing channels, such as advertisements or word-of-mouth recommendations. Next, they research different travel options and destinations offered by the agency. They may also compare prices and read reviews to make an informed decision. Once they have chosen a travel package, they book their trip through the agency and receive confirmation of their reservation. During the trip, the customer may encounter any issues or challenges that need to be resolved by contacting the agency’s customer service. 

Wrapping up

The common understanding of the travel customer journey involves the initial inspiration and research phases, where customers may seek inspiration from various sources such as friends, family, or online platforms. Once a destination is chosen, customers move on to the planning and booking phase, where they search for the best deals and accommodations that match their travel preferences. 

Despite the many customer journey mapping tools, travel companies need to understand their clients to provide a personalized and tailored travel experience. During the trip, customers experience the actual travel phase, which includes transportation, accommodation, and activities. Whatever customer journey map templates you use, remember that tourism is about a personal journey and creating lasting memories for individuals, always keeping in mind the unique experiences and preferences of each traveler. In a few words, customer journey map examples will give you inspiration on how you can build yours according to your travel niche. 

Keep in mind these seven stages: Out-of-market Stage, Awareness Stage, Consideration Stage, Intent Stage, Purchase Stage, Post-Purchase Stage, and Advocacy Stage. These seven stages are essential for creating a successful travel niche.

Additional resources of templates

Recommended For You!

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

The Complete Guest Journey: From Pre-Arrival to Post-Stay

Know Everything from Booking to Check-Out

The guest journey begins long before check-in. It often begins the moment a potential guest conducts a Google search like: “Five-star hotels in Tampa, Floria”. But not all guest journeys begin this way. Perhaps they discover your hotel while casually browsing Instagram or by opening up Booking.com.

And in truth, this journey continues through check-in, in-house, checkout, and, ultimately, post-stay. Perhaps guests love your property so much that they become loyal customers, returning year after year. In this case, a guest journey — in theory — could be indefinite. 

But why is the journey important and how does managing it properly help you improve the guest experience and make more money? In this blog post, we’ll look at the five stages of the guest journey and how you can improve your guest experience every step of the way.

The Importance of Understanding the Entire Hotel Guest Journey

When you’re trying to understand who your guests are and what makes them tick, examining the guest journey is a great place to start. But of course, your guests are always evolving. Booking paths change and activities come in and out of fashion. 

Understanding your guests’ journeys must be a continual process. By engaging in it, you can market and cater to guests more effectively and change strategies to best fit the needs of your unique audience. 

Say your hotel is a business travel hotspot, but you also get a good handful of families. What works for a business traveler probably won’t work for a mom and dad with young kids. Getting to know the journeys of all of your personas will help each of your hotel departments prepare for how to handle these guests.

Ultimately, optimizing every stage of the guest journey will help you increase customer satisfaction and earn more revenue.  

The Key Parts of a Guest Journey:

The guest journey can be segmented into five important parts.

Pre-Arrival

Pre-arrival is the beginning of the guest journey ( or cycle, if you like ). At this point, guests begin their research, which may be taking place for a variety of reasons:

• They don’t have a clear idea of where they want to go; they just know they need a vacation.
• They know they want to visit Europe, but have no idea which country. 
• They want to visit Canada but haven’t decided whether they’d like a city or rural experience.
• They already know they’d like to visit your hotel, but aren’t sure what type of room they want to book.

Your job, as a hotel business, is to be visible wherever they are searching and this is where your marketing team shines. Search engine optimization, digital and print advertising, social media management, distribution strategy, and your website are all powerful tools you can use to attract and engage potential guests.

Once your guest has decided they want to visit your hotel they enter the booking phase. Guests want to book their trip quickly and easily. Having a smooth, simple booking experience will give a great first impression to guests and add to the overall guest experience . 

Then, all they have left to do is wait for their vacation! At this stage, guests appreciate timely responses to queries and inspiration for their upcoming trip.

Protip: The pre-arrival stage of the guest journey is one of the best times to offer room upgrades and other upsell offers for purchase. Guests have already locked in their reservation at your hotel and are getting excited for their stay. To capitalize on these good feelings, use a hotel upsells tool to deliver special offers via text and email. 

The next phase begins as soon as the guest steps onto your property. Here, guests look for a warm welcome and a quick and easy check-in experience. A good greeting can help you:

• Establish good rapport with the guest
• Set expectations 
• Build trust and loyalty 
• Ensure the guest has everything they need throughout their stay

Many hotels today also utilize contactless check-in technology to allow guests to bypass queues and head straight up to their rooms. This works great for tired, jet-lagged guests. 

Unsurprisingly, the guest’s stay is one of the most important parts of the guest journey. This stage lasts from the moment they check-in to the moment they checkout. 

Every guest may be different, but it’s safe to say that most expect great customer service and a hassle-free, comfortable stay. This is your chance to anticipate needs and be proactive with your guest interactions.

Here are a couple of ways hotels can improve the in-house experience for guests:

• Concierge service: Offer a knowledgeable concierge service that can provide recommendations for local attractions, restaurants, and activities, and help guests with transportation arrangements.
• Room amenities: Provide high-quality amenities in guest rooms, such as premium toiletries, plush towels, comfortable bedding, and an in-room coffee maker.
• Guest feedback: Ask guests for feedback during their stay and take prompt action to address any issues or concerns they may have.
• Sustainable practices: Implement sustainable practices such as reducing water and energy consumption, using eco-friendly products, and supporting local communities and businesses.

This is the moment a guest departs your hotel. Nowadays, this can be done in a multitude of ways, such as checking out digitally via a mobile device , dropping their keycard into a box, or the traditional method: via the front desk. It could also start when the guest requests a late checkout. 

At this stage, guests are looking for efficiency, flexibility, and a warm goodbye. Psychological analysis by Amadeus revealed that consumers are twice as likely to experience ‘anxiety’ and ‘uncertainty’ when making hotel payments.

When it comes to settling accounts, ensure the process is quick, easy, and secure for your staff.

The guest journey continues even after they leave your property, and it may even become continuous. This post-stay stage is your opportunity to nurture a guest into a loyal customer. 

At this stage, guests want timely, helpful communication and many — especially those who remember your property fondly — will be open to receiving marketing materials. Some may follow your social media accounts, while others may sign up for your newsletter. The important thing is to conduct some type of post-stay follow-up communication that keeps your guests engaged and your property top of mind.

‍ Protip: Canary’s Contactless Check-In solution can help you capture more current guest information such as emails and phone numbers — even for guests that booked through OTAs! 

What Does a Great Guest Journey Look Like?

Personalized .

Show that you remember a guest and they’ll remember you! But you don’t always need a loyal guest in order to personalize their experience (though it does help). Sometimes OTAs offer very little by way of guest information. In this case, a great way to win bonus points is by greeting guests by name.

Once you know a thing or two more about a guest, you can congratulate them on special occasions and offer a complimentary add-on tailored to their interests. You could even prepare the rooms before the stay with a handwritten note.

Personalization also helps you upsell additional services, experiences, and add-ons throughout the guest journey. When you get to know your guests, you know what they might be tempted by.

Efficient & Enjoyable

The best hotels will make sure that every stage of the guest journey is effortless and enjoyable. They do this by implementing the right technology, reworking processes when necessary, and keeping their staff highly trained. 

The use of technology such as contactless check-in or checkout, guest messaging, and cashless tipping can help save time for you and your guests.

Make sure your standard operating procedures are tidy, up-to-date, and regularly reviewed by the workers who use them. This will ensure that guests are taken care of in the best way possible. 

Curated (Guests Control How Their Stay Goes) 

Where possible, give the power to your guests to design their own stay. But how can this apply to each stage of the guest journey?

• Pre-stay: During the booking process, give guests options. For example, allow them to pick a mattress type or specify the type of bedding they’d like. Give them ways to customize their room decor in advance. 
• Check-In: Give your guests the option to upgrade a room upon check-in. Show them options — but not too many. Allow them to book restaurant reservations for breakfast lunch, and dinner. Give your guests the option to check-in traditionally or digitally .
• In-house: Allow your guests to easily book experiences — whether your own or off-site — via the front office or at any time via their mobile device.
• Checkout: Allow guests to checkout traditionally or digitally . 
• Post-stay: Give your guests the option to opt-in or out of different communication types. Perhaps they’d like to receive your monthly newsletters but forego offers and marketing. 

Attentive From Start to Finish

Hotels should be responsive and attentive from the beginning of the guest journey to the end (if there is an end!). Give your guests tools to communicate in whichever way they’d like — whether that’s by text, phone call or personal visit to the front desk.  

Use guest messaging technology to help your guests contact you more quicker. Encourage them to bring up issues as they occur to avoid poor reviews at a later date.

Be proactive. Go out of your way to make sure the guest has everything they need. It can be as simple as refilling room amenities or asking if they need transport to the airport on the day of their checkout. Getting to know your guests better will help you understand when to offer your help and when to leave them be. 

Augmented With Technology 

Use technology in the right places to improve the guest experience. While the novelty of certain technologies can impress (like room service robots!), its benefits go a lot further.

The right hotel management software can also speed up processes for your staff so that they can focus on delivering better guest experiences.

Technology’s Role in Creating Better Guest Journeys 

Contactless check-in & checkout.

Save time and effort for both staff and guests with contactless check-in and checkout .

This approach alleviates the front desk staff's workload, allowing them to concentrate on other guest services. It also enhances guest satisfaction by providing a more efficient and customized experience.

Demo Canary Contactless Check-In or Canary Contactless Checkout today! 

Guest messaging .

Use guest messaging technology to improve communication with guests and resolve issues as soon as they occur. By giving guests a quick and convenient way to contact you.

These messaging solutions include direct and broadcast messaging capabilities, with the most advanced options providing hotels with the ability to communicate with guests via SMS and WhatsApp.

Demo Canary Messaging today!

Upselling is an important part of increasing your hotel’s revenue. But not everybody is a salesperson. Dynamic upsell technology is a great way to bridge this gap, take the pressure off of your workforce and allow them to tailor guest experiences. 

Automated digital upselling solutions enable hoteliers to deliver special offers to guests at key moments when they are most likely to make a purchase during their guest journey. 

Demo Canary Upsells today!

Digital authorizations .

Regular occurrences of data breaches and fraud have led many hotels to look for better ways to protect their guest data. Traditional paper and PDF credit card authorization forms that are not PCI compliant are prime targets for bad actors. These should be replaced with secure digital solutions to ensure the safety of sensitive guest information (e.g., credit card numbers, etc.). 

Demo Canary Digital Authorizations today!

Digital tipping .

People are carrying less and less cash these days. So, what’s the solution where tipping’s concerned? Digital tipping can increase the overall amount of tips your employees receive and boost staff pay by up to $3/hour! 

This technology can save significant time and confusion in sorting out tip allocation as the funds are automatically dispersed to the appropriate departments or individuals through payroll integration.

Demo Canary Digital Tipping today!

Who is responsible for ensuring great guest journeys .

Every single member of staff is responsible for the quality of your guest journey — from your front office staff to your housekeepers. Even staff members who don’t typically interact with guests play a role in improving their experience. 

Getting the most out of your workforce starts with training and ends with the way you treat them. Supply high-quality standard operating procedures and training programs and staff will be more likely to prosper. 

Final Thoughts

It’s a mistake to neglect the less obvious stages of the guest journey such as pre-arrival and post-stay. Hotels should make a conscious effort to evolve the guest journey as consumer needs and demands change, while maintaining a high-quality guest experience. 

Understanding each of these stages is a great place to start, focusing on personalization, efficiency, curation, attentiveness and technology. 

Next up, discover 13 guest welcoming scripts for different scenarios.

Learn How Canary Can Help Your Properties Thrive

Canary Takes Flight: $50M Series C Fuels Hospitality's AI Revolution

While the recent Series C funding round is a major milestone, it's just the beginning. Canary will leverage this investment to continue shaping the future of hospitality, one AI-powered solution at a time.

The Upselling Makeover: 15 Ideas to Wow Your Limited Service Guests

Upsells are only limited by your creativity and the law. When brainstorming, don’t be afraid to dream big. And make sure to check out this post from one of our Customer Success Aces.

Hotel Automation is the Next Big Thing in Hospitality. Here’s Why

Hotel automation should be viewed as a tool to enhance, not replace the human touch. Learn how to integrate it into your property.

Mastering Hotel OTAs: 8 Ways to Overcome Pain Points And Increase Profitability

Whether you want to upsell your OTA guests, encourage them to book direct for their next stays or prompt them to leave positive reviews, a robust hotel platform can help. Here's how.

4 Ways to Wow Hotel Guests With Pre-Arrival Communication

Pre-arrival communication lets you connect with guests before they arrive, set clear expectations and offer personalized service. But it’s not just about what you communicate; it’s how you communicate. Learn more here.

Analyzing The Hotel Customer Journey & How To Identify Areas For Improvement

If you’re a hotelier, your ultimate goal is to make customers happy throughout their traveling experience. Booking the right hotel and having a great experience is  key to customer satisfaction. But, how can you be sure that your hotel is providing the best experience possible? The answer is simple: map out the customer journey and analyze where there may be areas for improvement.  In this article, we’ll show you how to do just that.

What Is The Hotel Guest Journey?

The customer journey is the path that a customer takes when interacting with your hotel, from the first time they hear about your brand all the way to post-stay. By mapping out this customer journey, hoteliers can get a better understanding of the customer experience and where there may be areas for improvement.

The Importance Of Mapping The Hotel Guest Journey

In order to provide the best customer experience possible, it’s important to first understand what that customer experience looks like. By mapping out the customer journey, you can get a clear picture of each customer touchpoint and how they interact with your hotel. This will allow you to identify any pain points or areas for improvement.

Additionally, mapping out the customer journey can help you to create more targeted marketing campaigns that speak directly to your customer’s needs.

Some other benefits that come with mapping out the customer journey include:

• Improved customer retention rates
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Higher customer lifetime value

Common Stages Of A Hotel Guest Journey

There are generally five stages in a customer’s journey: inspiration and research, booking, check-in, in-house experience, and check-out and post-stay. Let’s take a more detailed look at each stage.

Inspiration And Research

This is the stage where the customer is first considering taking a trip and begins to research potential destinations. This is also when they start to develop their travel plans and look for hotels that fit their budget and preferences.

As a hotelier, you can reach out to potential customers in this stage by creating targeted content that speaks to their needs. For example, if you’re targeting business travelers, you could create blog posts about the best business hotels in your city.

You can also use social media to reach out to potential customers in this stage of the journey. For example, you could create a social media campaign that showcases the different features of your hotel.

The booking stage is when the customer actually books their stay at your hotel. This is usually done through an online booking system on your website or through a third-party website such as Expedia or Booking.com. 

It’s important to make sure that your booking process is as smooth and easy as possible. This means having a user-friendly booking system that doesn’t require too much information from the customer.

You should also offer different payment options so that customers can pay in the way that is most convenient for them.

The check-in stage is when the customer arrives at your hotel and checks in for their stay. This is usually done at the front desk.

It’s important to make sure that your check-in process is as efficient as possible. This means having a well-trained staff that can quickly and easily check customers in.

You should also make sure that your front desk staff is friendly and welcoming. This first interaction with the customer can set the tone for their entire stay.

In-House Experience

This is the stage where the customer is actually staying at your hotel. This is when they will be using all of the different features and amenities that your hotel has to offer.

It’s important to make sure that your customer has a positive in-house experience. This means providing them with everything they need and making sure that their needs are met.

You can also use this stage to upsell different products and services. For example, you could offer customers the option to upgrade their room or add a spa package.

Check-Out And Post Stay

The check-out and the post-stay stage are when the customer checks out of your hotel and leaves. This is usually done at the front desk.

It’s important to make sure that your check-out process is as smooth and easy as possible. This means having a well-trained staff that can quickly and easily check customers out.

You should also make sure to send a follow-up message to the customer after they leave. This could be an email or a text message. In this message, you should thank them for their stay and ask for feedback.

How To Find Areas For Improvement

Now that you know the typical stages of a customer’s journey, you can start to identify areas for improvement.

Look At Website Traffic Data

One way to find areas for improvement is to look at your website traffic data. This data can tell you a lot about how customers interact with your website.

For example, if you see a high drop-off rate on your booking page, this could be an indication that your booking process is too complicated.

You can also use website data to see which pages are getting the most traffic. This can help you to identify which areas of your website are most popular with customers.

Analyze Social Media Mentions

Another way to find areas for improvement is to analyze your social media mentions. This can give you a lot of insight into how customers feel about your hotel. 

You can also use social media to reach out to customers who have had a negative experience. This gives you the opportunity to turn a negative experience into a positive one.

Conduct Customer Surveys

Another way to find areas for improvement is to conduct customer surveys. This is a great way to get feedback from customers about their experience.

You can use customer surveys to ask specific questions about the customer journey. For example, you could ask customers about their experience with your booking process or their in-house experience.

You can also use customer surveys to identify customer pain points. This is a great way to find out what areas of the customer journey need improvement.

Look At Reviews

Another way to find areas for improvement is to look at online reviews. This is a great way to get an overview of how customers feel about your hotel.

For example, if you see a lot of negative reviews on TripAdvisor or Yelp, this could be an indication that there are some areas of your customer journey that need improvement.

You can also use online reviews to reach out to customers who have had a negative experience. This gives you the opportunity to turn a negative experience into a positive one.

Check In With The Guest Throughout Their Experience

Another way to find areas for improvement is to check in with the customer throughout their experience. This can be done through a variety of different methods.

For example, you could have a staff member call the customer after they book to make sure that everything is going smoothly. Staff can also be trained to ask how the guests’ stay is going whenever they see them.

Final Thoughts

Mapping the customer journey is a great way to find areas for improvement. By looking at website traffic data, social media mentions, customer surveys, and reviews, you can get a good overview of how customers interact with your hotel. You can also check in with guests throughout their stay to get feedback about their experience.

By taking these steps, you can ensure that your customer journey is as smooth as possible. This will lead to happier guests and more repeat business.

NEXT-LEVEL INSIGHTS

Deepen your knowledge of profitability management and empower your team.

• Press & Events
• Total Guide
• Hotel marketing
• March 23, 2023

How to improve your hotel’s customer journey

How to improve your hotel's customer journey

These days, it’s not enough to offer attractive rooms at fair prices; customers also expect a positive guest experience when they make a booking. One of the best strategies for achieving this involves analysing each touchpoint in your customer journey in order to identify what’s working well and which aspects of your guest experience you need to enhance.

So, what does this involve?

Let’s find out.

What is a customer journey?

Before we look at how you can improve your customer journey, let’s take a quick look at what it is exactly.

In the hotel industry, the customer journey is a valuable revenue management UX tool that enables you to visualise each and every step that a guest takes before, during, and after their stay . This includes every brand interaction when they dream, research, book, experience, and share feedback on your hotel.

The biggest benefit of tracking your customer journey is that you get an objective snapshot of the experience that customers have when they make a booking with you . You can then identify any potential pain points and make the necessary adjustments to enhance your overall guest experience and attract more customers to your hotel.

How you can improve your hotel’s customer journey

Here are three effective strategies that will help you enhance your hotel’s customer journey .

Map your customer journey 

Start by mapping your entire customer journey to help you identify where your pain points are. This will help you determine if you are missing any important stages and where you need to take action in order to improve the guest experience in your hotel . Make sure you consider pre-stay, arrival, stay, departure, and post-stay.

Here’s an example of different stages that should be included in your customer journey:

• Inspiration and research : OTA listings, hotel website, social media presence, ratings and reviews, etc.
• Booking process : ease of payment, ancillary service information and promotions, confirmation emails, etc.
• Pre-arrival communication channels : preference surveys, pre-arrival reminders, personalised pre-arrival upsell emails, etc.
• Stay : check-in process, personalised upsells, welcome drink, welcome emails, mid-stay checks, amenities and services, customer service, friendly check-out reminders, etc.
• Post stay : check-out process, review requests, special offers, incentives for referrals, invitations to join loyalty programs, ancillary services updates and promotions, etc.

Identify your customer segments

Once you’ve clearly defined your current customer journey, the next stage is to identify your customer segments and create guest personas . This process will help you get a clearer understanding of the wants, needs, desires, preferences, and expectations of your target market.

The best way to do this is by reviewing your historical guest data . What are the key demographics of each of your customer segments? Do you get more solo travellers, couples, or families? What are their booking habits? Which ancillary services do they prefer? What are their likes and dislikes? 

You can then use the data you collect to create micro-segments within your market and design targeted strategies to enhance the customer journey of each customer persona .  

Ask your customers about their expectations

The next strategy is all about feedback. After all, who better to inform you about the quality of your customer journey than your guests themselves?

Reviews and ratings are important here. Make sure you are using a robust reputation management system to get daily updates on all your hotel’s online reviews and mentions.

Guest satisfaction tools are also great for collecting valuable feedback. Get in touch with guests after they check out and ask them what they thought of your guest experience. You could even send them a post-stay survey . Are there any stages in the customer journey that they liked or disliked? Did you meet their expectations? Can they offer any suggestions for improvement? Would they recommend your hotel to their friends?

The more you understand your guests and their experience with your brand, the easier it will be to enhance your customer journey and boost guest satisfaction .

Enhance your ancillary services to boost customer satisfaction

Once you’ve done all your research, you’ll be ready for the most important stage: enhancing and expanding your ancillary services to boost customer satisfaction . 

Remember to base your improvements on the wants and desires of your defined customer personas and the feedback you collect from your guests . Are there any opportunities to define new revenue streams in your customer journey? Have you addressed all identified pain points?

You can also use all this CRM data to design personalised and hyper-personalised guest experiences for each of your customer micro-segments . Designing attractive activities and services for your guests can be a great source of additional revenue . Plus, personalised experiences are great for increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. And all this will help you boost your total profitability and secure your market position as a quality hotel and service provider .

Unlock your potential

Speak with one of our dedicated hotel experts and get started on your journey to sustainable profitability.

BEONx will only use your personal information to manage your account and provide the products and services you requested from us. Occasionally, we would like to contact you regarding our products and services, as well as other content that may be of interest to you. If you agree to receive communication from us for this purpose, please check the box below to indicate how you would like us to communicate with you:

You can unsubscribe from these communications at any time. For more information, please review our Privacy Policy.

“Beonprice has not only helped us in a technological way, but also in a human way. The support and understanding of the people who make up Beonprice, especially during the difficult times we have gone through in recent years, has been exceptional. The team is remarkable.” – 

Pedro Pavón,  Revenue

Management Director at Casual Hoteles.

Other Articles

© 2024. BEONx. All rights reserved

• Privacy Policy
• Cookies Policy
• Terms & Conditions

Exp.: 08/22/SA/0012 . Línea 2022 Expansión internacional de Pymes. Expansión internacional de las PYMES de la Comunidad de Castilla y León Objetivo: “Conseguir un tejido empresarial más competitivo” Actuación subvencionada: Participación en la feria FITUR (Madrid, Enero 2023)

Exp.: 03/18/SA/0022 Línea: Fomento de la innovación en Pymes Proyectos de innovación en en ámbito tecnológico de las Pymes Descripción del proyecto: Diagnóstico de ciberseguridad y seguridad IT de la plataforma SAAS de Beonx

Exp.: 07/18/SA/0015. Línea: Desarrollo de la Industria TIC Proyectos de desarrollo de las TIC en Pymes Descripción del proyecto: Smart Hotel Distribution for General Purpose: Nueva solución de Revenue Management System para la optimización de la distribución en la venta de habitaciones de hotel.

What the hotel guest experience journey should look like for your hotel 

In this article, we share a hotel customer journey map of 8 stages, detailing every point of contact that impacts the guest experience.

The hotel guest experience journey covers every point of contact that a guest has with your business.  From hearing or reading about your accommodation, to staying at your property, to checking-out and sharing this experience with friends. 

There are a number of steps in the hotel guest journey , and as a hotelier, it is your responsibility to cover all grounds. And by this we mean, ensuring that the hotel guest experience is not only pleasant, but exceptional every step of the way. 

Starting with a powerful word-of-mouth presence (both traditional and e-WOM), and ending with a thank you follow up email – the following article maps out in 8 stages, what the hotel guest experience journey should look like for your hotel. 

Ebook Contents

Stage 1: Inspiration & research

Stage 2: Making a booking

Stage 3: Pre-arrival contact

Stage 4: Checking-in to your hotel

Stage 5: Staying at your hotel

Stage 6: Checking-out of your hotel

Stage 7: Post-departure contact

Stage 8: Word-of-mouth & reviews

FREE Downloadable Infographic

Mapping out the hotel guest experience journey : 8 stages

In this stage, potential guests research your property, make comparisons with your competitors and get inspired to stay at your property.

  The first step in the hotel guest experience journey is when a potential guest hears or reads about your property. Becoming aware of your property is the first point of contact, so this means that any information a guest comes across during this stage will form their impression of your property, and influence their decision whether or not to book with you. 

In planning for the hotel guest experience journey , many hoteliers often overlook this stage, as they focus more on how to provide an exceptional experience during a guest’s stay. But the guest experience pre-stay, during the inspiration and research stage, is absolutely vital, because if this stage doesn’t bode well for a potential guest, they will not convert into a booking. 

The following is a list of factors that influence stage 1 of the hotel guest experience journey : 

• Traditional word-of-mouth (WOM)

I.e. recommendations from friends, family & travel agents

• Electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) 

Online hotel reviews & forum discussions 

• Online Travel Agents (OTAs) 

Hotel ranking, competitor comparisons & reviews

• Social Media

How active your accounts are, images of your property, customer engagement

• Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) 

How high your Google positioning is and/or if it’s easy to locate

• TripAdvisor rating 

Guest reviews, rating out of 5, ranking in comparison to competitors

• Your website

Quality of design, ease of navigation, mobile-friendliness, easy booking engine, & quality of content

Resources to help you strengthen stage 1 of the hotel guest experience journey :

• Article: Hotel WOM (word of mouth) – why it still counts
• Article: 5 reasons why TripAdvisor is important to your hotel
• Article: How to respond to negative hotel reviews
• Article: Social Media Marketing for Hotels
• Article: How to promote a hotel online
• Article: SEO for hotels: how to strengthen your hotels search engine optimisation
• Case Study: How to sell experiences, not just rooms: Damien Knowles’ formula for hotel growth
• Ebook: Guide: How to increase direct hotel bookings

In this stage, the guest actively makes a decision to book a room at your hotel – you have to put in place the software and tools to make this process fast and effortless. 

During the second stage of the hotel customer journey map is the guest’s decision to make a booking. This stage might take place on an OTA website, or directly via your hotel website. Either way, this process needs to be effortless and fast for your guests – if your website loads slowly, or a guest finds it difficult to book, this will result in a lost booking. 

ENJOYING WHAT YOU’RE READING? JOIN OUR NEWSLETTER EMAIL LIST​​

Join our newsletter list & receive helpful hotelier tips & tricks, industry trends & more!

In order to effectively impress guests and ensure that bookings go through during this stage of the hotel guest experience journey , you must:

1. Have powerful profiles on the world’s most popular OTAs

Nowadays, many travellers book accommodation via OTAs, due to the convenience of price comparing with competitors. In order to remain competitive, you must list your hotel on all of the main OTA sites such as Booking.com, Expedia, etc. 

You should also do everything you can to improve your listing and rank better on these sites, including requesting and replying to guest reviews. The more powerful the profile, the more likely to convert a guest’s interest into a booking. 

2. Be seamlessly set up & connected with a powerful Channel Manager

In order to collect bookings via OTAs, you must be set up with a powerful Channel Manager software , so that reservation data can seamlessly sync in real-time from your OTA profile to your hotel management system. 

Preno’s Channel Manager broadens your reach by connecting with 50+ of the world’s most popular OTAs. Learn more about Preno’s Channel Manager here.  

3. Have a clear booking button on your website, & be set up with a powerful Booking Engine

The other key element that has the power to make or break stage 2 of the hotel guest experience journey , is your hotel Booking Engine. When a guest makes a decision to book directly via your website, this works favourably for your business, as you can collect full revenue, as opposed to losing the 15% commission fees when guests book via OTAs. 

Your hotel website should have a clear booking button, which should be visible on all site pages, have a fast loading link, and be set up with a powerful Booking Engine software. Without these elements, a guest may find it difficult or slow to make a booking, and give up and move on to a competitor. 

Preno’s fast booking engine is easy to navigate and fast to book; meaning that more guests can book directly. Learn more about Preno’s booking engine here.  

In this stage, your property is now in direct contact with the customer – it marks the beginning of your relationship with the customer, and influences their personal opinion of you.

The first hard part is now over – you’ve done your marketing, you’ve impressed the potential guest in the inspiration stage, and you’ve converted them into a booking. But now that the booking is in, you’ve got to convert this acquired revenue, into an exceptional hotel guest experience , so that they leave fully satisfied and share this positive experience with other travellers. 

This stage may not seem important as the customer has already locked in a booking, and they’re not at your property yet; but do not overlook it, because the pre-arrival contact stage is just as important as any other.  

In this stage, you set up how you communicate directly with your guests, and this is where their opinions of you start to shape. What they’ve read about you online and heard about you from other travellers impacted their decision to stay with you, but now that they’re conversing with you directly, it is time to form their own opinion. 

This stage of the hotel customer journey map also offers you a chance to collect additional revenue, which otherwise may not have been acquired. I.e. with order bumps, up-selling and cross-selling techniques. 

Here is our suggestion for a pre-arrival email contact sequence (including order bump tactics):

• Instant – Booking confirmation 
• 30 days – These must-do activities often sell out in * insert location * early
• 14 days – Things to do while you stay in * insert location *
• 5 days – Upgrade your room
• 2 days – Would you like coffee delivered each morning?

Resources to help you set up automated emails & pre-arrival order bumps: 

• Ebook: 16 ways how to increase hotel revenue – order bumps section
• Ebook: 16 ways how to increase hotel revenue – email automation section
• Preno Academy Video Course: How to use email automation to increase your revenue
• Downloadable email templates: Automated emails to help increase revenue

In this stage of the hotel guest experience journey , this is your first point of contact in-person with the guest. The check-in staff must be kind and professional, and the process must be seamless. 

All of the stages leading up to a guest checking-in to your hotel were crucial to converting interest into a booking, and forming a positive outlook of your property. Now that the guest has walked in those front doors, it is time to do nothing less than impress.

The check-in process is the first time your guest interacts with your staff face-to-face – it must be perfect. 

Here are a list of things to master in your hotel check in process:

• Professionally presented, knowledgeable & welcoming front-desk staff

Your front-desk staff should be dressed professionally, in either uniform or tidy business attire. 

• Fast, seamless check-in process

The guest booking should be easy to find and fast loading so that you can get the guest checked in quickly. 

• Front-desk staff that go the extra mile

The hotel check-in process is not just about welcoming guests, and giving them their room key – it’s about informing them of all of the facilities available, the front-desk staff times, important phone extension numbers, and also activity and transportation recommendations in the area. 

The difference between a good check-in process, and a great check-in process, is one where the hotel staff make the hotel guests feel supported, and well looked after. 

As a hotelier, you need to ensure that your business is well-equipped with powerful software that makes it simple for front-desk staff to find bookings and check guests in. This will also ensure there are no mistakes such as double bookings, as something like that can negatively impact the guest check-in process. See how Preno eliminates double bookings.  

In this stage of the hotel guest experience journey , the guest is immersed in the accommodation atmosphere. The experience of actually staying at your hotel is what will shape the hotel guest experience the most. 

Congratulations, the guest has now checked-in to their room! It’s stage 5 of the guest experience journey – the time to impress the guest with your amazing accommodation facilities, comfortable bed, helpfulness of staff, and so on! 

Here’s a list of things that will shape the guest experience at your hotel property:

• Quality & comfort of room
• Comfortableness of bed
• Cleanliness of room
• Interior design 
• Spaciousness of room 
• Window view
• Sound-proofness 
• Friendliness & helpfulness of hotel staff
• Room service staff
• Front desk staff over phone
• Housekeeping staff 
• Willingness to go the extra mile
• Friendliness (a smile goes a long way!)
• Accommodation facilities
• Cleanliness of pool & spa
• Massage or pampering experience
• Quality of food & ambience at hotel restaurant or bar
• Safety of vehicle in valet parking (i.e. no damage)
• Special services & added touches
• Coffee delivered to room each morning 
• Morning wake up calls from front-desk

Examples of things that could go wrong at your property & how you can rectify these bad experiences:

• Room key doesn’t work
• Maintenance issue – e.g. shower doesn’t work 
• Service doesn’t meet standard – e.g. staff unfriendly
• Poor quality of restaurant food 
• Disturbance due to other guests (e.g. excessive noise or poor manners) 

Best case scenario, your hotel guest has a relaxing stay with exceptional service, and leaves your hotel with a smile on their face (or maybe not too big of a smile, because they’re sad to leave!). 

But don’t be alarmed if small things go wrong, small mistakes can happen, you and your staff are only human! Just be sure to acknowledge and rectify any issues that may occur during a guest’s stay with you. 

For example, if a hotel guest complains that the restaurant food is poor quality, cook them another fresh meal, and provide a benefit (such as a free meal) for this inconvenience that they had to endure.

In this stage of the hotel guest experience journey, you can also automate guest emails (just as you did pre-arrival). 

Here is our suggestion for a during stay email automation sequence: 

• Welcome – Wi-Fi password + other useful information for your stay
• 10 things to do while you’re here

Resources to help you foster the guest experience & set up ‘during stay’ email templates:

• Article: Creating memorable guest experiences for your accommodation
• Article: Tips on how to personalise your guests’ stay

In this stage of the hotel guest experience journey, the guest leaves your property, settles any payments they owe, and have their final point of face-to-face contact with your staff. 

An important thing to remember when it comes to hospitality, is that the smallest details can make or break a positive experience for a guest. 

For example, if a guest asks for (or even better, you offer) a late check-out – providing them with those extra couple of hours to sleep-in, enjoy a hot spa or just relax, before going home, could turn a good experience into a great one. In the hospitality industry, details matter. 

During the check-out stage of the hotel customer journey map, it is important to remember that even if the guest has enjoyed their stay up until this point, something negative (even small, such as a bad coffee) can alter a great guest experience to a poor one. 

Here are some examples of things that can impact the hotel guest experience during check-out:

• Friendliness & helpfulness of front-desk staff
• Acceptance of late check-out request (or offer of one)
• Staff going the extra mile by offering to store guest luggage, offering to book a taxi, etc. 
• Fast & seamless check-out process (a powerful hotel management system can help you with this)
• Friendless & professionalism of valet & door staff 
• Clear instructions of check-out process (e.g. so no unexpected cleaning fees are charged) 

In this stage of the hotel guest experience journey , you have the opportunity to ask the guest to leave a review, and invite the guest back for a repeat visit. 

Once a guest leaves your property, the hotel customer journey map does not finish there. There is still post-departure contact that has the ability to impact a guest’s opinion of you. (And there is also hotel word-of-mouth – but we’ll get to that later.)

After a hotel guest checks-out, you’ll want to stay in touch with them via email, to let them know that you’re still there. This can be beneficial in inviting them to leave a review, inviting them to return, and making them happy by thanking them for their stay with you and offering them a discount or voucher should they return. 

Here is our suggestion for a post-departure email automation sequence: 

• Instant – Thank you – Receipt
• 1 day – Share the love
• 7 days – Did you do any of these while you visited * insert location *? Refer a friend – 10% off their visit
• 5 months – Remember how good it is to visit * insert location *
• 10 months – Visiting * insert location * again? 

Resources to help you set up post-departure emails to foster stage 8 of the hotel customer journey map:

In this final stage of the hotel customer journey map, the hotel guest shares their experience at your hotel with other travellers. This stage is very important – never underestimate the power of word-of-mouth. 

Every stage of the hotel guest experience journey has led up to this moment – the guests final review of your property. Are they happy, upset, or over-the-moon with their experience? This is the stage where you find out. 

There are two main ways that guests share their experience at and opinions of your hotel property:

• Via traditional word-of-mouth (WOM)
• Via online review sites such as TripAdvisor (also known as electronic WOM, or e-WOM)

Resources to help you understand the influence of hotel WOM & tips on how to respond to online hotel reviews: 

Don’t miss a step. you have the power to wow your guests from inspiration (pre-booking) to memories (post-departure). , foster the hotel guest experience journey , and, done right, step 9 will be a repeat visit. .

From the moment a potential guest is made aware of your hotel property, every single step from then on shapes the hotel customer journey map. From the reviews they read about you online, to the design of your website and easiness of booking – to staying at your hotel, forming their own opinions and sharing this with others. 

As a hotelier, it is your job to cover all grounds. You have to ensure to put in place every measure you can to ensure the entire hotel guest experience journey is not only seamless, but exceptional. 

Taking the time to foster the hotel customer journey map could be the difference between you and your competitors. Don’t overlook it. 

In search of a powerful hotel software system that automates guest emails, streamlines hotel processes & more? 

Transform your guest experience with preno.

With Preno, seamless management is just a click away. Embrace the future of hospitality with our free trial, no strings attached.

Click here to download the below FREE infographic of the 8 stages of the hotel guest experience journey.

About the author

Preno's Content Marketer, Alix Dougherty, is educated in the Tourism field, so seeks to apply this knowledge to content that guides and inspires hoteliers. She is a passionate writer who enjoys creating content.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Other blogs you may also like.

A Day in the Life of the Preno Founders

Preno’s 9th Birthday Sale: Celebrate with 75% Off!

Using Cloud-Based Hotel Management for Greater Flexibility

Cost-Saving Strategies For Hotels: How To Reduce Your Expenses

Hotel Housekeeping: Tips & Tricks for Cleaning Hotel Rooms

Sites Like Airbnb To List Your Property On

Increase your revenue with dynamic pricing.

On average our customers make $835 more each month – more than enough to pay for Preno!

See how Cvent can solve your biggest event challenges. Watch a 30-minute demo.

• Request demo
• Find event venues

8 Hotel Customer Experience Tips You Need to Know

Group bookings account for a large portion of hotel revenue , which is why it's paramount to cater to the needs of planners and attendees. Most of these people, especially planners, are on the road a lot for business, and small touches to enhance their experience go a long way. This starts before the meeting or event is booked and goes all the way to check-out and beyond. There are a variety of ways to make these hotel guests feel at home during their stay, and our hotel customer experience guide goes into greater detail about what you should — and shouldn't — be doing.

What is the hotel customer experience, and why is it important?

The hotel customer experience is the impression your hotel has on a customer across every stage of their journey. As Hubspot notes , multiple touchpoints factor into the customer experience, and these touchpoints occur on a cross-functional basis. 

The customer experience is vital for most businesses, but it's especially important when it comes to the hospitality industry. With competitors fighting for your business, brand loyalty makes all the difference when it comes to repeat bookings. Put simply: If the customer experience isn't what it should be, the odds of that person — and, oftentimes, many other people (due to online and in-person reviews ) — booking with your hotel can decrease significantly.

Explore 8 hotel customer experience tips to help maximize satisfaction:

1. make a great virtual first impression..

While first impressions are usually considered to be in-person interactions, the customer experience journey begins well before that. It's crucial that you focus on your venue marketing efforts  to increase the likelihood that planners and guests discover your hotel and  move forward. A few important steps to take:

• Optimize your website.  Your hotel’s website should be user-friendly and optimized to ensure that your property is one of the first options people see.
• Optimize your Cvent Supplier Network page.  The  Cvent Supplier Network  is a valuable marketing tool available to hotels looking to market to planners. It can make all the difference when it comes to conversions.
• Create a virtual tour.  Virtual tours  allow you to take tours to the next level and show planners your space without them ever stepping foot in it.
• Update imagery for your property.  It can be a miss for your venue if imagery isn't up to date. Use the photos on your website and supplier pages to highlight renovations and show the space in action.
• Use  personalized marketing .  Before a planner decides to book, personalization can show that you understand their needs and that you’re ready to make their event great. This involves crafting messaging that's personal to the planner, their event type, and even their industry.

2. Make a great in-person first impression.

While your space and unique offerings can get a planner to book, service is the key to earning repeat business. In fact, more than half the planners surveyed in Cvent's 2019 Planner Sourcing Report cited a lack of professionalism among hotel staff as the reason they won't return. Those results echoed the concerns expressed by MeetingAdvice veteran Steve Goodman , who said he looks for “a level of professionalism from the minute you pull up to the hotel and you meet the doorman, to the front desk, all the way through housekeeping. The level of professionalism that is shown by the staff typically resonates on what type of event you might have at that property."

When it comes to hosting events at your hotel, a common occurrence is long check-in lines, which is the last thing a planner or attendee wants after traveling. One preventative measure is offering mobile check-in. Not only will this speed things up, but the fact that it's a touchless option can increase safety, too. However, it's crucial that the digital check-in is as seamless in practice as it is in theory. Nobody wants a glitchy experience that requires additional support!

Put this hotel customer experience guide to use!

3. Prioritize a "just like home" environment.

Some of the guests staying at your hotel during an event travel often — especially the planners. There are a few small touches you can make that will drastically change the customer experience.

If your hotel doesn't have refrigerators in every room, make sure the planners get them. When they're away from home for weeks, it's nice to be able to stock up on food. Sure, your hotel's offerings are probably great, but it can get old eating hotel food when on the road.

Another simple touch is to have housekeeping bring planners extra branded items such as toiletries and snacks. Not only will this ensure that they have everything they need during their stay, but it increases the chances that they bring some of the items along with them for their next stay at another location, where they'll be reminded of your brand and the great experience they had. 

Additionally, don't forget about technology . Take Chicago's The Blackstone, for example. The hotel's new, 50-inch flat screen entertainment system provides guests with the ability to enjoy in-room streaming services. What better way to unwind after a long day than watching an episode or two of your favorite TV show? 

4. Create special experiences.

You can't rely solely on nice food and clean rooms to attract group business. It’s necessary to set yourself apart from the competition and offer unique hotel experiences .

“At the end of the day, large groups can go to a lot of different hotels for their meetings,” said Butch Spyridon, president of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corporation. “But the business will go to the ones that provide something different and can deliver an experience that fulfills their wish list and then some. Give them an experience they will remember.”

A few examples include:

• Innovative food and beverage options, such as custom-themed cocktails and cooking schools.
• Advanced meeting room technology and digital connectivity.
• Partnerships with offsite venues.
• In-house conference services, including A/V providers and destination management companies, which can often save planners money when they’re onsite.

5. Put yourself in attendees' shoes.

All-day meetings and events can be draining, so it's important to make sure attendees feel refreshed when they get a break. Have housekeeping put extra supplies in the public restrooms for attendees to freshen up. A welcome basket full of mouthwash, deodorant, hand sanitizer, etc. can really add to the guest experience.

Most event organizers contract some sort of food and beverage for these breaks, but this is a great opportunity to offer options that will leave attendees energized. It depends on the planner’s budget, but at least make these options available. Offering healthy items like fruit-infused water and energy bites can be a nice change from soft drinks and cookies.

6. Offer tech-driven tools and solutions.

Your technology offerings can make or break an experience, and it goes beyond the options mentioned above. Here are a few technology ideas that will help your property stand out and improve the customer experience.

• Room block technology. It's a highly valuable tool in regards to making life easier for planners . It allows them to track block pickup and make adjustments without contacting the hotel — saving your team time as well.
• In-room digital assistants. You can train certain devices to respond to things like, “I’d like to place a room service order,” or “make me a reservation for a massage.” The guest just has to say their name and room number and they’re all set.
• Short-term rentals.  If a planner or attendee forgets any technology essentials at home, their trip can get a lot more stressful.  To offer a better customer experience, consider renting out technology basics like chargers. Be sure to have  options for the majority of devices.
• Near-field communication and Bluetooth.  At Disney World, visitors can get a band or card that lets them unlock their hotel room, purchase food and merchandise, buy add-ons and more — completely hands-free. Technology like near-field communication and Bluetooth make this possible, which can be a difference-maker when it comes to the customer experience.

7. Communication is the key to the hotel customer experience.

Starting with RFPs and going all the way to post-event surveys and emails, communication is the key to the customer experience.

For example, if there's a tight turn that's needed for a meeting space, be upfront with the planner about the possible outcomes, and go over what you can both do to prepare. Maybe the planner has unrealistic expectations about floor plans or food and beverage. Be honest about any limitations so there are no surprises when it comes to event execution.

Once the event begins, it's important to remain in contact with the planner. Whether there's a medical incident, an unruly guest, or anything in between, you need to notify the planner if the guest is a part of their group. While your hotel has a response plan for incidents, planners also have their own, and they're usually required to report any incidents to the correct stakeholders. 

And of course, it's more important now than ever to ensure that your hotel is prioritizing safe meetings and events . Whether you're leveraging  event diagramming tools  to ensure that you adhere to all guidelines, establishing a new health and sanitation program, or anything else, make sure planners are up-do-date on any and all changes.

8. Don't forget about the future.

Hosting meetings and events at your hotel is a great opportunity to get guests to book for leisure, either during their same trip or in the future. While planners and attendees are there for an event, they may not get to enjoy everything your hotel has to offer. However, offering incentives to experience some of the amenities during their stay might just bring them back on a vacation. Do you have a spa? Offer a discount or a specialized package for their next visit. Do you offer family-fun activities like golf or boat rentals? Give them a voucher that's good for the next year.

You also want to convince planners to bring their future meetings and events back to your property. Other than following the steps listed above, it's crucial to have post-event communication with your planner to run through what worked and go over any suggestions to make things better next time. This gives both parties an opportunity to give praise, as well as feedback. If you don't have feedback, you won't know what to improve for future groups. This communication will also give you the opportunity to showcase what types of upgrades you can offer.

Another option is to create a post-event survey for planners to fill out while they're traveling. Make it enjoyable for them so they take the time to answer and help you improve. Short surveys are best, just one to three questions. A simple  Net Promoter Score-type survey  suffices, or try using emojis to signify feelings instead of number ratings.

A handful of other ideas include:

• Leverage social media.  Post compliments about the meeting or event on your social media profiles. Include any pertinent hashtags or account usernames so they get additional exposure. If you want to go above and beyond, seek permission to feature the planner in your newsletter or blog. Pass along information about the social media traffic, shares, and engagement.
• Drive future bookings with discounts.  Some hotels provide discounts when multiple events are booked at the same time. This gives planners an incentive to come back. Others offer loyalty programs, comped rooms for repeat events, and more. Offer these benefits to your clients in a thank-you email or phone call after the event.
• Use technology to continue to elevate their planning experience.  As we noted above, planners usually stick with venues that implement the latest tools and experiences. If that's your hotel, showcase your dedication to innovation through experiential marketing . For example, Marriott embraced this trend through its virtual-reality campaign that transported guests to its locations across the globe. You can use this same technology to create virtual walkthroughs of the planner's setup and design, letting them create in a virtual sandbox.

When it comes to winning future guest business, try these post-stay email marketing ideas :

• Ask for feedback.  Some guests return from stays only to quickly forget their experience. Instead, capture their thoughts when they’re still fresh. Provide a direct link to your TripAdvisor page, or ask them to email their feedback directly.
• Reach guests' friends . Give guests a reason to tell their friends about you. Make it enticing. Don’t simply say, "Tell your friends about us!" Instead, make the offer attractive, such as offering 15% using a specific discount code.
• Showcase your rewards program.  Let your guests know the benefits of your rewards program. This is especially important if your guest came through an online travel agency and needs an extra nudge.

Get started using these hotel customer experience tips today!

Up next, discover how to use guest engagement strategies to stay ahead of your competition.

Find more ways to maximize the hotel customer experience

Cvent Guest

Cvent is a market-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider with more than 4,000 employees, ~21,000 customers, and 200,000 users worldwide.

More Reading

Country club marketing: how to attract event planners, independent hotel marketing: 10 strategies for beating big-name brands, congratulations to the 2024 excellence awards winners.

Subscribe to our newsletter

What is the customer journey in the hotel industry?

Table of Contents

In the dynamic landscape of the hotel industry, understanding the customer journey is not just essential—it’s indispensable. The customer journey encompasses every interaction a guest has with your hotel, from the initial discovery and booking process to the post-stay feedback.

This journey holds valuable insights that can help enhance guest satisfaction and elevate the overall hotel experience. In this blog post, “What is the customer journey in the hotel industry?”, we will delve into the intricacies of the customer journey, its importance, and how it can be leveraged to create memorable experiences that keep guests coming back.

What is a Customer Journey?

The customer journey can be described as a comprehensive narrative that captures the entire process a guest undergoes, from their initial inspiration to book a stay, to their post-stay interactions with a hotel. It’s a holistic view of a guest’s experience, and it provides invaluable insight into how guests interact with your hotel at every touchpoint.

The journey starts with the initial inspiration, where a potential guest first discovers your hotel. This could be through word-of-mouth, an online search, or even an ad. The next step involves research and comparison, as the potential guest explores your offerings, compares them with other hotels, and reads reviews.

Understanding this journey is crucial as it helps you identify opportunities to enhance the guest experience at each touchpoint, thereby fostering loyalty and boosting your hotel’s reputation in the long run.

Stages of a Hotel Customer Journey

1. Inspiration: The first stage of the hotel customer journey is the inspiration phase. This is where potential guests start dreaming about their next getaway, fueled by a desire to explore new places and experience different cultures. At this stage, they are gathering ideas about where to go and where to stay.

This initial stage is driven by various factors that can include anything from a captivating travel blog post or a friend’s recent vacation photos, to a desire for relaxation or adventure. As hoteliers, understanding these factors can help you position your property in a way that aligns with these motivations, thereby capturing the attention of potential guests.

Example: Consider a traveler who stumbles upon stunning photos of your hotel’s beachfront location on social media. The allure of the crystal-clear waters, the sandy beaches, and the promise of a serene retreat could spark their interest and inspire them to consider your hotel as a potential destination for their next vacation. This is the power of the inspiration stage—it’s where the journey begins, and it sets the tone for the stages to follow.

2. Research and Booking: The second stage of the hotel customer journey involves research and booking. At this point, the potential guest has some ideas about their destination and is now diving deeper to find the perfect place to stay. This stage involves meticulous research and comparison of various options. Guests look at different hotels, compare prices, amenities, location, and more importantly, read reviews from past guests. They may visit various hotel booking websites, travel blogs, and social media platforms to gather as much information as they can. After a thorough evaluation, they make a decision and proceed to book a room at their chosen hotel.

Example: A traveler, inspired by the beachfront photos, might start visiting different travel websites to learn more about your hotel and others in the same location. They would compare prices, check availability, read guest reviews, and examine the services and amenities each hotel offers. After weighing all these factors, they finally decide that your hotel offers the best value and experience for their needs, and they proceed to make a booking. This stage is critical because it’s where the first significant interaction between the guest and your hotel takes place—the booking.

3. Check-in: The third stage of the hotel customer journey is the check-in process. This critical phase sets the tone for the guest’s stay at the hotel and is their first in-person interaction with your staff.

The check-in process begins when the guest arrives at the hotel. This can include interactions at the reception, room assignment, and the initial introduction to the hotel’s facilities. It’s a significant opportunity to make a good first impression, provide essential information about the hotel and its services, and ensure the guest feels welcomed and comfortable.

Examples: Imagine a guest arriving at your hotel after a long journey. They are warmly greeted by the front desk staff who efficiently handle their check-in process, making it quick and hassle-free. The staff provides them with all the necessary information about their room, dining options, and other amenities. They also offer assistance with their luggage and guide them to their room. This positive experience during the check-in stage can significantly enhance the guest’s perception of your hotel and set the stage for a satisfying stay.

4. Guest Experience: The fourth stage of the hotel customer journey is arguably the most important one – the guest experience. This is when the guest stays at the hotel and experiences everything it has to offer.

The guest experience stage encompasses all the interactions a guest has during their stay at your hotel. This includes their use of amenities such as the spa, gym, pool, or restaurant, their interactions with your staff, and their overall comfort and satisfaction with their room and services provided. It’s during this stage that the guest truly gets to know your hotel and forms an opinion about their stay.

Example: A guest at your hotel might spend their day enjoying the beachfront location, lounging by the pool, dining at your on-site restaurant, and indulging in a spa treatment. They appreciate the cleanliness of their room, the friendliness of the staff, and the personalized service they receive. These positive experiences shape their overall perception of your hotel, influencing their satisfaction levels and their likelihood to return or recommend your hotel to others.

5. Check-out and Post-stay: The final stage of the hotel customer journey is the check-out and post-stay interaction. This phase wraps up the guest’s experience at your hotel and opens the door for future engagement.

The check-out process involves the guest settling their bill, returning room keys, and saying their goodbyes. It’s another opportunity for the hotel to leave a lasting impression by ensuring a smooth and friendly check-out process. But the journey doesn’t end there. Post-stay interactions play a crucial role in maintaining a relationship with the guest. This can include sending a thank-you note, asking them to complete a survey, or encouraging them to leave a review about their stay.

Example: A guest at your hotel has a hassle-free check-out where their bill is accurate and clear, and the process is quick. After leaving the hotel, they receive a personalized thank-you note from your hotel, appreciating them for choosing your property. They’re also invited to complete a survey about their stay, providing them an opportunity to share their experience. The guest feels valued and appreciated, which not only enhances their overall perception of your hotel but also increases the likelihood of them returning or recommending your hotel to others.

Elevate your hotel’s online presence and boost bookings with TravelerWP’s powerful WordPress theme and integrated booking engine . Maximize occupancy rates and provide guests with a hassle-free booking experience. Ready to transform your hotel business? Explore TravelerWP now and unlock a world of convenient reservations!

How to Map the Customer Journey of a Hotel Guest

1. Create a Customer Persona: Mapping the customer journey starts with understanding who your customers are. This is where creating a customer persona comes in. A customer persona is a semi-fictional representation of your ideal guest, based on real data about your existing guests and market research. It includes information about demographics such as age, gender, occupation, as well as preferences and behaviors related to travel. Understanding these details can help you tailor your services to meet their needs and expectations better.

Example: Let’s say you identify your target audience as business travelers. These guests value convenience, efficiency, and personalized service. They might prefer quick check-ins, flexible dining options, reliable Wi-Fi, and a quiet space where they can work. By understanding their needs, you can align your services to provide an exceptional experience for this group, thereby increasing their satisfaction and loyalty.

2. Identify Motivators and Pain Points for Each Stage of the Journey: Understanding what motivates your guests and what challenges they may face at each stage of their journey is crucial in creating a customer-centric experience.

By identifying the factors that drive your guests’ decisions and the potential frustrations they might encounter, you can refine your processes to better meet their needs. This involves looking at each stage of the journey, from inspiration to post-stay, and understanding what your guests value most and what might be causing them inconvenience or dissatisfaction.

Example: During the research and booking stage, guests might value transparent pricing and positive reviews. They want to know exactly what they’re paying for and hear about others’ experiences before making a decision. On the other hand, during the check-in stage, guests might appreciate a quick and efficient process, especially after a long journey. Recognizing these motivators and pain points allows you to enhance the guest’s experience by focusing on what matters most to them.

3. Define Touchpoints and Actions: The next step in mapping the customer journey is to define the key touchpoints and actions that can enhance the guest experience.

Touchpoints are any point of interaction between your hotel and your guests. This could be through your website, over the phone, at the front desk, or even through social media. Once these touchpoints are identified, you can define actions to make these interactions as positive and impactful as possible.

Example: You might ensure a seamless online booking process on your website, provide a warm and efficient welcome at check-in, and offer personalized recommendations for dining or activities during the guest’s stay. Each of these actions contributes to a more positive guest experience and can influence their overall perception of your hotel.

4. Enact and Review: The final step in mapping the customer journey involves putting your plan into action and continually reviewing and improving upon it.

Once you’ve defined your actions, it’s time to implement them. But the process doesn’t stop there. Regular reviews of the customer journey are essential to ensure it’s meeting your guests’ needs and expectations. This can involve analyzing guest feedback, monitoring satisfaction scores, and making adjustments based on what you learn.

Example: After implementing your actions, you might monitor guest satisfaction scores and analyze reviews to measure the impact of your initiatives. If guests are consistently mentioning how quick and easy the check-in process was or how helpful the personalized recommendations were, you know those are areas where your hotel is succeeding.

On the other hand, if certain pain points keep coming up in reviews, those are areas that may need further attention. This ongoing review and improvement process is crucial to continuously enhancing the overall guest experience.

In conclusion, understanding the customer journey in the hotel industry is crucial for enhancing guest satisfaction and loyalty. This journey, from research to post-stay interactions, provides key insights into guest experiences, preferences, and expectations. Regular review and adjustment based on feedback are essential to meet evolving guest needs. By focusing on this journey, hotels can deliver personalized experiences that set them apart in a competitive market, ultimately driving success.

• NEW VERSION 3.1.1 – Upsell and Trust Badges For Partner by traveler 16/11/2023
• How to Increase Bookings for Your B&B? by traveler 13/09/2023
• NEW VERSION 3.1.0 – New Update Solo Tour Demo, Mega Menu, Upsell Power and Trust Badges by traveler 11/09/2023
• How To Optimize Blog Content for Your Bed & Breakfast Business? by traveler 10/09/2023
• Top 5 Ways to Advertise Your Bed and Breakfast Business by traveler 10/09/2023

Related Posts

How to increase bookings for your b&b, how to optimize blog content for your bed & breakfast business, top 5 ways to advertise your bed and breakfast business.

• Privacy Policy
• Support Policy
• Refund policy
• Term and Conditions

Traveler design by ShineCommerce © All rights reserved

Schedule a call

Hotel customer journey: Supporting guests at every stage

May 14, 2024 • 14 min read

In this article

What is a hotel customer journey?

Why it’s important to understand the journey, the hotel customer journey, what is a hotel customer journey map, how to create a hotel customer journey map, what software should i use to optimize a guest's journey.

A guest's journey with your hotel covers all of the experiences and interaction they have with your business before, during, and after their stay. These experiences and interactions shape the way they feel about your services, so it’s important to pay close attention to them and enhance them where possible.

So, how do you ensure that your guests' needs are met at every stage? Here's our step-by-step guide to improving the hotel customer journey and creating experiences that are unforgettable — for the right reasons.

A hotel customer journey is the complete experience a guest undergoes from the initial idea of booking a hotel to their after-trip thoughts and reflections . It encompasses all the moments when a guest interacts with a hotel: from booking procedures and check-in processes to staying in the room, service encounters, and departure formalities.

A positive customer journey goes a long way towards guest satisfaction and loyalty, giving you a competitive edge in the crowded hotel industry.

The guest journey is the entire experience a guest has with your hotel, so understanding it is essential. When you know what’s working and what isn’t, you’ll be able to cater to guests' needs at each stage, make services faster and more efficient, and tailor your marketing and communications efforts to have real impact. And by making these improvements, you’ll boost the customer experience. This in turn means more guests feeling satisfied, recommending you to others, and making more bookings with you in the future.

Enhanced customer experience

Understanding the whole journey can enable you to streamline and optimize your services at key touchpoints, which will enhance the customer experience. At check-in, you could offer remote options or digital keys to reduce waiting times, and once guests have settled in, give them the chance to purchase add-ons to take their stay to the next level.

Identifying pain points

Analyzing the hotel customer journey allows you to identify potential pain points and areas for improvement. This will help you to address issues proactively, before guests choose to look elsewhere or leave negative reviews. Start maximizing guest satisfaction today.

Optimized marketing and communication

Understanding how guests learn about your hotel, how they conduct online research and evaluate their options, and what influences their hotel guest booking decisions will help you to optimize your marketing and communication strategies.

By targeting your messaging effectively, selecting the most relevant channels, and delivering compelling content that resonates with guests, you’ll reach the right people at the right time.

Maximized revenue opportunities

Learning more about the different stages of the hotel guest journey enables you to find opportunities for upselling additional services or amenities . From offering room upgrades during the booking process to promoting activities and room service options during a guest's stay, you can maximize revenue while enhancing the guest experience.

Building customer relationships

Each interaction within the customer journey is an opportunity to build relationships with guests. By delivering exceptional service at every touchpoint, you can create positive emotional connections with guests. Go a step further by personalizing your interactions to foster long-term loyalty.

Continuous improvement

Monitoring and analyzing the hotel customer journey on an ongoing basis allows you to adapt and change strategies in response to guest preferences, market trends, and competitive dynamics . Continuous improvement will keep you relevant, competitive, and resilient at all times.

Ready to start mapping the hotel guest journey?

Our industry experts can help you out.

Inspiration stage

Similar to travel customer journey , the inspiration and research stage is the very beginning of the journey, when a potential guest finds something that inspires their interest in planning a trip . Whether it's stumbling upon captivating travel photos on social media, reading positive guest reviews, or listening to travel tales from friends and family, something sparks an interest. They may not have a specific hotel in mind at this point, so they are open to exploring all possibilities.

The inspiration phase is incredibly important, but is often overlooked by travel companies. Generic advertisements and promotions work some of the time, but they often miss the mark for most modern customers who are used to personalized advertisements nowadays. That's where a modernized hotel website or a mobile app can really help you . With access to user data, you can tailor your marketing efforts towards customers’ preferences.

Another thing you should take into account is that while social media and word-of-mouth recommendations play a significant role in inspiring potential customers, you should also leverage influencer partnerships and user-generated content to showcase your unique offerings. Collaborating with travel influencers and encouraging guests to share their experiences online can attract attention to your services.

Planning stage

The planning phase is when a potential guest decides they should go on a trip and starts organizing it . This phase generally involves selecting the particular destination that aligns with their interests and preferences, setting travel dates, and creating a bespoke itinerary. It involves meticulous planning and attention to detail.

This is also the stage in which future guests start to weigh up their accommodation options, comparing hotels based on location, amenities, price, and the feedback of other travelers. It’s crucial to find ways to appeal to them at this moment: whether it’s the promised quality of the stay, availability of services, affordable pricing, or something else , make sure that your hotel is an obvious contender.

To encourage travelers to move through the booking process, you can also provide valuable resources and guides to aid trip planning: think curated lists of local attractions, insider tips from hotel staff, and interactive maps highlighting nearest points of interest.

Booking stage

When the planning is done, travelers move onto the booking stage of the customer journey, where they use hotel websites, apps, or travel agents to apply their preferences and budget and secure the most appropriate room . This is a perfect time for them to leverage promotional offers and loyalty programs to get the best value for money.

To incentivize direct bookings and save on third-party commission fees, you can offer exclusive benefits when guests book directly through your website or hotel app . Anything from complimentary room upgrades and late check-out options to discounts on various services will encourage guests to engage directly with your business and set you apart from competitors.

Pre-stay stage

In the pre-arrival stage, guests prepare for their upcoming trip, finalizing arrangements with the hotel . This may include reaching out for booking confirmation details, conveying any special requests or requirements like bed preferences and dietary restrictions, and making necessary transportation arrangements to ensure a smooth arrival.

Personalized communication is key during the pre-stay phase , as it sets the tone for the experience a guest is about to have at your hotel. Sending tailored emails to guests prior to their arrival, welcoming them and offering assistance with any special requests or arrangements, will demonstrate care and attentiveness. Anticipating guests' needs will instill confidence in your business and help you to build rapport.

Check-in stage

This is the stage at which a guest arrives at the hotel . The check-in process generally includes identification, providing payment information, and receiving the keys to the room.

Streamlining the check-in process is essential for creating a positive first impression . Speed things up and minimize wait times with mobile check-ins and digital key systems. This moment also presents an opportunity for a hotel to offer special services and upgrades, providing extra value to both parties.

The stay stage is the core part of a customer's journey . Settled into their rooms, guests enjoy the amenities and services on offer: lounging by the pool, visiting a hotel restaurant, or venturing out to explore the local attractions. Throughout their stay, your goal is to deliver exceptional service, ensuring guests feel welcomed, comfortable, and valued.

During a guest's stay, you can enhance the experience through thoughtful gestures like surprise treats delivered to the room, personalized recommendations for nearby activities or dining options, or special events and activities.

Check-out stage

As guests prepare to leave the hotel, they transition to the check-out stage. This phase involves settling charges, returning keys or access cards, and providing feedback on their experience if requested . As guests prepare to depart, you may extend assistance with luggage handling or transportation arrangements, ensuring a smooth departure.

The check-out process should be seamless and hassle-free, leaving guests with a positive final impression of your business . You can offer express check-out options via mobile app or in-room technology, allowing guests to settle their bills and depart quickly and efficiently. Expressing gratitude and welcoming feedback during the check-out process also demonstrates a commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.

Post-stay stage

During the post-stay stage of the customer journey, guests reflect on their experience and share feedback . This may include completing surveys, writing online reviews on review sites like TripAdvisor or Yelp, or simply sharing their experiences with friends and family.

This feedback is an insight into your performance, which you can use to refine your services , address any shortcomings, and continually improve the guest experience for future guests.

Now’s the time to encourage repeat business through targeted communication and post-stay engagement. This can include personalized follow-up emails thanking guests for their stay, inviting them to provide feedback, or giving them access to your loyalty program. By staying connected with guests beyond their stay, you can foster long-term relationships and encourage repeat bookings.

A hotel customer journey map is a visual representation of all the stages a guest goes through . It illustrates a guest's interactions, emotions, and touchpoints with a hotel throughout their stay.

A guest journey map will help hoteliers better understand the guest experience, identify pain points, and find opportunities for improvement . By mapping out the hotel guest journey, you can tailor your services and amenities to better meet the needs and expectations of your customers.

Set the scope

Your hotel guest journey map requires a careful examination of your services, target audience, and goals. What are your specific guest demographics? Business travelers, families, or couples seeking romantic getaways? Determining who you actually want to enhance the guest experience for is crucial if you want to cater to their unique needs and preferences.

Define guest personas

The next step is to define guest personas — in other words, detailed profiles that accurately represent your typical hotel guests . This includes a thorough examination of demographics, motivations, needs, and pain points across different guest segments.

By understanding the nuances of each guest persona, you can start to tailor the hotel guest journey map to address their specific requirements at every stage. Whether it's providing seamless booking experiences for busy business travelers or offering family-friendly amenities for vacationing families, the hotel customer journeys you design should reflect a deep understanding of these distinct needs and preferences.

Identify touchpoints at each stage

Next, break down the hotel guest journey into distinct stages, including pre-arrival, arrival, stay, and post-stay. Within each stage, note down the touchpoints that represent interactions between guests and your hotel . Don’t forget time spent browsing your website, booking, check-in, ordering hotel room service, housekeeping, and check-out — these are just some of the main touchpoints, but there may be more.

Explore best and worst case scenarios

Come up with both best case and worst case scenarios for each touchpoint within the hotel guest journey . In the best case scenario, guest needs are met fully, and everything runs smoothly. In the worst case scenario, issues arise and lead to frustration and dissatisfaction. This will help you mitigate problems before they arise and enhance the overall hotel guest experience.

List the software used at each touchpoint

Identify the software or technologies used at each touchpoint to facilitate guest interactions . This might include a booking engine, a property management system, customer relationship management software, a mobile app, a self-service kiosk, and communication tools. Review these tools to make sure they are up to date and properly integrated to provide a cohesive guest experience.

Implement and test

Once you've finished creating the hotel customer journey map, implement the necessary changes and deploy any new software or systems identified in the mapping process . It's crucial to test these changes to ensure they function as intended and enhance the guest experience. Conducting mock scenarios or pilot tests can help you identify any potential issues before full implementation.

Analyze and iterate

Continuously monitor and measure key performance indicators related to the guest journey , like booking conversion rates, check-in times, guest satisfaction scores, and repeat bookings. Analyze feedback from guests and hotel staff to identify areas for improvement. Use this data to refine the guest journey map and your operational processes.

Regularly reviewing and optimizing the guest journey ensures that your hotel stays competitive and continues to meet the evolving needs of guests.

Mobile check-ins and keyless entry

These solutions allow guests to check-in remotely through a mobile app and use their smartphones as room keys . Eliminating the need for physical check-in queues, freeing up the front desk, and reducing the chance of double bookings will contribute to a better hotel guest experience.

Another upside is that mobile apps give your business a constant presence on guests’ mobile devices, and regularly remind guests about your services. This is great for building brand loyalty.

Guest experience management tools

Allow guests to customize their experiences themselves through guest management tools. With mobile apps or in-room tablets, make it possible for guests to request room service, make restaurant or spa reservations, leave feedback, and so much more . Guests will value these personalized interactions and this will lead to more memorable stays.

You could also consider enabling smart room controls through internet-of-things devices . Allow guests to adjust their room temperature, lighting, and entertainment systems using voice commands or mobile apps. Increasing guest comfort is key to enhancing the overall experience.

Wi-Fi analytics

Use Wi-Fi analytics to track guest behavior, preferences, and demographics, enabling personalized recommendations and targeted hotel marketing campaigns .

This data-driven approach not only improves the guest experience by offering relevant suggestions but also empowers you to tailor your offerings and promotions to specific guest segments.

Contactless payment solutions

Offer contactless payment options to streamline the payment process and enhance security . These solutions aren't just more convenient for you, guests, and online travel agents, they also minimize physical contact and any risks related to cash payments, fostering a safer environment.

Dynamic pricing software

Dynamic pricing software enables you to adjust room rates based on demand, occupancy levels and market trends in real time, maximizing revenue while offering competitive pricing to guests.

This pricing strategy ensures that your business remains responsive to market changes and guest demand, optimizing profitability without compromising the quality of the guest experience.

Feedback surveys

Digital surveys sent via email or mobile app allow guests to provide feedback conveniently and in real time, so you can respond promptly and improve customer satisfaction .

These surveys can provide rich insights, facilitating more informed decision-making and continuous improvement of your services and leading to more positive reviews in the future.

Ready to upgrade your hotel software?

Our industry experts build award-winning custom solutions.

Understanding the stages of the hotel customer journey is essential in providing an exceptional guest experience and building lasting relationships with your customers. From the initial inspiration phase to the reflections after the trip, each stage presents opportunities to engage with guests and create positive moments.

By focusing on personalized services, seamless transitions, and continuous improvement, your hotel can navigate the hotel guest journey with ease, ensuring that every guest feels valued and appreciated throughout their stay. This will help you boost customer loyalty, encourage positive online hotel reviews, and position you for success in the increasingly competitive hospitality industry. To get started, develop a customer journey map to figure out which elements need your attention at each stage.

Founder & CEO

Alex loves travel and tech and founded Zoftify to help travel companies use technology more effectively. Before this, he worked in tech consulting, where he led international mobile development teams.

Read other articles

What factors influence a guest's choice of hotel?

Guests consider various factors when choosing a hotel, including location, price, amenities, reputation, and online reviews. Additionally, personal preferences like the type of accommodation, brand loyalty, and previous experiences, can play a significant role in decision-making.

How can a hotel enhance the pre-arrival experience?

Hotels can enhance the pre-arrival experience by offering a seamless booking process, personalized communication, and the ability to customize stay preferences. Providing guests with relevant information about the hotel's facilities, nearby attractions, and transportation options can also contribute to a positive pre-arrival guest experience.

How can a hotel improve the post-stay experience?

To improve the post-stay guest experience, a hotel can gather feedback through surveys, guest reviews, or follow-up communication, committing to continuous improvement. Additionally, offering incentives such as loyalty rewards or discounts for future stays will encourage guests to provide feedback while maintaining the rapport built up during the stay.

Case Studies

Apparel & Fashion

Beauty & Cosmetics

Luxury Goods & Jewellery

Sporting Goods

Consumer Goods

Consumer Electronics

Food & Beverages

User Generated Content: A complete guide

What is Instagram Marketing?

Embed Instagram Feed

UGC Examples

TikTok Collection

Flowbox Login

Photoslurp Login

Request a demo

Hotel Marketing: Analyzing the Customer Journey in the Hotel and Tourism Industry

Think about it – just 20 years ago, we didn’t have Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Snapchat. We couldn’t look up hotel reviews on Yelp. We couldn’t hop online to see where our friends and favourite celebrities were travelling and staying. We didn’t have to worry about our hotel marketing strategy in online channels.

If you wanted to book a hotel back then, you pretty much had to rely on that hotel’s marketing messaging and word-of-mouth recommendations from friends and family members.

Times have changed. The explosive popularity of the Internet and social media in recent years has completely revolutionized hotel marketing and the customer journey in the tourism industries. 82% of all travel bookings in 2018 were made online via a mobile app or website.

And make no mistake – people want to take more vacations. Vacations are reported to make 8/10 people happier than marriages, religion, cats, and birthdays. And 92% of Americans would give up alcohol, video games, or chocolate for a vacation.

So, as a hotel marketer, how can you tap into people’s strong desire to travel and provide content that pushes them through the entire stage of the customer journey and makes them choose your hotel over one of your competitors?

Exploring the Customer Journey in the Hotel and Tourism Industries

The travel idea/awareness stage.

Leisure trips start at the moment the traveller realizes that they want to travel.

Often, that moment is spurred by the traveller seeing inspiring online content. For example, they might find themselves itching to travel after looking at an image online of someone enjoying themselves while travelling.

Let’s go over the stage of the customer journey more in-depth with an example:

Say you’ve wanted to take a trip for a while now, but you aren’t sure where to go or where you should stay during your trip.

But one day, you’re scrolling down your Instagram feed, and you notice this photo re-posted by the Lindblad Expeditions account:

You read the caption and gaze longingly at the photo.

And suddenly, you picture yourself canoeing in Scotland while relaxing and taking in the scenery.

That’s when your “aha” moment happens, and you realize that a trip to Scotland is exactly what you need. It’s your dream trip, and you’re ready to start planning to make it happen.

This stage may not happen in this exact way for every customer, but the point is this:

Social media can have a huge influence on the “Travel Idea” stage of the customer journey.

Take a look at these statistics:

• One survey showed that 52% of people reported being inspired to travel because of their friends’ Facebook photos.
• 30% of US travelers turn to social media to find trip inspirations
• Earned media (User Generated Content like the photo above) is 50% more trusted than  all other forms of advertising.

Based on this data, you can see how important it is for your hotel to have a strong social media presence and regularly share content that inspires travellers to plan a trip. Through a UGC platform such as Flowbox integrating the users images into your eCommerce is very simple.

Do you want to inspire your customers and encourage them to plan their next trip?

Learn more about Flowbox platform and start using UGC in your hotel marketing strategy.

The “Research/Consideration” Stage

Once a traveller has decided on their destination, they begin the research process. This typically involves asking peers for recommendations and then analyzing different options in-depth and picking the best one based on ratings and reviews , social media images, and price.

Searching for the best option

When the week of booking a hotel at the travel destination comes, travellers spend a lot more time searching online for information about their trip.

Online travel content consumption during the week of booking more than doubles from that of the previous week . And while 47 percent of that takes place on online travel agencies (OTAs), the share of travel visits for destination marketing organizations (DMOs) has increased by 30 per cent since 2010.

Travellers just can’t get enough online content about their travel destinations – especially if it’s user-generated. One study found that exposure to User Generated Content increased conversion rates for hotels dramatically, which resulted in more transactions and business revenue overall.

Curious about how UGC can transform your marketing strategy? Get your demo now!

But it’s not just pictures and articles about their vacation destination that travellers are interested in, it’s also online user reviews.

Reading reviews

Think that online reviews have little or no effect on your hotel’s bookings?

Think again. 80% of all travellers  spend up to 4 weeks on TripAdvisor reading other traveller reviews and researching a destination and  72% of new customers   won’t book until they have spent time reading other traveller reviews.

So if you’re a hotel marketer, you must make an effort to collect authentic online reviews and respond to them.

Of course, to beat out your competition, you’ll need lots of positive reviews on Yelp, your hotel website, and the booking sites where your hotel is featured. So if you aren’t prioritizing the guest experience as much as you should be, it’s time to start. That way, you’ll inspire lots of your customers to give you the kinds of reviews that’ll help you win more business.

That being said, Harvard Business School research shows that the majority of consumers trust reviews more when they see a mixture of good and bad feedback. If you only have perfect reviews, customers are going to perceive your brand as inauthentic!

Looking at images on social media

Cornell research suggests that images may play a major role in the online hotel choice process, and 1/3 of US travelers look for their inspiration on social media.

So, you need to make sure you’re giving your potential customers plenty of inspiration by posting real content to all of your social media accounts.

This is important because it allows your potential customers to visualize what their experience will be like when they stay at your hotel. They can’t do that when all you offer is professional, staged photos that don’t provide a sense of authenticity!

Looking at hotel websites and interacting with the content

According to Expedia research , some consumers visit up to 39 websites before booking their travel plans.

That’s a lot of researching! A recent study showed that 49 % of travellers used a price comparison website like Expedia, Priceline, or Kayak. 36 % of those who used these sites ended up booking their stay through them, but you better believe that potential customers who are serious about booking at your hotel will check out your main website too.

So, ask yourself this question:

Does my website create an inviting image for my hotel?

If not, it’s time for you to make some changes. First of all, you should have a customer review section displayed prominently on your site to increase conversions and customer confidence.

Also, consider dedicating a page on your hotel website to sharing customer pictures. Here’s how hotel company Rusticae does this on their site:

Showing this content off to prospective customers who visit the site allows Rusticae to give them a real look at people’s experiences staying in the hotel.

Using this strategy is a great way to push people further along in the customer journey and make them more confident in their decision to book a room at your hotel.

Comparing all the options

When potential travellers have access to so many resources, where they decide to stay comes down to their decision-making process.

According to Cornell research , customers browse through hotel names, images, price, and location, as well as user ratings – but they fixate the most on images. That’s why great images can make up for less favourable ratings or a lesser-known brand logo.

If the images posted to both social networking platforms and your website make your hotel look appealing, you’ll have a greater chance of securing new guests.

Think about it – which of these hotels would you rather stay at:

• A hotel with no photos online whatsoever.
• A hotel with some exterior photos online.
• A hotel with detailed photos of rooms, amenities, the surrounding area, and more posted on social media and its website.

You’d pick the last one. And travellers looking for the best possible hotel stay during their vacation would too.

The “Book and Stay” Stage

Once travellers have become your guests, it’s up to you to convince them they made the right decision. And while they’re in your hotel, you can encourage them to start posting their pictures to help you spread the word about your hotel.

Appreciating the experience

The truth is that it’s completely up to your hotel’s quality to influence guests in the right direction.

If your hotel doesn’t live up to standards, you might suffer from a negative review. If there are horrible stains on the carpet and holes in the walls, the pictures your guests share on social media might be discouraging to future guests.

When they decided to stay at your hotel, it’s because they were impressed by your online presence. For them to remain impressed, you have to be consistent with your service and presentation both online and offline.

Posting to social media

When your guests arrive, you should introduce them to your social media presence by using decals near your hotel entrance. As they walk through the doors, they’ll be encouraged to follow your social media channels, post pictures from their rooms, or even give your hotel a shout-out when they check-in.

If your guests feel satisfied at every stage of their stay, they’ll post pictures to show all of their friends the great time they’re having at your hotel.

This will help you encourage more content for your hotel to help build your brand, keep customer acquisition costs low, and encourage more bookings in the future.

Engaging with a loyalty program

Another way to encourage your guests to share content on social media is to offer a rewards program that interfaces with certain online platforms.

Le Club Accor Hotels offers points for guests to earn during their stays by collecting badges in a Facebook application. Here’s what a guest might see when they check into their hotel:

Every time a guest stays at an affiliated hotel, their user account fills with these points that they can use for rewards later down the road.

This activity is posted to Facebook, where all the guest’s family and friends can see their location and read more about their experiences. Then, the next time the traveller considers a hotel, they’ll remember their points and book with Accor hotels.

The “Post-stay/Sharing” Stage

During this stage in the customer’s journey, the guest is (hopefully!) happy with their experience at your hotel. If you’ve provided them with an exceptional experience, they’ll be ready to share information about your hotel with their friends and family members.

Spreading the word

To encourage your guests to share their journey, tell your front desk agents to ask all leaving guests about their experience. If the guest reports that they have had a positive experience in the hotel, the front desk agent should encourage them to share their opinions online!

When people take the time to leave a review about your hotel, there’s a strong chance it’ll influence other travellers to stay with you in the future.

Who knows – that customer’s experience could inspire one of their social media followers to take a trip. And when they do, there’s a good chance they’ll book with you because they’ll have already seen how wonderful it is to stay in your hotel!

Appreciating their relationship with you

If your guests have such a fantastic time that they can’t wait to come back, you should actively encourage them to do so through your hotel marketing strategy.

If you have their contact information, you can remind them in the future – be it 6 months or a year from now – about their stay at your hotel. When you do, it will plant the seeds of travel in their heads and they’ll want to start the vacation cycle all over again.

And if they do want to return, it means you’ve successfully created a lasting relationship with them.

That means more money for you – engaged customers spend 46 % more per year than actively disengaged guests.

When guests feel like they have a more personal relationship with your brand, they’ll be more inclined to share photos of their stay and enjoy learning about the experiences other travellers have had with you as well.

Jorden Roper is a fuchsia-haired freelance writer for hire and the founder of Writing Revolt, where she writes no-nonsense advice for freelance writers and bloggers. When she's not working, you can find her traveling, playing music in her band, or hanging out with her two Chihuahuas.

eCommerce Trends from a Magento Standpoint

What is a User Generated Content Creator? (Tips for success)

How to craft success with User Generated Content from YouTube

Are you an agency specialized in UX, digital marketing, or growth? Join our Partner Program

Learn / Guides / Customer journey mapping (CJM) guide

Back to guides

How 5 businesses successfully mapped out the customer journey

Creating a customer journey map puts you in your customers’ shoes to help you understand the user experience—what your users think, feel, and do at each stage of their buying journey.

Last updated

Reading time.

We’ve put together a list of five brilliant customer journey mapping (CJM) examples to show you how it’s done, so you can learn how to improve the user experience (UX) for your customers. 

Want to know how customers really interact with your product?

Hotjar’s product experience insights tools let you see things through their eyes. 

5 great examples of customer journey mapping 

A good customer journey map identifies buyers’ actions, desires, and experiences at every key touchpoint—from when a customer lands on your webpage all the way to conversion, onboarding, and beyond.

Our list of customer journey examples breaks down the best B2B, B2C, ecommerce, and SaaS journey maps—and shows you how to understand your customers better to build your own.

1. Hotjar’s B2B customer journey map 

At Hotjar (👋), we make product experience (PX) insights tools to help businesses understand how their customers interact with their websites and digital products. And, of course, we’ve done some B2B customer journey mapping of our own to understand what our customers want, by tracking their interactions across key touchpoints. 

The result was the digital customer journey example shown above that maps our customers' experience when they use Hotjar tools for product testing. We visualized the key actions, questions, technical limitations, and opportunities of customers using our tools to get granular data to validate our product ideas and experiments. 

We started by identifying one specific customer journey, then used Google Analytics, Hotjar tools, and data from customer interactions with our brand to understand user actions, thoughts, and feelings. Then, we got UX, dev, engineering, and customer success teams to fill out empathy maps before mapping the journey. 

To increase empathy with our customers, we included two rows dedicated to pain points and happy moments—like the pain of finding patterns in complex customer data, and the ‘a-ha moment' when our users first realize value.  

We made our map flexible enough to be updated as customer needs change and new information becomes available, so we continually validate our assumptions against customers’ real-world experiences.

The benefits of customer journey mapping included helping us visualize customer motivations, drivers, and pain points, align cross-functional teams , eliminate silos, and clarify who owns each part of the buyer journey. 

How B2B companies selling self-serve digital products can create a similar map: 

1. Define the goal and scope of your customer journey map. We recommend starting with a narrow scope and only a few people involved. Focus on a specific problem you can break down into a few steps—like identifying where you’re losing users, and mapping out the pains, desires, and experiences of customers who exit your site.

Ask yourself: 

What do you want to achieve? 

Which customer journey touchpoints do you want to focus on? 

What KPIs do you want to measure? 

Where can you get the data you need? 

Which teams need to be involved?   

2. Use Google Analytics and Hotjar's Observe tools to collect user insights about online interactions:

Create Hotjar Heatmaps on key product pages to see where users are clicking and which parts of your page aren’t engaging users or working as intended. Then, improve UX and optimize the placement of on-page elements to boost conversions. 

Use Session Recordings to see how users scroll, click, and move around your site across an entire session. Focus on spotting bugs and blockers that cause them to bounce. 

3. Add qualitative user data from service chat logs, emails, or by asking customer support teams. 

4. Get key product and customer service teams to fill in an empathy map detailing what your buyers do, say, see, hear, think, and feel. Feel free to steal our free template below!

5. Map the journey with Post-its and pens before digitizing it and sharing it across the company. 

2. Rail Europe’s B2C journey map 

B2C ecommerce travel provider Rail Europe gives customers an easy way to book rail tickets online. Their on-site user interface (UI) is strong, but the company wanted to go deeper to understand the customer journey across all touchpoints. 

Mapping the customer journey produced a full spectrum customer experience map that illustrates the buyer's journey before, during, and after a purchase. It reminded their team that the buyer journey starts long before a customer lands on the website to book a ticket—and continues after the trip, through touchpoints like post-trip refunds, sharing recommendations, or publishing photos on social media. 

Rail Europe’s customer journey map also shows the transition between stages or channels to accurately visualize what is often a non-linear journey . For example, in the initial research, planning, and shopping phases, customers often move back and forth between comparison pages, checking timetables, and website chat and planning features.  

Mapping the journey like this helps Rail Europe understand different customers’ channel preferences, see which touchpoints aren’t working as they should, and which aspects of the user experience need more attention from design teams, marketing, and customer support. They visualized actions, thoughts, feelings, and experiences and rated the customer satisfaction of each stage, as well as the relevance and helpfulness of Rail Europe, to home in on areas for improvement.

The map doubles down on customer empathy by identifying travelers’ overall concerns and frustrations while on the trip, even those unrelated to their rail journey—the overall travel experience is still connected with the company brand in customers’ minds. 

This stand-alone map can be understood across teams without supporting materials, and there’s a focus on actionable insights—like the need to address customer frustrations over snail mail ticket delivery. 

Ecommerce website analysis like this is valuable for any company selling experiential products or services, like concert tickets, vacations, or tours. If that’s you, follow Rail Europe’s example and conduct customer journey map research by surveying current and potential customers to uncover exactly what they’re hoping for, thinking, and feeling as they engage with your brand.

Tips to map out the ecommerce customer journey:

1. Ask yourself: 

How can we access users who aren’t yet customers? 

What happens before the customer gets to our web page? How do they do research for a trip? What kinds of search keywords do they use online?  

Is the buyer journey non-linear? If not, how can we represent this? 

2. If your buyer journey has multiple touchpoints, group them into categories like 'research and planning', 'shopping', 'booking', etc. 

3. Match survey insights to touchpoints and map out the journey visually, adding qualitative insights about what the customer is thinking, feeling, and doing at each stage. 

💡 Pro tip: use Hotjar Surveys to collect real-time suggestions about your website or app from users to make data-driven decisions and validate assumptions that inform and elevate your customer journey map. 

Hotjar’s no-code UI makes it easy to create drag-and-drop surveys  

3. Rewind’s SaaS customer journey map 

Rewind makes backup & restoration software for SaaS platforms. Their team decided to map out the B2B SaaS customer journey when revenue fell short of expectations after the acquisition of a similar product. It also became clear that marketing efforts weren’t attracting the ideal customer.

Like many SaaS companies, Rewind relied on sales calls and customer relationship management (CRM) data to understand their users. But they were missing key insights about what happens before the customer lands on their website. 

To map the journey, the Rewind team defined their ideal customer profile (ICP) before conducting customer interviews to deeply understand buyer motivations and the decision-making process. They also used Google Analytics, Hubspot , and PX insights tools to understand users’ online behavior and how they were interacting with marketing materials. 

This showed them a short, high-intent, back-and-forth customer journey that happens almost exclusively online—since Rewind is installed in SaaS platforms, a lot of traffic is referred from their app marketplaces. 

The map showed event triggers and the customer’s thoughts and feelings as they moved through becoming aware of their problem (loss of important data), understanding the need for a solution, and doing online research—before arriving at Rewind.  

By mapping the full journey, the Rewind team discovered that customers often use professional forums or communities as part of solution research, and discovered a new buyer motivation and market segment: data compliance. 

According to Content Lift Founder Ryan Paul Gibson , who helped Rewind conduct customer interviews, the company also realized “potential buyers don’t want to speak with sales or ‘get a demo'. They want to research the product themselves and evaluate it. They also don’t want to enter a credit card to test it; they want to try it first and pay if it’s a good fit.” 

Rewind updated their go-to-market strategy, personas, product positioning , and marketing to complete these missing steps in the customer journey map.

The result? A two-fold increase in product installations, and better internal alignment on their ICP—which has improved their efficiency and helped them maximize resources. 

To create a great SaaS customer journey map: 

Set your research objectives

Create a list of topics that align with your ideal buyer journey. For example, in Rewind’s case, they were customers’ reasons for buying, details about their company and role, and what caused them to start searching for a solution. 

Create questions to ask customers during interviews, but leave flexibility for discussion.

Run in-depth customer interviews to capture the exact order of events in the buyer journey and make sure you understand every customer action and touchpoint—from users identifying a problem to making a purchase.

Bucket interview insights into user priorities, pains, and anxieties—what happened to trigger a search; which research channels the customer uses; how they evaluate solutions.

4. Spotify’s B2C customer journey map 

When music streaming app Spotify mapped the user journey, their team focused on tracking touchpoints for one specific feature: sharing playlists via third-party apps.  

Their map zeroes in on clearly defined user personas and identifies key areas of customer engagement with a focus on users’ emotions and thoughts at each stage.

The team’s journey mapping research revealed a key customer pain point—fear of being judged for their music taste—that can hold users back from sharing music. They also identified an awareness gap to address: some users didn’t know the feature existed. 

By mapping the user journey, Spotify improved their UI and in-app flows to streamline the customer experience and make every touchpoint relevant to how real customers use the product.  

Mapping user flows is key for digital B2C brands with a product that lives and dies by good usability—and a business model that relies on customer loyalty. 

To map the user journey before improving or launching a feature:  

Conduct market research based on direct and indirect competitors to understand how people use similar features, and what they expect from yours. 

In user interviews , focus on the specific feature or stage of the journey. Why aren’t customers using it as you’d like? What are the barriers to product adoption? Dig deep into what motivates users to complete a specific action—and what blocks them.  

Using interview data, create a buyer persona and include their key needs and motivations. What can you do to bring this feature to their attention and boost adoption? 

Create a customer journey map combining stages in the user’s interaction with the feature, and break down the actions they take and the thoughts and emotions they have at each stage. 

Use these insights to remove friction and improve user flows, validating your design with real users. 

Pro tip : use Hotjar's Observe tools to study Session Recordings and Heatmaps and get insights into the product experience of real or test users at every point in the customer journey.

Heatmaps show you an intuitive aggregated view of which parts of your site are attracting attention and which aren’t to help you make changes that improve UX

5. Emirates Airline’s multi-channel customer journey map 

To reflect their customers’ multi-channel journey, flag carrier Emirates created a CJM that covers reservations, check-in, and onboarding experiences. 

As well as digital channels, the map includes call center interactions, which provide context for interactive voice response (IRV) technology and human service agents. It also sheds light on customer desires, broken down into categories like ‘comfort’, ‘safety’, ‘confidence’, and ‘freedom & control’, shown in the corners of the map.

With a global brand like Emirates, customers expect the same experience at all touchpoints, in all countries. This exercise helped the Emirates team understand customers’ main interactions and expectations to better coordinate service touchpoints and provide a consistent, high-quality experience across each one.  

For example, they set up a single, virtual contact center platform to increase efficiency and ensure consistent interactions across every channel. It’s not just the customer who benefits: the Emirates team now better understands exactly how to meet user needs across several channels and countries.

This map is ideal for businesses whose customer journey combines online and offline touchpoints, especially companies looking to differentiate themselves through the quality of their service. 

How to implement a multi-channel customer journey map: 

Define your key goals for producing the map.

Conduct thorough market research and customer interviews to reduce your assumptions and understand every single interaction and channel customers experience.

Interview customer experience and support staff members at all touchpoints and in all regions.

Use analytics tools and product experience insights software to understand how buyers interact with your digital marketing, website, and chat functions across channels and locations.  

Use AI to analyze customer call recordings for tone and sentiment.

Pro tip: use Hotjar Feedback widgets to get in-context insights about what users really think about your app or website. You can filter feedback by region or channel to better understand your global customer touchpoints.

Hotjar's non-invasive Feedback widgets allow customers to give their opinions of your website or product as they experience it.

You’ve reached your destination: a truly valuable customer journey map  

Customers interact with your brand over a variety of channels and touchpoints, and their journeys aren’t always linear. But understanding their journey is key to improving your product and boosting customer acquisition, adoption, and retention. 

Follow these customer journey mapping examples to experience key touchpoints from your users’ point of view and grasp their pains, needs, and frustrations so you can build a journey your customers will love.

Want to know how customers really interact with your brand?

Frequently asked questions about customer journey mapping, what are the stages of the customer's journey.

Buyer journeys can typically be broken down into three steps or stages: 

Awareness of a problem or pain

Consideration (researching and evaluating solutions)

Making a decision

What does a strong customer journey map look like?

A good customer journey map includes all the touchpoints where a customer interacts with your brand. It should include the various stages of the marketing and sales cycle, customer touchpoints across your product and website, and map out customers’ actions, thoughts, and feelings at each stage, as well as KPIs.

For example, Rail Europe’s customer journey map tracks all the stages of research, planning, and shopping, through to booking, travel, and post-travel. At each stage, it maps out customer questions, concerns, and feelings, as well as the helpfulness and relevance of Rail Europe.

What are the stages of customer journey mapping?

Customer journey map stages are: 

Collecting data and conducting customer interviews or surveys 

Mapping the customer journey in a workshop

Extracting insights and producing a report

CJM tools: features and how to choose

Previous chapter

CJM research

Next chapter