If you have recently booked a vacation, you know how frustrating it can be to choose a hotel. You are about to spend a lot of money and you want a great experience. According to a recent study, your potential guests share the same feelings.
Resort marketing teams don't align their communication materials to the actual expectations of their guests. According to a survey done by Booking.com and guestradar, 73% of digital media used by hotels exaggerates the property and experiences it offers, making the resort unattractive to prospective visitors.
The remaining 27% of hotel brands understand customer expectations and enjoy increased demand and popularity on the internet.
It is time for the industry to look at its approach and make changes.
Understanding Real Guest Expectations
Most leisure travelers have expectations for their vacations. They're looking for an opportunity to relax and eat good food. According to research by the American Marketing Association, only 40% of hotel marketing materials are accurate.
Inseparable is often overlooked. More than half of vacationers anticipate enhanced intimacy with their partners during their vacations according to independent surveys. The expectation should be subtly communicated in hotel and resort marketing content through softly lit bedroom settings or sexy couple massage photos.
A hotel experience is incomplete without good food. People are more likely to choose a resort based on food photos, according to a survey done in 2020.
The Bragging Factor
The importance of bragging factors can't be underestimated. More than 70% of leisure travelers expect their resort to offer some kind of photo shoot. This needs to be showcased in your marketing materials. Who doesn't want to show off beautiful vacation photos that make people jealous?
What Marketing Communication Should Focus On
The main expectations of vacationers are a pleasing room that is relaxing and intimate, engaging activities, great food, and a resort environment that they can proudly share on social media.
According to guest feedback reports, aligning your marketing communication with these aspects will greatly enhance guest satisfaction, showing that you understand and cater to these expectations.
The Reality Gap
Most hotel marketing videos are seen as generic drone shot edits, with pseudo-epic scenes, empty spaces, or dull property shots with uninspired caption on social media according to a survey.
This type of content doesn't make people excited. Less than 20% of travelers said that resort marketing content influenced their decision to stay in a hotel.
Most hotels struggle to define and showcase their unique experiences, despite the slogan "selling the experience" being used for nearly a decade.
Taking a Fresh Approach
Hotels can align themselves more closely with guest expectations by changing their marketing strategy.
Hotels need to conduct market research to understand guest expectations and motivation during the hotel selection and booking process.
Your hotel's marketing strategy should include guest feedback to ensure it stays relevant and appealing to its target audience.
Conclusion
It's important to include guest expectations in your marketing plan. By understanding and incorporating these expectations, hotels can create compelling content that will lead to increased bookings, improved guest satisfaction, and stronger brand loyalty. Staying in tune with guest desires is important to becoming a sought after brand.
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