Instead of promoting a new tagline or spiel, hoteliers are now falling back on what they do best, and that’s being honest. These past few years have brought about a slow but strong change in how hotels manage themselves. Leading hospitality studies have found that a growing number of tourists and travelers appreciate solid information rather than flowery words. These analyses concluded that customers were more likely to be satisfied, give a higher rating, and return to hotels that were very candid about what they can and cannot offer.
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There is a caveat to these researches. Customers still desire to get the most of their money. They do have certain expectations that a hotel will provide for their basic needs and more. There is also an expectation that while hotels should be honest, they also do whatever it is in their power to improve certain conditions. Hotels cannot simply be honest and say, this is all it can offer, and then hope for the best. Financial advisers heavily encourage using customer feedback and market research to enhance operations.
The direction of honesty, therefore, is more on the hotel’s amenities, structures, and food. Customers appreciate hotels that are frank about the limitations of their facilities. Marketing groups can use these constraints – as they were – and use them as a selling aspect. In fact, most hotels already do this: using a challenge and turning it into an advantage. However, the difference is that the angle should be sincere. Clients no longer want to be inundated with fluff. They want to know that they are getting straight up – all the while still getting a comfortable and enjoyable experience.
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John Jefferis is a renowned hotel management expert, with more than 40 years of experience in the industry. Learn more by following this Twitter account.
