There is no denying that color affects both visitor perceptions and their intent to book. Colors play a crucial role at every point of the visitor experience journey, influencing perceptions and actions, arousing senses, and lending a space its distinct charm.

To identify trends and select a color scheme that would appeal to their target audience, marketers look everywhere. Which strategies are the most effective for making a difference with your hotel or property listing? Is it a major win-win solution? Let’s explore to learn more.

Satyendra Singh, a researcher studying the impact of color on marketing at the University of Winnipeg, notes that people make up their minds within 90 seconds of their initial interactions with either people or products; and that about 62−90 percent of the assessment is based on colors alone.

Thoughtful use of color can increase or decrease appetite, enhance mood, calm down, and even reduce perception of waiting time.

It’s been proven, that certain colors trigger chemical reactions, resulting in a specific emotional response. See the table below.

Color psychology has helped identify patterns that are now widely used in branding and marketing.

However, the results may change when the effect of lighting in combination with color is considered. Apart from that, colors can be perceived differently by different groups of people.

How do you know which pattern works best for you?

"I think it has to do with technology being all-encompassing, but still, people want to be in touch with nature," - says architect and researcher Adrian Chan, of the neo mint color which he chose for his dietitian’s studio project. "These colors evoke both progress and nature."

Here is what production designer Anne Seibel shares about her work on the set of "Emily in Paris" Season 4: "I wanted different rooms to be really separate. To give the depth of field. Emily is really girly. So the color is slightly pink, but you don’t really see it. From that, I went to Sylvie’s [room], which is a bit colder, because she is colder".

Surprisingly, one color or a shade can have a million meanings unique to each individual.

Take a look at this response documented by Forbes senior contributor Goldie Chan in her survey on people’s favorite colors.

"Because I’m a lover of all things Broadway, I’m a sucker for the name and color razzmatazz — a red/pink color similar to rose (and rosé wine… which I’m also a sucker for, too)." - Randi Zuckerberg, entrepreneur.

Peach Fuzz is the Pantone color for 2024, by the way. According to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. It is "a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection." Perceptions, trends, and cultural implications all change; this is why every single Pantone Color of the Year since 2000 is different.

Whether you want to communicate a sense of fun and enjoyment, serenity and relaxation, or enthusiasm and energy, it’s crucial to be cautious and consistent. Of course, you want to be sure that your visitors are not getting the wrong impression from you.

But in all honesty, how do you know what associations people have with the colors of your walls? Spoiler: there is a way to find out.

1. The rule of the three colors: a base, an accent, and a secondary. The base color should reflect the design concept. It is typically used on walls. The secondary color is ideal for curtains or furniture. Finally, the accent color is usually used for lamps, cushions, artwork, carpets, and other decorative pieces.

2. The 60−30−10 rule. 60% of the room is in a dominant color, 30% is in a secondary color, and 10% is an accent color, which offers a contrasting hue.

3. Experiment with lighting. Test paint colors and observe them at different times of the day, under artificial lighting, and in natural light.

4. Use a layered approach. Paint, wallpaper, lighting, flooring, soft furnishings, furniture, artwork, and accessories — is a layer. Start layering with the main color. Accessories are the final layer.

5. Test it first. Test out color in a small amount before fully committing to a color scheme.
Now imagine we had made up our minds to go for the Quiet Luxury style, layering the rooms with some pastel colors, marble accessories, and the famous "ivory boucle" textures. Meanwhile, it turned out that our neighborhood was one of the top destinations for Gen Z travelers. These folks might not necessarily fancy our dream dwelling — be it as pretty as a picture. They are not afraid to go bold in their color choices. Some of them like modern spaces that look cartoonish as if they were renders from a metaspace. Kind of breaking all the rules?

The good news is that you can learn how colors affect visitor attitudes and booking intentions without having to completely redesign your property. You can experiment with potential visitors by altering the color of a listing’s photographs. This will assist you in identifying colors that affect many other relevant criteria, such as perceived quality, comfort, and intent to return.

With the help of experiments, you can have the same features — rooms, descriptions, host pictures, prices — but color the walls in different shades to get insights into the personas of your customers.

If you divide your client base into smaller groups based on specific criteria — education, income, age, or other — you can learn how their preferences differ.

The same tests could be carried out with an accent and a secondary color. Feel free to experiment with stylish accessories — curtains, lamps, carpets, and other décor — following the 60−30−10 rule. Fortunately, style mixing is one of the 2024 trends.

Here is a good example of how complex things are. Dr. Maksim Godovykh provides an example in one of his presentations for hospitality managers: "In this case, the attitudes of people assigned to the green color scenario group were significantly higher than those who observed blue and yellow listings. As a result, you may want to choose green for your walls. However, different age, income, or gender groups do not necessarily have the same preferences, and again, it’s important to test them in your specific context."

1. Define your target groups by splitting your broader audience into segments by age, income, gender, education, geographical location, personality traits, or other criteria.

2. Design a survey using the Hospitality Knowledge Base.

3. Demonstrate different scenarios to different groups and randomize these blocks.

4. Ask questions about guests' attitudes and booking intentions. Let them choose their preferred color from several options. Pose open-ended questions about the reasons for their choices.

5. Analyze and visualize the collected data. With the help of a dashboard, you will see significant differences between guests' attitudes and booking intentions for different color scenarios.

6. Choose the most profitable target groups: project which current or new segments can help you gain more profit.

7. Design efficient ways to connect to those selected groups of customers.
Create tailor-made offerings using your target groups' favorite colors.

8. Make sure your positioning is relevant and consistent. Pretest your messaging and visuals.
This customer feedback can provide valuable and cost-effective insights at every stage of the guest experience journey. It will also help you significantly boost your annual profits. Besides, what a great relief it is to have your questions and doubts resolved in just one dashboard powered by robust BI tools.

Learn more with Hospitality Knowledge Base