We use cookies to provide the best site experience
Why should you use guest experience analytics?
Reading time – 4 minutes
You are not a newcomer in the guest experience. You know everything about captivating photos, glowing reviews, enticing descriptions and regularly monitor local prices in order to give the best offer. So you do everything possible — like millions of competitors.
It’s the right time and place to go deeper into tiny details that make a huge difference in aligning with your guests' unique preferences and booking intentions.
It’s the right time and place to go deeper into tiny details that make a huge difference in aligning with your guests' unique preferences and booking intentions.
Alex Kolokolov
CEO at Hospitality Research
CEO at Hospitality Research
Platform
Knowledge base
Plans
Platform
Knowledge base
Plans
Platform
Knowledge base
How Expedia, Booking.com, and Airbnb work with modern customers' preferences
According to Forbes recent research, 48% of consumers are willing to pay more for quality.
Let’s add some non-obvious reasons for travelers' choice.
Let’s add some non-obvious reasons for travelers' choice.
1. Beautiful location to enjoy and share on social media
There are two groups of people. First crave to live for a period of time in a place that tremendously differs from their everyday life conditions. The brighter the better. Cool designs and solutions with modern furniture are highly expected. Teenagers, students, and digital influencers prefer colorful photos that look attractive on digital platforms. And actually this is good news for every guest experience manager: you may get some free promotion for the same amount of work you already do.
As for the second group, they prefer places like home even 1000 km away from home. Cozy light apartments with all necessary equipment is the great choice for families with kids.
People are different and their tastes may differ as well. For sure, you have analyzed what your guests like the most. Don’t try to fit in both groups' interests, focus on your audience and common requests.
As for the second group, they prefer places like home even 1000 km away from home. Cozy light apartments with all necessary equipment is the great choice for families with kids.
People are different and their tastes may differ as well. For sure, you have analyzed what your guests like the most. Don’t try to fit in both groups' interests, focus on your audience and common requests.
2. Exceptional cleanliness
No matter how many people have stayed at this place before. Every new guest will wait for a clean bed, bathroom and all necessary essentials. New renovation is also welcomed. That was always a significant mark of hospitality and the best guest experience example, but in a post-pandemic world cleanliness is even more important.
Check that among description photos there are signs of recent room service.
The excellent design but dirty towels ruin completely impressions and the guest experience.
Check that among description photos there are signs of recent room service.
The excellent design but dirty towels ruin completely impressions and the guest experience.
3. Safety and easy check-in and check-out
People don’t want to overthink. So the easier the better: put yourself in your guest shoes and decide how to make all necessary procedures fast and efficient.
Safety is another important point of guest experience strategy. By the way, women of all ages and families are ready to pay more for the variant that guarantees safety.
Safety is another important point of guest experience strategy. By the way, women of all ages and families are ready to pay more for the variant that guarantees safety.
4. Knowledgeable guest experience expert with emotional intelligence
Sometimes outstanding locations and beautiful pictures are beaten by the unique hospitality of the locals. It’s all about personality plus ability to solve any issue your guest may have.
According to the guest experience survey, 55% of consumers value knowledgeable staff.
Attitude creates long-term relationships, and they guarantee returns of guests. Guest experience circle is something that every host or property manager desires.
The more you meet customers' expectations, the higher positions travel platforms will give you. For example Expedia shows clearly the connection between hospitality and Expedia guest experience score. Booking.com suggests Guest review score.
Let’s check the recent Forester’s research to inspire you even more:
The more you meet customers' expectations, the higher positions travel platforms will give you. For example Expedia shows clearly the connection between hospitality and Expedia guest experience score. Booking.com suggests Guest review score.
Let’s check the recent Forester’s research to inspire you even more:
"In 2024, elite brands evoke, on average, 25 positive emotions for each negative emotion, down from 29 the previous year. This year, the average effectiveness of experiences fell to 64%, while the average ease of experiences fell to 66%.
"US consumers are having, on average, the worst experiences in a decade," said Rick Parrish, VP and research director at Forrester."
"US consumers are having, on average, the worst experiences in a decade," said Rick Parrish, VP and research director at Forrester."
Seems it’s the right time to act, but before check what impact guest experience analytics may deliver.
Insight. Do you like more paintings with wild nature or abstract figures? Not a theoretical question at all.
The artwork with nature makes the booking intention higher. And that wasn’t even a real picture, just a render for booking.com.
The artwork with nature makes the booking intention higher. And that wasn’t even a real picture, just a render for booking.com.
Guest experience analytics in useful examples
Let’s start from the beginning: guest experience analytics is the process of collecting and working with data in order to understand customer needs, opinions and experiences better. The result of proper usage of guest experience analytics is higher customers' engagement, loyalty and booking boosting.
Now we are coming to the most interesting and practical part: examples of guest experience ideas.
Cool or warm, light or dark colors of walls and furniture may attract or repulse guests. Instagram and Pinterest have tremendously influenced customers' tastes. It is such a big topic, that probably we will make a separate article only about colors with examples.
Now we are coming to the most interesting and practical part: examples of guest experience ideas.
Cool or warm, light or dark colors of walls and furniture may attract or repulse guests. Instagram and Pinterest have tremendously influenced customers' tastes. It is such a big topic, that probably we will make a separate article only about colors with examples.
Light changes everything. No, seriously. Light may bring visually more space and tranquility to the room. And of course natural light helps a lot to take photos or shoot videos. Artificial light often highlights the best sides of the property.
Artworks may create a cozier atmosphere, evoke a sense of comfort. For business travelers, they may convey the impression of a luxurious apartment, justifying a higher price.
Artworks may create a cozier atmosphere, evoke a sense of comfort. For business travelers, they may convey the impression of a luxurious apartment, justifying a higher price.
Cleanliness information — just a kind reminder that guests may cancel booking if they have issues in that sensitive topic.
Sustainable labels and badges. There are specific badges that the platform can assign to you, such as "Sustainable Practices" by Booking.com. Completing the assessment for these badges is straightforward and will attract additional guests who filter by sustainability criteria. Similarly, "Cleanliness Protocols" on Airbnb can increase the value of your property, making it more appealing to potential guests.
Host photo. Take a portrait photo in good lighting, look directly at the camera, and smile — this will put you ahead of 70% of rental owners who neglect the detail. By analyzing your audience more thoroughly, you can determine which style of clothing in the photo will increase booking intentions. Or whether your family might be there with you. The last suggestion is quite an interesting guest experience example.
Sustainable labels and badges. There are specific badges that the platform can assign to you, such as "Sustainable Practices" by Booking.com. Completing the assessment for these badges is straightforward and will attract additional guests who filter by sustainability criteria. Similarly, "Cleanliness Protocols" on Airbnb can increase the value of your property, making it more appealing to potential guests.
Host photo. Take a portrait photo in good lighting, look directly at the camera, and smile — this will put you ahead of 70% of rental owners who neglect the detail. By analyzing your audience more thoroughly, you can determine which style of clothing in the photo will increase booking intentions. Or whether your family might be there with you. The last suggestion is quite an interesting guest experience example.
Plants in property photos boost positive emotions and the desire to stay in that apartment. You don’t have to grow and maintain them; simply adding these details to photos can influence subconscious perceptions. And that brings us to the next chapter.
Use guest experience analytics properly: conduct experiments
"The culture of experiments" is the term that covers processes of adding details and comparing results. Number of experiments is only limited by your imagination.
To understand your audience better, you may need to conduct an experiment. The main rule of the experiment is to change one parameter at a time while keeping all other conditions identical, and then randomly show these variations to different groups. After that, change another and so on.
For example, add a painting to your listing photos digitally. Imagine two variants: one featuring some abstract figures, the other with ocean waves.
To understand your audience better, you may need to conduct an experiment. The main rule of the experiment is to change one parameter at a time while keeping all other conditions identical, and then randomly show these variations to different groups. After that, change another and so on.
For example, add a painting to your listing photos digitally. Imagine two variants: one featuring some abstract figures, the other with ocean waves.
Ask focus group:
— How does the image make them feel?
— Does it increase their desire to book?
— What draws them in to the picture?
And don’t forget the control group — a listing without any artwork.
— How does the image make them feel?
— Does it increase their desire to book?
— What draws them in to the picture?
And don’t forget the control group — a listing without any artwork.
Digging deeper, understand your audience’s profile: their education, income level, and whether they live in urban or coastal areas. Specific insights can be revelatory. For instance, research shows that mountain dwellers might prefer images of mountains over beaches when booking a beachside retreat. Meanwhile, highly educated, affluent guests might favor abstract art over natural landscapes.
How to check hypotheses?
To gather invaluable insights you need the right audience. Engage past guests or hire focus groups through services like Qualtrics. The larger the sample size, the more accurate the results. This might seem daunting if you manage just one property, but for those overseeing multiple listings, these insights could be worth tens of thousands of dollars.
In our Hospitality Knowledge Base, you will find necessary templates and tools to design your research.
In our Hospitality Knowledge Base, you will find necessary templates and tools to design your research.
Conclusion
In this article, we have shared insights about the experimental approach and the proven results you can already apply for your listing.
Remember, what is considered best practice today might become outdated soon or may not be relevant for your specific region or audience.
That’s why it is crucial to test the impact of each factor experimentally.
If you desire to make work more efficient and guests happier, use the whole range of modern technics, instruments and solutions:
If you desire to make work more efficient and guests happier, use the whole range of modern technics, instruments and solutions:
- the basics of photos, description, reviews, and prices;
- the trends that shape nowadays customers' preferences;
- the digital experiments that are simple and may save tons of money but boost booking;
- the guest experience analytics that covers all those parts and allows to calculate and maximize the profit.
Our Hospitality Knowledge Base contains educational materials and tools to help you apply these insights to your property. Remember, in the ever-evolving landscape of guest experience, staying curious and adaptive is key. So, equip yourself with knowledge, embrace the journey, and watch as your property transforms into a sought-after haven for travelers.
Sign up for our newsletter
Get guest experience news and practical tips to boost bookings on Airbnb and booking.com
*I accept privacy policy and can unsubscribe at any time.