In the past few years' most hoteliers have been taking advantage of online marketing tools as a way to increase their website traffic website and secure direct bookings. However, the main purpose of the investment on these online tools was focused only in conversion, i.e. visits into bookings.

After the booking process and up to the arrival moment, there was no real additional contact between Hotel and Guests other than a possible email confirmation. There was no real communication layer for this phase. The opportunity to create a relationship with guests before their arrival is simply being overlooked.

For that last months we have been watching the rise of a new tool that has been changing the relationship between hoteliers and their guests: Chat and Messenger tools. These tools can take a multitude of different technology shapes, but all of them have a common purpose: enhancing the relationship with guests before checking in.

Creating a pre-stay relationship with guests will definitely improve Hotel business performance in 6 different ways:

  1. Upselling and cross-selling: In an immediate return on investment point of view, this new channel will allow to smart sell additional services ("upselling" and "cross-selling"), like breakfasts or another kind of Hotel activities.
  2. Guest Persona: By enhancing the relationship between hoteliers and guests, hoteliers will now have the chance to learn more about who their guests are and about their needs creating the opportunity to provide them with a fulfilling and unique stay experience.
  3. Personalized offers: Chat tools also provide other advantages, allowing Hoteliers to create personalized offers and present them in a simpler and effective way.
  4. Happy Guests: Satisfied customers mean, unsurprisingly, an increase in revenue. From extended stays to a decrease on cancellations, a guest that is surprised with great service tends to spend more.
  5. Word of mouth: A happy guest also means great promotion and the best marketing you can have. In fact, satisfied guest are the key to a Hotel recognition and reputation online.
  6. Segmentation: In a Hospitality structural business perspective, these new tools will also allow an operational advantage: to really get to know your guest's profile, to have the opportunity to understand and adapt your offer to the guests' real interests and needs.

It's now clear that these new communication tools will allow to open a brand new chapter in the relationship between Hoteliers and Guests. From a Hotel perspective it will definitely contribute to an improved guest satisfaction and a better business performance. Hotel Chat and Messenger tools are the perfect match between hospitality, technology and online marketing.

About GuestCentric

GuestCentric is a leading provider of cloud-based digital marketing software and services that help extraordinary hoteliers promote their brand, drive direct bookings and connect with customers on all digital platforms. GuestCentric's all-in-one platform provides hotels with the only unified solution for managing their guests' online journey: award-winning, high impact websites; an integrated, easy-to-use booking engine; social media marketing and publishing tools; a GDS chain code and a channel manager to offer rooms on Amadeus, Booking.com, Expedia, Galileo, Google, Sabre, TripAdvisor and hundreds of other channels. GuestCentric is a proud provider of solutions that maximize direct bookings to hotel groups and independent hotels from collections such as Design Hotels, Great Hotels of the World, Leading Hotels of the World, Relais & Chateaux, Small Luxury Hotels and Small Danish Hotels. GuestCentric is featured on Skift Travel Tech 250, a list of the top 250 travel tech companies shaping the modern-day travel experience.

Pedro Colaco
President and CEO GUESTCENTRIC
GuestCentric Systems