How to Make Your Hotel Your Guest's Second Home — Photo by Media Gurus

While travelers seek to experience new and unknown, lodging has to radiate a somewhat familiar vibe.

Let us put it this way – over the years we've been listening about the first-night effect which prevents us from having a good first-night sleep at a new place. According to Yuka Sasaki, an associate professor from Brown University, we find ourselves in a half-awake, half-asleep state when lying in a bed, a room different from our own. And it is actually our adaptive response that keeps us protected when in a novel environment, since we feel insufficiently aware of the potential threats.

Evidently, designing a hotel environment that will make visitors feel at home will affect their booking decision greatly. As there are on average 4.9 million guest rooms available in the U.S. market, we wanted to provide our loyal HospitalityNet readers from the hospitality industry with tips on how to design a more welcoming surroundings and ensure they are the ones who get booked.

Flexible arrivals and checkouts

The most tiresome part of a trip, be it for business or pleasure, is organizing the transport and accommodation schedules in such way that the check-in and –out time matches the arrival. Unfortunately, in most cases this is highly improbable.

Keeping the reception open 24/7 for new guests will enable them to avoid the unnecessary stress. Allow them to enter their rooms whenever suits them best and as a result feel no different than when they are entering through the front door of their own home. They will not queue in the hotel hall, waste valuable time waiting to get their key to put their luggage in a safe place and head off into the adventure.

Available parking lots

Recent statistics showed that motor vehicles (both private and rented) represent the main mean of transport for almost 65% of all trips. Now, even if the potential guest is one of the 15% of those who opt for air transport, it is highly likely they will rent a vehicle to acquire greater freedom.

Taking this into consideration, hotel owners are advised to secure parking lots and/or garages for their guests. Nevertheless, the process of obtaining parking area can be quite intricate and requires great investment, and for now we direct you towards a detailed article published by the Hotel Business Review.

Furnishing

More than 75% of TripAdvisor users report that traveler-submitted photos affected their booking decision, meaning the interior design plays a huge role in creating an inviting atmosphere.

If the space allows it, we advise setting up a homelier environment by designing separate areas. For instance, you might be able to fit a sofa or two, alongside a coffee table – as a result, your guests will feel more comfortable conducting some of the daily activities they are used to, like drinking morning coffee, reading the business section, even welcoming guests.

Toiletries, cosmetic products, clean towels and bathrobes are also a must, though many are still more prone to bringing their own.

Furthermore, note that modern-age hotel guests are looking for certain 21st century perks they are used to at home. The least you can do to satisfy their basic requirements is establish a strong, reliable and fast Wi-Fi connection in all rooms, as well as a higher-priced cable package.

Decluttering

While you do want the room to radiate warmth, don't overstock it with unnecessary decorative pieces. Although at the time you first renovated the individual rooms it seemed much more eye-pleasing, if you want your guests to feel at home, you'll leave the space bare for them to set up their personal belongings as they please.

The process of decluttering can be handled by services like Supereasy Storage so that you don't have to rid the items for good, but only keep them safe at a remote location. That way, if you decide to redecorate or reuse them for different purposes, you can always access the warehouse and get them back.

Personal approach

The importance of customer service is emphasized in all industries, hotels in particular. In fact, it can greatly improve your business operations, and to be more precise - quality CX boosts customer satisfaction by 33%, thus elevating customer retention rate by 42%. But what does this mean for the hospitality industry?

Encourage your staff to remember all hotel guests and their names. Thus you might create a friendlier and more laid-back atmosphere. While you should address all your guests by their surname (regardless of their age), you are still showing them that they are more than just another room number. And you have to admit – it sort of reminds us of the neighborly greetings everyone's gotten used to back home.

Furthermore, be sure to keep track of all the guests who have ever stayed at the hotel, especially their preferences. The information will surely come in handy if any of them were to come back again – note whether they've asked for a room service, special meal plans, or wakeup calls in the morning – next time they arrive they'll just hop into a well-established routine.

The bottom line

Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home, said Basho.

Regardless of the destination, we seek safety and connection with people. We wish to satisfy our urge to visit new frontiers, all while carrying a piece of home with us. Be it a photograph of a loved one in a wallet, or a silly lucky charm; wherever we go, we seek to find a place to call our own.

Can you create such experience for your lodgers?

Victoria Lim
Media Gurus