How to conquer the guest before, during and after the stay

Email marketing is a very powerful tool for hotel management. The exchange of communication between the hotel and the guest in the post-reservation phase can be very profitable if managed in a strategic way.

As we have seen in this article, establishing a relationship with the guest before and after his stay helps to improve the guest experience and to create a positive association between the guest and the hotel, aimed at increasing guest loyalty.

It is not just a matter of informing the guest about the details of the reservation, but rather gathering and creating sales opportunities to increase guest's expenditure during the stay and contemporaneously enrich his experience. 

Prestay emails allow the hotel to connect with the guest: attention paid to details such as providing useful information for arriving at the property or listing the events and activities that guests will be able to attend during the stay will help to make the customer feel pampered and at the center of the hotel's attention. 

So far, all is clear, but putting this in place is not so simple. The difficulty in implementing these strategies is twofold: on the one hand we need to equip ourselves with tools that can automate all activities, on the other we need to know when and how to communicate them. 

In this regard, below are some ideas and guidelines that can be used to create communications to be sent to guests before, during and after their stay.

Confirmation email

The confirmation email is usually an automatic communication that is sent from the hotel's online booking system immediately after having received the reservation. Often at the time of booking a credit card is required, so it may be useful to inform the guest that the reservation has been successfully received and that the security of the payment method is guaranteed by PCI and Digicert certifications that the Booking Engine should have.

Being the first communication sent by the hotel to the future guest, it is a precious moment. It is the email with the highest opening rate so, in addition to thanking him for having chosen your property, you must take advantage of this moment to immediately establish a relationship with the guest. A guide to the top 5 attractions in the city will certainly be appreciated, as well as additional information on the services offered by the hotel or a link that leads to a page of the website with other interesting information tailored ad hoc according to the guest type.

Prestay email

About a week before arrival it is good to send a new communication, both to remind the guest that the stay is approaching and to offer additional services: an exclusive upgrade, a discount voucher to use hotel services (spa, gym, tasting). Planning and waiting for a trip are often the most exciting parts for the guest, so providing relevant information on local events, activities and services that the hotel provides is certainly a great way to create a connection with the guest and help him build his ideal vacation.

This moment could also be an opportunity to obtain information from the guest in order to customize his reception at the hotel through a short questionnaire (questions can include if the guest prefers flannel or linen sheets, etc.).

Reminder

Often reservations are made well in advance, therefore sending a communication containing all essential information to reach the hotel few days before arrival is certainly useful for the guest. A reminder with the confirmation number, the hotel address and the transport services available can also be attached to this communication. This is another opportunity to offer an upgrade, a dinner or spa treatment. In this email it is useful to remember the check-in and check-out times (including early check-in and late check-out policies), any information that the guest must have at hand upon arrival or the link to check in online.

Welcome email

Once at the property, the guest must be pampered and the hotel must continue to manage expectations by remembering all the services available, the events (concerts, aperitifs) and other activities that might interest him. Now that the stay has started, the goal of this communication is to make sure that everything goes smoothly, so it can be useful to remind the guest to promptly communicate to staff if something is not as expected to avoid discomfort or unpleasant situations that could compromise the whole experience.

Post-stay email

Within 24/48 hours from departure, it is a good idea to send a communication to the guest thanking him for having stayed at your property. This is an excellent opportunity to request feedback on the stay: the hotel can choose whether to include links to share his experience online on Tripadvisor and social media, or decide to insert the link for online sharing in a second email, sent only to customers who have positively evaluated the stay. All feedback is useful for management: in case of negative opinions, the hotel should thank the guest for his honesty and explain what steps he will take to prevent a particular situation from happening again. Asking for feedback shows interest towards guests and the commitment of the hotel to offer an excellent service.

The relationship with the guest does not end when the customer leaves the property, to leave a trace in the memory, the hotel must know how to do so by prolonging the relationship with offers, ad hoc promotions and interesting content.

In short

Knowing how to effectively manage communications with the guest before, during and after his stay is fundamental for hotels that want to offer their guests a quality experience. Implementing an email marketing campaign with the aim of creating a relationship with the guest is a complex project, not only for the content creation but also for its execution. Without a technology able to support these activities, email marketing is a huge waste of resources. Not all hotel property management systems have an integrated CRM and often interfacing an external CRM does not simplify daily activities (working on two databases is complicated). A management system with integrated CRM instead, allows you to manage communications with guests within a single database, facilitating the search of information for staff when needed and simplifying the management of different communications through automatic rules.

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