In our last article, “Regain Control In The Travel Distribution Landscape For Hotels“, we went on a deep dive into the maze of travel distribution. Now, let’s move to a new territory – guest data.
Today, power in the travel industry is no longer just about who controls the room booking. The new frontier? Data of our valued guests. Yes, you heard it right! The treasure trove isn’t in the booking transaction anymore, it’s in the data – the gems that make up our guest’s profile. This data, our map to understanding guest preferences and expectations, is now being obscured by Online Travel Agents (OTAs) and other distributors. In plain terms, these agents are keeping important guest details away from reservations, making it harder for hotels to offer personalized service – a key ingredient in the recipe for guest loyalty.
In this article, we’ll take you on a journey through this new battleground for guest data. We will reveal its impact on the travel industry and present strategies for hotels to regain control. This mission isn’t just about winning back power, it’s about keeping our guests at the heart of everything we do and ensuring their loyalty.
Digging Deeper: Understanding Guest Data
Now, when we say ‘guest data’, we mean much more than just a name or the date they stayed. This data is like a treasure chest full of shiny gems, and each gem gives us more information about our guests. Here’s what these gems can tell us:
Contact Information: Simple stuff like a guest’s name, where they live, their phone number, and email. These are like our map to finding our guests, helping us to stay connected.
Booking History: These are gems that tell us the story of a guest’s past stays – what dates they stayed, what kind of room they liked, how much they paid, and how long they stayed.
Preferences: These gems reveal what our guests like and dislike. Do they prefer a queen bed over twin beds? Do they like staying on the ground floor or a higher level? Knowing this, we can make their stay even more enjoyable.
Demographics: Gems like age, gender, and nationality help us understand our guests even better, so we can make our hotel the best place for everyone.
Payment Information: These gems show us how our guests prefer to pay for their stay, which can help us make sure our payment process is smooth and secure.
Feedback: The most precious gems of all! What our guests think about their stay, how they rate us, and what they say can help us improve and offer an even better experience next time.
Now, here’s the tricky bit. The big travel distributors, like online travel agents (OTAs), don’t share all the data with us. They often keep the contact information to themselves or only let us use it through their network. This makes it hard for us to get to know our guests better and give them a personalized experience.
Decoding the Tactics of OTAs
So, what’s the real reason these Online Travel Agents (OTAs) are hoarding these guest data jewels? Do you recall our previous article, “Regain Control In The Travel Distribution Landscape For Hotels”? In it, we highlighted how OTAs are in a constant tug-of-war with each other, each striving to have more guests book through their platform. It’s a completely different game, indeed!
OTAs, like us, are always prospecting for a loyal guest base. And guess what? They strike it rich every time a reservation is made through them. By giving hotels only the bare-bones info, they’re stashing away the bigger treasure for themselves. This includes the guest’s contact details and their preferences. With this info, they’re in a prime spot to make their pitch to these guests for future bookings.
Often, OTAs shield their actions behind a veil of security, claiming that this is the reason they can’t provide guest contact details. But let’s be clear – they’re using this as a smokescreen. At the heart of the matter, it’s about understanding who is the client and who is the supplier.
But fear not! We’re not out of the race just yet. We still have tools and the determination to mine our own treasure trove of loyal guests. It’s time to dust off our mining gear and reclaim control over our guest data. Stay tuned to find out how we can dig deeper together!
Understand Your Guests: The Magic of Segmentation
The game plan here is pretty simple: we need to look at our guests and figure out how they’re booking. By doing this, we can divide them into two teams – guests who book indirectly and guests who book directly.
The ones who book indirectly, like through OTAs, might seem a bit mysterious. That’s okay. Our job is to get to know them better. We need to dig up their contact data, find out who they are, and learn about them. The moment we have identiefied them, we can start digging deeper.
Then, we have the guests who book directly. These folks are like open books, and we’ve already got their contact details. But we need to keep digging and learn about their likes and dislikes, their preferences, their needs. That way, we can meet their expectations, and more.
And here’s a golden nugget of advice from a former GM: always aim to meet expectations, plus one more. That means, not just meeting what your guests expect, but surprising them with a little something extra, especially when they’ve chosen to book directly.
So, let’s get mining, hoteliers! Let’s uncover who our guests are, understand their preferences, and treat them to an experience they’ll want to come back for. The treasure of guest loyalty is within reach if we know where to dig!
Joining Forces with MinersRepublic: Your Partner in Guest Loyalty
Here’s where we at MinersRepublic come into the picture. We’re your trusty partners, ready to help you get a clear view of your hotel business. We’re realistic, too – we understand that not every guest can be turned into a loyal one. But just sitting back and doing nothing? That’s not the way to go. It’s like leaving precious gems untouched under the earth.
By helping you implement a distribution strategy, we’re creating a smooth path for your guests to book directly. We’re ensuring they get the special treatment they deserve and more. The end goal? Besides creating a loyal fanbase, we’re encouraging guests to use the most cost-effective booking channel – your own direct website.
Working together, we can create a plan that meets your unique needs, maximises your reach, and gives you the reins in the wild world of distribution. With a strategic plan in place, we’ll support you when it’s time to negotiate with your partners, giving you the upper hand. Plus, we’ll provide real-time insights to monitor progress, making sure you’re always in the know.
With MinersRepublic by your side, gaining control of your hotel’s distribution landscape will be like striking gold!
