Hoteliers are increasingly turning towards data-driven solutions to help them stay ahead of the competition. Why? Because by leveraging guest data, general managers can gain valuable insights that can be used to improve the overall guest experience. 

A recent survey from the World Economic Forum has shown that almost three-quarters (73%) of travellers believe that personalization is an important factor in choosing a hotel for their next trip. And data is key to personalising the overall experience. This shows once more how essential it is for hotels to utilize guest data if they want to remain competitive in today’s market.

By embracing guest data, you are giving yourself the tools to make successful decisions. In this article, we’ll discuss five ways hoteliers can use guest data to boost their business and results.

1. To save time and allocate resources

Finding efficiencies and optimizing resource allocation can be a constant battle. Here’s where guest data becomes your best friend.

By analysing key metrics like occupancy rates, average length of stay, and guest feedback, you can pinpoint areas that need more attention and resources.

Imagine your data reveals peak occupancy times coinciding with periods of lower guest satisfaction due to slow service. With this information, you can strategically adjust staffing levels to meet guest needs during peak hours. This data-driven approach ensures smooth operations, maximizes efficiency, and ultimately leads to happier guests.

Are you looking to learn more about how to use guest data? Don’t miss this article: How a Customer Data Platform for Hotels can enable business performance

2. To increase marketing efficiency

Guest data allows you to create targeted messages that resonate with specific guest segments. Analyze data to understand your guests’ needs, preferences, and booking behaviors.

This enables you to customize your content and pinpoint the appropriate audience with a suitable message, thereby enhancing the efficiency of your campaigns and reducing the cost per outcome.

Imagine using guest data to compare customer reviews across platforms, identifying common compliments or complaints. This intel can be used to refine your marketing content, ensuring it resonates with specific guest profiles. ‍

Read how Ruby Hotels increased conversions and reduced costs with Bookboost here.

3. To lower the cost of guest acquisition

Without the right data, you might be spreading your marketing efforts too thin. Guest data offers valuable insights into your existing customer base – their demographics, booking patterns, and geographic locations.

This knowledge empowers you to make informed decisions about where to focus your acquisition efforts, allowing you to target the right audience and achieve new guests more cost-effectively. If the majority of your high-spending guests come from a specific country, then you can create targeted campaigns for them.

You can create re-engagement offers and send them to guests who booked those services or similar in the past. In this way, you are using data to shorten the scope and make efforts more targeted.

4. To create targeted packages

Guest data goes beyond demographics. It also reveals guest preferences – past booking choices, desired amenities, and preferred services. You can create targeted packages that are more likely to appeal to specific segments of your guest base.

Understanding guest behaviour allows you to not only decide what packages to offer but also how to price and present them for maximum impact.

This data-driven approach allows you to craft attractive packages that meet the unique needs of your guests, ultimately driving higher conversion rates and revenue, instead of focusing solely on instinct.

Get inspired about how to use hospitality data in this article. 

5. To identify loyal guests and boost initiatives

If you understand what makes a guest loyal, you can start doing more of those initiatives. Identify the characteristics of your loyal guests, and analyze booking histories, guest interactions, and feedback to build detailed profiles that capture their preferences.

This wealth of knowledge empowers you to craft personalized communication and tailor loyalty programs that resonate deeply with these valuable guests.

‍Learn more about the key metrics you should track for guest loyalty in this article.

Bonus: Use Data To Provide Better Service

Are you reading your guest reviews?  What are your guests raving about? What are they consistently complaining about? Reviews are key to improving your service. Guest feedback is too.

Analysing all these inputs allows you to identify recurring themes, both positive and negative. This provides a direct line into the guest experience, highlighting areas that are exceeding expectations and pinpointing opportunities for improvement.

Your data is an untapped resource.

Remember, guest data is a powerful, untapped resource and it can help you to make the right decisions and to create strategies that set your hotel apart from the competition.

Analysing your data can sound boring and tiring. But it doesn’t have to be if you have the right tools. A great system to help you in this endeavour is a CDP. 

A Customer Data Platform (CDP) acts as a central hub for all your guest data, unifying it from various sources like booking engines, property management systems, and more. This unified view allows for more comprehensive analysis and targeted campaigns, ultimately leading to lower guest acquisition costs.

Your data is your best asset and the sooner you start using it, the sooner you will profit from it.

‍Follow us on Linkedin to stay up to date with the new hospitality trends, and subscribe to our newsletter to get more tips and hacks for hotel marketing and operations.