Why are guest activities important at your hotel?
Guest activities are crucial because they set your hotel apart from the competition and enhance guest satisfaction by offering more ways to enjoy their stay. Over time, they also increase the average daily spend by encouraging guests to spend more within the hotel rather than seeking activities elsewhere. It’s a win-win for everyone.
How to offer activities to your guests?
If you’re looking to start offering activities to your guests, there are several ways to do it – but ultimately, having a strong marketing strategy is key. Start by thinking about the various touchpoints where you can make an impact. It’s important to introduce these activities at different stages of the guest journey to maximize engagement.
Awareness stage
In the awareness stage, it’s all about making sure your potential guests know what you have to offer. Highlight your activities in your campaigns and share short, engaging videos that show guests just like them enjoying your services. Incorporate your activities into your SEO strategy by creating high-value content that showcases what you offer. This way, when people are actively searching for hotels in your area, your hotel is more likely to catch their eye.
Consideration
During the consideration stage, it’s crucial to clearly showcase what you offer so that potential guests understand why they should choose your hotel over the competition. This is where social media can really shine. You can create tailored campaigns designed to attract guests by showcasing activities that appeal to your ideal target profiles. The offers that will capture a guest’s attention will depend largely on their individual interests.
Highlight experiences from different guest profiles across your marketing channels. Word-of-mouth, brand ambassadors, and influencers can significantly influence purchasing decisions, so choose to work with influencers who genuinely resonate with each specific target audience.
Purchasing phase
During the purchasing phase it’s important that guests have all the information they need to determine whether your hotel meets their needs. In this phase, you want to make sure that when they’re ready to book their room, they also see the other services and activities you offer. If activities are the entry point for the purchase, be sure to spotlight them front and center.
If guests initially choose your hotel for reasons other than your services and activities, this is the perfect time to upsell. Automating the upselling process can take the pressure off your front desk staff and increase the likelihood that guests will add activities and services during booking—especially if they’re offered at a special rate.
During their stay
From the time your guest checks in (if they haven’t already booked an activity), it’s important that your front desk or your check-in kiosk introduces the activities available. Guests can’t book something if they don’t know the activity or service exists.
It’s also a good idea to have information about your activities in the room, and to send push notifications or in-app messages about activities going on at your hotel throughout the guest’s stay.
After check-out
After a guest checks out or even right before, give guests the chance to review their experience. Be sure to specifically ask what activities they enjoyed, how they found out about them, and their overall experience. This feedback is not only useful for giving you direction, but it can also be leveraged to convince other guests to book activities.
7 best hotel guest activities to offer
So, now that you’re ready to enhance your guest experience with activities, here are some ideas to think about.
Health and wellness
Health and wellness are two buzzwords in the hospitality industry, but for good reason. They attract a clientele who prioritize their wellbeing and are willing to invest more in the experiences that nurture it. Consider offering a range of services such as massages, facials, body treatments, manicures, and pedicures. These amenities allow guests to unwind and rejuvenate in a tranquil setting like your hotel spa.
Gastronomic experiences
Whether it’s a cooking class, a food tour, a wine tour, a beer tour, interactive workshops, tasting menus or wine tastings, guests are often driven to make purchasing decisions based on their senses, and there is no better sensorial activity than through the taste buds.
Bike rentals and tours
For guests who love the outdoors, bike rentals and guided tours are a fantastic option. Whether it's exploring the city on a bike or venturing out to nearby natural landscapes, bike tourism is both engaging and environmentally friendly. Providing bike rentals for self-guided adventures can also enhance the overall guest experience.
Fitness classes
As a part of your health and wellness offering, why not offer fitness classes? Whether it’s a yoga class, body pump, spinning or a step workout class, having certified trainers on staff helps show your guests that you prioritize their wellbeing.
Live entertainment
Bring a touch of culture to your hotel by organizing live entertainment. Whether it's live music, comedy nights, or trivia quizzes, hosting these events in your rooftop, restaurant, or bar areas provides guests with enjoyable options without needing to leave the hotel after a day of sightseeing.
Al fresco dining
Enhance your dining offerings by providing al fresco options. Create picnic packages that guests can take on their explorations or offer outdoor dining experiences on your lawn or rooftop. Gourmet to-go lunches and open-air dining can increase average daily spend and boost food and beverage sales.
Adventure activities
Nothing says the holidays like adventure activities. The adventure activities you offer will depend on where your hotel is located, but could range from scuba diving, to kayaking, snorkeling, sunset cruises, mountain biking, hot air balloon ride, rock climbing or canyoning.
Conclusion
Offering a range of well-curated activities is essential for providing a standout guest experience. As travelers increasingly seek out immersive experiences, having diverse activity options not only enhances their stay but also sets your hotel apart from the competition. Embrace these ideas to create a comprehensive and engaging environment that goes beyond traditional accommodations.
Download our guide "Understanding the Modern Guest"
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