Travelers Expect Individualized Interactions and Experiences
By Cathleen Draper
Picture this: You check into your hotel, expecting a short interaction at the front desk and the handoff of a room key. But the front desk attendant greets you by name, confirms you’d like a robe, and offers a coupon for the exact spa you visited during your last stay. Your room is set to 68 degrees – your preferred temperature – and the minibar is stocked with your favorite sparkling water.
None of this is by accident. It’s the result of the hotel harnessing data and technology to create a seamless experience that’s personal to you.
“Personalization isn’t just about remembering a guest’s preferences; it’s about designing a journey that is tailored to them,” said Amy Read, vice president of innovation at Hospitality Solutions. “In practice, it’s anticipating their needs before they arise.”
Personalized experiences are no longer an exception. They’re an expectation. According to a report by Accenture, the vast majority of consumers – 91 percent – will spend on brands that tailor their offers and recommendations based on personal preferences and behaviors. But research by Medallia shows just 23 percent of travelers experienced high levels of personalization after a recent hotel stay.
Offering individualized interactions is more than just a method to enhance the guest experience; it’s a business imperative, too. McKinsey’s Next in Personalization Report found that 71 percent of consumers expect personalized interactions, and 76 percent are frustrated when offers and experiences aren’t tailored to them.
“When personalization is done well, it reduces friction and increases relevance – which ultimately builds trust,” Read said. “Guests are more likely to book when offers match their intent, more likely to spend when they see value, and more likely to return when they feel understood.
“That directly translates to higher conversion rates, incremental revenue from upsells, and leads to longer-term loyalty.”
A New Era
Historically, hotels have offered what Romal (RJ) Jayswal, co-founder and CEO of the travel platform StayNow, called “value personalization” – discounted rates for mid-tier loyalty members, upgrades to a suite for top-tier loyalty members, or a corner room on the top floor for regular guests who asked for it in the past.
Today, there’s a different element to personalization, “which is shifting from value to more about convenience, more about fitting into your world,” Jayswal said. Those experiences can range from digital check-in and check-out to a curated package of local products and food.
Jayswal looks at it this way: “How can we bring their home into the hotel room, even though they are there for one or two nights?”
A personalized experience starts before the guest crosses a hotel’s threshold. An email or in-app notification sent before check-in allows them to choose their preferred room, request amenities, list dietary restrictions or allergies, or opt for early or digital check-in. Here, hotels can offer upgrades or customized itineraries based on their interests.
Whether it’s digital or in-person, check-in is another chance for hotels to bestow curated perks. A welcome message via the app or a front desk attendant that knows them by name are simple, but welcome, gestures. At the front desk, staff members have access to a guest’s profile and can offer real-time upgrades. Here, leisure travelers can opt-in for late check-out, and families might receive discounts to local kid-friendly attractions.
According to the Medallia report, hotels have the most opportunity to maximize personalization during the stay. A guest’s profile might show they frequently order in-room dining – “automatically, a notification comes in,” offering a discount on room service, said Jayswal. Travelers who took advantage of a hotel’s spa or restaurant during a previous stay receive offers for spa packages and dining experiences.
Those accompanied by their furry friends might find a baggie of dog treats and food and water bowls at the ready in their room. Guests who have requested extra pillows in the past walk into a room already stocked. Those celebrating their birthday or an anniversary receive a handwritten note and a bottle of champagne.
Customizable lighting systems and temperature controls allow guests to set their own preferences. And with the rise of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in hotels, guests even walk into their room with their preferred lighting and temperature already set.
But personalization extends beyond the walls of a hotel. Recommendations for galleries, sporting events, restaurants, and must-see sites go a long way. Pre-arranged tours or excursions feed into a broader trend – travelers are increasingly willing to spend on curated, meaningful experiences.
In all: the opportunities for personalization are nearly endless.
“It’s essential for hotels to be able to personalize through the key touchpoints of a guest journey, from pre-arrival to even post-stay engagement,” Read said.
When a guest checks out, communication shouldn’t stop. Post-stay messages can include an offer for their next stay and a survey, which helps to build out a guest’s profile, improving their future stays.
Hotels need to stay in touch without bombarding them, Jayswal said. Otherwise, they’ll tune efforts out or even become frustrated.
“[Hotels] need a soft way to connect with guests, in their existing ecosystem,” Jayswal said.
Social media is one such way. If a hotel knows a guest follows its Instagram account, Jayswal said, it can target sponsored content toward them. That content can be individualized, shifting from generic promotions to segmented campaigns based on guest interests, gleaned through their behavior and preferences during their stay.
Jayswal offered an example: If a hotel knows a guest’s anniversary and their love of wine, they can advertise a “$500 weekend getaway for two people” – complete with a customized itinerary, including a pre-arranged wine tasting and vineyard tour.
The Power of Data
To cultivate such individualized experiences and offerings, hotel owners need cold, hard data.
“Data is the foundation,” Read said. “Without accurate, accessible guest data, personalization is just guesswork.”
Booking history, past behaviors, reviews, feedback, social media, and listed preferences are all sources that hotels can leverage.
It sounds daunting, but it’s possible, especially with the power of integrated tech.
“If you look at the current tech stack that any hotel has, it’s very fragmented,” Jayswal said. “The first step is to make sure that they are all connected so that way the information can flow from one to another. It needs to be working as one unit.”
Fragmented systems, where guest data sits in silos within property management systems (PMS), point-of-sale (POS) software, booking engines, and loyalty programs, make it nearly impossible to create a clear picture of individual preferences. Integrated systems consolidate this information, giving hoteliers a unified view of how guests book, spend, and engage with services.
While the PMS houses information about reservations, stay history, and guest profiles, POS systems reveal patterns in spending and dietary preferences. A channel manager provides visibility into how guests prefer to book their stays and which promotions are the most effective. In-room entertainment shows hotels what content guests stream, and smart devices can record preferences for lighting and temperature.
By linking these systems together – and with customer relationship management (CRM) software – guest data is centralized, creating a complete view of a person that can then be leveraged by hotel staff, Read said.
“When staff have the right insights at their fingertips, they can engage in more human and memorable ways, whether that’s through an upsell suggestion or building up genuine relationships with guests, supported with data,” Read said.
The secret to segmentation lies in analytics. Artificial intelligence tools analyze data and guest interactions, categorize customers, then automate communications and recommendations.
“AI is a game-changer because it scales personalization,” Read said. “Through automated messaging, real-time recommendations, and intelligent upsell prompts, AI can deliver personalization that is efficient and relevant. It helps staff focus on moments that truly require the human touch, while routine personalization is handled seamlessly in the background.”
SynXis, Hospitality Solutions’ central reservation system, is a prime example. The tool unifies data across every touch point. And SynXis Concierge.AI – a generative AI solution that couples with SynXis – automates personalization in real time, delivering one-to-one interactions across thousands of touch points.
The result? “Higher guest satisfaction, stronger engagement, and measurable revenue growth,” Read said.
AI can even scan online reviews, social media posts, and feedback forms to gauge guest sentiment, helping hoteliers identify patterns and adjust services accordingly. Plus, AI-driven data collection from IoT devices such as smart thermostats and lighting future-proof experiences – when a guest returns to that property, or any property of a chain, the room temperature and lighting are set to their preferences.
Hoteliers must be cautious, however. Guests are increasingly aware of how their personal data is used. Data management systems, transparent data policies, and compliance with data regulations maintain guest trust.
“Guests are willing to share information when they see value in return, but transparency is key,” Read said. “Hotels should make it clear what data is being used and why, and ensure it enhances – not interrupts – the guest journey. The goal is to use data responsibly to surprise and delight.”
Key Takeaways for Hoteliers
• Attract new and returning guests: More than 90 percent of consumers will spend on brands that tailor their offers and recommendations based on personal preferences and behaviors.
• Avoid frustration: Three-quarters of consumers become frustrated when offers and experiences aren’t personal to them.
• Personalize at the right moments: Key touchpoints for personalization include pre-arrival communication, check-in, check-out, and post-stay engagement.
• Count on tech: Integrating systems – from property management systems to customer relationship – make it easier to centralize guest data.
• Automate with AI: Artificial intelligence-driven tools analyze data and segment guests.
• Protect guest privacy: Strong data policies and compliance with regulations maintain guest trust.
Image: Vitalii Vodolazskyi/stock.adobe.com
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