The one size fits all approach will no longer work when it comes to communicating with your customers. We have moved into an age where consumers are even more discerning and expect a more personalised approach.

Bear in mind that it isn’t the company that defines the brand but instead the customers themselves. With a huge amount of choice available, customers are only loyal while the brand remains relevant.

Hotel brands that want to ensure they stand out from their competitors will need to rethink their strategy and instead offer a totally unique brand experience to retain that loyalty. This encompasses every interaction that your customers have with your brand.

You probably already consider the experience a guest has whilst at the hotel, but that relationship begins from the very first interaction and you need to make sure that every part of the brand experience is positive by considering the customer journey.

Technology is disrupting the way we live and how we interact with brands. Thanks to mobile, the customer journey is now broken into what Google term ‘micro-moments’. These are brief windows of opportunity, where a customer might be looking for inspiration for their next holiday, researching hotels or booking a room.

Research has shown that 62% of consumers will pay more for a simple experience. People like it when a brand enables them to save time and the company has a clear brand proposition.

As a brand you need to ensure that the whole experience, throughout these micro-moments is fast, fluid and frictionless. If there is any part of that experience doesn’t match up to what the customer is looking for, they will be lost. It is the customer that determines the type of experience they want and the price they pay.

If you can understand why what you do matters to your guests, this will help you to understand their needs and their emotional journey. This in turn will lead to a more positive brand experience and increased loyalty.

Guests want to feel that the business is interested in them as people rather than their business. This can begin from the moment they start interacting with that brand.

Look for opportunities where you can add value, for example sending personalised and tailored emails with information about their stay and the local area, if a guest is celebrating a special occasion give them a small gift or provide exclusive, highly curated experiences during the guests stay.

What ever that added value is, make sure that it is something new, authentic and exceeds the typical hotel brand experience.

Don’t forget that the brand experience doesn’t end when your guests check out. Continue to show that you are just as interested in them now as you were before they checked-in.

Refer back to your customer journey and what you understand about what your guests need to find further opportunities and touchpoints where you can create meaningful and relevant connections.

Loyalty offers can be a good way to reward repeat visits. However, they shouldn’t mean that new guests have a lower quality brand experience. Loyalty rewards could be a small, unexpected gift in the room or a free round of drinks at the bar.

To take your hotel brand experience to the next level, it boils down to getting to know your customers and show that as a brand you value them as people and take the whole guest experience into account.

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