Activities and experiences have become a focal point in the hospitality industry, and for good reason. When guests can bundle their accommodations with exciting experiences, it not only enhances their stay but also increases the overall value of their booking.

But selling experiences can be difficult. The landscape is changing rapidly, and with it guest expectations of what “good” looks like. Here, we dive into three common strategies for offering activities and experiences at your hotel. 

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Option 1 - In-Person Staff Support

The traditional model of selling experiences relies on the front desk, or a dedicated concierge, helping guests once they check in. Often assisted through leaflets or brochures, staff take a reactive approach - responding to guest queries as they arise.

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Pros:

• Personalized service: Personalization has never been more important. In-person staff can provide tailored recommendations based on guest preferences - immediately they get a sense for any restrictions such as budget, date range, or needing something that is family-friendly.
• Local knowledge: Staff can make the most of their unique local expertise, built up over years of supporting hotel guests (and often living nearby) - they can uncover ‘hidden gems’ not found on the major public websites
• Human connection: Direct interaction builds a personal connection with guests, fostering a sense of trust and reliability - guests will remember the individuals that helped them out, and credit the hotel for going above and beyond

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Cons:

• Physical presence required: Guests must be physically present  at the hotel to seek assistance, potentially leading to missed opportunities for upselling - in particular given the increase in advance planning and bookings.
• Turnover risk: As staff leave, they take with them their personal expertise, and their replacements will take time to ‘learn the ropes’ - the result can be dramatically different service from one guest to the next

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Option 2 - Website Link-Offs

Feeling the pressure to move online, a common approach amongst smaller hotels has been to establish a dedicated experiences or activities web page. Typically the page is populated with link-offs to third party websites, or uses static images and asks guests to email or phone if they want to book or find out more.

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Pros:

• Online potential: Increasingly guests want to browse experiences online, in advance of their stay. This method helps make the most of the hotel website as an opportunity for capturing guest attention, and ultimately bookings
• Easy to set up: This method requires minimal operational involvement, as external vendors handle the execution of the experiences, and hoteliers can ‘set it and forget it’

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Cons:

• Outdated information risk: While the webpage may look good when it’s first put up, quickly experience offers change and get out of date. The result can be frustration for guests and reflect poorly on the hotel
• Bad booking experience: Given trends in retail and e-commerce, guests expect to be able to browse and book what they want in a matter of clicks - having to follow up separately via email or phone call can put them off booking altogether.
• Confusion and lack of control: With no system of record, it becomes impossible to keep track of which guest has booked which experience; ultimately harming long-term profit potential, as well as any means of assessing (and improving) guest satisfaction

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Option 3 - Specialized Technology Providers

Technology providers are now available to streamline the process of offering and booking activities and experiences by hotels. Solutions come in a variety of formats but common amongst them should be three things: (1) an exciting, guest-facing booking platform, with simple check-out flow, (2) tools for staff to aid and assist where necessary, and (3) a comprehensive back-end for hotels to manage and review performance.

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Pros:

• Seamless check-out: The best solutions make it easy for guests to browse and book hotel experiences online, in advance, and accept all major payment methods - similar to the experience on retail or ecommerce sites today. The result is higher conversion, and a smoother guest journey. 
• Real-time updates: Technology-driven solutions enable hotels to keep information about activities and experiences up to date, reducing the risk of providing guests (or staff!) with outdated or inaccurate details.
• Best of both worlds: Technology solutions give the best of both worlds - equipping staff and reaching guests online. Guests can browse and book experiences on their own terms, whilst at the same time staff are ready to handle more complex queries, or go that extra mile.

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Cons:

• Initial research required: Taking ownership for experiences means taking them seriously - not just searching for “quick fixes” and hoping for the best. It’s worth doing your research on providers as the cost and set-up process can vary widely, and so too can the quality of the guest experience they offer. 

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So how should your hotel sell activities and experiences?

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With the rise of experiential hospitality, all hotels are looking to make the most of experiences as a means of improving their performance. For those that want a quick solution, website link-offs may provide a temporary answer. However, given future trends for hoteliers, most hotels should be thinking now about working with technology providers specialized in this area. The best solutions make it easy for guests to browse and book hotel experiences online, in advance, and accept all major payment methods. They also help hotels to start taking control of their experience offer, with tools and insights that monitor who gets sold what, when, and what their feedback was.

If you’d like to learn more, you can check out what we’re up to, or book a call with one of our team.

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