The landscape for the modern hotelier is changing faster than ever . Millennials are re-inventing what a quality experience should be . Technology around mobile guest engagement is exploding . Large brands are embracing new technology to meet the modern guest ’ s needs while independents are trying to carve out their own niche with significantly smaller budgets .
Coupled with this , the OTA market is becoming a behemoth - owning virtually every element of the overall guest experience . The hotel guest room is practically a subleased space an OTA channel ’ s anonymous guests checks into and out of each and every day . This is causing immense strain on the hotel and resort struggling to build a loyal and directly engaged clientele . However , converting an OTA guest ( especially millennials ) into a loyal one isn ’ t impossible . Here are five key strategies to consider , from a seasoned marketer ’ s perspective , for taking back control and the engagement of your best guests :
1 . Not all OTA guests are created equally .
Yes , many OTA-sourced guests are price sensitive and yes , many of them can be very demanding . However , not all of them are bad customers looking for cheap accommodations close to a tourist attraction . With many companies looking to cut costs , business travelers are turning to the OTAs as a source for budget-sensitive travel options . Modern millennial “ road warriors ”, especially those within the booming tech start-up space , are under increased pressure to find more cost-effective travel and accommodation solutions to keep their “ burn ” lower .
However , it can be a very different story when they are not travelling on the company dime . When traveling on their own , many of today ’ s millennial guests are looking for unique experiences to “ get away and explore ” where price is less of an option . To take advantage of this , be sure to ask if an OTA guest is on vacation or business at checkin . For those on business , you may want to go the extra mile to get them signed up for your e-mail newsletter or get them onto your in-house mobile messaging solution during their stay . Why ? Well that brings us to point # 2 .
2 . Engage guests onsite and take ownership of their experience .
This is actually something we feel is so important , we made it the core of our business model here at Benbria . Every time a guests comes through your door , you should be working to engage them on-site . If you aren ’ t collecting a phone number and have a program for real-time mobile guest engagement while they are staying with you , you are missing a major opportunity .
More and more millennial guests in particular are turning themselves into invisible beings . They book via an OTA , leave the “ do not disturb ” sign on their guest room door , and you never really see them . However , they still have needs . We developed Loop ® to address this issue by allowing the modern guest to request things from their mobile device . Since accessibility and speed are the two things they value most , having a tool for asking a question or requesting a service is a big part of how they perceive a great experience on your property .
If you haven ’ t done so already , investigate options for allowing them to message you on-site . Even if they are not seeing you in person , today ’ s modern guests like the ability to engage with your property on their terms , using technology . It is a great way for turning a onetime OTA guest into one that is engaged and more likely to return as a loyal and profitable one !
3 . Delight the guests you want to drive repeat business from .
This is something that is getting harder to do but still very much an important task for taking ownership of a great OTA guest . If you have identified a potentially loyal guest