We talk about the guest experience, but what does it actually mean? What is an experience? The experience is how a person feels and what they think while they’re doing something. Experiences are always evolving and leverage feedback, personal viewpoints, and a focus on an outcome. An experience isn’t your app but may include it as part of the overall story and ultimate vision you’re building. How often do you think about the experience of your guests? Their journey begins the minute they decide to book a trip. Whether for business or leisure, they’re building their experience when they choose to book a trip. Each component builds upon the last until they reach the end of their journey and the cycle begins again. You’ve put in the time and hard work to make your property unique. How are guests finding your property? How are they booking? Is your booking process easy and straightforward? After you’ve gained a booking, what are you doing to keep their attention? Are you offering pre-stay messaging? How’s the check-in process? Do you offer follow-ups while the guest is on-site to ensure their stay is optimal? All of these types of actions go to the experience …
Vaccination efforts are underway worldwide. As larger numbers of the population are vaccinated, travel will pickup. Hotels and other locations renting rooms will need to establish protocols for whether they require vaccination IDs and what constitutes a valid ID. It’s a process that will be a challenge. With a mish-mash of requirements establishing a single standard will be difficult. During the early phase of the pandemic, a few countries discussed the idea of an “immunity passport” for people who had recovered. Public and scientific opinion diverged, and the idea was all but abandoned. In the time since, several organizations, including WHO, worked on developing vaccination tracking systems. Even as late as January 15, during a January 15 meeting of the WHO’s Emergency Committee on COVID-19 did not recommend requiring proof of vaccination or immunity for international travel. Several countries like Denmark, India, and Israel are developing systems to issue special passports that indicate vaccination status. Others require negative tests before boarding a plane. Vaccination is not a guarantee of safety. But it’s encouraging to see worldwide wins due to immunization, distancing, and other safety precautions. But the question remains. As vaccines become widely available, will you require proof before a …
Is it a guidebook, in-room compendium, welcome book, directory, or the house rules? No matter what you call it, your guidebook is a central way to share information with guests. But there are better modern experiences that offer considerable leaps in value and benefit for both guests and owners. The digital compendium is the solution. It’s the digital means to display every bit of information you’d have in your book but presented in real-time. Your neighborhoods and communities change in real-time why shouldn’t you? A guest reviewing a digital guidebook is 36% more likely to trust curated recommendations than those from a printed binder. Real-time updates mean if a location closes or you make a change to your property, you can instantly make the update without needing to reprint or wait until guests exit. The digital compendium is consumed in real-time and delivered as a website through an SMS, QR code, or email link. It’s can also be presented as part of a welcome message through your in-room entertainment hospitality tv system. What if we told you 3 in 4 guests would prefer a digital guide to a printed binder? Most people have their mobile devices with them around the …
LED and LCD screens are everywhere, especially for people who are used to digital screens. Many businesses are leveraging digital signage, which comes with LED or LCD screens, to reach more customers these days. Digital signage is not only for big companies. Growing companies should embrace digital signage as a marketing tool. It doesn’t matter what kind of services or products you provide. Digital signage can be a valuable tool for your business. Here are five reasons why you should be using digital signage for your business. Digital Signage Attracts Attention Getting customers’ attention has always been a challenge for businesses. It has even become more difficult in this digital age. Many companies are competing for the same target audience. If you can’t go the extra mile, the chances of losing customers are very high. Using eye-catching digital signage in your stores is a great way to engage your customers. It is hard for anyone to ignore a bright animated big screen on a wall. Once your digital signage attracts customers, make sure to have compelling marketing messages for them. You can use your digital signage to introduce new products or announce special promotions. It Is Connected To The Internet Digital …
The unsurprising answer is yes; you need rental insurance for your property. The longer answer is that’s complicated. Let’s unpack the details. Many owners will carry some form of homeowners insurance. But typically, it’s designed for owner-occupied property. There will be multiple stays; rental guests, the owner, and periods of being unoccupied. The messy part of insurance is there’s no one size fits all solution. Each circumstance is unique. For some, your home policy may work fine, but other locations may need a rental rider. As someone who has filed insurance claims in the past, it’s not a fast or straightforward process. No matter what the commercials say, insurance companies aren’t freely writing cheques. Many carriers classify short-term rentals on Airbnb as a “business activity.” Therefore coverage endorsements may be limited, and your insurance carrier will likely deny any extensive damage claims. Not running afoul of local licensing is another compounding problem for hosts. Many cities require a license to “legally” operate as a short term rental. In many cases, this license may include a cost or require proof of insurance. The real cost of operating a short term rental isn’t so black and white. Airbnb’s Host Protection Insurance is …