There is no doubt that the effectiveness of your marketing strategy largely depends on how well you profile your hotel guests , known as segmentation. If you fail to define your customer personas, your efforts to drive more bookings will be wasted.
Personas are descriptions of the customers your business tends to attract. The more automated and sophisticated your hotel cloud, the easier it will be for you to segment guests. Modern hotel management systems collect a lot of statistical data during the booking process, from age to purpose of travel. In the case of direct telephone or walk-in reservations, the front desk staff plays an important role, as they are responsible for selecting the right customer segmentation in the reservation so that the marketing team can thus implement effective marketing strategies and sales action plans.
Of course, the location of the hotel also plays an important role in the type of client you attract. For example, for a hotel located downtown, the type of customer you will attract will not be the same as if the hotel is located on the beach or near a convention center.
In this article, we highlight five different types of customers and explain how to direct your hotel branding strategy to target them correctly.
are self-employed. Their common point is their mobility. In this sense, they should not be confused with people who work from home.
It is rare for this type of host to arrive in a large group. Also, due to the way they work, they tend to avoid hotels with slow or unreliable Wi-Fi. Instead of staying in their hotel room, they like to mingle with other people in common areas, for business purposes or to socialize.
To help these hosts, do all you can to help them learn about the local culture. Keep an up-to-date calendar of meetings between travelers and local businesses, even if they don’t take place on your premises. Most digital nomads like to immerse themselves in the surrounding community.
Location is also essential for this category of hosts. Digital nomads are not dependent on where they are, so they choose to go to a hotel based on its location. Of course, it’s not the same to work in a hotel in downtown London as in a shack with Wi-Fi on the beach in Bali. Once you understand how nomad works, you can target them not only based on the services you offer (like reliable Wi-Fi), but also by highlighting your location, nearby sites, distance from the beach or important monuments, or bars and restaurants. Depending on the location of the hotel, you can tailor the marketing message to highlight what you think will interest a location-critical person.
Business travelers
Business travelers usually have only one thing on their mind: work. Generally, they are not in town to visit tourist attractions , they are in meetings several hours a day. In most cases, they go back to their room at the end of the day to relax, then eat something before going to bed. The next morning when they wake up, they follow the same routine.
Some clients plan to spend time on leisure activities a few days before departure. In addition to the services required by other business travelers, these customers need amenities that they can use in their free time.
To meet the needs of business travelers, highlight details and photos of your office equipment in the rooms, to satisfy those who like to work from the comfort of their room. List local restaurants or workspaces where business travelers can meet or work. Work with local businesses and attractions to offer discounted rates or tickets to shows and museums.
You can also offer special packages for these guests, such as personalized room service, tasting menus in the hotel restaurants and discounted spa treatments.
Traditional tourists
Traditional travelers are occasional travelers who book their holidays once or twice a year, when they are on leave. These guests do not tend to travel alone and are usually accompanied by their partner, relatives or friends. They have a reasonable amount of pocket money, but generally do not make impulse purchases.
These customers like to visit the most famous tourist attractions . They often participate in group activities and guided tours of different regions. They also reserve moments of relaxation to recharge their batteries, before returning to the stress of their normal life.
To attract traditional tourists, offer them tips and recommendations about the area. These customers may not ask for advice, but they will appreciate it when you give it to them. In general, they have researched the destination, and giving them advice will help them clarify their plans or modify them in part. It is recommended that you offer them a guide to the area when they check in, as well as a map showing the main attractions.
It is important to highlight the assets related to the location of the hotel , which would be the most attractive for a person visiting a place for a few days, for example. All of these factors will play a role in the client’s choice. They want a convenient location that’s easy to get to and close to everything.
Families
Lots of Millennials love to travel and they now have kids. These people want to live the experience of a family stay , after having traveled the world as single people. AARP studies indicate that multi-generational travel has also become more popular. In 2019, multi-generational travel was among the top travel categories organized by Boomers and Millennials. The same study shows that Millennials organized slightly more family vacations than Boomers.