Hotel managers that I speak with, know that the festive period is especially magical for hotel guests and employees. The gala events, unique menus, gifts for guests and decorations can transform a hotel stay into a memorable occasion that can lead to repeat bookings as families and friends establish traditions of visiting a special location each year. As this happens the connections that guests make with each other can add to the loyalty they feel, leading to ritualistic annual pilgrimages to favourite destinations.

But let's face it, guest expectations are higher and more complex during the festive season. For some, the holidays are a religious and sacred occasion, whilst the people in the rooms next door might have parties and celebrations on the agenda. This year the stakes are even higher with research from Tesco finding that more people are planning to stay at home this Christmas than previously.

Regardless, the higher prices and sense of occasion mean that guests typically anticipate ultra-high levels of personal experience at a time when hotel staff are trying to squeeze in or having to sacrifice their own celebrations, the hotel is at maximum capacity with premium paying guests and the margin of error is smaller than ever.

Get it right, and you can have return bookings year after year. Get it wrong, and another hotel across the road might. Return on experience (RoE) opportunities are never higher, more valuable, or harder to capitalise on.

If you are lucky, good permanent staff might remember repeat guests, but many employees will be unfamiliar with loyal customers and have no idea about their preferences. At this time of year, loyal customers don’t just need to be valued and understood, they need to feel loved. Like they belong. Like they are at home.

I'm sorry to say but the complexity of staffing over this year’s festive period will be worse than ever. This is reflected in a recent survey by trade association UK Hospitality, which found 61% of its members were experiencing staff shortages. Many hotel managers will have to turn to temporary staff.

Reliable technology can make or break the holiday experience

The situation needs a robust, easy-to-use, detailed, and accurate Property Management System. Because, in addition to using it to deliver information about festive guests, it is a golden opportunity to harvest data for the years ahead. Starting now means making an investment that will not only make this Season’s Greetings easier for your team to deliver but also will ensure you are able to stay competitive with those deploying this technology, this generation of which is so advanced that you can still catch up with competitors, in most cases.

Building guest profiles and having tailored suggestions, offering recommendations and even conversations make it easier for your staff to make guests feel loved. This can lead to upselling opportunities such as room upgrades, premium holiday meals, festive amenities, and more.

Delivering a tailored hyper-personalised experience, which might mean Guest doesn’t like shaking hands to Guest loved the sea view suite last time, will help to make a profitable season even more profitable. Perhaps, more importantly, we all know how a happy hotel feels, where guests are delighted, and staff enjoy being great at their jobs. That buzz and energy are what guests will remember most about your hotel.

This technological approach to guest experience is not new. Many hotels have multiple systems in place, often with rich data locked away within them. The problem is often one of usability The beauty of modern PMS systems is the user experience. First, not all staff are computer savvy, and many speak different languages. Staff must be able to discretely input and access the right information at the right time and in the right place. After all, a guest lounging by the pool expects your team to know their name just as much as they do when they are at reception.

Reprinted from Hotel Management International with permission from www.hmi-online.com.

About Agilysys

Agilysys exclusively delivers state-of-the-art software solutions and services that help organizations achieve High Return Hospitality™ by maximizing Return on Experience (ROE) through interactions that make "personal" profitable. Customers around the world use Agilysys Property Management Systems (PMS), Point-of-Sale (POS) solutions, Food & Beverage Inventory and Procurement (I&P) systems and accompanying hospitality ecosystem solutions to consistently delight guests, retain staff and grow margins. The Agilysys 100% hospitality customer base includes branded and independent hotels; multi-amenity resorts; casinos; property, hotel and resort management companies; cruise lines; corporate dining providers; higher education campus dining providers; food service management companies; hospitals; lifestyle communities; senior living facilities; stadiums; and theme parks. www.agilysys.com

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