Part 1 of a two-part interview series with author, journalist, and luxury hospitality expert Rahim B. Kanani. The world’s fascination with luxury hospitality doesn’t appear to be waning. And why should it? Luxury hospitality is currently in the throes of reinventing itself, and it’s exciting to watch. Not only is the (self-proclaimed) “7-star” hotel now a reality; changes in guest expectations are bringing about seismic transformations of old opulence-based luxury standards. To find out what exactly is happening in the sector — and to learn what it takes to run a luxury hotel today — we caught up with luxury…

Is a 4-star hotel experience in Italy the same as a 4-star hotel experience in the US?

Looking for ways to boost efficiency while improving your guest experience?

“Luxury has to redefine itself to stay relevant. By 2022, two-thirds of luxury hospitality will be experience based.” This forward-looking statement, given by the president of the International Luxury Hotel Association (ILHA), Barak Hirschowitz, and published in ITB’s 2017/2018 trend report, speaks to a major transformation in what we know as luxury hospitality. Today’s affluent consumers, especially those belonging to the millennial generation, are “global, digital, and discerning,” says Hirschowitz. Instead of products, these hotel guests are looking for memorable moments, experiences that are, among other things, unique and exclusive. While this shift may pressure luxury brands to innovate their…

Is a loyal hotel guest more valuable than a first-time hotel guest? Tricky question. The inherent rules of hospitality would say no: All guests are equally valuable to the hotel. But what do the economics of loyalty say? The economics of loyalty Retaining existing customers costs less — and has higher profit margins — than attracting new customers. An article published in Harvard Business Review, while conceding variation across different industries, pointed out that “acquiring a new customer is anywhere from five to 25 times more expensive than retaining an existing one.” Research done by net-promoter-score inventor Frederick Reichheld of…

Does your hotel breakfast have all the right stuff to satisfy your guests?

Know your guests How well do you know your guests? What about the travelers who could potentially become your guests? To optimise your hotel profile so it gets more visitors and drives more bookings, you need to know your audience—where they come from, why they’re traveling, how many nights they typically book. Because in the hotel industry, metasearch marketing is like fishing: you have to use the right bait. The Visitors’ Profile feature on the PRO package can tell you exactly what types of travelers are looking at your profile—so you know exactly what content will attract them most. If…

The Internet of Things. It refers to the wireless connections between things—devices, objects, vehicles, systems, buildings, and more—that allow them to share information and data. It’s the next industrial revolution, and with it is coming a whole new set of guest expectations, concerns, and business opportunities. Are you aware of the rapidly developing changes your guests are experiencing in their homes? Are you prepared to offer them the same experiences? Take a moment to consider the following innovations, because if you implement them, you’ll both impress your guests and run a more profitable business. Expectations for connectedness are set long before arrival…

A surprise and delight approach to guest experience often has a bigger impact on reputation management than any other tactic. Why? Because it prompts others to speak on your behalf through glowing reviews. And, as we all know, word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising. In this article, I’ll explain what this really means and tell you how you can prompt guests to start talking about your hotel online because of it. Surprise and Delight defined   This is a term associated with going above and beyond the guest’s expectations. Its success lies in employing simple, yet heartfelt gestures that show how you, as a brand, truly…

Do you believe in love at first sight? You should. While I’m not here to talk romance, today’s topic could be considered a love story of sorts. You see, it’s about how to get travellers to fall in love with your hotel the first time they lay eyes on its website. It’s about user experience—UX for short. Now that booking online is far and away the most common means for making hotel reservations, wise hoteliers need to focus on their websites. They have to focus on building a website that visitors will instantly fall for. If it’s not love at…