Guest Experience: 10 Do’s and Don’ts for a Great Guest Experience Strategy

If there’s one takeaway for 2025, it’s this: Guest experience isn’t a department – it’s a mindset.

To deliver exceptional moments, guest satisfaction must sit at the core of every decision, across every department. From front desk to finance, marketing to maintenance – every action should be viewed through the lens of its impact on the guest.

Want real transformation? Make guest satisfaction more than a KPI – make it a culture. If guest experience doesn’t come up in every leadership meeting, you’re missing the point.

It’s not about chasing trends or mimicking your compset. Memorable experiences are built through emotional connection, authenticity, and a deep understanding of your guests’ evolving needs. Guests want more than a bed – they want a story, a feeling, a sense of belonging. When you design moments that matter, you don’t just earn loyalty – you create advocates.

Here are 10 guiding principles ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ for a guest experience strategy that actually delivers:

Do’s to Deliver Great Guest Experiences:

1. DO Treat guest satisfaction as a core metric.
   Every time you implement a new initiative (i.e. digital dining, upselling, automated check-in) don’t just measure revenue or conversion. Ask: Did this enhance the guest experience? Did we move the satisfaction needle?
2. Make guest intelligence relevant to every team.
   From housekeeping to F&B, tailor insights to be digestible and actionable. Empower teams to act on what they learn, not just observe from a distance.
3. Push your vendors to be partners, not just providers.
   Ask them where guest intelligence is heading and how AI will shape experience. Choose partners who guide and evolve with you, not just those who tick a box.
4. Stay plugged into product roadmaps and industry webinars.
   Hospitality tech moves fast. Tomorrow’s winning experiences are being built today. Stay informed, curious, and engaged – it’s not just sales fluff, it’s your edge.
5. Use AI for review responses, but keep it human.
   AI can support scale and consistency, but your brand voice still matters. Train it to reflect your tone. Tech should elevate your authenticity, not dilute it.
6. Hire and train for emotional intelligence.
   Guests remember how you made them feel. EQ-driven teams read cues, respond with empathy, and create moments that stick. That’s the secret sauce.
7. Create local, brand-authentic experiences.
   From a curated neighborhood guide to a scent inspired by the region, guests crave stories, not sameness. These emotional touches forge deeper connections.
8. Monitor your compset, but think beyond it.
   Benchmarking is important, but inspiration lives everywhere – retail, wellness, entertainment. The best ideas often come from outside hospitality.
9. Build a communication strategy for the entire guest journey.
   Use email, SMS, WhatsApp, chat AI, and in-room tech to support – not interrupt. Be proactive, seamless, and human. Anticipate needs. Build trust.
10. Make space for magic, surprise, and delight.
    A handwritten note. A Spotify playlist. Remembering their favorite drink. These moments create stories guests tell long after checkout. That’s real hospitality.

Don’ts – What to Avoid in Guest Experience:

1. Don’t reduce guest satisfaction to a checkbox.
   It’s not just a score. It’s your heartbeat. Let it drive action, not just live on a dashboard.
2. Don’t bury insights in generic reports.
   Use short videos, dashboards, or huddles. If your data doesn’t engage your frontline, it’s not working.
3. Don’t stay stuck with the same vendors.
   Innovation moves fast so auto-renewal shouldn’t hold you back. Stay agile and open.
4. Don’t chase every shiny trend or drown in data.
   Focus on tools that align with your guest promise. Not everything is worth doing, do what matters.
5. Don’t ignore evolving guest expectations.
   Guests change. Fast. If you’re not listening and adapting, you’ll fall behind.
6. Don’t stick to rigid playbooks.
   Great service isn’t scripted. It’s responsive. If someone’s flight was delayed, maybe they want a quiet room, not a welcome drink. Read the moment.
7. Don’t rely on cookie-cutter packages.
   Champagne and late check-out aren’t enough. What emotional need are you meeting? Be real. Be different. Be brave enough to surprise.
8. Don’t only benchmark within your compset.
   You’ll never lead if you’re just trying to keep up. Look beyond hotels – see what’s working emotionally in other industries.
9. Don’t treat communication like a one-off confirmation email.
   Today’s guests expect timely, relevant, and kind communication – before, during, and after their stay.
10. Don’t let tech replace the human touch.
    Tech should enable more connection, not less. Let it do the heavy lifting, so your team can do what they do best – be human.

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