Strategies for Attracting Repeat Guests to Small Hotels

Most hotels are missing a huge revenue channel by ignoring email marketing. Here's what we've learned building email strategies for hotels 👇🏻 While I've spent the last year showing you how to leverage social media, email marketing remains criminally underutilized in hospitality. Unlike social media followers, your email list is something you actually own. Email gives you direct access to potential guests, allowing you to: ✔️ Send targeted campaigns based on location ✔️ Retarget previous guests ✔️ Personalize messages ✔️ Drive bookings without constant ad spend But for hotels, email marketing has been a black box... Most industries have countless resources for email strategy. For hospitality? Almost non-existent. Even big brands are just running basic discount campaigns and bland promotional emails. Here's what's working in our email strategy: ✅ Building Our List There are two main drivers - previous guests and website sign-ups. For website sign-ups, we skipped the typical discount pop-ups that would cheapen our brand. We focused on value-driven offers like free stay giveaways to build our list while maintaining luxury positioning. ✅ Weekly Content Strategy Weekly emails strike the perfect balance–keeping guests engaged without overwhelming them. Unlike retail where customers buy monthly, hotel guests book a few times a year. We don’t need to flood guests with emails–we're playing the long game. Mix local activities, events, and property highlights. ✅ Personalization That Converts Targeted messaging helped our email strategy standout. We created campaigns for: ✔️ Local guests seeking quick getaways ✔️ Past guests reminiscing about their stays ✔️ Engaged subscribers ready to book All without paid ad costs. ✅ Email Flows That Drive Revenue This is where email marketing became a game-changer. We created automated sequences to: ✔️ Welcome new subscribers with our story ✔️ Re-engage guests who haven't booked in 9-12 months ✔️ Keep inactive subscribers engaged Here's exactly how to get started: 1. Choose Your Platform Klaviyo is our go-to. While there are many options, we've found it works best for hospitality and is easiest to use. 2. Build Your Foundation Start by compiling past guest emails from your PMS. Then create compelling sign-up offers and popup forms for new subscribers. 3. Set Up Your Flows Top priority: a welcome flow introducing your property's unique experience & story.  Then add: - Flows targeting previous guests - Re-engagement campaigns for inactive subs 4. Plan Weekly Content Map out a calendar mixing: - Local events and activity guides - Behind-the-scenes content - Strategic promotions (but keep them minimal) 5. Design Your Template Create a consistent look: - Clean header with logo and booking links - Mobile-optimized layout - Strategic CTA placement Every property's email list is unique. Test different approaches, analyze what resonates, and find what works best for your property.

Over the years, I've learned that true hospitality entails not just delectable food and a lovely setting, but also consistency, personalization, and attention to detail. From the time a guest arrives until they leave, every interaction counts. Whether you're new to the hospitality industry or creating your own concept, here is my ultimate checklist for creating a memorable guest experience: ✔️ First impressions set the tone The moment a guest walks through your doors is the moment their experience begins. Make it count. Make sure to greet them with a smile, eye contact, and enthusiasm that embodies the character of your venue. Within the first few seconds, people remember how you made them feel. ✔️ Anticipate needs before they ask Good service turns into great service at this point. Is your visitor running low on water? Between courses, has the table been waiting too long? Does a frequent visitor have a preferred seat or dish? Teach your staff to watch and respond before a request is made. Proactive service fosters loyalty and demonstrates concern. ✔️ Perfect the little details Often, the smallest things have the greatest effects. Consider how the lighting changes from day to night, how a napkin is folded, or how the music enhances the atmosphere. A unified, unforgettable atmosphere is produced by these details. Every location is created with the intention of telling a story, and the details are what make the tale come to life. ✔️ A strong team = exceptional service Without an empowered, well-trained, and mission-aligned staff, no venue can succeed. Being a host is a team sport. Make an investment in your people. Celebrate your victories. Openly discuss difficulties. Above all, establish a culture in which each team member takes ownership of the visitor experience because their concern is evident. ✔️ Tech should enhance, not replace hospitality Use technology to make things smoother, not colder. Digital tools and AI can help personalize menus, expedite reservations, and increase operational efficiency, but nothing can replace the human touch. Instead of reducing interaction, use technology to free up more time for your team to spend with guests. ✔️ Guests don’t just choose food, they embrace experiences We are now in the experience business rather than the food industry. People go out to experience celebration, comfort, connection, and excitement. Create moments that transcend the plate by planning your areas, your service, and your narrative. That's what makes a new visitor become a devoted regular. A successful F&B venue is about how you make people feel, not just what's on the menu. That’s the heart of hospitality. What do you think? What else would you include on this list? I would be interested in hearing your viewpoint. #HospitalityExcellence #CustomerExperience #HospitalityChecklist #7Management

Running a hotel isn’t just about welcoming guests when the sun is shining, the holidays are buzzing, or the corporate calendars are packed. It’s also about navigating the quieter moments—the off-seasons—when the demand drops, but the bills don’t. Over the years, I’ve discovered a few creative strategies that have helped us turn “off-season blues” into a vibrant hum of activity. Here’s what works: 1. Tap into local tourism and micro-events When international or out-of-town guests aren’t flocking in, look inward. Partner with local event organizers, small businesses, or community groups to host events, retreats, or workshops. Example: We’ve collaborated with yoga studios to host weekend retreats. These aren’t just room fillers—they create experiences that attract repeat guests. 2. Offer “workation” packages Remote work is here to stay, so why not position your property as the ultimate productivity-meets-relaxation destination? We’ve introduced packages that include high-speed Wi-Fi, quiet workspaces, and even lunchtime room service. The result? Professionals who extend their stays because they realize how much better work-life balance feels at a hotel. 3. Revamp your loyalty program Off-season is the perfect time to show some love to your loyal guests. Offer double rewards points, exclusive discounts, or personalized perks. Not only does this boost occupancy, but it also strengthens long-term relationships. Whether you're a hotelier, a business owner, or someone who deals with seasonal cycles, I’d love to hear how you tackle the quiet times. 

We’ve spent decades removing friction for guests. Maybe that’s now becoming a problem. Hospitality has been obsessed with “frictionless” service, streamlined check-ins, and polished efficiency. But here’s the catch: when everything is easy, nothing is memorable. Gen Z and younger luxury travelers are tired of skating across glossy surfaces. They crave meaning, stories, and belonging, and meaning often comes with a little effort. Cultural brands already get this. Bon Iver’s album launch sent fans smoked salmon with a poet’s insert, a candle that smelled like a winter cabin, and an app guiding them to intimate listening parties. Many entry points, each a breadcrumb leading you deeper. Some hotels are rewriting this playbook. Aman Tokyo’s tea ceremony is an intentionally slow, ritualized welcome. It’s not convenient, but that’s the point. The friction makes it sacred, and guests leave with a story that outlasts any room amenity. — 5 Ways to Design Joyful Friction in Hospitality 1. Name your rituals. Stop hiding magic behind generic labels. “Turndown service” becomes “Night Script.” The “welcome drink” becomes “The First Pour.” Language signals intention and gives small moments emotional weight. 2. Multi-sensory storytelling kits. Borrow from cultural launches: On arrival, offer a mini city-scent candle, a handwritten poem from a local artist, and a ticket to an intimate lobby performance. Guests engage through touch, scent, and story, each doorway into your brand narrative. 3. Ask, then delight. Have guests complete a three-question “mood card” pre-arrival. Match it with a curated in-room surprise, a book, cocktail, or soundtrack. Effort makes them feel seen (backed by the IKEA effect: effort increases attachment). 4. Create scarcity with care. Design one-hour windows of magic: a nightly martini ritual, a chef’s table for four, or a password-protected dessert. Scarcity raises perceived value while making participation feel earned. 5. Ladder your story over time. Instead of trying to impress all at once, let the brand unfold: Visit 1: A custom coaster. Visit 2: A staff pin unlocking a library room. Visit 3: A seat at the chef’s counter. Each stay deepens their connection and drives return intent. "When everything is effortless, nothing is extraordinary." — Why This Works Choice overload studies prove curated experiences are more satisfying than endless options: - The scarcity principle shows limited access elevates perceived worth. - The IKEA effect reveals guests value what they invest in. Luxury travelers aren’t chasing convenience anymore. They want layered experiences that feel personal, not packaged. — Final Thoughts Hotels that dare to introduce meaningful friction don’t feel cold or inaccessible; they feel alive. Because in hospitality, perfection isn’t about smoothing every edge. It’s about designing edges worth touching. #LuxuryHospitality #GuestExperience #BrandStorytelling #ExperienceDesign #EmotionalDesign

I spent an afternoon with a hotel GM whose property increased RevPAR by 40% in eight months without adding a single room. When I asked what changed everything, they walked me to the most unexpected place... 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. While most hotels view housekeeping as a pure expense line, revenue-focused properties have quietly transformed their room attendants into their most valuable guest intelligence network. The traditional "clean and flip" mentality has been completely reimagined with stunning financial impact. My conversations with top-performing properties reveal three housekeeping transformations that generate substantial revenue lifts: • Evolving from invisible service providers to guest preference data collectors • Moving from speed-focused cleaning to strategic amenity placement and personalization   • Transforming routine maintenance checks into revenue opportunity identification A mid-scale property I consulted with recently restructured their entire housekeeping protocols around these principles. Within six months, they doubled their spa bookings, increased minibar consumption significantly, and saw dramatic improvements in guest satisfaction scores driving direct booking loyalty. The most fascinating discovery? The hotels achieving the greatest housekeeping-driven revenue gains aren't using complex systems or expensive technology—they're leveraging sophisticated guest psychology through strategic room presentation and targeted communication training. Is your property still measuring housekeeping success by rooms cleaned per hour, or have you begun evaluating their contribution to guest lifetime value and incremental revenue generation? #HousekeepingRevenue #GuestExperience #RevenueOptimization #HospitalityStrategy

Delivering Personalized Guest Experiences at the Reception Creating Comfort, Connection & Lasting Memories in a Five-Star Hotel •Warm Welcome: Greet each guest with a genuine smile, eye contact, and respectful body language to create an immediate sense of belonging. • Active Listening: Pay close attention to verbal and non-verbal cues to understand guest needs, moods, and expectations. •Memory for Details: Remember repeat guests’ preferences from room choices to coffee styles to provide a truly tailored experience. •Personalized Service: Address guests by name, offer specific room enhancements, and provide curated recommendations for local experiences. •Comfort-First Mindset: Ensure the check-in area is calm, clean, and welcoming, offering refreshments or cool towels if needed. •Proactive Communication: Keep guests informed about hotel amenities, offers, and events without overwhelming them. • Problem Resolution: Handle concerns swiftly, privately, and professionally, always aiming to exceed expectations. •Follow-Up: Call or check in with guests after arrival to ensure they’re settled and satisfied. •Cultural Sensitivity: Be aware and respectful of different cultures and traditions to serve international guests with grace. • Promote Relaxation: Use a calm tone, relaxed posture, and a patient attitude to reduce guest stress, especially after long travels. •Offer Value-Added Moments: Surprise guests with small, thoughtful gestures like birthday cards, room upgrades, or local treats. • Seamless Check-Out: Ensure departure is smooth, with gratitude expressed and feedback welcomed. •Feedback Integration: Listen to guest suggestions and communicate them to management for continuous improvement. •Team Collaboration: Coordinate closely with housekeeping, concierge, and room service to ensure consistency and flawless execution. •Create Moments Worth Sharing: Help guests create beautiful memories they’ll share on social media enhancing the hotel’s brand organically. At the reception, we are not just checking people in we are creating first impressions, lasting relationships, and unforgettable experiences. This is what excellence looks like in five-star hospitality.

A hotel is just a box. Some boxes are bigger than others. Some are shinier. Some are filled with marble, glass, and chandeliers. Some are stocked with Michelin-starred chefs, while others have average buffets and a coffee machine that breaks down every week. Some boxes have staff who are robotic, others have staff who make you feel like family. But at the end of the day, strip it all down, it is still just a box. The box does not define the experience. The people inside it do. The culture you create inside it does, and this is where too many in hospitality get it wrong. They invest millions into building the box, but they put little thought into the soul of it. Here is the hard truth: travelers today are NOT loyal to your box. They are loyal to how your box makes them feel. They are loyal to the story you tell, to the way your staff treats them, to the sense of belonging you create. They can find a nice box anywhere. But they cannot find the same emotional connection everywhere. That is what creates loyalty. So what does this mean for leaders? It means stop obsessing over the thread count of the sheets and start obsessing over the training of your staff. Stop spending all your time with the architects and start spending time with the culture builders. Stop talking about occupancy rates like they are the only KPI that matters and start talking about repeat guests and guest referrals as the true north. Tactical advice for those running hotels: 1. Train for emotional intelligence, not just technical skills. Anyone can learn how to carry a tray or make a bed. Not everyone knows how to read a guest’s mood and respond accordingly. Make that the priority. 2. Build rituals of connection. Daily huddles where staff share a moment of kindness they created. Weekly recognition for employees who go beyond the script. Give your team reasons to feel proud and engaged. 3. Make leadership visible. If the GM is only seen during investor calls, you are doing it wrong. Walk the lobby, talk to guests, jump into service when needed. Show your people that you lead from the front. 4. Invest in storytelling. The box is your stage. Your team are the performers. Your brand story is the script. If you are not actively shaping that story on social media, in marketing, and in every guest touchpoint, someone else is telling it for you. 5. Use data to personalize. Not just in-room preferences, but in emotional triggers. Who likes to be greeted by name, who values privacy, who celebrates anniversaries. Technology should empower staff to connect more deeply, not to automate humanity out of the process. If you want to future-proof your hotel, remember this: The box is just the container. Your people, your culture, and your story are what make it unforgettable. Otherwise, you are just another expensive box that will be forgotten the second the guest checks out. --- If you like the way I look at the world of hospitality, let’s chat: scott@mrscotteddy.com

David vs Goliath or how independents can beat the OTAs at their own marketing game In 2024 Expedia spent on marketing $6.8 billion, which represents 49.6% of revenue, while Booking Holdings spent $7.3 billion which was 31% of revenue. These two mega OTAs spent on marketing a total of $14.1 billion. In total, last year the two mega OTAs spent on marketing $14.1 billion Many hoteliers feel defeated by this marketing might and give up on their own direct channel marketing. “We cannot outspend the OTAs, why even try?” But if you do a simple math, you will see that the OTAs spend on marketing approximately $250 per month per hotel available on their platform. This is it! Now, the question is, can even a small hotel spend $250/month to increase its Internet presence and steer people to book direct? Of course! Independents - even smaller properties - need to spend on marketing at least 4% of their room revenue. Hoteliers have tremendous advantages over the OTAs - the know their destination, location and product far better than the OTAs do. In addition, using the Pareto Principle, hoteliers can focus on their feeder markets and customer segments that generate 80% of their business thus being much more efficient than the OTAs. Where do you start when you are an independent hotel, even a property with smaller budget? 1. Fix your website! Is it mobile-first? Is the textual, visual and promotional content fresh, unique and truly representing your product and property? 2. Does the website SEO: on-page, back links and technical - fully optimized? 3. With the explosion of AI search, is your website ready for AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimization)? 4. Implement CRM technology and Guest Appreciation Program to increase significantly your repeat business. The fully automated CRM initiatives keep “the conversation going” with your past guests, keep them engaged and steer them in the right direction: to book your hotel when they visit your destination again. 5. Establish solid social media presence with original posts and tons of user-generated content and customer reviews and comments. 6. Take advantage of all the freebies out there: free Google Business Profile, free booking links on Google Hotel Ads, free business directories, CVB listings, Chamber of Commerce listings, etc. 7. Launch Google Ads (GA) campaign for your branded keyword terms to capture all friends and family referrals, repeat guests, etc. the goal is to “own” 100% SOV (share of voice) You will be surprised how inexpensive these search campaigns are! 8. Invest in Content Marketing, the least expensive from all digital marketing initiatives. Content Marketing engages and entices the travel consumer in the Dreaming and Planning Phases and creates ready-to-book customers for the Booking Phase of the digital customer journey. 9. Hire a knowledgeable digital marketing agency to handle all of the above and help you steer through the complexities of the digital world we live in.

#hospitality Guests don’t buy rooms. They buy how they will feel inside your hotel. The hospitality industry still tries to compete on: rate location beautiful website photos But that’s not how decisions are made. Guests choose based on something far more decisive: confidence before arrival consistency during the stay and memory after checkout When that is missing, the outcome is predictable: price becomes the main argument margins erode reputation fluctuates Now look at this objectively: Two hotels Same city Same target market Same theoretical positioning Completely different results. Why? Because one sells rooms. The other delivers operational consistency + perceived value In practice, what the guest is really buying is: a room that is truly clean (not just in photos) maintenance that goes unnoticed (everything works) a present, engaged team (not reactive) an operation without friction This is not marketing. This is execution. And here is the uncomfortable truth: You can have the best marketing in the world. If operations don’t sustain it, the guest will correct your narrative. Fast. The real question is: Are you selling a room… or building a level of experience that justifies your rate? Because in the end: Those who sell rooms compete on price. Those who build consistent experiences win on reputation, repeat business, and margin. Nilson Bernal Independent Hospitality Executive

Low ADR isn’t the disease—it’s a symptom. And too many hoteliers keep treating it like the actual problem. Push harder on sales... Tweak dynamic pricing... Add a clever campaign or some fancy new tech... Sure, these might help in the short term. But they’re band-aids. Not a cure. It’s like taking ibuprofen for heart failure. It might dull the discomfort… But it won’t fix the blockage. If your brand is forgettable, your story unclear, and your guest experience uninspired—no pricing tool will save you. And chasing higher ADR by sacrificing occupancy? That’s a race to the bottom, too. Want to treat the cause, not just the symptoms? Try this... 1. Design for Desire, Not Demographics Don’t target “millennials” or “business travelers.” Design for feelings: escape, nostalgia, connection, adventure. People pay more when they *feel* more. 2. Curate Hyper-Specific Experiences Generic doesn’t sell. Unique does. If it’s rare, it’s valuable. 3. Elevate In-Room Merch & Upsells Create immersive, brand-aligned moments. Amenities that create stories. 4. Make the Lobby a Destination Lobbies shouldn’t be dimly lit ghost towns. Make it buzz: coffee, cocktails, culture, art. A vibrant lobby gives you permission to charge more upstairs. 5. Lead with Your "Onlyness" If you’re not different, you’re forgettable. Boldly claim what makes you the only—and price accordingly and confidently. 6. Design Outdoor Spaces That Linger Fire pits, hammock groves, garden paths. Landscape is experience. The longer they linger outside, the more they’ll pay to stay inside. Invest outside, returns inside. 7. Nail the F&B It doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. It just has to be on brand. A killer breakfast sandwich or signature cocktail can elevate the whole stay. Remember.... You don’t fix ADR with discounts. You fix it by becoming irresistible. Tell a better story. Build a better experience. And watch the numbers follow. #hospitalitybranding #ADRstrategy #boutiquehotels #guestexperience #hotelmanagement #hospitalitydesign #storydrivenbrands #experientialhospitality