Customer Journeys Put Hospitality Brands on the Map

From the beginning, FINE has found success establishing hospitality brands that find foundation in human-driven service and curated, special guest experiences. No one can speak to that better than brand strategist Caroline Moloney, who has worked with countless hospitality brands to develop guest journeys that are the good kind of memorable—so much so that they inspire customer loyalty that hotels live and die by. We’ve got the scoop, but you can read the full article on eHotelier.

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Mapping a Hotel Brand Worth Experiencing
By Caroline Moloney

In the hotel world, much of what used to be differentiating is now commonplace. Brands have followed industry leaders and customer expectations to offer elements of elevated design, amenities like morning coffee and evening wine, and a slew of wellness ‘perks’—these things are no longer reserved for boutique or disruptive brands.

How can a brand stand out and build a truly loyal customer base? While it’s still a goal to try and come up with a few signature moves and brand headlines that may soon be emulated, it’s even more important to think more methodically and holistically about every detail of the customer’s experience. It’s a process familiar to those who track visitors online, optimizing every point of the path toward purchase.

Often, this exercise reveals a disconnect between the picture painted during the sales funnel, and the reality as a guest continues to interact with your brand during and after their stay. For example, many hotel brands talk big about facilitating local experiences, but they do little about it—they may not even have a concierge available to help. If that’s your promise, what is your unique way of providing that information at the right time and place? Truing up these seemingly small executions looms large for brand success today.

A guest journey map needs to be woven into the business. It serves as a way for organizations to monitor and measure their service and operational standards through the lens of the guests. While lots of requirements and mandatories are executed behind the scenes, they should ladder up to the key touch points and brand hallmarks that drive guest experience, satisfaction, and—ultimately—loyalty.