Turning Guest Data into Actionable Insights for Hotels
Hotels generate vast amounts of data from PMS, CRM, booking engines, surveys, and other touchpoints. However, data alone is not enough—turning it into actionable insights is what drives revenue.
Upcoming webinars:
Shiji: 2024 Guest Experience Benchmark: Uncovering the Trends That Matter
Triptease: The 2025 direct booking playbook: Winning at digital marketing & metasearch
Hotels generate vast amounts of data from PMS, CRM, booking engines, surveys, and other touchpoints. However, data alone is not enough—turning it into actionable insights is what drives revenue, guest satisfaction, and operational efficiency. Here’s how to do it effectively:
1️⃣ Understand Guest Data Sources
🔹 PMS Data – Reservations, stay history, preferences, billing
🔹 CRM Data – Contact details, loyalty status, communication history
🔹 Booking Engine & OTA Data – Channel sources, booking patterns, rate sensitivities
🔹 POS & F&B Data – Restaurant, spa, bar purchases, in-room dining
🔹 Guest Surveys & Reviews – NPS, post-stay feedback, online reviews
🔹 Wi-Fi & Digital Engagement – Login frequency, browsing behavior, device tracking
🔹 Operational Data – Housekeeping requests, maintenance reports
2️⃣ Clean & Organize Data
🔹 Deduplicate & Merge – Ensure each guest has one unified profile
🔹 Standardize Entries – Keep names, emails, and preferences in a consistent format
🔹 Fill in Missing Data – Use AI tools to predict missing details
🔹 Integrate Data Sources – Connect PMS, CRM, and third-party tools via APIs
3️⃣ Segment Guests for Personalization
🔹 By Demographics – Business vs. leisure, families vs. solo travelers
🔹 By Behavior – Repeat guests vs. first-time, OTA vs. direct bookers
🔹 By Booking Patterns – Last-minute vs. advance bookers, seasonal trends
🔹 By Loyalty & Engagement – Program members, social media engagement
4️⃣ Use Data for Revenue Management
🔹 Dynamic Pricing – Adjust rates based on demand and booking trends
🔹 Forecasting Demand – Predict occupancy and revenue patterns
🔹 Upsell & Cross-Sell – Personalize upgrade offers, spa, and F&B promotions
🔹 Reduce OTA Dependency – Target repeat OTA bookers with direct incentives
5️⃣ Enhance Guest Experience with Data
🔹 Personalized Check-ins – Pre-fill guest preferences for a seamless stay
🔹 Predictive Service Enhancements – AI-driven housekeeping and room service suggestions
🔹 Proactive Issue Resolution – Identify and address complaints before they escalate
🔹 Automated Guest Engagement – Personalized SMS, email, and chatbot communications
6️⃣ Optimize Marketing with Insights
🔹 Email Campaigns – Tailored post-stay offers, reactivation of dormant guests
🔹 Social Media Targeting – Retarget past guests with ads and special promotions
🔹 Loyalty & Referral Programs – Reward repeat guests with personalized perks
🔹 Automated Feedback Loops – Request reviews from happy guests, flag potential issues
7️⃣ Leverage the Right Tools & Technology
🔹 PMS with Analytics – Opera, Cloudbeds, Mews
🔹 CRM & Marketing Automation – Revinate, HubSpot, Cendyn
🔹 Revenue Management Software – Duetto, IDeaS, Atomize
🔹 Reputation Management – TrustYou, ReviewPro
🔹 Data Visualization & BI Tools – Tableau, Power BI, Google Data Studio
🔹 Direct Booking Optimization – Paraty Tech, Cloudbeds
Disruptive Questions to Uncover Powerful Hotel Insights
Hoteliers often collect data, but are we asking the right questions to extract game-changing insights? Here are provocative, and outside of the box questions to ask guests and leverage your PMS, CRM, and other hotel systems for smarter decision-making.
1️⃣ Rethinking the Guest Experience
🔹 What’s something small that would have made your stay unforgettable? (Uncovers overlooked "micro-moments" that create loyalty.)
🔹 What’s the one thing you wish hotels would stop doing? (Reveals frustrating industry-wide habits that could differentiate your hotel.)
🔹 What’s an experience outside of hotels that you wish we could replicate? (Opens the door for inspiration from retail, entertainment, or tech.)
🔹 If you could personalize your stay in real time, what would you change? (Challenges static service models and inspires dynamic personalization.)
2️⃣ Disrupting Service & Operations
🔹 What’s something you would pay extra for, but no hotel offers? (Identifies untapped revenue opportunities.)
🔹 If you had 5 mintes with the GM, what would you tell them? (Gets raw, unfiltered feedback beyond traditional surveys.)
🔹 How would you redesign the check-in/out process to make it effortless? (Challenges outdated guest flow and friction points.)
🔹 Would you rather have more human interaction or more automation during your stay? (Guides tech vs. human balance in service strategy.)
3️⃣ Unlocking Hidden Data Insights from PMS & CRM
🔹 Are our most loyal guests also our most profitable ones? (Challenges assumptions about loyalty programs.)
🔹 What do our quietest guests have in common? (Silent guests don’t complain—but they also don’t return. Find out why.)
🔹 Which room types have the highest repeat booking rates? (Optimizes inventory and pricing for guest preferences.)
🔹 Are guests who book directly happier than OTA guests? (Measures the true impact of direct booking strategies.)
🔹 What’s the real reason guests cancel last-minute? (Goes beyond surface-level "change of plans" reasons to prevent cancellations.)
4️⃣ Redefining the Hotel Business Model
🔹 If our rooms weren’t our main source of revenue, what would be? (Encourages diversification beyond traditional accommodation.)
🔹 What service do guests use elsewhere that they wish they had in hotels? (Explores new partnerships, subscriptions, or memberships.)
🔹 How would we operate if guests only paid at the end based on satisfaction? (Forces a rethink of true value creation.)
5️⃣ Marketing & Guest Engagement with a Disruptive Mindset
🔹 What makes a hotel Instagrammable today—beyond design? (Moves beyond aesthetics to social shareability.)
🔹 If we had to market without discounts, how would we do it? (Pushes for value-driven, not price-driven, marketing.)
🔹 What’s a brand that we admire, and how would they run our hotel? (Infuses fresh thinking from non-hospitality leaders.)