Hello everyone,
My name is Mathias and I'm the product person at Mews overseeing loyalty - this month's theme. Today, I want to bring your attention to building guest loyalty for independent hotels!
Do you think “large hotel chain” when someone mentions “loyalty program”? Do you believe that a large network of properties and unlimited resources are necessary to appeal to members?
Sure, it helps, but independent hotels can also cultivate a thriving loyal fan base. Let's explore how you can achieve this and touch on a few key topics we are working on:
Dress to Impress: First Impressions Matter
Your website is the virtual window to your hotel, with the booking engine as its center piece. Mews is here to help you capture more data on your visitors (e.g., where they come from, who is abandoning their cart) so you can better inform your marketing campaigns and increase your conversion rate. We are also working to ensure your members feel recognized at every digital touchpoint: from the booking engine to the kiosk, they will be able to log in and unlock member advantages. However, remember that your booking engine is just one part of your reservation strategy. Partnering with OTAs is also essential.
From OTA to Direct
OTAs are an excellent way to introduce new guests to your hotels, and for this reason, probably not easy to dismiss. However, you would leave money on the table if those guests happen to book a second time through those platforms instead of directly. To ensure you capture the second stay, nothing beats a strong profile; by leveraging email addresses, preferences, and travel habits, you will be able to increase your conversion rate and foster a deeper sense of belonging.
Spoiler alert: Mews is enhancing its “match & merge” and CLTV functionalities by the end of Q4. This will ensure you know your customers perfectly by removing duplicates. Customers in this group will have the exclusivity to try it— Comment below this article, and I ll follow up with you afterward.
Delighting Guests with Excellence
Automation is the name of the game at Mews; we always strive to give time back to your staff. One key aspect we want to improve is communication: Maintaining regular and personalised communication with guests before, during, and after their stay is important for improving guest satisfaction.
Mews will centralise all your communication tools in one place, ensuring you won’t miss any messages. Because long threads of messaging can be overwhelming, we'll help your staff stay on top of the most important information with an AI-powered assistant.
By implementing these strategies, independent hotels can create a loyal guest base, similar to large hotel chains, without relying on extensive networks.
