‘Great guest experience’ is the biggest motivator for hoteliers globally

Which elements of running a hotel do hoteliers enjoy the most? And what motivates them to do a great job as they tackle the day-to-day tasks?

New research from hotel technology provider SiteMinder has revealed the aspects of hospitality life that drive hoteliers to be passionate about their jobs.

In the report, SiteMinder asked hoteliers, both independents and groups, to rank priorities, challenges, and issues from high to low on everything from financial plans to focus areas, and of course, the future.

Chapter five inside ‘SiteMinder’s Global Hotel Business Index 2017: A visual look at financial plans, focus points, and future predictions’ asked hoteliers to reveal what they’re most passionate about during the day-to-day.

In order to gauge an understanding of their key goals, hoteliers could choose from a matrix of motivations –

• I just love working in hospitality and delivering a great guest experience
• I strive to achieve recognition for our hotel such as positive reviews
• I get the biggest kick from increasing revenue and seeing the results
• I love creating a healthy and positive work environment
• I enjoy seeking hotel innovation that enhances guest service and drives bookings

Working in hospitality and delivering a great guest experience came out on top for hoteliers of all sizes – with a ranking of 78%.

Seeking hotel innovation that enhances guest service and drives bookings was lower down on the list of interests – ranked at 63% in comparison.

What did hoteliers tell SiteMinder about their biggest motivations?

Hoteliers revealed a great deal when asked to expand on their rankings and they submitted thousands of comments throughout the survey overall.

More than 120 insights made the final cut and here’s what hoteliers had to say about the aspects of their day-to-day roles that they enjoy the most:

“Meeting and interacting with such a wide variety of interesting people and making sure I make their stay as memorable as possible.”

“Being an owner/operator and taking pride in ensuring the best possible experience at a fair price. Achieving a star rating of 4+ (when we were hoping for a 3+) in 2016 has been a huge boost to our confidence and drive.”

“I am 78 years old and it gives me great pleasure to employ a small dedicated staff who participate in income as a just reward for outstanding service and loyalty.”

What’s the SiteMinder perspective on the findings?

Chapter five presented some really interesting insights.

Nearly every comment left by hoteliers was about their passion for meeting new people and pleasing guests reaffirming why we at SiteMinder feel proud to be associated with so many brilliant hoteliers.

Seeking hotel innovation that enhances guest service and drives bookings came out as the area that motivates hoteliers the least – preferring to focus on frontline customer service and people interaction.

By automating more of the manual processes that take up so much time, hoteliers can focus on their true passions – delivering a memorable guest experience.

Other chapters in the report include –

• Planning Your Hotel’s Finances
  Which areas are you likely to distribute the largest proportion of budget in the next 12 months?
• Achieving Your Hotel’s Business Goals
  What are your biggest business focuses at your hotel in 2017?
• Tackling Your Hotel’s Biggest Rocks
  What are the biggest challenges currently facing your hotel business?
• Understanding Your Industry’s Issues
  Thinking about the broader sector, what do you believe are the biggest issues facing hotels?
• Predicting Your Hotel’s Future Technology
  What developments do you think will accelerate in our industry over the next 10 years?