Once you discover the power of mapping a hotel guest journey, you can’t ignore the importance of creating one for your properties.
NB: This is an article from Operto
But it can be hard to know where to begin. We’ve done the due diligence for you and have compiled several online explanations into one complete step-by-step approach to hotel guest journey maps.
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You might be asking at least one of these questions:
- What comes first? Scope or persona?
- Can it be on a spreadsheet? Or on specialized software?
- Who needs to share their input?
- Which type of template is the right one?
- Can one map include more than one kind of guest?
- What if I have different kinds of properties?
We’re here to help.
What is the hotel guest journey?
A hotel guest journey is a UX tool that helps you visually map all the stages your customer goes through while exposed to your services.
A customer journey map should include their pain points, the touchpoints they have with your brand, and the channels they use to communicate with you.
The importance of mapping the hotel guest journey has become increasingly apparent with the rise of big data analytics. Every time a customer uses the internet, they leave a trace of data behind. Today’s customers are aware of that, and expect brands to anticipate their expectations. A customer journey map can help brands understand those needs and desires.
Mapping the hotel guest journey will allow you to:
- Improve brand perception
- Understand the guest experience
- Improve the quality of your touchpoints
- Be more empathetic with your guest
- Increase your positive reviews and get more bookings
- Identify and win moments of truth
What to focus on when mapping the hotel guest journey?
Learning how to map a hotel guest journey can be exhausting. None of the articles online follow the exact same steps and you’ll need a lot of information about your guest that you may need to retrieve.
You can build your own guest journey map using pen and paper, online whiteboards like Miro or MURAL, smart diagrams apps like LucidChart, a spreadsheet, or a slideshow. However, at the end of the day, what’s most important is that you follow the steps, and include the right information.
Usually, people make customer journey maps in group sessions. It’s crucial you invite the right stakeholders and some guests (if possible) to participate in the discussion. These are the steps to follow in that workshop:
