The hotel guest journey used to begin at the front desk. It doesn’t anymore. Today, the first impression happens on a phone, or online. The stay begins before arrival. And every service moment, from booking to checkout, shapes how your hotel is remembered.
NB: This is an article from SABA
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Guests still want upgrades. They still expect fast answers and flexibility, but how they engage with your team is changing. They don’t wait in line. They don’t flick through paper folders. They don’t want to chase service. They want it to be there, when they need it.
This article walks through seven hotel guest journey touchpoints that matter most. These are the points where service stalls and where guests form opinions. Each one offers a chance to improve hotel guest experience and lift hotel operational efficiency at the same time.
The 7 Critical Hotel Guest Journey Touchpoints to Optimise
Guest expectations don’t rise all at once. They build gradually, at each moment of interaction. That’s why improving the guest experience starts with improving each individual touchpoint, rather than just the overall impression.
The seven touchpoints below follow the natural arc of a stay. Each one presents a moment to increase efficiency and leave a stronger impression. When optimised with the right digital tools, they make things easier for guests and operations sharper for staff.
- Pre-Arrival: Booking and Confirmation
The guest journey starts well before check-in. It begins the moment someone decides to stay. Consider how easy it is to book, how clearly information is shared, or how smoothly requests are handled. These all shape a guest’s first impression before they even arrive.
When the booking process is clunky or impersonal, it creates early doubt. But when it’s streamlined and intuitive, it sets a tone of confidence.
Hotels using digital tools like an Activities Booking Platform can personalise this moment without adding workload. With real-time updates, operators avoid the need to chase confirmations or correct manual errors.
Benefits of optimising this touchpoint:
- Reduces pre-arrival admin for hotel teams
Staff spend less time managing bookings manually, following up on requests, or troubleshooting gaps in communication before the guest even arrives.
- Gives guests more control and clarity
With clearer options and timely confirmations, guests feel confident planning their stay and can personalise it without needing to call or email.
- Opens early revenue opportunities without creating pressure
Extras like room upgrades, transfers, or activity bookings can be offered at the right time, when guests are most open to planning ahead.
