Hotel amenities: elevating guest experience and satisfaction

Offering additional amenities benefits both guests, who gain a superior experience, and the hotel, which reaps the rewards of higher guest satisfaction, increased guest loyalty, and ultimately greater revenue and a stronger reputation. This, in turn, attracts new guests. However, it’s crucial to carefully plan and consider which services and solutions will truly enhance guest comfort. This planning must also take into account the specific target group for the particular property, ensuring that the amenities offered align with the hotel’s direct booking strategy.

Why are hotel amenities important?

Introducing various types of amenities to a hotel can significantly improve guest reviews, enhance the hotel's reputation, and increase the percentage of returning guests. These elements are critical for boosting direct bookings and fostering guest loyalty. Additional amenities, such as complimentary Wi-Fi, breakfast included in the room price, spa facilities, a swimming pool, or a fitness centre, enhance the comfort of the stay and lead to higher guest satisfaction, directly impacting the hotel’s bottom line.

Satisfied guests are more likely to return to the same hotel on future occasions and recommend it to others. This helps in building a loyal customer base, which is essential for sustaining direct bookings. Guests with positive experiences are more inclined to leave favourable online reviews and recommend the hotel to friends and family. This word-of-mouth marketing acts as free advertising, increasing the hotel’s visibility and enhancing its brand reputation.

Offering luxurious and modern amenities can raise the hotel’s prestige, making it more appealing to guests seeking higher standards. These offerings are particularly important in a highly competitive hospitality industry, where unique amenities can help a hotel stand out and attract more business and leisure travellers. Hotels that offer personalised guest experiences through tailored amenities are more likely to secure repeat bookings and positive reviews, further supporting their direct booking strategy.

In-Room amenities

Comfort is paramount in hotel rooms, but high-quality room and bathroom furnishings aren’t the only considerations. For a broad profile of hotel guests, communication is very important today. In-room Wi-Fi is increasingly considered a standard. If your hotel doesn’t offer it yet, it’s worth considering, as fast internet is essential for both business travellers and tourists. Free access to Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, not just in common areas, is vital for many guests. For hotel management, this provides valuable insights into guest preferences, enabling the creation of targeted ads and more thoughtful marketing communications. Implementing such solutions allows the hotel to harness the power of targeted email marketing, supported by modern hotel management systems.

While a comfortable bed remains crucial, entertainment options like television or streaming platforms in the room are important for many guests, such as families travelling with children. A well-equipped entertainment centre is often a key factor in assessing the quality of a hotel room. Many guests also appreciate a minibar and a quality coffee and tea set in the room. Free parking or luggage storage after check-out is another amenity that many travellers will value.

Offering additional services

Introducing extra services in a hotel can significantly enhance guest satisfaction and experience, while also providing financial benefits to the hotel. Popular services include:

• Culinary services – Not only a restaurant but also room service, breakfast to-go options, or special dinners.
• Spa and wellness – Massages, facial or body treatments, manicures and pedicures, a hair salon, and access to saunas or hot tubs. These services enhance the hotel’s standard and attract guests looking for luxury and relaxation, while generating additional income.
• Concierge services – Assistance with restaurant reservations, event tickets, tour bookings, or tourist advice and information about local attractions, hiking routes, and events. These services increase guest convenience and help organise their stay.
• Transport services – Airport or station transfers and car rentals. These services improve guest mobility and convenience while generating extra revenue.
• Laundry services – Laundry, ironing, dry cleaning. This is especially valuable for long-term guests.
• Family services – Childcare and entertainment programmes, which are important for families travelling with children.
• Business services – Renting rooms equipped with modern audiovisual equipment for meetings, training, or conferences.

This type of offer should be clearly presented on the hotel's website. Reservation systems like Profitroom combine direct sales systems with modern websites that not only sell reservations effectively but also support brand-building efforts for the hotel. Additional amenities are your assets, which should be highlighted in marketing and promotional communications on your website, in guest messages, and in advertisements. The Profitroom Booking Engine 360 enables you to set and achieve such goals, taking direct sales to the next level.

Customer service as an additional amenity

Lastly, it’s essential to emphasise that excellent customer service can be considered one of the most important additional amenities. It’s sometimes easy to forget, but guest comfort largely depends on it. Today’s front desk staff have many tools to help manage guest care with professional and efficient service. Hotel systems greatly simplify the management of guest reservations and stays.

High-level service means that hotel staff strive to meet the individual needs and expectations of guests. Personalised services, such as remembering room preferences or special dietary requests, make guests feel valued and appreciated. It’s important to respond effectively to any issues or inconveniences that may arise during the stay. This helps guests avoid stress and enjoy their stay without unnecessary disruptions.

Polite, helpful, and friendly staff create a welcoming and warm atmosphere, making guests feel comfortable. This type of experience often makes guests willing to pay more for a higher standard of service. Even if rooms and amenities are similar to those in competing hotels, excellent service can make the offer more attractive. The Profitroom platform streamlines front desk operations, enhances marketing and promotional efforts—an amenity appreciated by both hotel staff and guests.