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What comes to your mind when you think of hotel amenities?
The most common answers are probably little bottles of toiletries, an in-room coffee station, slippers and a bathrobe.
While guests expect these and similar items in their rooms, just offering basic amenities isn’t enough to make your hotel stand out.
But if you can go above and beyond with your amenities, travelers will love you for it. And they’ll tell their friends and social media followers about it.
So let’s look at how you can make that happen…
Hotel amenities are services or add-ons guests can enjoy during their stay at no extra cost. Their goal is to make the travelers’ stay more fun, enjoyable and memorable.
In-room amenities include toiletries, a hairdryer, stationery, Wi-Fi, etc. In-house amenities include a pool and gym, direct beach access, or a rooftop terrace.
The quality and quantity of amenities you offer depend on the type of property you run and the audience you want to attract. For instance, generic toiletries will work at a three-star hotel. But guests at a five-star resort will expect name-brand products.
Amenities in hotels, or lack thereof, can significantly impact the guest experience. In many cases, travelers expect basic amenities and not having them could put a damper on their time with you.
Invest in high-quality amenities to impress guests and make them feel valued. Well-thought-out options fulfill needs and show that you care about making the stay as smooth and special as possible.
Go a step further and develop some special, unique add-ons to truly wow your guests. This increases your chances of a repeat booking and gives them something cool to tell others about. That can translate to positive word of mouth, raving reviews and favorable social media mentions.
Since most travelers expect basic hotel amenities, it’s time to think of something new if you want to impress them with your extras.
Leverage some of the following trends to offer your guests the best hotel amenities around.
Our industry is moving away from cookie-cutter experiences and towards more personalized offers. Data from McKinsey reveals that 71% of customers want businesses to provide more personalized experiences.
Your amenities should reflect this trend. One way to do that is to create hotel welcome amenities and in-room services based on guest preferences.
Instead of gifting the standard bottle of wine or fruit platter, provide something more customized such as:
For this to work, record guest preferences in their profiles and communicate the information between front office, room service and housekeeping.
People are increasingly decking out their homes with the latest tech. That includes using smart and voice-controlled devices. According to Statista, there are nearly 70 million smart homes across the United States alone.
Allow your guests to plug in, no matter how far from home they venture. Consider introducing tech-driven hotel guest room amenities, such as:
An Ipsos survey found that 62% of Americans focus more on their health and well-being now than before the pandemic. Today, many of them look more closely at what they eat, their exercise habits and overall lifestyle.
These three hotel amenities ideas will help you score big with your health-conscious guests:
According to Booking.com’s 2023 Sustainable Travel Report, 76% of travelers say they want more eco-friendly options this year. One way for guests to minimize their trip’s carbon footprint is to book hotels with strong green initiatives.
Make your property the obvious choice by ticking these three boxes:
As you introduce different types of hotel amenities, remember to advertise your sustainability efforts and attract more eco-conscious travelers. On top of that, many of these green initiatives will save you money in the long term.
If your hotel can’t support luxury or upscale offerings, you can still impress by offering the must-haves guests have come to expect.
To ensure comfort for all guests, convert some (or all) of your rooms to accessible hotel rooms that can be used and enjoyed by everyone. Features such as roll-in showers and bars, voice-activated technology, automatic doors and lights and buzzers can help guests with disabilities navigate your rooms comfortably.
Today’s guests expect these items to be readily available during their stay at no extra cost:
Now that we’ve looked at general amenities, let’s zoom in on your guest’s experience. How can you make it extra special with signature hotel amenities?
Here are some novel and unique luxury hotel amenities that can help your property stand out.
VR and AR technology are developing rapidly, constantly offering new ways to interact with your surroundings and virtual worlds.
You can use these new tech options in two main ways:
Just like hotels, restaurants need to find new ways to stand out and attract guests. So why not try something new in your F&B department?
Do you have venues that set you apart from the competition? Leverage them to create memorable experiences for your guests!
Don’t have a rooftop bar or terrace? Consider revamping and using some of your smaller function spaces for such events and activities.
With remote work and business travel at an all-time high, you can expect solid demand from both business and bleisure guests.
Cater to this important market segment with top-notch business amenities:
Nothing ever stands still in hospitality, so customer expectations will continue to evolve. At the same time, technology will create ever new opportunities for hotels. Keep an eye on these developments, so you can always provide the cutting-edge services your guests expect.
To get you started, here are a few amenities that are becoming more relevant.
AI offers many new use cases that our industry still needs to explore. One way to use it is via AI-powered virtual assistants in rooms and at the front desk. With Canary AI, for example, guests gain instant access to personalized recommendations based on their questions, previous behavior and demographic.
As AI in the hospitality industry becomes more prominent, it’ll become easier for venues to offer personalized service, streamline operations and boost revenue.
This topic will only gain importance, so it’s essential to keep stepping up your efforts. With many cities and countries aiming to go carbon neutral, businesses are encouraged to do the same. What would it take for your hotel to become carbon neutral? Or to go completely zero-waste? Another option would be to shift entirely to renewable energy sources or use only green building materials in future renovations.
All are big commitments that take elaborate planning. But they pay off in many ways. First, you save money after your initial investments. Second, you’ll be able to boost revenues since eco-conscious travelers are often willing to pay a premium. And finally, you build a reputation as an environmentally conscious business and attract more travelers who share this value.
We already discussed how travelers want to keep up healthy habits while they’re away from home. But even here, there’s a trend toward expecting increasingly personalized options.
Here are four ways to offer guests more tailored health and wellness services:
While the demands in our industry are always changing, a hotel’s goal remains the same: to attract and wow guests with outstanding service and amenities.
The best way to achieve this goal now and in the future is to listen to your guests, act on their feedback and monitor general industry trends.
What are people asking for more often? What are they sharing on social media? And which of these things could you offer at your hotel?
Try new amenities regularly to keep your offering fun, exciting and engaging for your guests. That gives you the best chance to stay relevant and continuously draw in the right travelers.
When you balance direct and indirect channels thoughtfully, and employ technology skillfully, you set the stage for sustainable growth and greater profitability.
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