Successful Service in the Season of Revenge Travel

A recent report by Time suggests that, in a post-pandemic world, many destinations are placing a focus on upscale travel in order to appeal to customers who are craving a slice of luxury after more than two years of restricted living. This has been welcome news for our partners, as high demand and inflation has led to rising room rates and the opportunity for hotels to claw back some of the losses of the past two years. For now, as the ‘revenge travel’ term suggests, customers are prepared to spend more, travel further and stay longer in order to truly invest in indulgent or once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

However, since a swathe of hospitality professionals left the industry during the pandemic, hotels are now struggling with staff shortages globally. In light of this, luxury hotels and resorts are having to think creatively and implement new high-tech procedures to deliver the same level of exceptional service while operating with fewer staff. Here’s how…

Augment Experience with Digital?

Many hotels are utilising technology to support the onsite guest experience, but never to replace the human connection. Travellers can now use a hotel’s app to unlock their room or ask a chatbot for restaurant recommendations, with hotels increasingly embracing robots, AI and software that automates room rates. The use of digital solutions can free up highly qualified staff to focus more directly on the experience, often resulting in a deeper connection with the guest.

Use Staff Wisely

To truly stand out in the crowded luxury hotel market, hotels need to utilise their staff in wowing the guest from the moment they arrive. Luxury hotels are choosing to surprise and delight travellers with everything from a welcome bouquet of flowers to pre-prepared bathroom hammam rituals. One particularly impressive example of service saw a hotel’s head chef personally introduce the menu and create a local delicacy for the guest’s evening meal. Consider the skills of your team and how these can be used to create amazing experiences and nurture authentic connections.

Think Green

These days, green travel options are high on the agenda for luxury travellers, with a survey from June 2022 reporting that 70% of this high-end group feel that travelling sustainably enhances their vacation experience. In addition, Google searches for environmental travel have also seen a 319.4% uplift in the last month. As a result, hotels which consider how they can offer sustainable options or positive impact experiences for guests are going to appeal more to this modern traveller.

Luxury hotels have had to undergo a dramatic transformation in recent years, and the pace of change continues to pick up. But the summer of revenge travel need not be a problematic one. As our CEO Edward Hooper suggests, ‘Hotels which implement digital automation and green initiatives, as well as those which allow staff to create more meaningful experiences with guests, will be the ones which set the standard for the rest of the industry.’

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