Happy hotel guests make for the best business. In fact, 57% of highly satisfied hotel guests are apt to return to that same hotel themselves, and 89% would recommend it to their friends.
But what is it that turns the average guest into a ‘highly satisfied’ one?
The Importance Of The Best Hotel Amenities
Beyond front-desk service, room quality, and of course room rates, hotel amenities are really what make or break a hotel experience. For hotels that want to bolster their customer rate of return and attract new guests, focusing on the best hotel amenities is how you’ll be able to shine.
So, what are the amenities that are worth adding to your hotel’s offering?
Below, we’re sharing 25 of the most impactful hotel amenities that you can integrate into your guest experience to encourage return guests that will become loyal to you for years to come.
25 Hotel Amenities To Encourage Return Guests
Not sure where to get started? Start at the top and work your way down this list of 25 hotel amenities to encourage repeat business at your hotel.
1. Hotel Lobby Entertainment
When guests check-in at your hotel, they’re ready to be on vacation time immediately. That means creating a relaxing escape starting in your hotel lobby.
There are several ways to do this, the best being the installation of a hotel lobby TV with a service such as Atmosphere that displays freshly curated relaxing content with audio-optional formats so you can control your hotel lobby environment.
You can even include your own hotel promotions on the lobby TV as a way to inform guests of special promotions or offers that may be available to them.
2. In-Room Cocktails
Sure, a stocked mini-fridge is nice. But, do you know what’s better? In-room cocktails with beer or liquor dispensers at their disposal! This is an extra-nice perk for those staying for pleasure who could use a little liquid courage before making their way to the hotel bar.
3. Unique Turn-Down Service
Elevate your in-room guest experience with a unique turn-down service that will catch their attention and make a lasting impression. For example, the George Hotel in New Zealand offers a fluffy George bear with every turn-down service to make crawling into bed a little cozier.
4. Premium Complimentary Toiletries
Toiletries are an essential part of every hotel guest bathroom. With so many travel restrictions on liquids, many travelers rely on the hotel’s toiletries to get them through. Trivago even found that full-sized, high-quality toiletries make for some of the best hotel products and are one of the most in-demand amenities a hotel can provide.
5. Free Water Bottles
Water is essential to any travel day, and there never seems to be enough of it to go around. Outside of the comfort of home, there are no water filters available when needed, so having access to clean drinking water should be a given, not an extra.
Adding a couple of free bottles in their hotel room upon arrival is an extra-nice touch.
6. Laundry Services
Think about all of the different occasions when you might need some laundry support while traveling. There’s the case of destination weddings, which usually require dozens of people to travel long distances with formal attire in their bags.
In-house or vendor-offered dry cleaning and laundry is also helpful to the everyday traveler, whether they are hoping to re-wear outfits to keep baggage slim or need to refresh a suit before a big business meeting.
7. Free Breakfast
Adding in a free breakfast to your hotel stay is a wonderful way to add value to your offering without having to dive head-first into full meals. If you have a restaurant on-site, consider adding a light breakfast option as one of your best hotel amenities so that your guests can potentially eat all of their three daily meals from you.
If you don’t have a restaurant at your hotel, consider partnering with a nearby restaurant to offer free vouchers for a bonus.
8. Luggage Help
You don’t need to be a luxury hotel to offer assistance with luggage. Offering luggage help can be as simple as luggage carts and a team of two bellhops, but it goes a long way.
9. In-Room Entertainment
Truly good in-room entertainment means more than just TV. Go the extra mile by stocking a cabinet full of fun items and activities like board games, video games, etc. Kids will love it!
10. Name-Brand Coffee
Sure, you could add white-labeled coffee grounds to your hotel suites for guests to use, but offering them a name-brand coffee label they love elevates their morning experience. The Westin, you’ll find, always offers Starbucks, while Hilton provides The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf products.
11. Premium Bedding
In a travel survey, over 78% of people said they feel that a comfortable hotel bed is an important factor in their stay. So, invest in premium bedding and it will pay off in the long run.
12. Events
What else does your hotel have going on that it can offer guests? Filling their time with fun events like classes, shows, and live music can help them limit the trips and excursions they take and enjoy their time on your property.
13. Welcome Gifts
When you want to make an impression, add a welcome gift for your guests. This could be a sand dollar and sand bucket/shovel, for example, at a family-friendly beachside hotel to welcome them to the sandy shores.
14. Local Samples
Piggybacking off of the idea of the welcome gifts, try to use something meaningful to your hotel, your town, and your local area. This will create a memory of their trip and connect them more closely to the local culture. To do this, you can research local shops, restaurants, or cafes that may offer samples to your guests as a way of advertising.
Matchbooks, coupons, and snacks are a few good ideas.
15. Free Rides
There’s a lot more to travel than just flying on a plane from door to door. There’s also the aspect of getting from the airport (or train station, or boat port) to the hotel. You have the power to make this a lot easier by providing free rides on a shuttle or hotel vehicle.
16. Phone and Device Chargers in the Lobby
The hotel room isn’t always ready when guests arrive due to timing issues, so having a few amenities available to your guests before they check-in is a great way to greet them with a warm welcome.
One of the best ways to do this is by providing phone and device chargers in the lobby that they can use until they can settle into their own space.
17. Small Child Entertainment
Unless you’re an adults-only resort or hotel, chances are pretty high that you see a decent amount of young children in and out of your hotel. Keep them entertained with the thoughtful addition of items like coloring books, blocks, and even toys they can use while they stay.
18. Excursions
Just as Airbnb has started to partner with local businesses and individuals to offer more adventures, activities, and excursions, hotels can rival this with their versions of this service. Try to partner with local places to offer city tours and other excursions for a memorable trip.
19. Additional Toiletries Available Upon Request
Being stuck at a hotel without the toiletries you thought you packed can turn a good trip bad quickly. If you have additional toiletries (like hair products, deodorants, razors, and toothbrushes) behind the counter or available for purchase at a small shop, be sure to advertise this amenity.
20. Bathrobes
Nothing feels more luxurious than a fresh hotel bathrobe. Be sure to include at least one in each guest suite to elevate the experience, no matter what kind of hotel you are.
21. A Daily Newspaper
At a hotel, travelers have less access to the news and entertainment they are used to. Keep them in the loop by offering a daily newspaper service to their door in the morning for a nice touch that won’t go unnoticed.
22. Good WiFi
WiFi in a hotel is a standard in this day and age, but quality internet is what now sets you apart. Over 60% of travelers look for WiFi connectivity before they book a hotel room, and nearly 40% will not return to a property if they didn’t have a good experience with the hotel WiFi. So, offer WiFi, and do it right.
23. Free Parking
Nickel and diming guests when they have already paid a significant amount to stay with you can leave them feeling frustrated. Account for parking costs in your room rates, and they offer free parking for a nice surprise for guests.
24. Luggage Storage
A travel day often begins long before a hotel room is ready. For those occasions, it’s great to offer luggage storage for the day so they can trust their belongings are safe while they explore before heading back to check-in.
25. Bikes to Take Around Town
Are you located in a bike-friendly area? If bikes are one of the main modes of transportation, consider offering bikes for free or for rent as a means to get around town. It will save them money and frustration, helping them to remember your hotel as extremely accommodating.
Conclusion
What’s most important about offering the best hotel amenities is making sure that you communicate them to your guests so they can take advantage of them. Without knowing, they might not be aware that the amenities are available and free.
The best way to do that is by advertising your promotions and available amenities on a hotel lobby TV with Atmosphere. You can even include this promotions channel in guest rooms so they can find out about and love all you have to offer.