The sale of hotel experiences, such as SPA, romantic dinners, themed events, concerts or day passes, is part of the commercial strategy of many hotels.
At Roiback, our booking engine has long allowed us to sell experiences as part of a package with accommodation or individually.
And now we go further, offering the booking of experiences as a voucher, without the need to include a specific date of enjoyment and with the possibility of giving them as a gift to a third person.
We call them Gift Experiences, and it is an evolution of our gift card, which has shown such good results during the pandemic period.
Experiences and activities: a differentiating element to position your hotel and your brand.
Many hotels sell them, but few get the maximum benefit from their experiences and activities, which they relegate to a mere complement and not a differentiator for their brand and value proposition.
The current context reveals a much more demanding traveler and consumer in their purchasing decisions. And this forces hotels to reinvent themselves more and more frequently and to be more creative in the products they offer.
Some facts:
- 88% of U.S. travelers indicate that travel is their top life aspiration, above wealth (American Express).
- 72% of U.S. travelers prefer to spend their money on an in-destination experience, rather than other products (American Express).
- 67% of affluent travelers prefer to spend their money on in-destination activities rather than on a hotel room (Skift).
Selling experiences allows you to generate an additional source of income, increasing your ADR and your profitability. But, above all, it helps you position your hotel as an expert and reference in the destination.
Your hotel stops being a place to stay and becomes a place where the traveler can be inspired and connect with the destination in a more authentic and profound way.
You move away from the dreaded commodity effect and position yourself in a space that OTAs – global marketing tools with little direct relationship with the destination – will never be able to cover.
What are the benefits of selling experiences for your hotel?
- You attract a new customer segment: One-day experiences allow you to attract a local or proximity audience that is not looking for accommodation but to live and discover an experience close to their place of residence, becoming an ambassador of your product and a valuable source of income even in low season.
- Improve your cash flow: In the case of Gift Experiences, by charging in advance you will get immediate liquidity as they require a prepayment.
- Generate additional income: Diversify your sources of income by selling other products and services in addition to the rooms.
- Make your hotel’s facilities and services profitable: You will increase the occupancy and use of your facilities or services, whether they are restaurants, event rooms, SPAs or any other product or service of your hotel.
How are experiences displayed in Roiback’s booking engine?
Roiback offers several ways to display experiences during the booking process.
Specific Experiences section on the hotel’s website: from this section, the user can visualize all the experiences available in a hotel or chain, filter them (with or without accommodation included) and book them as Gift Experiences (without the need to indicate a specific date of enjoyment) or as an activity with a specific date of enjoyment.
Example: https://www.blauhotels.com/es/paquetes/
Search results page: Using a deeplink – or a direct link to the search results of the booking engine – the user can consult the experiences in a clear and intuitive way, and easily make the booking.
The direct link to the search results can be used in a very flexible way: newsletters, banners or booking confirmation emails, SEM or display campaigns and up-selling or welcome emails, or even from QR codes present in the hotel, among many other possibilities.
What types of experiences can you offer?
From accommodation + experience packages, or one-day experiences without accommodation, the possibilities are as many as your hotel and creativity allow.
Some examples:
- Day pass: one day entrance with special menu.
- Romantic package accommodation + experience: a weekend for two with room, breakfast, SPA and dinner.
- SPA and wellness: massages for two + lunch and/or dinner.
- Gastronomic experiences: special breakfasts, themed menus or gourmet tasting.
- Multifunctional spaces for special occasions: Christmas, New Year’s Eve, family or company events.
- Golf package: accommodation + green fee + lunch, or green fee + lunch.
- Sports experiences: ski lessons + equipment + ski pass.
Guided tours: if your hotel is in a unique building, offer tours of your facilities that show their historical or cultural value.
Our team helps you to implement an effective experience sales strategy for your hotel.
- Suggestions on the products with more sales potential in your destination and according to the typology of your hotel.
- Best practices for content creation: images and product descriptions.
- Definition and implementation of a communication and marketing plan.
- Continuous monitoring of KPIs to ensure the best possible results.