Guest satisfaction: The ultimate guide for small property owners

What is guest satisfaction?

Guest satisfaction is a measure used by hotels to evaluate and improve the guest experience.

The level of satisfaction a guest feels towards your hotel will be defined by factors like cleanliness, comfort, customer service, efficiency, amenities, value for money, security, and how much you personalise the experience.

As such, guest satisfaction management is essentially a matter of good hotel management. When you run a tight ship and work hard to craft a high quality and memorable guest experience, you can expect your level of guest satisfaction to rise – and your bookings and revenue to rise with it. 

In this guide we’ll put the microscope on guest satisfaction, to understand its importance, and what you can do as a small, independent hotelier to enhance yours.

Why is guest satisfaction important?

It’s hard to understate the importance of guest satisfaction in the hotel industry, particularly in today’s online world.

81% of travellers always read reviews before booking a hotel. If guests are consistently dissatisfied with their experience at your hotel, this can deter endless other customers from booking with you. On the flipside, consistent reviews from satisfied guests can help you to win businesses you otherwise wouldn’t.

High levels of guest satisfaction also leads to repeat bookings. Loyal guests are the most valuable guests, because you don’t have to spend money to attract them – acquiring a new guest can cost 5-25x more than retaining a past guest.

Add in the word of mouth marketing that can come from satisfied guests (the most trusted form of marketing there is), and a small, independent hotel has a wealth of reasons to focus on enhancing the satisfaction of its guests.

How to assess guest satisfaction in the hotel industry

Guest satisfaction can be difficult to quantify, but there are a few ways to do it.

Guest satisfaction score (GSS)

The guest satisfaction score (GSS) is a rating that reflects a guest’s satisfaction with their stay. It’s typically calculated through post-stay surveys, where guests rate aspects like cleanliness, service and amenities on a scale (1 to 5/10/100). The GSS is then calculated by averaging these ratings, to provide a quick measure of overall satisfaction.

Guest satisfaction index (GSI)

The guest satisfaction index (GSI) is a more comprehensive metric that tracks broader guest experience trends over time. It aggregates multiple guest satisfaction scores, potentially from a number of different review sources: surveys, online reviews, direct feedback and more. The GSI helps hotels to identify long-term patterns, strengths and areas for improvement.

Guest satisfaction metrics

Key performance indicators (KPIs) for guest satisfaction include:

• Online review scores
• Net Promoter Score (NPS)
• Repeat guest percentage
• Complaint resolution time

These metrics provide insights into different aspects of the guest experience, from initial impressions to long-term loyalty.

Hotel guest satisfaction analytics

Hotel guest satisfaction analytics involves collecting and analysing data, including the KPIs mentioned above, to measure the performance of your hotel and enhance the experiences of your guests. By leveraging tools like sentiment analysis, trend tracking and competitor benchmarking, you can gain deep, data-driven insights that help you to tailor your offering to the needs and wants of your guests.

Guest satisfaction survey: Gathering actionable insights

A guest satisfaction survey is perhaps the most direct and insightful way to gather information and generate insights into the levels of guest satisfaction you deliver.

What is a guest satisfaction survey?

A guest satisfaction survey is designed to collect opinions about your hotel from the guests that stay with you. It will typically include questions regarding factors like cleanliness, service quality, value for money and amenities, as well as overall satisfaction. These surveys help hotels measure performance, address issues and enhance guest loyalty.

Guest satisfaction surveys come in a few different forms:

• Pre-stay: While not particularly common, pre-stay surveys give you a sense of your hotel’s reputation, and what guests expect from their experience.
• Mid-stay: A mid-stay survey can help to identify issues before they get out of hand, and can be particularly valuable for shy and introverted guests who may not feel comfortable raising issues.
• Post-stay: The traditional guest satisfaction survey, checking in with your guests after they leave can offer a complete picture of their satisfaction with your hotel.

Hotel guest satisfaction survey questions

The following tips can help when crafting your survey questions:

• Keep it clear and concise: Ask brief, direct and easy to understand questions.
• Open-ended vs. multiple-choice: Use open-ended questions for complex subjects, and provide space for additional comments or suggestions. Give multiple choice options for simpler questions.
• Avoid leading questions: Ask questions in a neutral way to ensure honest feedback.
• Include a loyalty question: Ask if guests would return or recommend the hotel to friends and family.
• Test before launching: Pilot your survey with a small group of guests, and ask for their feedback on the survey.

Guest satisfaction feedback software

Purpose-built guest satisfaction software can make the collection and analysis of guest reviews, surveys and ratings so much easier, by largely automating the process.

A quality tool will be capable of sending automated post-stay surveys, gathering online reviews and using AI-driven sentiment analysis to identify trends. Some even allow you to analyse feedback in near-real time, so you can quickly address any issues raised by guests.

“My only regret about Little Hotelier is that I didn’t use it sooner. It blows my mind how powerful it is, it makes my life so much easier. Little Hotelier frees up my time so I actually can grow my business.”

Sean O’Neill,

Owner

Devereux Residences

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Ways to improve hotel guest satisfaction

High levels of guest satisfaction are a result of mixing excellent service, attention to detail and a guest-centric approach.

How to improve hotel guest satisfaction with small but impactful changes

Small things can make a big difference to guest satisfaction: a warm welcome, a seamless check-in, friendly interactions with staff. It’s important to get the basics right, like quickly responding to requests and maintaining high levels of cleanliness.

Ensuring guest satisfaction through proactive service

Proactive service means anticipating guest needs before they arise – complaints are often issues left too late. Send personalised pre-arrival emails that give a guest all the information they need and answer common FAQs. Resolve any issues that do arise quickly and professionally.

How to increase guest satisfaction in hotels through thoughtful amenities

Does the guest have access to all the amenities they expect, and perhaps a few that they don’t? Areas of focus include:

• In-room tech: Every room should have a strong WiFi signal. TVs with access to plenty of channels/streaming services are always appreciated.
• Entertainment: Pools, games rooms, gyms and sports facilities can add to the fun of a guest’s stay.
• Food and drink: Consider establishing an on-site bar and/or restaurant, or offering room service.

But more than anything else, the most efficient and effective way to craft an unbeatable guest experience is with the help of dedicated software.