While the travel industry on the whole took a hit from the COVID-19 pandemic, forecasters are expecting international travel to make a full recovery in 2023. Travelers are excited to visit new destinations, both internationally and locally, and many will look to hotels for the hospitality and comfort that make a trip special.
Whether you run a small hostel or manage a large hotel chain, it’s important to ensure your guests are satisfied. But how can you discover what your guests are thinking? It’s simple — you ask them to answer hotel survey questions.
In this article, we’ll look at the benefits of conducting hotel surveys and the kinds of hotel survey questions you should be asking your guests.
What makes hotel surveys useful
A hotel survey is a way to gather data from guests and learn about their likes, dislikes, and ideas for improvement. Guests primarily complete these surveys online after their hotel stay. This gives them the opportunity to provide feedback about their experience to you, the hotel manager.
You can use the data you’ve gathered to spot trends and determine what aspects of your business you should review. For example, if multiple guests complain about the amount of time it took to check into the hotel, then you may need to investigate automated check-in software or kiosks.
Hotel surveys are useful because they enable you to take an evidence-based approach to your decision-making process, instead of relying on instinct. Such an approach is likely to increase your chances of success.
Not only can you use the data you gather to increase your guests’ level of satisfaction, but it can help you boost your employees’ satisfaction as well. For example, the hotel survey results may show that the hotel is understaffed. Adding more employees per shift could ease the burden on employees and make their jobs more enjoyable.
“I always find feedback so interesting,” says Kjeld Schight, owner and director of Kalon Surf, an all-inclusive surf resort in Costa Rica. “For a long time, we used to ask people ‘How was your week? Could we have done anything differently?’
“We found that phrasing it like this put people in a more negative mindset,” he says. “We started shifting that phrasing to asking throughout the week, ‘Is there anyone in particular that made your stay special? Are you having a good time thus far on your trip? Is there anything you need from our staff?’ and leave the comment section more open-ended so that there’s feedback, but it’s not only about what we can improve. We also learn what the guests like already and we shouldn’t change.”
Common hotel survey questions to ask guests
Hotel survey questions can run the gamut, asking about everything from hotel amenities to processes to staff. When you’re selecting which questions to use, it’s best to identify a few key goals first.
For example, which areas of the business do you want to learn more about? Focus on those areas in the survey to get the insights you’re looking for.
Hotel quality questions
For many hotel guests, the quality of the hotel and the items within it are really important. (No one wants to snuggle up in a bed with scratchy sheets.) Use hotel quality questions to determine whether there are certain things within your hotel that require repair or replacement or which items the guests absolutely love.
Here are some hotel quality questions to consider:
- On a scale of 1–5, how would you rate the comfort of your bed?
- How did you like the free continental breakfast?
- How would you rate the cleanliness of your hotel room during your stay?
- What were your first impressions of the hotel?
- How did you like the décor of the room and lobby?
Service quality questions
The service a hotel’s staff provides can make or break a guest’s experience. From the bellhop at the front door to the clerk at the check-in desk to the concierge in the lobby, each staff member plays an important role. Even if the guests like the location and amenities of the hotel, they may not come back if the service is below average.
Asking guests for their impressions of the customer service helps hotels make important improvements in their processes. Consider including these hotel service quality questions in your survey:
- Did you find the hotel staff friendly and approachable?
- Were the hotel staff able to answer all of your questions?
- Did you have any issues with the hotel staff during your stay?
- Are there any hotel staff who made your stay more enjoyable?
- Do you have any positive or negative feedback to share about any of the hotel staff you engaged with during your stay?
Guest satisfaction questions
The overall guest experience includes everything from the moment a guest makes a reservation to the moment they check out. While getting specific feedback about the quality of the sheets and the level of customer service is important, it’s also important to ask about overall satisfaction. This helps hotels determine whether they are on the right track or they need to make some major changes.
Here are some examples of guest satisfaction questions:
- Overall, how satisfied are you with your stay?
- What was the highlight of your stay?
- What was your least favorite part of the stay?
- Is there anything we could have done to make your stay more enjoyable?
- If there was one thing you could change about your stay, what would it be?
Hotel amenities questions
From the swimming pool to the gym to the valet parking, hotel amenities are sometimes the reason a guest chooses to book. Asking questions about the amenities helps hotels determine whether they’re offering the right services or whether they need to expand their offerings to attract more guests.
Here are some hotel amenities questions to consider:
- Which amenities did you use throughout your stay?
- Would you consider booking a hotel that did not have a pool or gym?
- How important is valet service to your stay?
- What is your favorite item in the breakfast buffet?
- Do you have any ideas for amenities you would like to see next time?
Operational questions
Operational details, like checking in and out and maid service, can greatly impact guest satisfaction levels. Asking for feedback about these areas could help you identify where you need to revamp your processes. Of course, changes in these areas would also have a positive impact on employees’ experience and could make their jobs easier.
Here are some operational question examples:
- How long did you have to wait to check in?
- How would you rate the hotel reservation process?
- Was your room cleaned at a time that suited you every day?
- Did you have any issues with having your room cleaned?
- Did you use the concierge service to arrange an airport transfer?
Loyalty questions
Many hotels have loyalty programs in place that reward returning guests with perks and monetary upgrades. Loyalty questions can help your hotel determine whether guests feel committed to your brand and how likely they are to recommend the hotel to others in their network.
Here are some loyalty questions to include in your survey:
- How likely are you to recommend the hotel to your friends and family?
- Do you plan to stay at our hotel again?
- Are you interested in joining a loyalty rewards program?
- Would you purchase a hotel gift card for your friends and family?
- Do you feel loyal to this hotel brand? Why or why not?
“Sometimes we tend to ask questions that are too broad, and that makes the survey less relevant to what we should be improving,” notes Schight. “The reviews that are unprovoked tend to be the most insightful, but it’s always important to reach out to guests and ensure that we are giving them what they expected and more.”
Jotform: The best solution for creating hotel surveys
Looking for a simple way to get feedback from your guests? Use Jotform to quickly and easily create a collection of hotel survey templates you can use again and again.
Jotform comes equipped with dozens of hotel form templates that you can customize by changing the text, visuals, and structure, enabling you to create the exact type of survey you want. All data collected through Jotform is highly secure, so you never have to worry about guest information falling into the wrong hands. Aside from surveys, Jotform also offers ready-made forms for other hotel processes, such as reservations and schedule reminders. It can even help you with your online booking processes. Jotform can support your hotel with all its data-gathering needs.
Photo by Quark Studio
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