The hotel industry is back — and it’s booming. Demand for hotel rooms is surging, with global revenue per available room exceeding pre-pandemic levels as of January 2024. The competition is also heating up, with more than 2,700 new hotels around the world expected to start welcoming guests in 2024 alone.
This environment presents hotels with exciting opportunities. Developing a solid understanding of guests’ preferences and continuously working to improve their experience can help hotels earn customer loyalty and provide the best possible services.
Whether you run a small hostel or manage a large hotel chain, one of the best ways to learn about your guests is with a hotel survey.
In this article, we’ll look at the benefits of conducting hotel surveys and the kinds of hotel survey questions you can ask 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 hotel managers and staff.
Hotel surveys are valuable for three important reasons:
1. They can improve your guest experience.
You can use the data you’ve gathered to spot trends and understand what your guests value most in a hotel stay. Surveys are also a great way to spot problems and pain points. You can use this information to improve service and provide a delightful experience that will keep guests coming back.
2. They can help you increase your revenue.
Hotel surveys enable you to take an evidence-based approach to your decision-making process instead of relying on instinct. This approach is likely to increase your chances of success — and, by extension, your revenue.
3. They can help make your employees happier.
The data you gather can help you improve your guests’ experience as well as your employees’ satisfaction. For example, maybe your employees think implementing certain technological tools or software platforms would make their jobs easier, or maybe there are places where internal communication could be improved. In hospitality especially, happy employees are good for business.
Common hotel survey questions to ask guests
Hotel survey questions can cover everything from hotel amenities to processes to staff. When you’re selecting which questions to include, 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.
Also, consider how best to frame your questions. “I always find feedback so interesting,” says Kjeld Schigt, 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.”
“Sometimes we tend to ask questions that are too broad, and that makes the survey less relevant to what we should be improving,” notes Schigt. “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.”
Now, let’s look at different types of hotel survey questions.
Booking and check-in questions
Booking and check-in are the first experiences someone will have with your hotel, so it’s important to make a good impression. Short wait times, welcoming vibes, and efficient procedures are hallmarks of good service.
Customer satisfaction can come down to your guests’ perceptions, however. For example, how long do they think is too long to wait? It’s best to directly ask your customers about their expectations.
Consider asking the following questions about your booking and check-in processes:
- How did you hear about our hotel?
- How did you book your reservation?
- If you booked a room through our website, how would you rate the booking experience?
- Was our staff welcoming and friendly upon arrival?
- How did you feel about your check-in wait time?
- What do you think a reasonable hotel check-in wait time is?
- How would you rate your check-in process in terms of efficiency?
- If you encountered any issues during check-in, were they resolved quickly and thoroughly?
Hotel quality questions
Hotel quality refers to the standard of the rooms and the items in them. (No one wants to snuggle up in a bed with scratchy sheets.) Use hotel quality questions to determine whether your hotel’s furniture, supplies, fixtures, and other items provide the comfort guests’ expect, if there’s anything that can be improved, and if guests love any items in particular.
Here are some hotel quality questions to consider:
- On a scale of 1–5, how would you rate the comfort of your bed?
- Were you happy with the quality of the bedding and linens provided?
- How satisfied were you with the bathroom fixtures?
- Did you have any issues with the fixtures and appliances in your room?
- How did you enjoy the breakfast meal overall?
- How did you feel about your meal choices?
- 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 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’re on the right track or if 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 your 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?
Comfort and cleanliness questions
While hotels are continually finding new ways to make their experiences more pleasurable, the basics are also important. Cleanliness is essential for a satisfying hotel stay. How clean a hotel is can determine its reputation.
Finding out what your guests think of your hotel’s hygiene is important. You can ask comfort and cleanliness questions like these:
- How satisfied were you with the cleanliness of your room upon arrival?
- How satisfied were you with the cleanliness of your bathroom upon arrival?
- How satisfied were you with the overall cleanliness of the hotel, including common areas such as the lobby, breakfast area, pool, exercise room, etc.?
- Did your room provide the necessary toiletries for your stay?
- Were you satisfied with housekeeping frequency for room cleaning and laundering towels and linens? (Daily, by request, etc.)
- Did your room and your sleeping area feel comfortable and inviting?
- Were you satisfied with the room temperature?
Hotel amenities questions
Amenities like swimming pools, gyms, valet parking, and rooftop bars can be the reason a guest chooses to book a stay at a hotel. Asking questions about 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 during your stay?
- Would you consider booking a hotel that did not have a pool or gym?
- Which amenities are essential for you to book a room at a hotel? (Pools, gyms, bars, etc.)
- How important is valet service to your stay?
- What is your favorite item in the breakfast buffet?
- Are there any amenities you’d like us to add?
Operational questions
Operational details, like service requests, cleaning schedules, and front desk assistance, can greatly impact guest satisfaction levels. Asking for feedback about these areas could help you identify where you need to revamp your processes. Operational improvements can also have a positive impact on the employee experience by making their jobs easier.
Here are some examples of operational questions:
- Was everything in your room functioning properly?
- Did front desk managers promptly resolve any questions or issues you had during your stay?
- 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, and were you satisfied with the service?
Loyalty questions
Many hotels have loyalty programs in place that reward returning guests with perks and upgrades. Loyalty questions can help you learn 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 gift card to this hotel for your friends and family?
- Do you feel loyal to this hotel brand? Why or why not?
Pricing and billing questions
Gathering feedback from guests about the perceived value of their room — and the aspects of their stay that they valued the most — can help you set appropriate rates and stay competitive.
Billing is also an important part of your interaction with guests. Missteps in this area could take away from an otherwise positive experience. Consider asking the following pricing and billing questions:
- Do you feel that the quality of your experience matched the price?
- What aspects of your stay contributed most significantly to your value assessment?
- Was your invoice clear and accurate?
- Did you experience any billing errors? If so, were they resolved promptly and accurately?
- Did you find the payment process to be fast and efficient?
- Were you able to use your preferred payment method at checkout?
Employee satisfaction questions
Surveying your employees to determine their level of job satisfaction is just as important as asking your guests about their stay. How they feel about their job impacts their behavior at work — happy employees are a positive presence and do their jobs well.
Plus, making your hotel a more desirable place to work will help you attract more employees as well as retain the ones you currently have. This is especially important these days, when as many as 67 percent of hotels say they’re grappling with staffing shortages.
Here are some example questions to find out how your employees feel about their jobs:
- Are you happy with the work you’re currently doing?
- Do you feel valued and cared about as an employee?
- Do you have the tools and resources you need to do your job well?
- How would you rate the work environment in terms of positivity and motivation?
- Do you feel that you are fairly compensated?
- How would you rate the quality of your communication with your manager?
- Are you satisfied with the hours you are currently working?
- Do you feel you have opportunities for professional advancement?
Benefits of conducting a hotel survey
If you’re still uncertain about whether hotel surveys are worth doing, consider the numerous benefits that can come from collecting feedback:
- You can personalize the guest experience. Surveying guests about their stay gives you the opportunity to learn about their likes and dislikes and design their experiences accordingly. For example, you could offer specific services to a certain customer each time they visit or tailor your welcome or checkout messages to match their payment preferences. Paying attention to the details creates a more satisfying stay.
- You can create loyal customers. Surveying shows you’re interested in what your guests think and feel — and that you’re committed to providing the best service possible. (Keep in mind that an important part of surveying is following up on suggestions and responding to negative feedback.) Guests will appreciate your attentiveness and may be more likely to return in the future.
- You can improve your operations. Guest feedback can sometimes call attention to process bottlenecks or points of friction. For instance, if a number of people complain about a long wait for check-in, you might discover you don’t have enough staff at the front desk during peak times. Addressing the issue quickly mitigates further complaints and helps you allocate your resources more effectively.
- You can experiment with new offerings. Hotels must be constantly willing to adapt to customers’ evolving preferences. Making changes in your processes or offerings can be risky, but asking the right hotel survey questions allows you to stay informed about what changes people want and how they perceive changes you’re already making. You can lean into well-received new ideas or change course if an adjustment gets negative feedback.
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 hotel surveys from scratch or choose from thousands of customizable survey templates.
Build your hotel survey or customize an existing template with the easy-to-use, drag-and-drop Form Builder. Easily add survey elements, including multiple question types (multiple-choice, rating scales, open-ended, dropdowns, and more); images; links; and widgets. Quickly customize the color scheme, font, layout, and design of your survey.
When you’re ready to share your survey, choose from multiple sharing options — link, QR code, email, social media, and website embed. Guests can fill out your survey from any device. Once submissions start coming in, automatically generate reports on your survey results with Jotform’s Report Builder.
Jotform offers robust security and permissions features to keep guest data safe and private.
Along with surveys, Jotform also offers ready-made forms for other hotel processes, such as reservations and booking.
Jotform can help you easily build powerful custom hotel surveys to suit your business needs. Try it for free, review our plan offerings, or explore our Enterprise solution.
Photo by Quark Studio
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