Hospitality Goes Digital

Websites That Drive Bookings: Understand how hotel and restaurant websites with interactive menus, real-time booking systems, and integrated feedback forms are elevating customer satisfaction and driving more direct bookings.

The hospitality industry has always leveraged the power of people, service and experiences. Today, however, a hotel's or a restaurant's online presence is frequently a potential guest's first experience with a hospitality brand. A thoughtfully designed user-friendly website can set the groundwork for a prospective guest to confirm a reservation or a lost customer.  

As the prevalence of online travel agents (OTAs) and third-party booking sites continues to impact and expand, hotels and restaurants must strengthen their digital presence to attract direct bookings, reduce their commission costs and improve the overall customer experience. Today, hospitality websites are no longer just a form of advertisement—hospitality websites now feature interactive menus, seamless booking, real-time reservations, and programmable feedback systems—all designed to streamline a guest experience while streamlining day-to-day operations.

This article will examine how digital innovation available now on hospitality websites is changing the way customers engage with the brand, increasing their direct bookings, and creating new standards for hospitality. 

Moving to Digital-First Hospitality  

The hospitality industry as a whole has gotten digitally upgraded over the last ten years and the statistics show that over 70% of travelers book accommodations through an online source, while 60% of diners/gastronomes will check a restaurant’s website before making a reservation. 

Hotels and restaurants that do not create a digital experience will quickly lose potential guests to competitors with better online websites. The transition to this digital experience is increasingly much because of the following factors: 

First, as a result of online research and booking behavior, a mobile optimized site is no longer an option over 50% of hotels and restaurants are now booked from smartphones. Consumers who cannot seamlessly navigate a site that is conflicting with their mobile are frustrated and will abandon their bookings.

Next, there's an expectation for instant bookings. Customers want real-time availability checks and instant confirmations without lag. 

Thirdly, good looks and interactive features are essential. Quality images, virtual tours and interactive menus keep visitors engaged and motivated to book.  

Lastly, personalization and AI-driven recommendations improve the user experience. Websites that remember user preferences and have tailored offers tend to havMain Features of High-Converting Hospitality Websites e better conversion rates. 

Main Features of High-Converting Hospitality Websites 

1) Real-Time Booking Engines 

An integrated booking engine is an essential tool for hotels and restaurants to make the process of checking availability and reserving a reservation easy for guests. 

For hotels, an effective booking engine connects with property management systems (PMS), so that guests can see live room availability. Guests can select the room type, add extras such as spa treatments and airport transfers, and apply promo codes all within the booking journey. Flexible cancellation policies also trustworthy and promotes bookings.

Online reservation buttons (like Resy or OpenTable buttons) simplify restaurants' scheduling. They also help cut down no-shows by sending automated reminders, and they allow diners to pick their preferred seat, whether it be an indoor table with a nice ambiance or a table on the patio.

The Marriott Bonvoy website is a great example. Their site gives the user the option to filter rooms based on price, amenities, and loyalty incentives, which leads to a higher number of reservations directly.

2) Digital ordering & Interactive Menus

Restaurants with digital menus will have more interaction with customers and have better upselling potential.

Interactive menus incorporate live updates for things like seasonal specials or something being sold out, which alleviates customer frustration. Listing allergens and nutrition information allows customers to consider their dietary restrictions and preferences.

Embedding your online ordering system into the interactive menu will enhance customer convenience, whether dine-in, take-out, or delivery. Systems like Toast or Square provide diners a way to pre-order meals eliminating valuable waiting time.

McDonald's, for example, uses an interactive menu with the ability to customize orders. This enhances their order speed and throughput while also improving the overall experience.

3) Virtual Tours & 360° Imagery

Hotels with virtual tours have reported 40% more bookings, per Hospitality Net.

Virtual tours provide an immersive experience to guests before they book. Guests can navigate their room, the hotel amenities, and event space prior to making a commitment. Reducing uncertainty about what to expect and increasing the confidence that prospective guests have about their booking and decreasing the chance of cancellations.

Worth noting is Hilton’s “Virtual Reality Concierge”. The concierge allows guests to take a tour of their rooms by using VR headsets or their smartphones. This certainly creates quite an impression.

4) Embedded Feedback & Review Management 

On-going feedback and reviews are crucial to protect your good name. 

Automated feedback requests, sent via email or SMS following a guest's visit will prompt for reviews when the experience is top of mind. Providing aggregated reviews from Google, TripAdvisor, and Yelp right on your website can bolster confidence and build trust. 

Live chat support can also enable fast resolution for customer inquiries, ensuring satisfaction and limiting negative feedback. 

For example, the Four Seasons Hotels employ post-stay surveys to learn and continually improve their service offerings.

Benefits of a Strong Digital Presence for Hospitality Businesses

1) More Direct Bookings & Less Booking Dependence on 3rd Party Platforms 

With 3rd party platforms charging typical commission rates of 15-30% per booking, which can quickly cut into your profits, optimizing your website for direct bookings will help establish a line of communication with customers and recover lost revenues. 

Inclusively offering things like discounted rates ("Book Direct & Save 10%") and loyalty programs can offer guests an incentive to utilize your platforms versus 3rd party platforms for the price of a small discount over time. However, as the customer's learn to trust our product and customer service experience, loyalty ultimately leads to goodwill and repeat business.

2) Improved Customer Experience  

A smooth digital journey, from browsing to booking makes a positive first impression. Real-time bookings and engaging booking features, such as one-click booking, personalized recommendations, and mobile check-in/check-out made the whole process easy and fun. 

When guests can easily explore your services, they are more likely to return and recommend you to others.

3) Data-Driven Decision Making 

Web analytics produce some valuable customer behavior insights. Analytics provide information like peak times for booking, room type, and food and beverage preference. 

This information allows businesses to tailor their marketing techniques, introduce dynamic pricing, or make inventory decisions. For example, if a hotel observes that their suites are also booked most frequently on the weekends, they might decide to create a special weekend rate. 

4) Competitive Advantage 

A state-of-the-art website differentiates a business in a crowded marketplace. Innovative elements like AI chatbots, mobile search, and AR menus position a brand as an industry leader. 

Guests are continually demonstrating preferences for technology forward experiences and businesses that can meet today's demands will set themselves apart from the competition and create their own failure by not adopting new systems

Future Trends in Digital Hospitality

The digital transformation of hospitality is still in its infancy. Some of the trends to look out for are: 

·       AI-Powered Personalization - Chat bots that allow for booking a reservation, recommend menu items, and up sell services based on a guest's preferences.

·       Voice Search Optimization - Being able to say, "Hey Google, book a table for two at XYZ Restaurant for tonight."

·       Blockchain for Secure Payments - Reducing fraud and allowing for safe online payments.

·       Metaverse Integration - Virtual previews of hotels and NFT loyalty programs will create new opportunities to engage with guests.

Final Thoughts 

The future of hospitality is digital-first. Real-time booking systems, online menus with interactive features, and real-time feedback have moved from optional to necessary. 

In a world where convenience and speed drive consumer choice, digital assets are necessary for survival and growth in the hospitality industry. 

Is your hospitality business tapping into these digital innovations? If not, it's time to upgrade and turn your website into a great booking engine.