Hotel Guests Say Unfriendly Staff is Worst Part of Experience

While we all have our pet peeves when it comes to hotel stays, it seems one of the biggest pain points among travelers is unfriendly hotel staff.

New research from ALICE, the hotel operations platform, shows that almost two-thirds of guests (62 percent of those surveyed) ranked unfriendly staff as the most frustrating part of a hotel visit.

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The just-released “Hotels at Face Value” report, which was commissioned by ALICE and conducted by third-party research firm YouGov, also revealed the changing expectations among modern guests when it comes to the hotel industry.

For instance, when booking hotels, nearly three in five (59 percent) of guests who prioritize amenities seem to care most about high ratings and reviews, and almost half (49 percent) prioritize friendly hotel staff—calling attention to the need for hoteliers to ensure staff are attentive and welcoming, delivering more favorable guest experiences to ultimately drive positive reviews.

As for during their stay, guests with frustrations expressed a demand for hotels to improve their operations and guest-facing technology.

When discussing the most frustrating experiences about hotel stays, nearly two in five (38 percent) said the front desk taking too long to complete requests was the most annoying issue. This was followed closely by outdated technology in rooms, which more than one-third (34 percent) had issues with. And rounding out the top three complaints was delays in service from hotel staff, which was identified by nearly one in three (31 percent) of survey participants.

The study also solicited opinions about the diversity of communication channels at hotels.

When it comes to communicating needs to hotel staff, nearly one-third (32 percent) of guests said they prefer to do so by walking up to the concierge, front desk or other staff members directly, according to the new report.

However, this preference is not representative of all guests, as the research indicated hotels should provide a diversity of communication channels to satisfy guests of different ages.

That's because nearly one in every seven (15 percent) of millennials (ages 18-34) want to text message with hotels, while almost one in five (17 percent) of 35-54-year-olds prefer an email survey from the hotel before they arrive, and roughly two-thirds (66 percent) of those 55 and older would rather call hotels directly.

“No hotel guest is the same, which is why, above all else, hoteliers must perfect the practice of personalization and deliver tailored experiences to every single guest. Knowing that a majority of guests pay the most attention to staff friendliness and attentiveness, hoteliers cannot afford to forget the art of hospitality,” said Alex Shashou, president and co-founder of ALICE.

“Hospitality is a feeling guests get, and personalization is how it is delivered,” added Shashou. “If hotels don’t want to be viewed as a commodity, then they need to stop treating their guests like one. The biggest brands in the world are looking across their entire customer journey to create experiences and hotels do the same. A guest is so much more than their reservation. Guests deserve to be treated like family. Once they are, meaningful relationships will not only forge but flourish.”