Tag Archives: Guest Experience

Modern physiotherapy clinic reception featuring a marble desk and wooden wall accents, offering welcoming healthcare and wellness services

Meaning Behind Design: What Goes Into a Waiting Room

Best and Worst Practices, ,

Whether in a hotel or a hospital, a waiting area serves the same basic function: offering guests a place to pause and pass the time. Yet the expectations tied to those spaces vary widely depending on the setting. A healthcare waiting room carries very different emotional weight than an airport lounge or hotel lobby, and thoughtful design reflects those differences. Interior design is rooted in how people perceive and respond to their surroundings. Elements such as color, materials, lighting, and...

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Loyalty Reward Points Program Card In Hand.

Hotel Loyalty Programs Succeed Through Simplicity

Insights, ,

I am a member of Wyndham Rewards, Choice Privileges, and many other hotel loyalty programs. Like other travelers, I’m always seeking to stretch my dollar and experience greater value. However, Wyndham and Choice go that extra mile to create great loyalty programs. Both are rated highly by guests and experts nationally. For example, U.S. News & World Report ranked Choice Privileges and Wyndham Rewards #1 and #2 respectively for 2025-2026. Wyndham Rewards, for the eight consecutive year was al...

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Kiel, Germany, April 12, 2019 - The cruise ship Viking Sky sails with tugboat assistance into the lock chamber of the lock of the Kiel-Canal in Holtenau.

The High Stakes of Guest Complaints at Sea

Insights,

Solving customer complaints on a cruise line has never been easy.  When you’re at sea, if a passenger gets out of hand, the options are limited. Hotel stays are often shorter in length, and if a customer has worn out his or her welcome, they can always be directed out by security. At sea, delicacy must be maintained when confronted by upset visitors. But there are  times when your employees have tried everything, and nothing is appealing to that passenger. Travelers May Not Return A few months a...

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Hotel bathroom interior.

The Underbelly of Hotel Rooms: Smart Ways to Prevent Guest Gross Outs

Best and Worst Practices,

GEM Journal’s publishers recently visited a hotel in Sacramento, California. The stay was fine. Until the sink refused to drain, that is. A quick call to the front desk brought a plumber to the room, who cleared out what he described as a “years’ worth of hair.” The response was fast, but raised a fair question: Should a guest ever be the one to discover a year of missed maintenance? For most travelers, plumbing issues aren’t just inconveniences. They become the story they tell after their trip ...

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ORLANDO, FL, USA - JANUARY 15, 2012: Boardwalk Disney area with Swan and Dolphin hotel on Crescent Lake shore at sunset in Orlando on January 15, 2012.

How the Swan and Dolphin’s Architecture Shapes the Guest Experience

Guest Experience News, ,

On a recent visit to Walt Disney World, I stayed at the one resort on property that isn’t actually run by Disney: the Swan and Dolphin. My wife and I are annual passholders and visit seven or eight times a year, so we’re used to how Disney feels. The smells, the lighting, how every space seems spotless. It’s all part of that familiar “Disney magic.” But even from afar, I could always spot the Swan and Dolphin: their scale, their bold rooftop swans and dolphins, their architectural presence. And ...

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Angry guest discussing with managers while complaining about the bill after a hotel stay.

Hotels Rethink Tech Stacks as Service Delays Frustrate Guests

Guest Experience News, , ,

It’s not always the front desk’s fault when a check-in line stalls or a room request gets lost in the system. More often, the problem sits behind the monitor buried in the technology that runs the property. Hotels are discovering that the very systems meant to streamline operations are sometimes the ones slowing them down. A recent report from NYU’s Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, conducted with Stayntouch and IDeaS Revenue Solutions, backs that up with data. The 2026 Hotel Technology O...

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Asian receptionist hotel front desk upselling extra room amenities to tourists. Happy guests requesting additional services and personalized experiences during check in process.

Capitalize on the Three C’s of Guest Experience

Guest Experience News,

Travelers have come to expect a certain level of care during their hotel stay, between convenient booking options, an easy check-in assisted by a friendly agent, and common amenities like a pool or fitness center. In such a competitive industry where this is the standard, how does a hotel create a lasting impression? Guest experience is all about tapping into guests’ desires, and these are often simplified as the three C’s: communication, convenience, and choice. By understanding this backbone a...

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Happy hotel attendant talking to African American guest while carrying his luggage through the lobby. Copy space.

The Business Benefits of Concierge-Level Service – and Why It’s Not Reserved for Hotels

Concierge, ,

When you deliver quality service, guest satisfaction rises and no one understands service quite like a concierge. A landmark study titled “The Golden Keys: Being Served – Concierge Services and Customer Satisfaction” argues that understanding why guests feel satisfied or dissatisfied provides a competitive advantage. The international organization Les Clefs d’Or has been a critical driver of guest experience since its founding in 1929. But here’s the thing: concierge-level service isn’t reserved...

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Portrait of polite and hospitable young man and woman working as hotel staff at reception. Handsome Indian male receptionist in suit and elegant female manager in dress looking at camera and smiling.

Concierge, Then and Now – Why the Human Edge Still Matters in an AI-Driven World

Concierge, , ,

When Burak İpekçi began his concierge career at the Hilton New York in 1999, the lobby was his classroom: 2,000 plus rooms, constant guest requests and zero room for complacency. Decades later, he still describes the career as a “lifestyle,” not a nine-to-five job. The tools may have changed, but his purpose hasn’t. According to EHL Hospitality Business School, 65 % of customers say personalization is a key factor in their experience – and they’re willing to pay up to 25% more for it. These numb...

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How to Make Up for a Bad Guest Experience

Competitive Intelligence

I recently splurged on a nice dinner. The food was great, but the servers were absent. And I’m okay with that. My partner and I sat next to each other at a Brazillian steakhouse. We could see two parties on the other side of the restaurant – each taking up two to three long tables. The servers were rushing around, and the restaurant was full elsewhere, too, so we got the least attention. Still, when servers came and went, we were always pleasant. After all, it genuinely wasn’t their fault. How w...

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