12 practices from our clients to replicate with the Bowo guest app

#1. Submitting a questionnaire prior to the stay

Here is a practice that is easy to implement and incredibly effective in getting to know your guests and providing personalized attention.

This practice comes from Hotel Les Horlogers, which, right from the confirmation email, invites its clients to discover the guest app and completes a pre-stay questionnaire. As soon as guests access the guest app, they are directed to this questionnaire to prepare for their arrival and communicate their preferences, such as pillow types, the need for a taxi transfer, or any special occasions to celebrate.

In no time, the guest feels valued, even special, and the hotel begins its customer relationship on the best possible footing.

#2. Redirecting website visitors to the spa

This example is shared with us by Hotel Les Roches Blanches and its Sisley spa. Like many hotels, it is often not possible to book spa services simultaneously with room reservations or even separately.

To work around this limitation and enable pre-stay bookings, Les Roches Blanches directs visitors from its website directly to the treatment booking page in the app, using a simple button.

Result: 236 orders and €51,780 in revenue generated in one year. Simple. Effective. But you had to think of it ^^.

In a similar vein, Hotel Maison Mère redirects visitors from its website to the app's boutique page, where they can purchase gift cards. Equally simple. Equally effective.

In the same vein, Maison Mère Hotel directs visitors from its website to the boutique page of the web app, where it is possible to purchase gift cards.

Simple. Effective.

#3. Placing a tablet at the reception to showcase the web app

An optimized web app is primarily a web app used by guests. Giving visibility to this tool and letting guests know it is available to them is essential. Several of our partner hotels present the web app as a full-fledged service, starting from the check-in process.

While a QR code on a display can pique curiosity, let's be honest, most of the time guests will overlook it. Placing a tablet at the reception or demonstrating the web app using their own phone allows guests to see what they can do once they are in their room and presents the tool as a complement to the existing services (thus preserving the human aspect of the customer relationship).

Just like what Hotel Les Horlogers does.

#4. Using different QR codes based on location/service

As you know, the guest app is accessible through a simple QR code. Unfortunately, hotels often only share the QR code for their home screen. But why limit yourself to just one standard QR code when each service can have its own to present its offerings?

Our fourth best practice is to guide guests throughout your establishment by providing distinct QR codes along their journey.

This is precisely what Hotel Coquillade Provence does. The hotel displays a separate QR code at the entrance of each of its three restaurants. This allows guests to specifically explore the cuisine and menu of the restaurant they are in front of.

#5. Adapting the web app based on seasons, periods, and events

Once again, for this best practice, we find Hotel Coquillade Provence leading the way. The hotel regularly updates the content of the app according to its promotional calendar. Marketers will love this!

For example, on the occasion of Mother's Day, the hotel highlights its brunch offering in the app

One can easily imagine the same approach for an infinite number of occasions: an Easter egg hunt for Easter, a Love package for Valentine's Day, a happy hour for International Beer Day... (yes, that day really exists).

Keep in mind that a guest app, like a website, is a dynamic marketing channel. It doesn't have to be static. Our guest app, in particular, requires no coding knowledge to modify its content. So, feel free to get creative and have fun with it.

#6. Sending push notifications to promote products

It's 2 PM, and your spa's reservation schedule still has several available slots. How do you instantly let all your customers know in an attractive way without having to call each one individually?

With a push notification!

"Book before 3 PM and enjoy a 20% discount on our Indonesian massage. Reserve here."

Push notifications are an excellent way to communicate your promotional offers and generate instant sales. They are easy to set up in just a few minutes, allowing you to broadcast your messages to all your customers or specific segments based on the time slots you prefer.

For example, Hotel La Lanterne uses push notifications to share its promotional offer of the TAAJ gift set for €20.

Note: Push notifications are like the Swiss Army knife of in-stay communication. This example illustrates promoting a product, but the possibilities for their use are nearly endless. As Christmas approaches, for instance, why not set up an "Elf on the Shelf" hunt by communicating the daily clue through a notification each day?

#7. Sharing your best-kept secret addresses

Everyone knows about city guides. While the idea of a city guide is essential for a successful customer experience, unfortunately, most addresses recommended by hotels simply list the main tourist activities in the area - precisely the ones that everyone already knows about.

The city guide of Hotel Le Fitz Roy in the Alps has chosen to do things differently. They share only their personal favorites, such as La Maison de l'Abeille Noire et de la Nature (The House of the Black Bee and Nature), scenic walks, or where to spend an evening in a yurt... And with the integrated GPS, guests can have the route mapped out from the hotel with just one click.

Personalize points of interest based on your clientele and don't be afraid to venture off the beaten path. Tourists love discovering slightly less touristy places. It will spark curiosity among your guests, and they will surely remember your recommendations.

In the same vein, you can consider sharing:

• the most Instagrammable spots
• the best local bakery
• the best local beer
• the most romantic restaurant in the region
• the top 10 unique places to visit before departure

#8. Using dynamic satisfaction questionnaires

No more paper-based satisfaction questionnaires.

Dynamic questionnaires have revolutionized the way we gather customer feedback. With their user-friendly interface, they generate much higher engagement compared to traditional paper questionnaires.

Most importantly, by surveying your guests during their stay, you have the opportunity to address any potential dissatisfied customers and their negative feedback.

#9. Sharing a Sportify playlist or a selection of movies/TV series

Bien souvent, l'expérience est une question de détails. Et c’est lorsque ces détails sont réfléchis, préparés, maitrisés, qu’ils marquent positivement les voyageurs.

L'hôtel Les Roches Rouges, par exemple, joue à fond la carte du marketing sensoriel jusque dans le choix d’une playlist Spotify qu’il partage évidemment depuis la guest app.

#10. A chatbot to anticipate and respond to customer FAQs.

Very often, the guest experience is all about the details. It is when these details are well-thought-out, prepared, and mastered that they leave a positive impact on travelers.

For instance, Hotel Les Roches Rouges goes all-in on sensory marketing, even when it comes to selecting a Spotify playlist that they share through their guest app. This attention to detail enhances the overall ambiance and creates a memorable experience for guests

And if you're wondering what questions a chatbot should be able to answer, here are the top 7 most frequently asked questions during a stay:

• • What time is check-out?
  • What time is breakfast?
  • What is the Wi-Fi password?
  • When is the pool open?
  • Can I receive packages at the hotel?
  • What offers and discounts are currently available at the hotel?
  • Can I make a restaurant reservation?

#11. Inviting guests to sign up for the newsletter

This is a way to bypass the control that OTAs have over guest contact information. It is well known that when a guest books through an OTA, the hotel does not receive any contact information about the future client. In this context, it becomes challenging to implement personalized marketing campaigns to maintain a connection with the clientele outside of their stay and build loyalty.

Inviting guests to sign up for the newsletter helps overcome this challenge. Here's an example from Hotel Fauchon:

#12. Discussing corporate social responsibility (CSR) commitments

Is CSR part of your DNA? Are your commitments strong and deserving of greater visibility? Let it be known through the guest app, just like our client, Hotel Les Bartavelles.