Boost Revenue with Complimentary Hotel Services (Popular complimentary Services)

Standing out in a competitive market and offering the best stays to guests is undoubtedly the primary goal for every hotel. Along with promotions and other strategies, complimentary hotel services and other freebies are helping properties distinguish themselves from the competition. Complimentary offerings can play a huge role in boosting customer experiences, driving higher loyalty, brand recognition, and of course, higher revenue. Based on reports, 89% of guests give importance to complimentary freebies across hotels. Another survey by Hotels.com indicates that 56% of business travelers desire various such services, with free and swift Wi-Fi being the top pick.

Thus, these may be defined as all additional services/products that may be offered by hotels in addition to just rooms or accommodation. Most of these items are offered free of charge in order to customise and create better experiences for guests. Let us take a closer look at the range and scope of these services in addition to some best practices for implementing them.

Why Hotels Should Offer Complimentary Services

Complimentary services, if implemented strategically, can work wonders for any hotel business. Here’s why they are essential for hotels: 

Ø  These services play a role in attracting more customers and hence boost revenues in the long run.

Ø  They also help other facilities in hotels such as spas, bars, gyms, lounges and restaurants, which automatically get added footfalls.

Ø  Complimentary offerings enhance brand loyalty, with customers more likely to avoid switching to rival brands, thereby helping maintain occupancy rates.

Ø  Guest satisfaction and happiness increases exponentially, making them more likely to recommend your hotel, return for future stays, and post positive reviews across platforms.

Ø  These services boost overall guest perception of the hotel brand, while enabling a competitive advantage and higher word-of-mouth promotions.

Ø  Complimentary freebies also give hotels an opportunity to up-sell to their guests. For example, suppose you’re offering a free meal with a luxury room. In this case, you can subtly attract more customers towards room upgrades in order to avail of this complimentary service.

Ø  You can also bundle these services with other paid ones to build more high-value packages for guests that also increase your revenues in turn.  

Types of Popular Hotel Complimentary Services List

Here are a few hotel complimentary services that are usually seen across properties/brands.

Ø  Free continental or full buffet breakfast

Ø  Free high-speed Wi-Fi

Ø  Shuttle service to/from the airport and other destinations

Ø  Free parking for vehicles

Ø  Complimentary fitness centre

Ø  Concierge services for planning the stay and recommendations

Ø  Room upgrades for direct bookings or as loyalty rewards

Ø  Early check-ins and late check-outs

Ø  Welcome drinks and other services

Ø  Tour guides, maps, agreements with museums and other landmarks

Ø  Spa or restaurant discounts/services

Ø  Packages of local products (sweets, wine, honey, etc.)

Ø  Pet-friendly services

Ø  Toiletry sets (shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, conditioner, etc.)

Ø  Customised menus, playing kits for children, coffee, snacks, etc.

Ø  Wellness packages

Complimentary Room Upgrades

When it comes to complimentary rooms, the best hotels usually offer upgrades to customers as a loyalty reward for those who have stayed several times or are loyalty program members. Sometimes, these rooms are provided as a part of special promotions/marketing campaigns for those booking directly or taking part in contests on social media. Many times, they may be offered to high-value or VIP guests along with celebrities, who have a history of high spending and may boost visibility for the hotel as well.

The Revenue Potential of Complimentary Services

Having seen the hotel services list given above, you will get an idea of the immense revenue potential for your property under this method. If done right, complimentary offerings can boost revenues, visibility, and brand loyalty, while also sending your occupancy rates through the roof. At the same time, integrating these aspects with a one-stop digital concierge solution also helps you up-sell, promote various package deals and upgrades, and also showcase offers for premium services.

This is where aPerfectConcierge comes into play, helping you optimise complimentary solutions and offers for revenue maximisation. You can build new revenue streams and boost customer loyalty considerably, while also improving overall guest experiences with the tool. Take payments at lower costs with Stripe, integrate merchants, and get commissions up to 30% on sales via third-party services here. Showcase your complimentary freebies and in-house services, enabling guests to extend stays, choose early check-ins and call room service easily. They can also order additional cleaning among other house services. Upload welcome packs/guides along with documents and videos to help them understand how to use appliances or other room features and also know more about the local area. Use your tool to capture guest emails from third parties and OTAs. Customers can also choose to receive direct marketing propositions from your end, helping you convert more OTA guests into direct ones. You can also lower call out costs with the app facilitating direct issue flagging and reporting by guests. This means more efficient solutions for diverse problems. Consolidate and showcase your complimentary offerings with your personalised digital concierge tool.

Best Practices for Implementing Complimentary Services in Hotels

Hotel freebies and other complimentary offerings should be implemented smartly to help you grow your business in the long run. Here are some best practices worth following:

Ø  Have a well-defined eligibility criteria for upgrades and other complimentary packages

Ø  Work out which services are suited to your hotel and guest preferences

Ø  When and how you offer them is also crucial, and involves customisation based on guest types, demographics, preferences, seasons, etc.

Ø  Ensure that your website and all other digital profiles showcase these services with proper guest testimonials, attractive visuals and thorough descriptions

Ø  Feature some of these complimentary freebies just when the guest makes a booking/reservation. For example, you can considering offering a luxury room upgrade or any such themed package at this moment

Ø  Pre-arrival, include details about available complimentary offerings in the confirmation email. Choose options based on the length of the trip, travel purpose and other details

Ø  At the time of check-in, get your reception to highlight add-ons or complimentary packages subtly without being intrusive or pushy

Ø  You can also keep offering these solutions through your digital concierge, guest app, Wi-Fi login or push notifications during the guest’s stay

Ø  Always be respectful and gentle while offering packages and other complimentary solutions to guests, noting their individual needs and preferences

Conclusion

Summing up, it can be said that complimentary hotel services have a huge role to play in differentiating your brand/property from the competition. They can help you stand out amidst the crowd and gain more brand loyalty, trust and visibility. Simultaneously, it will lead to revenue growth in the long run, while scaling up profitability, repeat business and save time and money for guests, which they will value greatly. Remember that the basic aim is to keep your guests happy by tending to their needs as much as possible.

So, even a hearty free breakfast, Wi-Fi or shuttle service can bring a smile to their faces on their trips. This will keep them interested in returning for more, thereby enabling you to capitalise on consistent brand loyalty and word-of-mouth recommendations. Use tools like aPerfectConcierge to streamline complimentary offerings and market them more smartly to customers.