Guest Experience
How Hotels Can Connect the Guest Stay With the Destination
"What should we do today?" is one of the most common questions at any front desk. The answer can be a generic map, or a considered suggestion that suits that particular guest, the season and the weather. The second builds trust, and it is often what guests remember about a stay.
By RoomRack Editorial Team ·
Local knowledge is part of hospitality
Hotel staff often know their destination better than any guidebook: which beach is sheltered from today's wind, which taverna closes early out of season, where to park near the old town. That knowledge is valuable, but it tends to live in a few people's heads and leaves when they do.
The first step is to write it down: a simple, organised set of recommendations that is kept up to date and available to everyone.
What is worth including
- Sights and museums, with opening hours and seasonal changes.
- Restaurants for different occasions and budgets.
- Activities: walking, the sea, food and wine, culture.
- Local guides and small businesses you trust.
- Getting around: taxis, buses, car hire, parking.
- Practicalities: pharmacies, shops, holiday opening hours.
Curation, not a directory
A list of fifty options is not helpful. A few good recommendations, each with a line on why it is worth it, are far more useful. Curation means choosing what you have tried yourself or what guests have vouched for, and removing what no longer applies.
It also means tailoring suggestions: families, couples, business travellers and older guests want different things.
Seasonality and trust
In many resort destinations, a great deal changes between spring and autumn: opening hours, ferry and bus schedules, availability. Sending a guest to a closed restaurant costs trust. Schedule a regular review, for example at the start of each season and again in midsummer.
Not everything needs to be sold
Some experiences may make sense to offer through the hotel, such as a transfer or an arrangement with a local winery. Most, though, are best simply recommended. A hotel does not need to organise or sell activities; its value lies in pointing guests in the right direction.
Practical guide
A practical checklist
- Capture the team's recommendations in one shared place.
- Keep a few tried-and-tested options per category.
- Note seasonal hours and check them every season.
- Make the information available to guests directly, not only at the desk.
- Separate the few experiences worth offering from simple recommendations.
The RoomRack perspective
QR Concierge puts a hotel's curated recommendations on the guest's phone. AI Concierge can answer questions based on the information the hotel has set up. Upsell handles the few services a property chooses to offer. Curating that information remains the team's job.
Frequently asked questions
Should hotels partner with local businesses?
Not necessarily. A good, impartial recommendation has value on its own. Partnerships make sense where there is trust and a clear benefit for guests.
How often should recommendations be updated?
At least at the start of every season, and whenever the team learns of a change in hours or availability.
Does a digital guide replace the front desk?
No. It covers practical questions, while a conversation at the desk remains important for more personal suggestions.