What Amenities Do Hotel Guests Want?

With so many new hotel brands, from short-term rentals as well as new technology, it can be easy to get overwhelmed when trying to make a hotel stand out in the eyes of your guests. Renovating your premises can be expensive and time-consuming, but hotel amenities are an easy and high-impact way to stand out among your competing venues.

Let's go back to the basics and find ways to enhance the guest experience. Put yourself in your guests' shoes: what are the pain points you encounter when travelling? What would you like to take with you and what amenities would really help you with your stay?

Today's guests crave novelty and practicality. They want to be surprised by the hotel amenities they actually use.

Must-have hotel amenities sets(basic list, toiletries, etc.)

Before getting to our list of unique amenities, we wanted to make sure that each hotel covered the basics. These amenities used to be a major selling point for hotels, but are now on par with courses. In short, when guests stay at a hotel, they expect these items to be readily available and free of charge:

1. Toiletries (e.g. shampoo, lotion, etc.)

2. Personal care (comb, shaving cream, razor, shower cap, hairdryer)

3. Coffee kit (brewer, coffee and creamer)

4. Tissue box

5. Bathrobe and slippers

Ready to take things to the next level? Many hotels now offer premium amenities to better compete with holiday rentals. If your hotel is in a competitive market - or if you just want to grab a competitive edge - consider offering these amenities.

6. Complimentary breakfast: Guests want to save money and enjoy the convenience of making their own breakfast or enjoying a convenient breakfast just steps away from their room. When most short-term rentals include a kitchen, hotels can compete for breakfast by offering some sort of complimentary breakfast option, whether it's a continental buffet or a sit-down hot meal.

7. Pillow options: Many guests are allergic or strongly partial to certain types of pillows, so you can offer down, foam and hypoallergenic pillows to make your hotel feel more like home.

8. Free WiFi access: Remember the days when hotels charged $20 per day for WiFi? Well, some hotels are still stuck in that era. Like shampoo, free WiFi is fast becoming a convenience: guests expect it, and they don't want to pay for it. For some guests, not having free WiFi can be a great deal. Want to go above and beyond? Let guests stream their favourite TV hotel room TV via your platform such as Netflix.

9. Free parking: Parking is another way to compete with short-term rentals. Some short-term rentals include parking, so if your hotel parking space requires a charge. We recommend that you do some research on short-term rentals in the market to get an idea of parking trends. The more upscale your hotel is, the more guests will expect valet parking.

10. Quality coffee: You can improve the quality of your in-room product by swapping cheap no-name coffee pods for freshly ground beans from a local roaster or even a luxury Nespresso machine. If you are unable to upgrade your in-room coffee, consider adding a machine that churns cappuccinos and lattes in the lobby.