A Guest checks into a four-star international hotel in a major Asian city.
After entering the room and placing their luggage down, they notice a card on the bedside table:
“Ear plugs and eye masks are available upon request for a good night's sleep.”
At first glance, the message appears helpful. Perhaps even thoughtful.
Yet many Guests are unlikely to interpret it that way.
Instead, they may immediately wonder:
- Is the hotel noisy?
- Is there a problem with the curtains?
- Why would I need an eye mask?
- Should I be concerned about sleeping here?
Before the Guest has even unpacked, the hotel has unintentionally introduced doubt into one of the most important aspects of the stay.
A well-intentioned bedside message can unintentionally create concern before the Guest has even experienced the room.
The Most Important Product a Hotel Sells
Hotels invest heavily in restaurants, bars, spas, technology and design.
These elements undoubtedly contribute to the overall Guest Xperience, but they are not the core product.
At its heart, a hotel room has a remarkably simple purpose:
To provide a safe, comfortable environment where a Guest can enjoy a restful night's sleep.
Everything else is secondary.
A Guest may remember a spectacular breakfast or a beautifully designed lobby.
They will certainly remember a poor night's sleep.
Solving Problems Versus Preventing Them
Hotels cannot control every aspect of the external environment.
Road traffic, neighbouring buildings, aircraft movements and city noise are often beyond their direct control.
What they can control is how effectively they mitigate those challenges.
Examples include:
- Acoustic glazing
- Sound insulation between rooms
- Properly maintained doors and windows
- Effective blackout curtains
- Thoughtful room design
In other words, Guests should rarely need to think about noise or light because the hotel has already considered these factors on their behalf.
The best hospitality is often invisible.
When Good Intentions Create Unintended Messages
The card offering ear plugs and eye masks was almost certainly created with positive intentions.
Someone wanted to demonstrate care and provide additional support for Guests who may require it.
The issue is not the availability of the items.
The issue is the message their promotion sends.
By drawing attention to potential noise and light problems, the hotel risks creating concerns that may never have entered the Guest's mind.
Rather than increasing confidence, the message can inadvertently reduce it.
Every touchpoint within the Guest journey sends a message. The question is whether it reassures or creates doubt.
The GUESTX View
The card beside the bed was intended to be helpful but instead, it highlights an important lesson for the hospitality industry.
Guests should never be given solutions to problems they have not yet experienced. The focus should always be on delivering an environment where those problems do not arise in the first place.
The question is not whether ear plugs and eye masks should be available, the question is whether the hotel is unintentionally signalling that they may be needed.
Sometimes the smallest details reveal the biggest opportunities to improve the Guest Xperience.
Great hotels do not teach Guests how to sleep despite the room. Great hotels create rooms where Guests never have to think about sleep at all.
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