Giving more to your guests & the power of the up-sell via email marketing

The real question is, how do you do it in a way that feels holistic and natural rather than a hard sell?

There are numerous ways to go about it and below you'll find some tried and tested methods that, through our 11 years' experience of working with businesses in the luxury travel sector, we know work.

Be personal

We all like to feel loved and your guests are no different. They arrive full of excitement and when they leave you, want to go away with the warm glow of contentment we all get from time well spent.

A great way to start the personal journey through digital channels is by sending pre and post-stay emails to your customers. The pre-stay emails start them off on the right foot and the post-stays show them that you value them and their custom.

Pre-stay emails tend to have double the open-rates of standard emails and the best examples will include suggestions of things to do, information about on-site facilities and a strong call-to-action for a secondary spend - making a reservation in the restaurant or booking a spa treatment typically see good results.

Post-stay emails are a great way for you to get honest and immediate feedback. The best examples also include the offer of a discounted rate for valued guests.These personal touches go a long way to ensuring your guests have the best possible experience and become repeat customers.

Recommendations

Recommendations, top-tips and inside knowledge are a great way of providing the added value that the modern day guest is looking for.Think about the questions your reception staff get asked on a daily basis: 'Where's the best place to walk my dog?' - 'Have you got any suggestions on where to take the kids?' - 'What good restaurants are nearby?'

With the majority of research before a holiday done online, you have a great opportunity to provide all the resources people need to plan their trip in one place. Implementing a blog is a great way of doing this - it means you can give their guests the information they're looking for so they don't have to go anywhere else.

A great starting point is to simply answer the most popular questions you get asked by your guests. It can be an intimidating task but it doesn't have to be. You have all the information... now you just need to pass it on to your guests.

Watergate Bay, set on a spectacular surfing beach on the north Cornwall coast, utilise a blog to great effect including everything from cocktail and food recipes to highlighting the latest events in the area - check it out here.

Above and beyond

Going the extra mile is something that matters to your guests and a method that triggers the oldest and most successful form of marketing: word of mouth.

Empower your guests to talk about how great their experience was for them by doing something that they're not expecting.

It could be anything from fresh flowers in the room to a glass of fizz on arrival. A member of our team recently stayed at the Headland Hotel with their partner and their dog. In their room they had a letter addressed to Henry, the dog. The letter was from the hotel's resident Airedale Terrier telling Henry what he could and couldn't do. There were also some treats thrown in for good measure.

It's simple touches like this that create an experience that's worth talking about.