For more than 6 years, we have been building and improving the Frictionless Guest App with the core vision of giving innkeepers and hoteliers an app they can provide to their guests that recommends the best local places to eat, play and shop during their stay. And though our determination to improve the guest experience has not wavered over this time frame, it’s been nice to recently get some affirmation and recognition from the hospitality sector that our efforts have been worthwhile.
The affirmation of our quest came in the recent ALICE study indicating that a whopping 81 percent of guests want to get recommendations from their accommodations provider. While the hospitality sector probably didn’t have to see these numbers to realize that they should be addressing this need, it’s good to see a survey that overwhelmingly confirms the assumption that travellers want to be given the inside scoop on where to find the best local experiences.
It’s also great to get some recognition for building an app that specifically addresses this need by offering innkeepers and hoteliers an easy way to provide their guests with their recommendations. That recently happened when Douglas Rice, hospitality technology expert and the founder of Hospitality Technology Next Generation (HTNG), recently recognized us as an “innovative young company” in an excellent article written for Hospitality Upgrade’s “Siegel Sez / Definitely Doug” blog and titled, “It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood.”
A key point made by Doug is the need to provide curated local recommendations chosen by the criteria of the best available offerings for the guest, rather than based upon advertising or revenue. It’s amazing how this point has rarely been made in industry articles targeted toward hospitality providers, yet it seems so obvious from a guest’s perspective. If you truly believe that helping your guests find the best local experiences is the right thing to do for them (and also something that can build long-term trust and loyalty, which is good for you), then you need to commit to this approach.
This perspective has been at the heart of what we’ve been building for years as the Frictionless Guest App. And it’s good to get some reaffirmation and recognition from the hospitality sector that we have been headed in the right direction.
Photo by Brandon Jean on Unsplash
