blusky marketing's luxury hotel benchmarking report q2 2013
DESCRIPTION
BluSky Marketing has released their third Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report based on the results from their Online Hotel Guest Experience Survey Programme. The benchmarking report is the only one of its kind for the luxury and boutique hotel sector and continues to grow it’s stature as additional luxury properties continue to sign up to the programme. This unique benchmarking report, based on 3,702 real reviews from real guests between April and June 2013, enables hoteliers to monitor their respective performance against their contemporaries. Of the 15 luxury and boutique hotels included within the report a number of hotels are either included within the Small Luxury of the Worlds Hotel or Pride of Britain consortiums, though not exclusively. “There are a number of hoteliers who are prepared to give away commission to OTA’s and/or spend significant amounts with a variety of referral sites to drive traffic and potential bookings. What the report communicates loud and clear is about the importance of the guest experience and satisfaction. If hotels get it right from the moment a guest enquires about a reservation to the time they leave the property, that hotel will have a satisfied guest who is the most powerful source of non commission future business” commented Chris Larsen, Director of BluSky Marketing. Interestingly, the report brings to light the importance of digital with SEO, hotels website, email marketing and TripAdvisor accounting for 29% of guests enquiries up from 23% last month. However, when it comes making the reservation 46% pick up the phone and call the hotel direct. A limited number of luxury and boutique hotels have their phone number clearly displayed at the top right hand side of a responsive website to make it easy for a potential guest to “click and call” the hotel direct after searching the web. “Not only do we find the hotel guest experience survey one the best systems we have come across in the hospitality industry, but the benchmarking report provides additional insight we cannot access from anywhere else. Critical when you are managing a luxury property where you need to continuously improve the property and service you offer the savvy guest of today’’ mentioned Andrew Mackay, General Manager, The Devonshire Arms Country Hotel and Spa. The benchmarking report also reinforces that the dining experience (including quality of food) and exceeding guests expectations continue to contribute significantly to overall guest satisfaction. BluSky Marketing’s Luxury Hotel Clients include: The Arch London, Bovey Castle, The Capital London, The Devonshire Arms Hotel and Spa, The Feathers, Feversham Arms & Verbena Spa, The Five Arrows, Lords of the Manor, The Marcliffe Hotel & Spa, No11 Cadogan Gardens, Talbot Hotel Malton, Rockliffe Hall, Sopwell House and Stapleford Park.TRANSCRIPT
1 www.bluskymarketing.com
Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report
by BluSky Marketing
April to June 2013
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Introduction
Luxury & Boutique Hotels included
Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report
Colwick Hall
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Introduction
Overview
Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report
• The Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report is based on the results from luxury and boutique
hotels participating within the online hotel guest experience survey (HGES)
programme independently managed by BluSky Marketing
• Each participating luxury or boutique hotel invites their respective hotel guests to respond
to their recent experience via email, with a link to the online survey
• The results within the report are based on Real Reviews by Real Guests
• The online hotel guest experience survey results included within the report covers the period
from 1st April to 30th June 2013
• 3,702 real guest reviews were secured during April to June 2013 or on average 247 per
property, in comparison to 658 reviews (or 18% versus HGES) for the same properties
during same period on TripAdvisor
• On average 4.8 negative reviews* (or 1.9% of HGES reviews) were captured in
comparison to 2.3 negative reviews (or 5.3%) posted on TripAdvisor per property
• There is no incentive offered to each guest to respond to the online survey
* negative review = poor or very poor overall experience
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Key Findings
Overview
Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report
• Best in class luxury & boutique hotels achieving 4.5 plus “Star Rating”
• Excellent overall satisfaction drives repeat guests & WOM/recommendation
• Previous (27%*) & WOM/Recommendation (21%*) key business drivers
• “Search” & “Hotel Website” grown from 18% last quarter to 24% this quarter (+6%)
• Trip Advisor Business Listing drives* 6.4% of enquiries versus 2.3% for hotels
without a Trip Advisor Business Listing, on average
• Selected hotels securing upto 4% via Email Marketing
• Social Media still accounts for <1%, or included within “WOM/recommendation” ?
• Called Direct (46%*) & Hotel Website (20%*) key reservation preferences by luxury guests
• Selected hotels securing upto 25% via other websites (e.g. booking.com)
• Dining experience (quality of food & service) and exceeding guests expectations
contributes significantly to overall guest experience
• 59% or above “excellent” overall satisfaction, drives above average “Star Rating”,
but more importantly upto 38% (commission free) WOM/Recommendations bookings
• Where guests expectations “fell below” by 15% or above, this also contributed low “Star Rating”
(* = average across all hotels included within Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report)
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4.46
4.31
4.67
4.12
4.40
4.56
4.30
4.57
4.75
4.61
4.18
4.30
4.68
4.49
4.71
4.24
3.8
3.9
4.0
4.1
4.2
4.3
4.4
4.5
4.6
4.7
4.8
Average Hotel A Hotel B Hotel C Hotel D Hotel E Hotel F Hotel G Hotel H Hotel I Hotel J Hotel K Hotel L Hotel M Hotel N Hotel O
5 = Excellent | 4 = Good | 3 = Fair | 2 = Poor | 1 = Very Poor
How would you rate your overall satisfaction with…?
Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report
= Average | (= no. Responses April to June 2013)
Guest Satisfaction Average (Star Rating)
(382) (228) (176) (580) (63) (118) (480) (545) (69) (192) (263) (236) (169) (76) (125)
4.5 4.3 4.7 4.1 4.4 4.6 4.3 4.6 4.8 4.6 4.2 4.3 4.7 4.5 4.7 4.2
= Below average star rating
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Guest Awareness
How did you hear about us?
22%
34%
19% 25%
31% 40%
17% 16% 16%
26%
14% 12%
26%
16% 19% 24%
1%
1% 2%
1%
4%
4%
12% 5%
3%
1%
3% 2% 1%
6%
1% 1%
6%
8% 1% 1%
1%
2%
4% 3%
1%
3%
2%
2% 4%
2%
1% 4%
11%
6% 6% 9%
6%
3%
3%
1% 1%
6%
20%
19%
18%
30%
16%
24%
33%
14% 9%
29%
24% 19%
21%
7% 8%
25%
4%
9%
2%
2%
3%
2%
1%
2% 1%
7%
7%
1%
15%
2% 1%
2% 3% 8%
3%
9%
11%
2%
2%
1%
1%
2%
2%
21%
17%
17%
19%
20%
11%
7%
24% 37%
9%
36%
28%
18%
14%
38%
19%
27%
17%
27%
19%
18% 11%
23% 35%
32%
26% 22%
38%
14%
57%
36% 23%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
125%
Average Hotel A Hotel B Hotel C Hotel D Hotel E Hotel F Hotel G Hotel H Hotel I Hotel J Hotel K Hotel L Hotel M Hotel N Hotel O
Previous WOM/Rec. Org Book. Ad/Article Search Hotel Website Email Trip Adv. Social Media Other
Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report
(382) (228) (176) (580) (63) (118) (480) (545) (69) (192) (263) (236) (169) (76) (125)
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Guest Awareness
How did you make your reservation?
13% 9%
29%
18% 23%
7%
16%
7% 9%
17%
5% 4%
12%
21%
8% 12%
13% 14%
11%
22% 16%
15%
14%
6%
10%
25%
4% 5%
11%
14%
3%
22%
20%
4%
28% 34%
12%
29%
22%
14%
13%
12%
27% 31%
18%
24%
13%
23%
8%
10%
9%
10%
7% 10% 5%
6%
7%
11%
5% 4%
7%
13%
14%
5%
46%
63%
18% 16%
42% 39% 43%
67% 62%
35%
59% 56% 52%
31%
62%
38%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Average Hotel A Hotel B Hotel C Hotel D Hotel E Hotel F Hotel G Hotel H Hotel I Hotel J Hotel K Hotel L Hotel M Hotel N Hotel O
Called Direct Emailed Direct Hotel Website Other Website Other
Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report
Please note: does not equal 100% as guests can choose multiple options
(382) (228) (176) (580) (63) (118) (480) (545) (69) (192) (263) (236) (169) (76) (125)
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31% 38%
24%
41% 31%
38% 36% 29%
17% 23%
32% 33% 24%
33%
19%
48%
59% 48% 72% 39% 57%
59%
50% 68%
80% 72% 46%
51% 72% 60%
77%
41%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Average Hotel A Hotel B Hotel C Hotel D Hotel E Hotel F Hotel G Hotel H Hotel I Hotel J Hotel K Hotel L Hotel M Hotel N Hotel O
Excellent Good
Guest Satisfaction Overview
How would you rate your overall satisfaction with…?
Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report
XX% = “Stayed Previously” + “WOM/Recommendation”
(382) (228) (176) (580) (63) (118) (480) (545) (69) (192) (263) (236) (169) (76) (125)
48% 34% 44% 38% 38% 22% 30% 59% 69% 35% 58% 66% 32% 71% 77% 42%
= Average | (= no. Responses April to June 2013)
4.5 4.3 4.7 4.1 4.4 4.6 4.3 4.6 4.8 4.6 4.2 4.3 4.7 4.5 4.7 4.2
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Guest Future Intentions
How likely are you to stay at …… in the future?
28% 35%
25% 31% 28% 32%
24% 28% 21%
39% 30%
22% 29%
24% 16%
35%
48% 27%
62%
36% 38%
48%
48%
54% 69% 43%
34% 42%
53% 62% 67% 30%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Average Hotel A Hotel B Hotel C Hotel D Hotel E Hotel F Hotel G Hotel H Hotel I Hotel J Hotel K Hotel L Hotel M Hotel N Hotel O
Yes Definitely Yes
Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report
(382) (228) (176) (580) (63) (118) (480) (545) (69) (192) (263) (236) (169) (76) (125)
= Average | (= no. Responses April to June 2013)
4.5 4.3 4.7 4.1 4.4 4.6 4.3 4.6 4.8 4.6 4.2 4.3 4.7 4.5 4.7 4.2
10 www.bluskymarketing.com
Guest Future Intentions
How likely are you to recommend ..... to your friends and/or colleagues?
29% 37%
24% 25% 29% 36%
28% 26% 18%
34% 32% 32% 26% 27%
17%
40%
55% 39% 69%
40%
50%
58%
50% 64% 77%
57%
40% 48%
66% 58% 75%
36%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Average Hotel A Hotel B Hotel C Hotel D Hotel E Hotel F Hotel G Hotel H Hotel I Hotel J Hotel K Hotel L Hotel M Hotel N Hotel O
Yes Definitely Yes
Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report
(382) (228) (176) (580) (63) (118) (480) (545) (69) (192) (263) (236) (169) (76) (125)
= Average | (= no. Responses April to June 2013)
4.5 4.3 4.7 4.1 4.4 4.6 4.3 4.6 4.8 4.6 4.2 4.3 4.7 4.5 4.7 4.2
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Dining Experience
Food | Service | Overall Dining Experience - “Excellent” Rating % Per
49% 27%
43% 28%
45% 48% 37% 60%
77% 60%
40% 36% 54% 57%
80%
44%
61%
46%
58%
35%
48% 62%
64%
71%
76%
75%
53% 46%
65% 77%
85%
51%
57%
44%
51%
29%
51%
79%
40%
62%
67%
67%
59%
45%
72% 54%
79%
54%
0%
50%
100%
150%
200%
250%
300%
Average Hotel A Hotel B Hotel C Hotel D Hotel E Hotel F Hotel G Hotel H Hotel I Hotel J Hotel K Hotel L Hotel M Hotel N Hotel O
Food Service Overall
Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report
(382) (228) (176) (580) (63) (118) (480) (545) (69) (192) (263) (236) (169) (76) (125)
= Average | (= no. Responses April to June 2013)
4.5 4.3 4.7 4.1 4.4 4.6 4.3 4.6 4.8 4.6 4.2 4.3 4.7 4.5 4.7 4.2
12 www.bluskymarketing.com
Guest Expectations
How did your experience with us meet with your expectations?
12% 22%
5%
22% 15%
5%
16% 8% 4% 6%
24% 21%
6% 10% 4%
16%
43%
44%
35%
45%
41%
47% 34% 48%
33%
52%
37% 43%
42%
57%
42%
42%
45% 34%
60%
33%
44% 48% 50% 44%
63%
42% 39% 36%
52%
33%
54%
42%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Average Hotel A Hotel B Hotel C Hotel D Hotel E Hotel F Hotel G Hotel H Hotel I Hotel J Hotel K Hotel L Hotel M Hotel N Hotel O
Exceeded Met Fell Below
Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report
(382) (228) (176) (580) (63) (118) (480) (545) (69) (192) (263) (236) (169) (76) (125)
= Average | (= no. Responses April to June 2013)
4.5 4.3 4.7 4.1 4.4 4.6 4.3 4.6 4.8 4.6 4.2 4.3 4.7 4.5 4.7 4.2
13 www.bluskymarketing.com
Chris Larsen
Managing Director
BluSky Marketing Limited
The Old Doctor’s Surgery
4 West End
Exton, Oakham
Rutland, LE15 8BD
T: +44-(0)1572 420 012
F: +44-(0)1572 812 705
W:www.bluskymarketing.com
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Luxury Hotel Benchmarking Report
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