The hospitality sector faces an interesting paradox.
78% of hotel chains have adopted AI systems (Source: Oracle), but the properties who experience a sustained growth in loyalty don’t necessarily have the most sophisticated automation. The best-in-class hotels have worked out how digital and human touch-points work together.
For example, a virtual tour doesn’t replace human interaction, instead it creates the conditions for better, richer, and deeper human interaction.
When a prospect can explore properties thoroughly before visiting (understanding the layouts, amenities, and context), they can hone in on a shortlist of properties that match their requirements, which is a positive signal for you. When they progress to a visit, they already have familiarity and understanding, which means you don’t have to spend time explaining the basics, and can concentrate more on building rapport, trust and the conviction that will move you towards a quicker decision.
Properties with the strongest loyalty metrics treat virtual tours as the first stage of relationship-building, rather than just a ‘conversion tool.’ Digital experiences earn trust through transparency, ease of use, and being frictionless. The physical experience confirms that trust through relationships and delivery.
One operator I worked with told me that their virtual tours « ….filter out the mismatches before they contact us, and bring us qualified prospects who already understand what we offer. » This allows hotel teams to focus on creating memorable experiences rather than managing misaligned expectations.
THE RESULT? Higher booking conversion, lower cancellation rates, better guest satisfaction scores, more revenue, and happy (more loyal) sales teams.
Loyalty isn’t just for your customers and it doesn’t come from simply one dimension (digital alone or human alone). Loyalty emerges from designing a journey where each dimension strengthens the other. The world is your oyster.
How does your digital experience set up your team to deliver better human experiences?
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