6 Ways a Good Hotel Wayfinding Strategy Can Enhance Guest Experience

Navigating establishments today means using a combination of digital and traditional mapping systems.

With nearly everyone owning a mobile device and having access to the Internet 24/7, relying on digital maps is a fad that is unlikely to go away.

Paper maps and physical signage continue to be reliable navigating tools as well, especially when they are well-designed and updated regularly.

With people preferring to use both navigation solutions for wayfinding, it is high time you rethink and update your hotel signage design and wayfinding system.

A better hotel wayfinding system allows your guests to navigate your premises easily and more efficiently. Moreover, you will have another tool that can impress and engage them and give them a better guest experience.

Additionally, your wayfinding system can boost brand equity and positioning, too.

Elevating Guest Experiences With a Well-Designed Wayfinding System

If you are not yet ready to invest in a customized wayfinding system for your hotel, we have rounded up the top six ways by which it can enhance your guest experience, and increase occupancy and revenue:

1. Lead guests to the right place quicker

Regardless of the size of your hotel, guests, particularly first-timers, may encounter difficulties finding their rooms, in-house restaurants, the gym, swimming pool, and other amenities.

Traditional and digital wayfinding maps and signage at check-in counters, lobbies, elevators, hallways, entrances and exits, and rooms help all guests find their way around faster.

With the help of these maps and signage, you help your visitors find what they are looking for, allowing them to spend as little time as possible navigating your premises.

This enables your guests to spend more time enjoying their stay at your hotel.

2. Instill an organic sense of curiosity in your guests to explore the premises

A great wayfinding strategy allows the guest experience to take place organically.

This means that your guests won’t feel bombarded by the signage and directions they see in and around your hotel. When done correctly, you can produce a seamless experience for your visitors where finding their way feels almost second nature.

Additionally, a well-designed wayfinding system can create and enhance the curiosity and need of your visitors to discover the hotel on their own. This vibe is often stifled when they are bombarded with senseless, irrelevant, and boring sets of signage.

3. Show off your property in a different, fascinating way

If you include digital signage in your wayfinding system, you have another platform that allows you to showcase your hotel and its features to your guests.

Aside from providing directions, your digital wayfinding signage can highlight images of the rooms and features of your hotel you want your guests to visit. These can include your restaurant, bar, café, gym, swimming pool, and gardens.

Digital screens can display high-quality photography of your features and amenities, so guests know what to expect when they follow a map or directions. This, in turn, will get them more excited about their stay.

This boost in interest can translate to positive reviews and referrals, which will then lead to an increase in revenue.

4. Highlight nearby, must-visit attractions for your guests

First-time guests (and even a few returning ones) often ask your concierge for directions going to nearby tourist attractions. With a customized wayfinding system, you can make it easier for them to visit these places without the need to wait in line to speak with a staff member.

Add attractions near your hotel that your guests can visit without the need to take a car, taxi, bus, or train in your wayfinding system. These can include historical and heritage sites, beaches, parks, malls, and entertainment centers, among others.

By having easy access to these directions, your guests can get to these attractions faster without getting lost, thereby giving them a better experience.

5. Display messages about events and vital information intended for attendees

When your hotel has a conference, convention, trade show, wedding, anniversary or birthday party, and any corporate gathering scheduled, your wayfinding signage can give the guests correct directions to the hall or meeting room where the event is taking place. They won’t need to queue at the front desk to ask questions.

You can tweak your wayfinding tools to display personalized messages and special information for the event guests. This will help attendees feel more welcome in your hotel.

You can also use signage to display schedules or event programs so that guests will know what to expect.

All these provide event guests a better, pleasant experience, even if they are not checking in and will be staying for only a few hours in your hotel.

6. Provide hotel guests important information

If you invest in customizable wayfinding signage, you can add other information that your guests will appreciate knowing about.

Examples of information you can feature include local weather conditions, traffic updates, and promos or events in your hotel and nearby attractions.

You can also feature local, regional, and national news headlines, which can be displayed in real-time.

Finally, you can display reminders, such as “bring an umbrella and jacket” based on weather conditions to help your guests plan their day.

A well-thought-out and designed wayfinding system can give your guests better experiences and entice them to come back. As such, work with providers of signage solutions in Dubai to create a strategy that works for your hotel and visitors.

Get in touch with us to know more about our wayfinding solutions for hotels and other types of accommodations.

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