Using Digital In-Room Tablets at Wellness Resorts and Hotels

Wellness hotels and resorts are on the rise. Find out how SuitePad can help you boost up- and cross-selling in wellness hotel and resorts industry.

Relaxing, recharging, and refocusing have become major parts of our hectic modern lives and as a result, the wellness industry is booming more than ever before. Whether it’s yoga retreats, specialized wellness products, or new-age treatments, people in this day and age seem to be more concerned than ever before with their wellbeing. The rise in wellness living has also impacted the hotel industry. Wellness hotels and resorts were once viewed as niche and obscure, but nowadays, they’ve become mainstream. Many people around the world routinely frequent some type of wellness resort—for many, it’s more than a mere vacation, it’s a way of life.
Wellness hotels and resorts come in all shapes and sizes. Whether it’s fitness, detox, spa, or destination resorts, there’s something for everyone. The current global pandemic has exposed just how fragile our state of good health can be, prompting many people to reevaluate how much care they should afford to themselves. This has boosted the demand for wellness getaways as more and more people seek the long-term health benefits they can get from a relaxing vacation.

With wellness vacations on the rise, there’s an increased interest in how this area of the hotel industry can modernize to compete with other, more established hotel types such as luxury and boutique hotels. This blog post will examine how digital in-room tablets can aid the wellness hotel and resorts industry by reaching more guests and providing a better service.

Wellness tourists are big spenders

Wellness hotels have a lot of coordinating to do. On a typical day, they might have multiple classes taking place, massages and spa treatments, and physical activities to plan for guests. In addition, they need to plan all meals for guests and have a place where guests can get food, drinks, and other amenities should they need them. This is one of the major differentiators for wellness hotels when compared with traditional hotel types—guests tend to spend most, if not all, of their time on-site.

With guests spending all their time on-site, wellness hotels have got a real challenge ahead of them, but they also have better opportunities for up and cross-selling than other hotel types. Data taken from GWI and published in Hospitalitynet.com shows that the average wellness tourist spends 53% more than the typical tourist when taking international trips, and up to 178% more during domestic trips.

This is a huge mark up compared to the usual tourist, suggesting that wellness tourists are there to be up- and cross-sold to. It seems that wellness tourists enjoy the finer comforts in life and are willing to pay for it—presenting opportunities for all wellness hoteliers out there!

Using guest-room tablets to drive up- and cross-selling at wellness hotels and resorts

Opportunities for up- and cross-selling in wellness hotels include filling up vacant spaces in the spa, offering in-room dining or lunchtime specials throughout the day, and suggesting new activities at discounted prices. The best way to offer these is through guest room tablets using the push notification feature. Push notifications enable hotel staff to send messages to guests’ in-room tablets, allowing them to pick up the notification in their own time.

The major benefit of using this type of notification is the scale on which it can be applied. It’s impossible to effectively offer all your guests a bespoke “special offer” that suits them and only them without using some form of digital technology. With guest-room tablets, you can integrate the software with the hotel’s PMS, see what activities guests have signed up for, and then make a personalized offer based on this information. Using guest-room tablets allows you to offer bespoke special offers to each one of your guests, maximizing the chances that you will successfully upsell your services.

The non-invasive way of reaching guests

Guests can feel pressured when verbally presented with an offer by a member of staff as they check in. The pressure to give an instant answer often means they don’t commit to booking an extra session in the spa, for example. This is especially true as many guests are worried about being “duped” into making rash decisions that they will later regret.

Special offers sent by notifications on guest-room tablets allow guests to take their time. They can mull over the offer sent to them, sleep on it, or even ask—in their own time—with the front desk. This “thinking time” is massively beneficial for hoteliers. It allows guests to visualize the offer being presented—maybe an extra sauna session at a reduced price wasn’t very appealing in the morning, but after a long round of golf, it’s all they can think about when they return to their room.

Giving guests the time and ability to make these important decisions about how their stay is shaped will increase the likelihood of them saying “yes” to the offers you put forward. This will, of course, also increase revenues from F&B outlets, extra activities, and upselling.

In addition, the extra sense of power and control that guest-room tablets afford guests at wellness hotels will have a huge benefit on how they perceive their stay. Rather than feeling rushed and hurried by hotel staff, they were able to make a decision in their own time—an important factor when you consider that most wellness vacations are focused on relaxing. This will result in better reviews and recommendations on online outlets such as TripAdvisor or Booking.com. With star ratings and recommendations now forming such an important part of people’s decision making process when they go on vacation, the long-term impact of this could be huge.

Why SuitePad is the ideal solution for your wellness hotel or resort

At SuitePad, we understand the need for hotels of all types to achieve a return on investment. Our solution is designed for the hotel room—the hardware features a reinforced case, no front-facing camera, and cannot be connected to third-party devices. We have specifically designed our software to be easily integrated with all major hotel PMS types. We have focused our efforts on making it easy for guests to communicate with front desk staff and order food and drinks, book activities, and find out about what the hotel has to offer.

All of these features suit wellness resorts, especially as they are places ideal for up- and cross-selling. The Falkensteiner Balance Resort saw a huge increase in activity and treatment bookings after installing SuitePad—revenue from spa treatments increased by 50%! Read more about the details in our case study, Falkensteiner Balance Resort: SuitePad Increases Spa Sales Revenues.

If you are looking for a way to heighten the guest experience and drive increased revenue at your hotel, look no further than SuitePad. We’ve got you covered.

_{- Published on October 16, 2020}