Why Hotels Should Do More To Help Travelers Eat Like Locals
Hospitality is mass personalization. And delivering genuine hospitality begins with seeing each and every guest as a unique individual with individual needs and unique preferences. The desire to be recognized as unique...to be treated as something special...acknowledged and appreciated is so hard-wired into us that once a guest is made to feel appreciated or like they really belong somewhere - they actually develop an emotional connection with that place.
If you recognize this basic human need ...then you may be a fan of American psychologist Abraham Maslow & his Hierarchy of Needs Theory (or at least would be) and it should come as no surprise to learn - that a guest’s level of satisfaction with the restaurant(s) they visit during their stay has a direct impact on whether or not they will rebook the same lodging accommodations.
*Survey conducted with multiple online private and public groups including: TripAdvisor & Expedia Discussions, Marriot Bonvoy Elite Members, Marriott Bonvoy Titanium Elite, Food & Travel, Mastermind Rental Group, Marriot Bonvoy Insiders, , Nomadbase, The Digital Nomad Community, Airbnb, VRBO / Home Away, Short Term Renter University, SPC Philly Foodies Community, Vacation Rentals by Owner, Digital Nomad Job Community, Foodies of The World, Lehigh Valley Restaurants, New Jersey Foodies, Alternatives to VRBO, Home Away, Flip Key, VRBO renters, Delco Happy Hour, AirBnb Marketplace, Main Line & Beyond, Food, Travel & Lifestyle, Restaurant Owners & Operators, Restaurant & Bar Owners, Operators & Managers, Remote Job Opportunities, Lets Work Remotely: Digital Nomad Jobs.
In a 2022 survey of more than 20,000 hotel, resort and STR guests*, 94.5% of respondents agreed and 81% of respondents strongly agreed that, although they realize lodging owners and operators have little to no control over the local dining scene, their off-property dining experiences had a direct impact on their overall level of satisfaction with their stay which they ultimately associated with the property they booked.
Given these statistics, one can see why a hotel would want to personalize restaurant recommendations to suit each individual guest’s taste and personal style…especially limited service properties. And yet the reality is - restaurant recommendations at most hotels and STRs often consist of a concierge spiel about the places most guests like, the places from which they receive perks or a copied print out that highlights only the biggest names and local favorites listed by category.
As a hospitality industry veteran I know, first hand, just how much guests appreciate a great recommendation - and that making one - depends a great deal on knowing (among other things) where that guest has dined before, what they like, dislike and what intrigues them enough that they might be willing to try it if given enough of a gentle nudge / incentive.
In short - it gets a lot easier to make someone happy the more you take time to get to know them.
But who has that kind of time for one guest let alone hundreds or thousands?
That’s where Paire comes in.
The Paire AI Restaurant Guide makes a personal taste profile for every member based on their private restaurant ratings and answers to fun innovate food quizzes and then calculates the compatibility between each individual PeraonalTaste Profile and restaurants anywhere…. so that they can eat like a local everywhere.
Paire also organizes your restaurant & bar bucket lists in Spotify-like fashion - so that you can keep track of the restaurants you want to try and easily remember the names and locations of the ones you DID try and don’t want to forget. There’s even a notepad on each restaurant profile page for you to tag each place with your tasting notes or jot down the name of who recommended the place.
If you own or manage a lodging property and are still married to that tired old “List of Local Restaurants" to guests - we can take that list into the 21st century by turning it into an interactive digital list(s) and show you how to make more that cater to a wider range of interests and can easily be shared with guests via text, email, airdrop or QR code.
At the end of the day...the same way scent and memory are so deeply connected - the dining experiences a guest enjoys during their stay are inextricably linked to their overall impression of where they stay.
3 out of 4 Americans identify as “foodies” So…whether they’re traveling for work, taking a family vacation, attending a conference or trying out the co-living life — ALL of them have a deep desire to belong - to live - even if just for a moment - like a local there.
Which means, for 3 out of every 4 hotel guests, a big part of them living like a local - is eating like a local.
Learn more about Paire (formerly Course): https://www.paire.io