Challenges
newly opened hotel
Stay Plus is an independent boutique hotel with 19 rooms, launched in 2023 in Bangkok. It initially attracted Asian guests (especially Chinese) with its unique, spacious rooms, prime location, and modern amenities. While these factors contributed to high occupancy rates in its first year, the hotel faces two significant challenges for long-term success
Business Requirements
Sustaining Appeal Beyond Novelty
As the hotel ages and newer competitors emerge, Stay Plus must develop innovative services and experiences beyond physical attributes and newness that continue to attract both new and returning guests.
Enhancing Online Visibility and Engagement
In an increasingly digital marketplace, Stay Plus needs to improve its online presence to attract new guests and maintain competitiveness.
Process
The first step was understanding users by gathering insights from user research, which I believe is important to do early in the process, before ideation or prototyping. This was followed by data synthesis using affinity mapping and thematic analysis. These insights informed the conceptualisation of a solution addressing three key stages of the user journey, developed in consultation with stakeholders. I then designed digital and physical touchpoints, oversaw implementation, and maintained a user-centric approach throughout.
User research
Synthesis findings
Tools & Method
Interview
Surveys
User journey map
Affinity mapping
Crazy 8's
Wireframing
Print Design
Adobe Photoshop
Competitor Benchmarking Analysis
Understanding Success Factors in Bangkok's Boutique Hotels
Before developing solutions for Stay Plus Hotel, it was crucial to understand how other boutique hotels in Bangkok are performing and differentiating themselves. A competitor benchmarking study was conducted to identify successful strategies and potential gaps in the market. By analysing hotels of similar scale and price point, this analysis aimed to understand what drives higher guest satisfaction and how different hotels create distinctive experiences despite offering similar basic amenities. The insights from this analysis helped inform the approach to creating sustainable competitive advantages for Stay Plus that go beyond physical attributes.
Methodology:
Selected competitors: 3-star hotels within 3km of Stay Plus
Key metrics: Google Maps, Agoda, and Ctrip scores (main OTAs used by Stay Plus guests)
Evaluation factors: Digital presence, Physical attributes, Service quality, and Unique features
Key Findings:
Physical Attributes vs. Unique Experience
Most hotels demonstrate competency in basic physical attributes
Higher-scoring properties distinguish themselves through unique offerings:
Yanh: Provides neighborhood exploration maps at check-in
Galileoasis: Hosts ongoing local market
Once Again: Offers local food tasting experiences
Brand Identity Impact
Hotels with strong brand characteristics and unique selling points consistently score higher
Properties lacking distinctive identity tend to score lower, despite good locations or aesthetics
Competitive Advantage
Success appears less dependent on traditional factors (location, facilities)
Key differentiator: Ability to create memorable experiences through unique features
User Research
getting to know the user
Given that 90% of actual guests are Chinese, with the remainder being Asian, the user research focused primarily on Chinese travelers. I employed a 2-pronged approach:
Broad Insights: Bilingual online survey distributed to hotel guests and via Chinese social platforms (WeChat, Xiaohongshu).
In-Depth Insights: 40-minute interviews covering travel preferences, accommodation choices, and hotel service expectations.
Key Survey Findings:
prefer following their plan with some room for flexibility.
consider pre and post-trip hotel services important.
Key Interview Insights:
Strong preference for advice from same-nationality travelers.
Planning and Flexibility
Desire for detailed pre-trip planning balanced with flexibility during the stay.
Safety & Trust
Travelers, especially those from China, prioritize feeling secure in unfamiliar environments.
User Journey Map
Empathise the user
After gathering comprehensive user insights, I created a detailed journey map to track guest experiences from initial search to post-stay reviews. This visualisation helped identify key touchpoints, emotional highs and lows, and opportunities for enhancement throughout the guest journey.
ANALYSIS
Identify Hierarchical Themes
We conducted affinity mapping to synthesise the diverse data gathered from surveys and interviews by grouping them into hierarchical themes.
Key Themes:
Balanced Planning
Detailed pre-trip planning with in-stay support
Minimal Effort
Preference for easily accessible, low-effort services
Ideation
Make it Crazy 8's
We initiated our ideation phase with a collaborative brainstorming session to generate early concepts. This discussion helped identify key opportunities based on our research insights.
Next, we employed the Crazy 8's method, a fast-paced sketching exercise designed to push beyond initial ideas and generate a wide variety of solutions to our challenge.
Final Concept & Approach
3 Phrases of Interactions
Through this process, we recognised that the guest experience had 2 important components to address:
Pre-stay, during-stay, and post-stay interactions
The process of sharing and accessing peer recommendations
This approach allowed us to explore diverse solutions rapidly, considering both the digital and physical touchpoints of the guest journey. It helped us move beyond conventional hotel service ideas and consider innovative ways to leverage peer recommendations and enhance the overall guest experience at Stay Plus Hotel.
The Recommendation Loop
Drawing from our research insight that guests highly value recommendations from people of their own nationality, we've designed a system that encourages guests to share their best experiences and recommend them to fellow travelers. This user-centric approach creates a cycle of giving and receiving valuable travel advice:
Pre-trip Absorption: New guests receive curated recommendations from previous visitors of similar backgrounds.
During-stay Experience: Guests enjoy their stay, benefiting from peer recommendations.
Post-trip Contribution: Guests are encouraged to share their favorite experiences and recommendations.
Continuous Cycle: These new recommendations are then shared with future guests, creating an ever-evolving pool of authentic, culturally-relevant advice.
This system passively encourages participation without forcing it. When guests receive valuable recommendations that match their preferences, they're naturally motivated to contribute their own insights.
By facilitating this exchange of experiences, Stay Plus empowers guests to actively shape each other's journeys, fostering a sense of community among visitors. This approach continuously enriches the hotel's recommendation database with authentic, peer-sourced information, enhancing the overall guest experience. It sets Stay Plus apart by offering unique, guest-driven local insights, elevating its service and making stays more memorable. Ultimately, this guest-to-guest recommendation loop not only enhances individual experiences but also contributes significantly to the hotel's long-term success and reputation, encouraging guests to recommend Stay Plus to others in their network.
Final Design
phases 1:
Before the trip
The interaction between guests and the hotel could start even before they arrive; it could begin right after they make their booking. We propose sending guests a greeting message, as if from a friend awaiting to welcome them. This message would also include recommendations from previous guests to help them plan their trip.
limitation the main ots that user use is agoda that have restriction about the provacy of user data so the hotel cannot get user email the only option that hotel can contact is via the ota chat so the approach of yhe chat
Key features include:
Personalised OTA Messaging
simnot , short not too overwhemling for the gust
Utilise Agoda's platform (used by over 95% of guests) to send a friendly, personalised greetingsimnot , short not too overwhemling for the gust
include ononly 1 link to hotel websute welcome page
Include guest's name and check-in date for a tailored touch
Hotel Website Integration
desogn all the content only 1 page not too overwheming
Message includes a link to a dedicated section on the hotel website
Website features:
- Welcoming message
- Travel tips and tricks for Bangkok
- Interactive map showcasing recommendations from previous guests
Key Steps of Guest Interaction:
See the message in the platform
Visit hotel welcome page
phases 2:
during the trip
This phase focuses on supporting guests' pre-planned activities rather than recommending new experiences. We propose providing a welcome kit with physical objects that are handy and easy to access, yet link to digital resources.
Welcome Kit
Envelope
Postcard
Map
Multi-Functional Envelope
Prompt to Share Spots
Facilities Page
Custom postcard
Physical Map
phases 3:
After the trip
The post-trip phase is crucial for creating lasting impressions and fostering long-term relationships with guests. Our strategy aims to extend the hotel experience well beyond checkout, encouraging social media engagement and creating tangible memories that keep Stay Plus at the forefront of guests' minds.
Personalised Postcard Mailing
Mail the guest-created postcard to their home address
Deliver a tangible reminder of their stay, arriving after they've returned home
Increase the likelihood of return visits through this thoughtful touch
Convertible Photo Frame
Transform the welcome envelope into a unique photo frame
Feature hotel branding and patterns, creating a distinctive backdrop for social media sharing
AR-Enhanced Polaroid Photo
Provide guests with a physical polaroid photo of their stay
Incorporate AR technology allowing guests to scan the photo and access a personalised video memory
After the trip, each guest's recommendations will be carefully integrated into the hotel's comprehensive database. These fresh insights will then be curated and presented to future guests as part of their pre-trip recommendations, creating a continuous cycle of authentic, peer-to-peer travel advice.
Implementation
This project focuses on implementing both technological and physical elements of the guest experience system. The implementation begins with developing the digital infrastructure - integrating the recommendation system into the hotel website and setting up all digital touchpoints. Simultaneously, we'll proceed with manufacturing the physical elements of the welcome kit including custom envelopes, stamps, and maps. Staff training forms a crucial part of the implementation, ensuring the team is well-versed in both the digital systems and physical guest interactions.
To ensure continuous improvement, we've developed a comprehensive monitoring plan. This includes pre-implementation guest surveys, usability testing, and setting up a dashboard for tracking key metrics. Regular check-ins through monthly trend analysis, quarterly guest interviews, bi-weekly feedback meetings, and monthly training sessions will help refine the system. A continuous suggestion box will provide ongoing insights for future enhancements.
Key Takeaways
Reflections
Practical Limitations
The limited access to Chinese online platforms required adapting research methods and leveraging personal connections to gather insights. Similarly, restricted site access highlighted the importance of understanding on-site limitations, from available resources to staff training capabilities. These constraints emphasised the crucial need for deeper stakeholder engagement to create realistic, implementable solutions.
Trust and Security
When handling sensitive content like photos and videos, user trust became paramount. This led to the strategic decision to utilise established platforms like Kodak for photo management, building user confidence through familiar, trusted systems rather than creating new ones.
Research Evolution
The competitor analysis strategy shifted when I discovered that traditional competitors primarily differentiated through physical attributes - factors beyond our scope of improvement. This insight led us to broaden the research to examine case studies of hotels providing exceptional service experiences, focusing on elements we could enhance.
Process Management
The project demonstrated the importance of adaptable project management and communication methods. This flexibility in internal processes proved crucial for maintaining momentum and ensuring effective team collaboration throughout the project lifecycle.
Next Steps
Moving forward, the focus is on establishing a robust monitoring and improvement system. This includes implementing pre-launch guest surveys and usability testing, followed by setting up a comprehensive dashboard for tracking key metrics. The plan encompasses regular check-ins through monthly trend analysis, quarterly guest interviews, and bi-weekly feedback meetings. Staff development will continue through monthly training sessions, while a continuous suggestion system will ensure the solution evolves with guest needs and operational realities.