4 Hotel Guest Experience Trends to Watch in 2023

Implement these guest experience hotel trends to create more bookings and greater revenue.

The travel and hospitality industries has taken many hits since the pandemic began, including a significant drop in revenue combined with major labor shortages. Today, however, the hotel, travel and hospitality industries are in a “period of recovery,” according to hospitality news resource PressReader.

“The U.S. Travel Association notes that hotel demand is back at 2019 levels and that Average Daily Rates (ADR) were 17 percent above 2019 levels in October of 2022,” says PressReader.

“According to the latest American Travel Sentiment Study from Longwoods International, 91 percent of travelers are planning trips in the next six months. The percentage of travelers who are changing their travel plans because of COVID-19 has dropped to 33 percent,, the lowest level since the start of the pandemic in early 2020.”

With the surge in travel, hotels need to stay on top of 2023 hotel trends that today’s guests expect. Is your hotel riding the wave of hotel trends this year?

Here are four 2023 hotel trends that are shaping the guest experience.

1. Implementing sustainable practices

Sustainable practices benefit both guests and hotel operators.

As energy costs for gas and electricity surge, more hotel operators are implementing new technologies, including “smart” rooms with energy-saving devices and air-source heat pumps that transfer heat between the interior and exterior when necessary.

“This type of system can make a hotel room warmer or cooler depending on guests’ needs while cutting down on HVAC energy consumption and costs,” says PressReader.

2. Accommodating digital nomads, remote workers and “bleisure” travelers

“Business travel is expected to make a major comeback in 2023, but the lines between traveling for work and doing so for the sheer enjoyment of it are becoming increasingly blurred,” thanks to digital nomads who travel constantly while working, remote workers and “bleisure travelers” who blend business with vacation and leisure, says PressReader.

“Hotels can make working travelers — whether they’re checking in for a weekend or staying for a month — feel welcome by providing them with work-friendly desks in their rooms, free WiFi, co-working spaces, and of course, coffee.”

3. Meeting guest demands for the personalized experience

Hotels will ramp up guest personalization in 2023 by combining customer relationship management (CRM) and online behavior data to tailor offers and communication, according to Pedro Colaco, CEO at GuestCentric Services in an editorial at Hospitality Net.

“A recent report by Google and Phocuswright reveals that nearly six in 10 travelers said that brands should tailor the information based on their personal preferences or past behaviors,” says Colaco.

“The same study shows that 76% of travelers will be more likely to sign up for loyalty programs focused on personal preferences or past behavior. In addition, 36% would pay more in return for receiving more tailored information and experiences.”

4. Utilizing social media as a planning tool

Gen Zers are more likely to use social media as a booking tool, using the platforms to research travel destinations and hotels, says Colaco. In 2023, hotels should make optimizing their social media marketing strategies a priority to appeal to travelers who want to use social media to plan vacations and other trips.