In today’s digital age, hotels face a paradox: whilst guests physically walk through their doors, their data often remains locked within third-party platforms such as Booking.com, Tripadvisor or Google.
These marketplaces control the crucial touchpoints of the guest journey, making it almost impossible to nurture relationships beyond transactional stays. Without direct access to guest data, personalisation suffers, loyalty diminishes, and repeat bookings decline.
However, here’s the good news: the moment guests arrive on your premises is your golden opportunity to reclaim the conversation. By focusing on thoughtful generosity and data-driven hospitality, you can transform fleeting stays into lifelong connections. Let’s explore how.
Why marketplaces win (and how to fight back)
Marketplaces succeed because of convenience, but they lack the warmth of genuine human connection. Guests who book through third-party platforms often feel like anonymous reservations, not valued patrons.
Your mission? Turn physical interactions into meaningful data exchanges.
Consider this:
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Pre-stay: Marketplaces own the booking dialogue.
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Post-stay: Guests vanish into marketplace review portals and algorithms.
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Your power move: Dominate the mid-stay and post-stay phases with irresistible, data-capturing kindness.
A biscuit strategy to sweeten your data capture
We know biscuits are more than a treat; a.o. they can represent the path to your guest's data. Here’s how to harness their power.
1. The “biscuit voucher”
Place tear-off vouchers for free biscuits in guest rooms, requiring an email or phone number to redeem. Position them as:
😋 “Breakfast upgrade”: “Scan for a surprise morning treat.”
🌃 “Midnight snack rescue”: “Text COOKIE to [number] for a 2 a.m. biscuit delivery.”
2. The 48-hour surprise
Send a branded biscuit with an edible QR code within two days of checkout. When scanned, the code could:
🎫 Unlock an invitation to send a biscuit to a friend.
✔️ Guest provides recipient emails (with consent).
✔️ Recipient opts in to receive the biscuit and future offers.
✔️ Result: You gain two new contacts per gift, fully GDPR-compliant.
The psychology of surprise
Marketplaces can’t compete with tactile, emotional generosity. A post-stay biscuit isn’t just that. Oh no, it’s a memory. A memory worth sharing at that!
By weaving data capture into these moments, you’re not extracting information; you’re offering genuine value in exchange for connection.
Your action plan
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Partner with us, a purpose-driven bakery, that will work with you to design branded biscuits fit for your guests and the gram.
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Train your team to present gifting portals and vouchers as guest privileges, not sign-ups.
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Track kindness metrics: Monitor how many biscuits convert into emails, reviews or repeat stays.
The future of guest relationships
In a marketplace-saturated world, hotels that leverage physical touchpoints for digital handshakes will prosper.
Remember, make data sharing feel like a gift, not a transaction.
By harnessing our “kindness and appreciation” ethos and combining that with smart technology, you’re not just gifting biscuits; you’re forging lasting relationships.
Ready to turn guests into advocates? Start with a free biscuit and watch the loyalty (and data) rise. 🍪✨
Get in touch with us today to start planning your bespoke biscuit campaign.
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