Decoding hospitality trends and competitors to transform guest journeys

Date: April 2023
Prepared by: Martina Solés Caldés
Client: Guestline (now part of Access Hospitality)

Executive Summary

In the context of changing guest behaviors and the increasing digitalization of the hospitality industry, this analysis identifies key trends and competitor practices to enhance the guest experience and strengthen Guestline’s value proposition.

Key Insights:

• Guests expect contactless, personalized, and efficient experiences.

• Consistent and modern design directly impacts perceived quality and trust.

• Sustainability and transparency are increasingly valued and represent competitive opportunities.

• Recommended actions include developing a unified self-service experience, a personalized guest portal, improving transparency, and aligning brand identity.

Trend Analysis

Contactless Solutions

The pandemic accelerated the adoption of contactless technology, with guests now expecting solutions like digital keys, self-service kiosks, and virtual concierges. These tools allow guests greater control over their stay while reducing the workload of hotel staff. As a software provider, we have an opportunity to help our clients implement these solutions and support their digital transformation, keeping them competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

Competitors such as Alliants and Runtriz are already leveraging AI-driven apps and browser-based solutions to deliver seamless, contactless guest journeys.

Hybrid Self-Service

Hybrid journeys, which allow guests to use both personal devices and kiosks, offer flexibility and accessibility, especially for hotels that cannot invest in a full app or digital locks.

This solution responds to varied guest preferences and supports hotels in providing a modern, efficient experience without requiring large upfront investments. By offering hybrid self-service, Guestline can address diverse client needs while maintaining operational efficiency.

Personalized Experiences

Personalization is becoming essential across hospitality. By analyzing guest data, hotels can offer tailored recommendations, promotions, and experiences, increasing guest satisfaction and driving revenue through upsells.

Competitors like Alliants use AI to recommend services based on past orders and social media insights. Runtriz offers an app suggesting local restaurants and activities based on preferences, while Stay App personalizes discounts and promotions according to prior stays. Leveraging similar approaches will allow Guestline clients to enhance engagement and monetization.

Sustainability

Sustainability is no longer optional; environmentally conscious practices influence guest choice. Hotels are adopting paperless processes, IoT-enabled energy management, and eco-friendly initiatives onsite. By promoting and supporting these practices, Guestline can help hotels reduce their carbon footprint while appealing to a growing segment of eco-conscious travelers. This trend also provides a strategic opportunity to position Guestline as a forward-thinking, responsible partner.

Good Design

Modern design conveys quality, trust, and innovation.

Mews and Duve illustrate the impact of rebranding and UX improvements in aligning a company’s visual identity with its value proposition. Elevating Guestline’s design — both in our brand and product interfaces — will enhance perception of our expertise and reinforce our market positioning. Design is not only aesthetic; it communicates professionalism and reliability to clients and guests alike.

Transparency

Competitors increasingly embrace transparency in pricing, product offerings, and demos. Stay App, for instance, provides QR-based demos and openly lists pricing, while Virdee excels in showcasing product features and screenshots, even if pricing remains partially hidden. Transparency builds trust and reduces friction in client decision-making, making it a critical differentiator in a crowded market.

Recommendations

This research has been conducted with a UX/UI redesign at the core, recognizing that as a software company, Guestline’s value lies in providing seamless, intuitive digital solutions that transform the guest experience. All recommendations below focus on leveraging technology to deliver both operational efficiency for hotels and a modern, satisfying journey for guests.

1. A Contactless and Personalized Self-Service Solution

Guests increasingly expect mobile-first, contactless solutions that give them control while reducing staff workload. Guided by our checklist, Guestline should provide a unified portal or app that replaces the most mechanical tasks traditionally handled by the front desk. This portal would cover the entire guest journey, including:

• Check-in: pre-registration, identity verification (via guest portal or kiosk depending on country), and digital room keys.

• In-stay experience: house rules (Wi-Fi, breakfast schedules, check-out time), upsells (laundry, room service, room upgrades), room controls (lights, reporting issues, requesting extras), personalized content (weather, news, special offers), payments and balance management, and a virtual concierge for information and upsells.

• Check-out: instructions, seamless payment, and feedback collection (in-app or via email).

By incorporating personalization, hybrid access, sustainability (paperless processes and eco-friendly communications), and transparency (clear product features and pricing), this solution ensures a complete, modern, and intuitive experience that meets guest expectations while optimizing hotel operations.

2. A Unified Self-Service Guest Experience

Guestline currently offers a wide range of products, but inconsistencies in UX and UI create a fragmented experience. Following the same checklist, redesigning the entire digital journey — from browsing rooms to post-stay engagement — will make interactions intuitive, visually consistent, and aligned with our brand values.

This unified interface elevates brand and design, signaling quality, trust, and innovation, while ensuring that all elements of the guest portal — from check-in to feedback — are fully integrated. By consolidating features such as contactless access, personalized content, upsells, virtual concierge, sustainability, and transparent pricing into a single cohesive experience, Guestline maximizes guest satisfaction, strengthens brand perception, and positions itself as a market leader in digital hospitality solutions.

Next steps

By implementing these recommendations, Guestline can deliver a truly seamless, intuitive, and modern guest experience that reflects our identity as a software company and addresses the evolving expectations of travelers. From contactless check-in and personalized in-stay services to a unified, cohesive interface that integrates sustainability, transparency, and brand excellence, every element is designed to reduce friction, enhance satisfaction, and optimize hotel operations.

The following case studies build on this foundation, demonstrating the new, improved, and simplified guest journey in action.

• Reducing lobby waits and unlocking new revenue with GuestStay Kiosk

• Saving time for guests and reducing hotel admin with GuestStay

• Driving direct bookings and unlocking guest data with DBM

By focusing on reducing guest waiting times and creating effortless interactions, we aim to ensure that planning a holiday becomes as smooth and enjoyable as the stay itself — because at the end of the day, what guests most desire is a stress-free experience they can fully enjoy.