How Can Hotel Brands Give Us Hope During the Coronavirus?
While this is a gripping and terrifying time for many of us in hotels, it is also not a time to forget our specialty. Let’s not “go dark” on what we do best. With nearly the entire world sitting at home and staring at their screens, hotels can do what they have always done…offer a sense of escape.
Historically, hospitality organizations have created a sense of yearning in us. We would stare at their social media posts, get enticed by their offerings, and plan trips for the future. Sometimes those trips were real, other times they were merely a fantasy to get us through the day. But no matter what kind of trip it was, effective use of imagery and language helped dampen our thoughts on our situation and inspire us to think about the future.
When I look online now, I see a lot of people reliving their memories. There are more and more posts with captions about “take me back” or "#fbf. Therefore, we know that people want to think about travel, so let’s give them something great to think about!
Hospitality organizations can focus on 2 things: (1) In-Home Escapism and (2) Future Escape
In-home Escapism
Even if people cannot frequent your hotel, how can they conjure that same feeling of escape while at home? Consider the below questions as real thoughts from your guests:
How can I create the feel of your guestrooms in my house?
How do you tie your bathrobes?
How can I make a cocktail like the one I had at your bar?
What are some of the stories behind your hotel or city?
What are some scents I can use to make my house smell like I’m on vacation?
Can I have a virtual tour of the place?
Guided visualizations that bring guests to the property
2. Future Escape
The next idea we can focus on is what is the future. By shifting focusing, we can inspire hope and help answer the following questions:
Where can I go when this is all over?
What can I do there when this is all over?
What else is there to talk about at the dinner table?
More importantly…just remind me that this will be all over!
Instead of forcing guests to decide what to do next, let’s inspire a vision of future travel.
We have lost a lot during this pandemic, but let us not lose one of the most valuable pieces of hospitality and tourism: escape.
Are you offering any creative ways to help people escape? Or inspire their future travel?
Let me know @zjellson #whatsnext
