7 Smart Ways to Generate Non-room Revenue & Encourage Loyalty

Generating revenue and nurturing loyalty is about finding new ways to connect with your guests. This means looking beyond room rates to get people excited about your property’s amenities, dining, and other ancillary programs. To help get you started, our checklist below covers a variety of tactics designed to keep guests coming back again and again – even if they don’t stay overnight.

7 Ways to Generate Non-room Revenue & Encourage Loyalty

Below you’ll learn how to generate non-room revenue & encourage loyalty. To get you started, we provided a checklist covering various tactics.

1. Add F&B Spend to Your Loyalty Program

One of the easiest ways to entice locals to your property is to reward non-room spending. Adding F&B purchases to your loyalty program can turn your neighbors into loyal, returning guests by awarding points for dining at your restaurant or meeting up for post-work cocktails at your bar. Allowing these guests to earn points and rewards can lead to future stays and great word-of-mouth.

2. Think and Partner Locally

Transform your hotel into a community hub by partnering with nearby businesses and vendors. Host a local band in your lounge or hire a DJ to play poolside on weekends. You can also create non-stay packages that include a meal or amenity at your hotel paired with tickets to a nearby event or attraction. You can further build on loyalty by offering happy hour specials or day passes to your amenities (spa, pool, golf, tennis, etc.).

3. Show Some Puppy Love

Even after being stuck at home over the last few years, many dog owners are hesitant to travel without their furry friends. You can nurture loyalty with this group by making your property as dog-friendly as possible. This can include offering special treats and dog amenities at check-in, keeping extra waste bags at the front desk, and selling pet products at your on-site market or through room service.

4. Cultivate Surprises

Loyalty is earned through consistency, but you can also make your hotel stand out by moving beyond obvious incentives and into surprise territory. When a loyalty guest checks in, use information from your CRM to create unexpected rewards tied into ancillary offerings that reflect their previous spending. A complimentary drink at the bar can lead to an appetizer, while a spa discount can inspire that guest to purchase an additional treatment or upgrade.

5. Lean into Self-care

Wellness travel is a significant driver for both local and fly-in markets. You can entice these guests to your property (even if you don’t have a proper spa) by offering a variety of wellness amenities and programs. This can be anything from weekly yoga classes to spa basket add-ons with face masks and organic bath products. It’s also essential actively promote your wellness-focused amenities, like eco-friendly housekeeping supplies or the healthy, locally-sourced menu items at your F&B outlets.

6. Get Flexible

Rewarding guest loyalty should feel like a reward. Consider your current policies about check-in/check-out times, parking charges, and so on to determine how and where you can bend these policies for loyal guests. You can also offer a longer cancellation window, ensuring that even if a loyalty guest can’t make their date for whatever reason, they’ll be much more likely to rebook with confidence in the future.

When driving non-room revenue and loyalty, it’s all about using your resources to create personalized guest experiences regardless of whether that guest stays overnight. By understanding who your best guests are and using technology to do the heavy lifting, you can lean into making every moment memorable and reminding guests why you’re their favorite destination.

7. Host Remote Working Vacations

With ‘working from home’ becoming the new normal for thousands of positions, people are looking for new and fun ways to combine work and leisure travel. Consider transforming public spaces (like your coffee shop or restaurant) into a hub for locals working from home, entice them to your hotel with free Wi-Fi, coffee, lunch, or drink specials.

Free Guide: 5 Data-driven Strategies for Optimizing Your Hotel Revenue