It goes without saying that most people love a good discount. For hotels, a promotion is much akin to a fine wine. Yes, please.
When it comes to booking travel, most guests have already made the decision to travel and where they want to stay by the time they go online to book. Promotions are just icing on the proverbial cake.
So, are promotions even worth offering if guests are already willing to book at full-rates? Surprisingly, the answer is yes.
Discounts, while sounding a little dirty, are actually good for the brain! In fact, every time we see or receive a discounted rate – we get a hit of dopamine. Dopamine is a hormone that is associated with feelings of pleasure and satisfaction. And dopamine is released when we get a deal (so much to unpack here, but that’s for another post).
And once we are feeling good from receiving a deal – we are in a better position to spend more money. Counter-intuitive? Yes. Good for business? Also, yes.
By offering discounts and promotions on room rates, and stays, you are better suited to incentivize guests to purchase additional items like food, spa treatments, extended stays, and – you guessed it – return visits.
Now, this is not to say you should be tossing discounts around all willy-nilly. In fact, less is more. Keep your promotions brief and not too often, that allows for a culture of FOMO to be created around receiving these discounts and opportunities. That’s why you’ll see so many events listing “limited space” or sales for “limited time.”
Get it while the getting is good.
And for hotels and travel – the good is worth getting right now.
So go forth and get some. If you have questions or need help in the execution of your marketing strategy – give us a call today.