If operational efficiency is about keeping the wheels turning and revenue growth is about fuelling the engine, guest experience is the journey your guests actually signed up for. It’s everything from the first click on your website, to the warm welcome at check-in, to the follow-up email that lands in their inbox after they’ve left.
When you get it right, it doesn’t just make guests happy in the moment, it keeps them coming back again and again. That’s loyalty. And it’s top of mind for hospitality leaders: in our customer survey, 34% of respondents said guest experience & loyalty is their top priority for the next 12 months.
So what does “getting it right” mean in 2025? Curated experiences, smart rebooking, advocacy-driven marketing, and loyalty programs that feel personal, these are the levers that turn guest experience into long-term loyalty.
Why it matters
Happy guests spend more. Loyal guests cost less to retain. And repeat guests become your best (and cheapest) marketing channel, because nothing beats the glowing word of mouth. In fact, research done by Frederick Reichheld (the inventor of the net promoter score) shows that improving retention by just 5% can increase profits anywhere from 25% to 95%.
Beyond the numbers, investing in guest experience builds brand resilience. A hotel or holiday park remembered for effortless service and thoughtful touches is less vulnerable to price wars or shifting trends.
The key drivers
So what’s behind the pressure to elevate guest experience right now?
- Sky-high expectations: Guests want personalisation, flexibility, and frictionless journeys.
- More choice than ever: OTAs, holiday rentals, boutique stays… loyalty isn’t a given anymore.
- Tech-driven standards: From mobile check-in to instant booking confirmations, convenience is non-negotiable.
- Preferences shifts: Travellers now prioritise connection, authenticity, and wellbeing alongside comfort.
Trends & tips: how to make an impact
(in the next 6–12 months)
So how do you actually turn “guest experience” into long-term loyalty?
Spoiler: It’s not about collecting points like Pokémon cards anymore. While point-based loyalty schemes still have their place (especially for business travellers who like their rewards neat and simple), the real shift in 2025 is towards relationship-driven loyalty, emotional connection, memorable experiences, and that irresistible urge to come back for more.
Here’s where to start:
1. Curate and bundle experiences
Becoming more than just a bed-for-the-night by curating activities, partnerships, and add-ons that make your property the hub of the trip. Think adventure packages, stay-and-dine bundles, or collaborations with local attractions.
Trends:
The appetite for experiences is transforming travel.
Since 2019, spending on experiences has surged 65%, compared to just 12% for physical products, with younger travellers leading the way. Over half of Gen Z say they’ll splurge on experiences (Skift, McKinsey, 2024), while 30% of UK millennials book vacations abroad to try new and exciting activities (GWI, 2025).
Together, these stats highlight a clear trend: today’s travellers prioritise enriching, experience-driven trips over traditional travel commodities.
Tips:
- Audit local experience providers and identify high-quality, authentic options.
- Bundle them into packages tailored for different guest types, from planners who book ahead to spontaneous “I’ll try anything once” travellers.
- Use your booking engine, pre-arrival emails, and on-site promotions to make these bundles easy to discover and book.
2. Build a rebooking strategy
Capturing that “I loved this” feeling before guests walk out the door by encouraging them to rebook during their stay.
Trends:
It’s always cheaper to retain than acquire. Harvard Business Review says acquiring a new customer can cost 5 to 25 times more than keeping a current one.
Rebooking at checkout taps into fresh, positive emotions, while guests are still buzzing from their stay.
Tips:
- Train your team to offer perks or incentives for rebooking before departure.
- Use RMS’s Pencil Reservations tool to lock in dates even if rates aren’t finalised.
- Sweeten the deal with upgrades, locked-in rates, or exclusive perks. This works especially well for seasonal properties where guests often plan a year ahead.
3. Advocacy works better than loyalty alone
Not every guest will come back, but their stories might. Especially in bucket-list destinations or seasonal resorts, guest advocacy can be even more powerful than repeat visits, particularly when 13% of consumers say they feel less loyal to brands than they did a year ago (Fresh Relevance, 2023).
Here’s the difference: loyalty is often self-oriented (habit, convenience), while advocacy is other-oriented (identity, values, storytelling). Advocacy is sparked by emotionally resonant experiences, the kind guests want to share with friends, family, and followers. Pair that with experience-led offerings (see Tip 1), and you’ve got a loyalty cocktail that packs a punch.
Trends:
- Millennials are 45% more likely than other travellers to use social media for trip planning (GWI, 2024).
- Travelers are increasingly turning to social platforms for inspiration, 61% now discover trip ideas there, up from 35% in 2022 (Expedia, 2025).
These shifts make shareability, reviews, and referrals some of the most powerful loyalty drivers around.
Tips:
- Encourage referrals: “Bring a friend next time and unlock a local experience.”
- Reward advocacy: perks for reviews, shout-outs, or social shares.
- Build loyalty loops around storytelling, your guests become your marketers.
4. Rethink loyalty programs
Point-based programs still have their place, but on their own, they’re no longer enough. Today’s guests want recognition and rewards that feel personal, not just transactional. The real opportunity is to take the structure of points and layer it with segmentation, targeted offers, and experiences that resonate.
Trends:
81% of loyalty program owners say their programs helped them ride out the economic downturn by keeping their most valuable customers engaged (Antavo, 2024).
Tips:
- Segment your loyalty base: Business travellers might care about accumulating points, while leisure guests respond better to curated experiences or exclusive access.
- Target campaigns by value tier: Use your loyalty data to reward your top guests with early access to seasonal offers or VIP perks.
- Leverage RMS Guest Loyalty by Points to manage accrual, redemption, and reward tiers while customising perks for different guest groups. With RMS, you can go beyond “one-size-fits-all” and create a loyalty ecosystem that flexes with your audience.
To sum it up
Guest experience is what keeps guests coming back. Curate memorable moments, make rebooking easy, encourage advocacy, and add a personal touch to loyalty programs, and you’ll create connections they won’t forget.
In 2025, loyalty isn’t just about repeat bookings or points, it’s about experiences, relationships, and the stories guests can’t wait to share.
This wraps up our three-part series exploring operational efficiency, revenue growth, and loyalty, the priorities shaping hospitality today.
