Your hotel room is a reason travel agents matter. They are the key to the magic of hotel human touch.
When travelers check into hotels, they usually expect the hotel to have their name, credit card information, and bedding request. And their frequent guest membership number if they have one. And, of course, the correct price. But in reality, hotels know much more than that. They know if they are meeting a specific hotel human touch.
They know if the reservation is booked directly via the hotel or a website. They know if it was booked on Priceline or another opaque site. They know if it was booked through a big OTA (online travel agency), a membership club like Costco, or a travel agent.
How you book your hotel room makes a big difference.
First, hotels know very well travelers who book through an opaque site where they picked a price. It wasn’t the location or a hotel name. They know whether the client didn’t care which hotel they ended up in so long as it was cheap. And those people are more likely to care more about price than anything else in the future. So there’s no reason for them to prioritize the room assignment. Similarly, if it’s some incredible third-party internet deal, they know that price was the motivating factor.
The magic of a stay comes with a hotel human touch.
Yes, the price paid can matter, but it is far from the only factor.
For starters, the price a traveler pays for a room, mainly if it’s a prepaid rate or package, may not reflect what the hotel receives. A direct booking means the hotel gets the total revenue, but it’s not always obvious what’s the hotel website and what’s a third-party site. Even as a travel agent, sometimes when I’m looking for information from the hotel directly, I have often found myself on some other website. Many booking sites play all kinds of games to lure travelers to their sites.
And some of these online sites take a significant chunk of the revenue. Of course, I’m not privy to these contracts. Hotel people have told me privately that they often end up with a surprisingly small amount of the guest’s price.
On the other hand, in general, while some hotels are commissionable, many others occasionally offer specials that are non-commissionable. Most hotels pay to travel agents — but it’s only generally 8-10 percent of room revenue (which is included in their rate whether travelers booked through an agent or not).
Hotels want as much revenue as possible and future stays or recommendations.
This is where travel agents come in. I’ve written before about perks travel agents can add with some properties, from free breakfast to hotel credit for meals or incidentals. Sometimes it’s simply getting a guest treated better.
Telling a hotel that this is a birthday or a client trying out new hotels in a city may work. But an “I recommended your property” can make a big difference. That doesn’t happen with online bookings. A traveler can book direct and give the hotel special requests themselves, which can help, but if the request comes from a travel agent with a relationship and/or clout with the hotel, it’s likely to be taken more seriously.
Hotels compete with each other to woo guests with hotel human touch.
Most properties love knowing a guest or whoever booked the room specifically chose them. I always make sure to let properties know that (and what was the motivating factor for the client.)
While some travelers may feel “a bed is a bed,” many travelers, in my experience, care about intangibles and details. Do they get an early check-in, is there a welcome treat in their room and is their room located in a preferred location?
A recent client almost apologized for asking but said he preferred rooms at the far end of the corridor. He was bothered by the sound of people walking past his room talking loudly, which often woke him up. An easy ask and the hotel sales manager blocked a room accordingly. I’ve had other clients say they want rooms where it’s not a long walk from the elevator or stairs.
Travel is stressful. Especially now. If a hotel makes someone feel at home, they’re liable to get that guest back. Or get his/her friends to stay with them. So the more a hotel human touch is involved, the better their chances. And the better treatment a traveler will get.
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Janice Hough is a California-based travel agent a travel blogger and a part-time comedy writer. A frequent flier herself, she’s been doing battle with airlines, hotels, and other travel companies for over three decades. Besides writing for Travelers United, Janice has a humor blog at Leftcoastsportsbabe.com (Warning, the political and sports humor therein does not represent the views of anyone but herself.)
