What is a hotel guest satisfaction survey?
A hotel guest satisfaction survey is a tool used by hoteliers to evaluate how well they're performing across amenities, services, and overall experience. And who better to provide that insight than the people actually staying with you?
By listening directly to your guests, you can identify what's working, uncover areas for improvement, and base your next steps on real feedback. It's one of the best ways to measure and improve guest satisfaction in hotels.
Why are hotel surveys important?
Guest surveys help you understand where you're excelling, where you're falling short, and how to improve. The result? Happier guests, more glowing reviews, and a stronger competitive edge.
They're also a low-cost, low-effort way to hear from your customers and give them more of what they want - helping you build repeat business. Positive responses can be turned into reviews, which in turn attract new guests.
Example of questions for a hotel guest satisfaction survey
A hotel guest satisfaction survey should include a mix of questions from different categories such as:
- Amenities and facilities
- Restaurant, food and bar
- Booking process
- Demographics
- Check-in/check-out
- Overall stay
- Pricing and billing
Example questions for amenities and facilities
Tailor your questions to the amenities you offer. For example:
- Please rate your experience with our amenities from 1 to 5.
- Did you have all the amenities you needed during your stay?
- Were there any amenities you expected but didn't find?
- How satisfied were you with the hotel facilities overall?
- Did you use the pool?
- How would you rate cleanliness and maintenance?
Examples of questions about restaurant, food and bar
- How would you rate the quality of the food at our restaurant?
- Did you use room service during your stay and if yes, how happy were you with the quality provided?
- How satisfied were you with the hours of the bar and restaurant?
- How would you rate the service received at our bar or restaurant?
Booking process questions
- How easy was it to book your stay?
- What booking channel did you use?
- How did you find us?
- If you needed help, how would you rate the service during booking?
Demographics
- Which age group do you fall into?
- Where do you live?
- What was the reason for your stay?
- How often do you travel per year?
Check-in/check-out
- How would you rate the check-in and check-out process?
- Did you use the check-in kiosk?
- Did you purchase early check-in or late check-out?
Overall Stay
- How would you rate your overall experience at our hotel?
- Did you encounter any issues during your stay? If yes, how were they handled?
- How likely are you to stay with us again?
- Did your stay meet your expectations?
- How would you rate the service provided by our staff?
Pricing and billing
- How satisfied were you with the price-to-value ratio of your stay?
- Did you book with a special offer or at full price?
- How would you rate the transparency of our pricing?
- How did you pay for your stay?
- Were there any payment options you expected but didn't see?
Best practices for creating your hotel guest survey
Start with a selection of questions across the categories above. To boost participation, consider offering guests a small incentive, like a discount on their next stay. A strong subject line can also increase open rates for email surveys.
You can also ask a few key questions at check-out - five quick questions can be enough to get useful insights without overwhelming the guest.
Keep the survey short and clear. A logical sequence of questions and an open-text box for feedback can go a long way. Always ask permission if you'd like to publish their comments. And if your survey takes longer than 3-5 minutes to complete, you risk a lower response rate.
Want to go further? Explore tools and strategies that help you gather and act on hotel guest feedback.
How to create the best hotel guest satisfaction survey
Introduction
Begin with a short introduction explaining why the survey matters. Let guests know that their feedback helps you improve and is genuinely appreciated.
Demographics and general info
Start by collecting key information: age, location, room type, dates of stay, and reason for travel.
Overall satisfaction
Follow with a general satisfaction question using a scale (1-5, 1-10, or adjective-based like "very dissatisfied" to "very satisfied").
Specific areas
Dig into specific topics like cleanliness, amenities, staff, and the check-in/check-out experience.
Issues
Ask if they experienced any problems and whether they were satisfied with how they were resolved.
Feedback for improvement
Use open-ended questions or rating scales to uncover improvement areas. For example, "How likely are you to return?" or "What could we have done better?"
Additional comments
Leave space for guests to share anything else on their minds. These insights can inform improvements - and give your most enthusiastic guests a voice.
Post-feedback
Always thank guests for their time. A follow-up message with a thank-you or discount code can help strengthen the relationship. When guests feel valued, they're more likely to return.
Conclusion
Hotel guest satisfaction surveys are one of the simplest and most effective tools to improve guest experience and build loyalty. By listening to your guests and acting on their feedback, you can tailor your services to meet real needs - and make sure guests keep coming back.
Download our guide Understanding the Modern Guest
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