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Hotels What can the hospitality industry learn from psychological analysis of settings?
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Seating clusters in the public area with varied lighting sources and a view outside recreate elements of
home for guests. |
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A good deal, for they are in large part in the "setting business." Elements such as tidiness, aesthetics, and status and symbols, elicit impressions and send messages to guests about the attitude of the hoteliers toward the guest. Nonverbal communication has a stronger on-going impact on the guest than does what the front desk staff member says to the guest. A study done by the Cornell Hotel School Administration, showed that guests equipped with cameras photographed things in the hotel that were not addressed in most guest comment cards. As a hotelier, knowing what really matters to guests is essential. |
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Does Your Hotel Communicate Your Brand Message?
The location of the front desk, the furniture in the common area, and the layout, color, and contents of their rooms, deliver a strong brand message to guests. Social psychology researchers have found that after briefly seeing an individual’s workplace, and having no other information about the person, observers independently formed similar impressions about the person. Even with minimal information, the impressions they formed were often accurate. |
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Guests Want Hotels which Reflect Who They Are |
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| Guests want hotels which have a look and feel that they feel good about, because the space makes them feel good about themselves. The research assumed that the reason for this phenomenon stems from the notion that "individuals select and craft physical environments that reflect and reinforce who they are." A messy area, or one that offers uncomfortable seating and bare walls, may cause guests to feel uncared for, unimportant, and insignificant. |
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This guest feels comfortable in
a room that reflects her sense
of self. |
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| Want Guests to Respect Your Property? |
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A clear path to the front desk reduces guest anxiety. Flowers and warm lighting add to an inviting atmosphere. |
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Guest behavior and feelings are cued by the physical environment of the hotel. A property which is well-maintained, clean, orderly, appropriately lit, and signed sends a signal that it is cared about by staff and management. Psychologically, this induces the guest to treat the property with the same high level of regard. |
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Creating a Home Away from Home
Dr. Morris has developed a psychologically-based protocol for hotels so they achieve high guest satisfaction ratings and build guest loyalty. Knowing what constitutes ‘home’ to guests on a psychological level differentiates hotels which provided the basics and compete only on price and location from those that provide a memorable experience.
The Morris Approach is a multi-phase process:
1. In-depth discussion with the client to understand fully their concerns, goals,
and the intended purpose of the space.
2. Examination of physical structure and contents to determine sources causing
overall and/or independent obstacles to intended goal.
3. Analysis of psychological impact of the physical surroundings on clientele or
inhabitant to determine if the "space" is serving to meet or block intended
goals or impression, and to decipher any underlying (and often unconscious)
issues reflected in the physical surroundings.
4. Reconfiguration and/or redesign of the space and/or its physical elements to
create symbiosis between the room, the goals, and the clientele or inhabitants
to deliver optimal results.
Contact Psychology of Setting to learn what's going on psychologically in your hotel setting, and how you can take your hotel to the next level in guest satisfaction.
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