How to create Hotel Guest Personas
As a hotel marketer, there’s nothing more exciting than truly understanding your guests—their preferences, motivations, and habits. This knowledge is the winning formula to crafting unforgettable guest experiences, effective marketing campaigns, and higher revenue. One of the most powerful tools to unlock this potential is the creation of guest personas.
But what are guest personas? And how can they revolutionise your hotel or serviced apartment's marketing strategy? Let’s dive in and explore the why, how, and some examples to get YOU started.
Why Create Guest Personas?
Guest personas are fictional representations of your ideal guests based on data and research. They help you visualise and understand your target audience, enabling you to tailor your marketing, services, and guest experience to meet their needs.
Here’s why they’re essential:
Laser-Focused Marketing: Knowing your guests means crafting campaigns that resonate. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, you can speak directly to your audience’s needs, increasing bookings and loyalty.
Personalised Guest Experiences: Understanding what drives your guests lets you exceed their expectations. This is the foundation of exceptional hospitality.
Data-Driven Decisions: With personas in hand, you can make smarter decisions about pricing, amenities, and partnerships.
Team Alignment: Personas ensure everyone in the hotel, from marketing to front desk, is working towards the same goal—delighting your guests.
Sustainability and Inclusivity: Personas help align your property with eco-conscious practices and ensure you cater to a diverse range of backgrounds, abilities, and cultures.
How to Create Guest Personas
Creating personas is a collaborative, creative, and data-driven process. Here’s how to do it step by step:
1. Gather Data Across Departments
Start by collecting insights from every department. Each team interacts with guests in unique ways, so their input is invaluable:
Reception/front desk: What do guests often request? Are there trends in their questions or complaints?
Housekeeping: Do certain types of guests have specific cleanliness or amenity preferences?
Reservations and revenue management: What booking patterns stand out? Are there common lead times or preferred booking channels?
F&B staff: What dishes, drinks, or dining experiences are most popular?
Utilise your CRM, PMS, and guest surveys to gather hard data, such as:
Demographics (age, nationality, family status).
Booking channels and methods.
Purpose of travel (business, leisure, group, event).
Preferred room types, amenities, and services.
Guest feedback (online reviews, surveys, social media).
💡 Pro Insight: Conduct social listening to understand what guests are saying about your hotel and competitors online.
2. Go Beyond Demographics: Include Psychographics
It’s not just about who your guests are but why they travel. Diving into psychographics—values, attitudes, and lifestyles—adds depth to your personas. For example:
What motivates your guests to travel? (Relaxation, adventure, self-discovery, networking?)
What are their key decision-making factors? (Price, location, reviews, sustainability?)
What lifestyle traits influence their preferences? (Health-conscious, tech-savvy, eco-minded?)
Understanding these factors helps you create campaigns and experiences that truly resonate.
3. Segment Your Audience
Using the data, group your guests into distinct segments. Look for patterns in demographics, behaviours, and preferences. For example:
Business travellers: Frequent bookings, prefer convenience, often solo, might need meeting spaces or high-speed Wi-Fi.
Families: Longer stays, require family-friendly amenities, often travel during school holidays.
Digital nomads/Relocation: Book extended stays, seek co-working spaces, value flexible check-in/check-out times.
Couples on romantic getaways: Look for packages, want premium experiences like spa treatments and fine dining.
4. Bring the Personas to Life
Now, turn your data into living, breathing personas! Give each persona a name, backstory, and personality traits to make them relatable and memorable.
Here’s an example:
Persona: Louise - the Digital Nomad
Age: 28
Location: Edinburgh, often travels to sunny destinations.
Purpose of stay: Work and leisure blend.
Booking preferences: Direct website bookings, often seeks out discounts for extended stays.
Pain points: Poor Wi-Fi, lack of quiet workspaces and lack of good coffee
Ideal experience: Reliable internet, co-working space, local coffee recommendations, flexible check-out times for those late-night deadlines.
💡 Pro Tip: Create a one-page visual profile for each persona, complete with photos, quotes, and key traits for easy reference.
I thrive in places that understand my need for seamless work, great coffee, and the freedom to explore—where reliable Wi-Fi and flexible stays make productivity effortless.
5. Collaborate and Share
Involve every department in reviewing and refining your personas. Host interactive workshops where teams can brainstorm ideas based on personas. This fosters creativity and ensures alignment across all guest touchpoints.
6. Test, Refine, and Keep Evolving
Guest personas aren’t static—they evolve with trends and behaviours. Regularly update them based on:
New data from your CRM, social media, and guest surveys.
Industry reports on travel trends.
Guest feedback on what’s working and what’s missing.
Applying Personas Across the Guest Journey
Personas shouldn’t sit in a file—they should drive decisions at every stage of the guest journey:
Pre-Stay: Use personas to tailor marketing campaigns. For instance, target Louise the Digital Nomad, with a “workcation” package featuring a private office and discounted long stays.
On-Property: Train staff to anticipate persona needs. Tom and Sarah, the Weekend Adventurers, might appreciate curated guides to local hiking trails.
Post-Stay: Send personalised follow-ups, like a thank-you email offering Raj the Event Planner, an exclusive discount for group bookings.
Examples of Guest Personas
Here are a few more to inspire you:
Tom and Sarah - Weekend Adventurers
Demographics: 35-45, married, no kids.
Preferences: Love weekend getaways, seek outdoor activities and local experiences.
Ideal hotel: Offers adventure packages, guides to local attractions, and eco-friendly practices.
Raj - the Event Planner
Demographics: 40, corporate professional.
Preferences: Regularly books block rooms for events, values seamless communication and event support.
Ideal hotel: Has large meeting spaces, a dedicated event coordinator, and group discounts.
Layla - the Luxury Traveller
Demographics: 50+, high-income professional.
Preferences: Craves exclusivity, high-end amenities, and personalised service.
Ideal hotel: Boutique or 5-star property with spa services, private dining, and luxury suites.
Final Checklist for Persona Creation
Here’s a quick recap to ensure success:
Data gathered from all departments.
Guest segments identified based on behaviours, demographics, and psychographics.
Personas created with names, backstories, and key traits.
Workshops conducted to align team strategies.
Personalisation integrated into every stage of the guest journey.
Regular reviews and updates to keep personas relevant.
To conclude
Developing guest personas isn’t just a strategic exercise— it’s a chance to step into your guests’ shoes, spark creativity, and build unforgettable experiences. By embracing this process, you’ll elevate your hotel’s marketing, foster loyalty, and set your property apart from the competition.