A glowing review from a happy guest is one of the most powerful marketing assets you have. And the things that earn those reviews are usually small, considered details — not expensive add-ons. Here are six ways to make your guests feel looked after, without blowing the budget.
1. Make first impressions count
Let guests know you’re thinking about them before they arrive. A personalised pre-arrival email confirming their booking and check-in details — easy to send via your Abode booking management system — sets the tone before they walk through the door.
When they arrive, greet them warmly and use their name. Repeat and loyal guests particularly notice when staff remember them; it’s a small thing that lifts the whole stay.
2. Quick check-in and check-out
Few things sour a stay faster than waiting at reception. Keep your front desk staffed during arrival and departure windows, or make sure someone is reachable quickly. Train your team to move guests through the process efficiently and confidently.
A good booking management system makes this almost effortless. Features in Abode like customisable booking screens, copy/transfer bookings, and group booking functions take the friction out of check-in and check-out, and reduce the errors that slow things down.
3. Little things matter
Welcome treats and small amenities aren’t a cliché — they’re cliché because they work. The chocolate on the pillow exists for a reason.
For motels and hotels: invest in proper toiletries (not the cheapest you can find), make sure rooms are spotless, and refresh linen for every stay. These aren’t expensive moves. They’re table stakes for guests who’ll happily review you for getting them right.
4. Cater for families
If families are part of your audience, design around them. Travel cots, board games, kids’ colouring packs, a kettle and microwave in the room, family rooms or interconnecting options. Make it obvious in your listings and on your website that your property is family-friendly — families search for this specifically when they book.
5. Fast, easy Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi is no longer a differentiator — it’s a baseline expectation. What guests actually care about now is speed and how easily they can connect.
Modern travellers stream, video-call, and increasingly work from their rooms. Slow or patchy Wi-Fi shows up in your reviews almost immediately. Invest in enough bandwidth for your property’s typical guest load, make sure the signal reaches every room (not just the lobby), and make connection effortless — clear network name, a simple landing page, no extra logins per device. A QR code in the room with the network details takes seconds to scan and removes the hunt for a printed slip.
6. Show off your local area
Travellers increasingly want authentic local experiences, and you’re better placed than any guidebook to deliver them. Provide curated recommendations: the best coffee within walking distance, your favourite restaurants by cuisine, the local market, the lesser-known walk. A printed map with handwritten notes from your team is a memorable touch; a clean local-tips page on your website does the same job at scale.
The properties guests rave about aren’t usually the most expensive ones. They’re the ones where someone clearly cared.