Making first impressions count

This month we spoke to Stephanie Hickford, Brand Manager for OOH, at Border Biscuits on the importance of offering a selection of complimentary items in room and how this can have a positive impact on guests. Going above and beyond

We know it’s important for hotels to maintain the little touches that enhance a guests’ experience, such as offering a selection of complimentary items in-room. It’s all about creating a memorable experience from start to finish, and these small gestures can really help to have a positive effect on guests and encourage repeat custom.

We know that majority of guests (91%) say that complimentary items in their room make their stay much more memorable – it ultimately creates a home from home experience, so adding additional touches will elevate their stay. What’s more, over half of people (57%) say they also enjoy complimentary refreshments upon arrival during the check-in process – another way to make a great hotel stand-out from the crowd.

Meeting guests’ expectations

Recent Border research shows that 96% people said they expect tea, coffee, and biscuits to be part of a complimentary package upon their stay. With this in mind, we can firmly say there is a need for operators to really consider their inroom offering to meet this expectation. Guests are also looking for quality where they can, as budgets and finances remain tight. Therefore, it’s important that hotels maintain the little touches such as using accessible premium products to enhance a guest’s experience. Going that step further and offering these brands will ultimately provide a memorable treat for customers.

How to further profit opportunities

In the UK, nearly half of guests (49%) will enjoy biscuits in their hotel room, so we know that it’s a worthwhile investment for hoteliers, as it also brings opportunities to increase profits across the wider business. For example, if there is a bar area of coffee lounge on site, hoteliers should add biscuits to beverage menus so customers can enjoy delicious Border biscuits again – just as they did in their room.

How we can help

As the UK’s number one premium biscuit brand in the OOH channel1, Border really is a go-to brand in the hospitality sector. We’re a familyowned business that has been operating in the channel for 30 years, which gives us a complete understanding on what flavours and formats are most popular and how to really enhance your guests’ stays.