What do the best hospitality experiences have in common?

The best hospitality experiences offer a great “product”, unmatched service and a personal, unique experience, beyond the mere act of eating, sleeping, playing or buying. They are very carefully curated, intentional physical exposures that embrace a product, wrapped up in a clearly defined and compelling story, like freshly made pasta like grandma made, barrel-aged bourbon from the hills of Kentucky, or beds that make you feel like you’re sleeping on clouds.

These brands put forth their stories and their values that customers agree with and want to be a part. They allow you to fully engage in an experience that appeals to your sensibilities. 

The places supporting these products make you feel comfortable, deserving, cared for, and included.  You are a part of a community with these brands.  It’s personal here. This is the culmination of factors that make up what we might refer to as your “Hospitality Index”.

Consider your favourite restaurant as an example. At its core, it probably has great food, perhaps a cuisine that you love, that is always fresh and consistent. But what else? The service is probably really good too, the staff may even know or recognise and acknowledge you, or make you feel like an old friend. So that feels really great. Is there anything else you notice? 

What about the atmosphere? Depending on your mood, you may want a place with a view, a place to see and be seen, a place that feels decadent, or maybe somewhere cosy and intimate.  And how those places are designed, from layout to lighting and materials to furnishings, helps support the vibe that they offer.  Sleek and modern, extravagant and luxe, comfortable and relaxed. Each of these environments makes you feel and behave a little differently. 

Now take it down to the micro-level. How does your server greet and speak to you? What does their uniform look like? How is the menu printed, and what font is used? Each of these tiny details, while on the surface are seemingly immaterial, add up to an overall effect that demonstrates a supreme commitment to crafting an experience that delivers total sensory immersion.  These are the genuine experiences we all crave.

In contrast, we can all likely recall a disappointing hospitality experience. The product was poor, the service lacklustre, and the physical environment was in disrepair or uncomfortable. And there was no story to knit the experience together.  You got the basics without any of the elements that make it entertaining or feel personal. And what is the outcome? You probably felt no desire to linger, and certainly didn’t feel intrigued to return. It was an anonymous basic transaction and nothing more. And there is a market for these kinds of businesses, but they aren’t experiences that rise in your mind as being positively memorable, or that you rave to your friends and family about.

Providing great hospitality isn’t for everyone, but for those who embrace the idea that great customer experiences are the key to their ongoing success, it’s critical to take a deep look at your story, your audience, your product and how it’s “packaged”, to evaluate the impact of your Hospitality Index on your customers.

Our Sirloin Stockade case study brings guest experience, brand character and daily operations into one restaurant concept.

Planning a hospitality experience of your own? Talk to our team about your guests, your story and what it takes to deliver that experience every day.