StayNTouch, Fuel, and ReviewPro have partnered to release the COVID-19 Hotelier Sentiment Study. The study surveyed almost 500 hoteliers to discover how COVID-19 has impacted their business, the actions they’ve taken to mitigate the financial impact, and their sentiments about future travel and the road to recovery. The study segmented respondents based on geography, independent or branded status, number of properties and job title, and sought to identify ways that hoteliers can capitalize on new opportunities presented in the “new normal” of hospitality post-COVID.

“There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the hospitality industry especially hard,” said Stuart Butler, COO of Fuel, “but our industry has always been innovative and resilient. Many of the hoteliers we surveyed have already taken steps to respond to the enhanced health and hygiene concerns of returning travelers.” Specific findings from the survey include:

• Approximately half of the hoteliers surveyed plan on reopening with 25-50% fewer staff members than they had before the pandemic hit.
• Only 41% of respondents believe that their business will fully recover in occupancy and RevPar within a year. 58% of respondents say that they are either “confident” or “very confident” in their businesses’ eventual recovery.
• Over 70% of hoteliers are actively planning for recovery, with business recovery plans ranging from pure cost-cutting to enhancing SOP and hygiene, to reappraising their sales and marketing strategies, to some combination of the above.
• Approximately half of our respondents said they plan to invest in mobile technology or some form of guest messaging post-recovery.

“We see that hoteliers are considering a range of strategies to better position their properties for the new expectations and demands of travelers post-pandemic; including enhanced hygiene policies and contactless guest touchpoints via technology”, said Nicole Dehler, VP of Product Development at StayNTouch.

Micheal Kessler, CEO of ReviewPro said “This pandemic has changed both guest and hoteliers’ technology requirements. By leveraging contactless mobile communication at all stages of the guest journey, hoteliers can continue to create great guest experiences while looking after staff and guest safety.”

To download the full and comprehensive COVID-19 Hotelier Sentiment Study, please visit this web page

About ReviewPro

ReviewPro is the world leader of Guest Intelligence solutions, with more than 60,000 hotels in 150 countries. ReviewPro’s Global Review Index™ (GRI), the industry-standard online reputation score, is based on review data collected from 175+ OTAs and review sites in 45+ languages. The company’s cloud-based Guest Experience Improvement Suite includes Online Reputation Management, Guest Satisfaction Surveys, and Auto Case Management. ReviewPro also provides an AI-driven innovative Guest Experience Automation™ product to automate guest experience management for hotels. These tools and processes enable clients to prioritize operational and service improvements to deliver better guest experiences and increase guest satisfaction, online rankings, and revenue. (www.reviewpro.com)

About StayNTouch

StayNTouch provides a next generation and fully cloud mobile hotel property management system (PMS), mobile guest check-in solution, and smart kiosk check-in solution that enables hotels to raise service levels, drive revenues, reduce costs, provide a contactless guest experience, and ultimately captivate their guests.

Backed by a team of professionals with deep roots in the hospitality industry, StayNTouch is a trusted partner to many of the most forward-thinking hotels, resorts, and casinos in the industry: including Yotel, TWA, First Hotels, Conscious Hotels, Valencia Hotels, Modus hotels and MGM Resorts.   https://www.stayntouch.com/

About Fuel

As a leading provider of advanced software solutions and digital marketing services for the hotel industry, Fuel helps independent hotels, resorts, condotels, and management groups maximize market share and profitability. This is achieved by providing a comprehensive suite of software and marketing solutions including: the Fuel Booking Engine, Fuel AI-Powered CRM & Marketing Automation, Fuel Mobile App & Digital Key, Fuel Gauge Analytics Dashboard, website development, SEO, SEM, email marketing, social media, and analytics services. Through these solutions, Fuel helps properties drive more direct bookings and reduce reliance on third-party channels. To learn more about Fuel and to take your travel marketing to the next level, call (843) 839-1456, visit the website, listen to the #1-ranked Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast, and follow Fuel on Facebook and Twitter.