Marketing & Guest Loyalty

One of the most incredible things about working in hospitality is the instant feedback loop. I’ve worked across e-commerce, tech, consumer goods, and B2B services, and in every one of those sectors, there was always a goal to make customers happier. But nowhere have I found the kind of rapid, tangible cause-and-effect loop that exists in hospitality.

Imagine this, a couple books a weekend stay, and instead of a generic confirmation from the hotel, they receive a tip about a hidden sunset spot or a breakfast-in-bed option. Small touches like these can transform a regular visit into a memorable experience, making guests feel more special and making your brand stand out.

Note: This post is excerpted from Doug Kennedy’s recent training webcast titled, Understanding What Personalized Hospitality Is (and What It Isn’t!) Watch the replay here.

In the lead up to the Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia 2025 next month, we asked several industry partners about the opportunities they see for the hospitaliy industry in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 2025 and beyond.

I recently responded to a question on LinkedIn: A customer is furious about an out-of-stock item. How do you turn their frustration into satisfaction? I added a second part to that question. What if what the customer wants is something you’ve never had in stock? Some customers might still be angry that you do not have what they want. And even if they aren’t, whether the item is out of stock or you just don’t carry it, that doesn’t mean you can’t make the customer happy.

In a world where businesses constantly compete for attention, the hospitality industry stands apart by offering something irreplaceable—experience. More than just providing a service, true hospitality is about crafting a moment that lingers in the minds and hearts of guests long after they leave. Whether in a luxury hotel, a cozy bed and breakfast, or a fine dining restaurant, hospitality is an art that requires warmth, attentiveness, and an innate understanding of human emotions.

The hospitality industry, once defined by luxury, opulence, and aesthetic grandeur, is undergoing a transformation—one that is being shaped by the urgent call for sustainability, conscious travel, and meaningful experiences. In a world grappling with climate change, resource scarcity, and a growing demand for ethical consumption, tomorrow’s hospitality leaders will be those who align profit with purpose and luxury with responsibility.

It’s inevitable that modern advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and automation will impact the hotel industry. While much has been rightfully said about use cases like machine learning (ML) impacting personalized guest offers or microsegmentation and generative AI (genAI) helping with contextual marketing or summarization for staff, for this focused article let’s shift gears from the rooms division into the spa and wellness facilities.

As a candidate for the position of Secretary General of UN Tourism, I am honored to support the important work of the Global Tourism Resilience and Crisis Management Centre in Jamaica and other parts of the world and contribute to this critical effort with learnings from my own experience. I had the hard job of guiding the tourism industry of Greece through the COVID-19 pandemic as Minister of Tourism and we did that by leveraging the power of data and that excites me to share my vision of a UN Tourism Resilience data centre.

With just under a month to go before the Future Hospitality Summit Saudi Arabia gets under way, investors, developers, government decision makers and regional hospitality leaders are gearing up for three days of networking, learning, debate and deal making in Riyadh.