When hotels tailor their communication to match guest needs, the results speak for themselves. According to McKinsey & Company, 76% of consumers say that personalized communication is a major factor in deciding whether to engage with a brand, and 78% say it makes them more likely to come back. In other words, people reward businesses that get it right.
What makes personalization so powerful is its long-term impact. Every thoughtful gesture builds trust, and with each stay, you learn a bit more about your guests. Over time, this creates a flywheel effect: better data leads to more tailored service, which leads to higher loyalty.
With the right PMS, both independent hotels and chains can segment guests and personalize the experience at scale. In this article, we’ll show you how segmentation works, how it powers personalization, and how a system like HotelFriend can help you turn guest data into real connection.
Source: www.mckinsey.com
What is segmentation in the hospitality industry?
Segmentation means grouping your guests based on shared traits – not just for marketing, but for creating more relevant experiences throughout the entire guest journey.
Instead of seeing a long list of unrelated bookings in your system, segmentation helps you understand:
- ● Who your guests are
- ● Why they’re staying with you
- ● What they’re likely to care about
Once you have these segments in place, you can create communication that’s timely, relevant, and useful, which is exactly what guests are expecting from a hotel.
Why you can’t approach all guests in the same way
Each guest arrives with different expectations, goals, and definitions of a “great stay.” A business traveler heading to a conference, and a couple on a weekend getaway all have distinct needs. Treating them the same can make your communication feel tone-deaf.
Here’s why this is important:
- ● Business guests value speed, convenience, and quiet workspaces.
- ● Families want kid-friendly facilities and clear logistics (like breakfast times and crib availability).
- ● Weekend leisure guests are often looking for relaxation or local experiences.
When your messaging ignores these differences, relevance is lost and so is the opportunity to build a real connection.
Any mismatches erode trust and diminish the guest experience. The reality often shows that irrelevant communications can negatively impact guest satisfaction and brand perception.
How can you start using segmentation to provide personalized stays
Purpose of travel
Understanding why your guest is traveling is a fundamental first step. Business guests often have different expectations than those on holiday. A business traveler may value efficiency, fast check-in, strong Wi-Fi, or quiet workspaces.
Someone on a leisure trip is more likely to be interested in local recommendations, spa services, or flexible checkout times. Your communication should reflect those differences.
Booking behavior
How the guest booked can tell you a lot about their expectations and loyalty. Someone who books directly is likely more engaged with your brand and open to special offers. An OTA guest might be less familiar with your property and could benefit from extra guidance or an incentive to book directly next time.
For returning guests, it's an opportunity to recognize their loyalty. Even a small gesture, like referencing their last stay or offering a returning guest discount, can make a big impact on satisfaction.
Language and location
Language plays a bigger role in guest comfort than many hoteliers realize. You really need to be able to speak the guest’s language.
Similarly, knowing where your guest is traveling from can help tailor information, such as providing local weather tips, airport transport options, or check-in instructions for international arrivals. It’s a simple way to show that you’re thinking ahead.
Special preferences or requests
This is where segmentation gets personal. If a guest has requested a specific room type, dietary accommodation, or anything else during a previous stay, you already have a strong signal of what matters to them.
A simple line like “We’ve placed you on the quiet side of the building, just like last time” tells the guest they’re not just another booking, they’re remembered.
Segmentation works best when it’s integrated into your regular operations. You don’t have to cover every angle from the start. Focus on two or three categories that are most relevant to your guests and build from there.
What a PMS needs to provide true personalization
To deliver truly personalized experiences, you need a system that can store, organize, and act on that data consistently. For hotels from small to large, the modern Property Management System is a tool that can help.
Here’s what your system should be capable of if you want to move beyond generic messaging.
Centralized guest profiles
A PMS keeps all relevant guest information in one place. This includes basic details like name and contact info, but more importantly, it also includes stay history, preferences, communication habits, and language.
With this kind of profile, front desk staff and automated systems alike can immediately understand who the guest is, how they’ve interacted with your property before, and what matters to them. It’s the foundation for any personalized communication, whether you reference a past stay in a welcome email or prepare their favorite room setup before arrival.
Flexible tagging and segmentation
Personalization requires structure. Your PMS should allow you to tag guests based on useful categories: travel purpose, booking source, room type, dietary preferences, loyalty status, and more.
These tags should be flexible, allowing you to create segments that reflect your property’s unique guest mix. For example, you might want to segment all “wellness weekenders” or “frequent corporate travelers” and build messaging just for them.
Automation based on triggers
Finally, a PMS should be able to act on this information automatically. That means setting rules and workflows that trigger personalized messages or offers based on specific guest behaviors or milestones.
If someone checks in via mobile, they can automatically receive a welcome message with relevant info. If a returning guest books again, the system can reference their last stay and offer a familiar room or upgrade. These kinds of automated, data-driven touchpoints reduce the need for manual input — and ensure that every guest gets a consistent, relevant experience.
Personalization is about sending the right messages at the right time. And for that, your PMS needs to support centralized data, segmentation, and automation that responds intelligently to guest behavior.
How to improve a guest's stay with an all-in-one PMS
Today, hoteliers have many tools to tailor guest interactions before, during, and after the stay, with minimal manual work involved. Let’s see how you can use these tools in practice.
Self check-in kiosks
First impressions matter, and with self check-in kiosks, guests can start their stay on their own terms. These kiosks are especially convenient for travelers arriving late or during busy times.
But beyond convenience, kiosks can display tailored messages based on guest profile data. For example, a returning guest might be welcomed back by name and reminded of services they used before, while a business traveler checking in on a weekday could be offered information about meeting rooms or early breakfast options.
Automated email letters
With built-in email tools, hoteliers can create message templates that dynamically adapt to each guest segment or stage of stay. This means you don’t need to write 10 different versions of a pre-arrival message, your template can include variables that adjust content depending on what the situation is.
For instance, a pre-arrival email might include relevant information about parking, nearby kid-friendly attractions, and meal times. These emails can also be scheduled with time-based automation, like sending a welcome message three days before arrival, ensuring that communication feels timely without adding to your to-do list.
AI messaging
The AI-powered messaging can help hoteliers respond to guests in real time. The system generates its responses based on guest tone, history, and prior interactions, and you can review and customize them before sending. For example, if a guest has previously asked about wellness services, the AI assistant can suggest spa times or send a reminder when there’s a discount available. It can also provide practical details, like breakfast hours or directions, when asked, in the guest’s preferred language.
Chatbots
The chatbots that will offer 24/7 guest communication with built-in segmentation logic are also quite powerful. These bots won’t just answer questions — they’ll offer tailored suggestions based on who’s asking. For example, a chatbot can suggest a late check-out only to guests with early morning arrivals or notify a family with kids about quiet hours and play areas.
The goal here isn’t to replace human staff, but to extend your team’s capacity to respond with relevant, thoughtful service.
Conclusion
With the right tools in place, personalization becomes both practical and scalable. Relevant offers convert better, personalized service builds loyalty, and consistent communication boosts guest satisfaction.
If you’re unsure where to begin, start small. Choose one or two segments that matter to your property: families vs. solo travelers, or domestic vs. international guests. Tailor a few key messages, such as your pre-arrival email or in-stay tips. Over time, you can add layers: booking behavior, stay history, language, preferences, and more.
The more you understand your guests, the better you can serve them. And with the right PMS, that insight is already within reach – you just need to start using it.
