Guest Journeys: More Than Just a Slogan

You've likely heard of guest journeys before—a brief description of a guest's experience somewhere at your resort. In my experience, these are often glossed over, used as a saying or a slogan ala "But it'll make a great guest journey" instead of an analytical tool.

To me, a guest journey is a way of capturing a process in order to quickly summarize it into a digestible format for implementation. These journeys can be valuable both from a future facing and "as-is" perspective.

Future Facing

For example—A hospitality client of mine had a series of blue books in a guest's room that provided no at-a-glance indication of their value to the guest, yet they contained every service and feature available to the hotel. I offered a series of tips on how to better organize and color-code them so guests could quickly identify information that aligned with their persona (luxury, adventure, dining & drinks). At the end, I summarized it as:

I am a recently checked-in guest. I need information on adventurous activities and how to book them. I select the Orange book labeled "Adventure" with the logo of the hotel and review the activities available to me via the hotel, via 3rd parties, and the instructions on how to book an adventure via the concierge desk. I select an adventure from the menu and contact the concierge to book the adventure"

Here we're both capturing a concept and a training tool—a visual story to instruct guest services on materials placement when constructing the room for the next guests.

"As-Is"

As-is guest stories are truthful descriptions of a guest's experience as it exists today. I want to emphasize "truthful" here. Too many times I've seen an analysis done of current operations or guest experiences that have been run through a sunny day filter. Stories should be written objectively. Friction should not only exist but be openly discussed. Those are the sweet spots for learning, development, and optimization. Here's an example as-is story from another client:

I am a guest. I need to check in. I am greeted by a member of staff at the entrance who offers a cold towel. I am greeted by a different member of staff who offers to take my bags. I am greeted by the front desk staff who offers me a seat. While I am processing my room I am greeted by a different member of staff and am offered a drink. I receive my keycards and am checked in.

This isn't a bad story per se, but it illustrates what could be a confusing check-in process. A guest is checking in to a luxury hotel, but the guest's attention is scattered, and despite the luxury, are being presented with splinters of service from (literally) all angles. To me, there were improvements to be made.

Creating Effective Guest Stories

When developing guest stories, start with a simple framework: Who is the guest? What do they need? What obstacles might they face? What resources are available to them? Then map out each step of their interaction chronologically, noting every touchpoint—both human and physical. The key is specificity; vague stories lead to vague solutions.

For each story, include:

• The guest's goal or need

• The sequence of interactions

• The emotion or experience at each step

• The resolution (or lack thereof)

Remember that the most powerful stories often come from direct observation or experience. Walk the journey yourself, or better yet, shadow actual guests (with permission) to capture authentic details.

Every guest resource should have a story

I would not recommend generating a large set of guest stories overnight. You will burn yourself out and lose the value of a guest story when the goal is volume over value. Instead, I would say to use guest stories like a tool in your tool belt. That is to say, bring it with you to the job at hand—whether it's bringing a new guest resource online, or refreshing the experience of an existing resource, start with a truthful, practical guest story. Build the better minimum, so you can maximize the maximum.

As you develop stories, save them somewhere and treat them like building blocks. Organize them into areas, and use them to standardize your systems so that your systems are predictable, and self-guiding to guests and your operations teams.

Connecting Stories to Business Outcomes

Guest stories aren't just operational exercises—they directly impact your bottom line.

When implemented effectively, they can:

• Increase operational efficiency: By identifying redundancies (like multiple greetings in our check-in example) and streamlining processes

• Boost revenue: Well-designed journeys naturally lead guests toward additional services and amenities they actually want

• Enhance guest satisfaction: When experiences feel intuitive rather than confusing, guests relax and enjoy their stay

• Improve staff performance: Clear stories provide staff with concrete guidance on their role in the overall experience

• Drive loyalty: Guests who experience thoughtfully designed journeys are more likely to return and recommend

The ROI becomes evident when you track metrics before and after implementing changes based on guest stories—from time savings in operations to increases in positive reviews and repeat bookings.

Conclusion

Guest stories aren't just narratives—they're operational X-rays that reveal both pain points and opportunities. By building a library of these stories, you're creating a living playbook that evolves with your business. The next time you're faced with a service challenge or opportunity, start with a simple question: "What's the guest's story here?" Then watch as clarity replaces confusion, and intentional design replaces accidental experiences. Your guests won't just notice the difference—they'll tell their own stories about it, and those are the ones that ultimately show up in reviews, recommendations, and return visits.