Reimagine Your Hotel Merchandise Line for Lasting Impact

As a hotelier, you may consider yourself fortunate if your guests spend 10 to 15 nights a year at your property, but that leaves around 350 days when you’re not on their minds. This gap represents lost opportunities for data collection, relationship building, and brand loyalty. Worse yet, during this time, your guests might be tempted to try another brand.

However, by offering unique, everyday merchandise, you can remain top of mind and foster stronger connections with your guests. Here’s how to rethink your hotel merch line to achieve these goals:

1. Understand Your Guests’ Needs

• Daily Use Items: Identify items your guests use daily, such as mugs, notebooks, and tote bags. These items, branded with your hotel’s logo, can serve as constant reminders of their positive experiences.
• Travel Essentials: Think about travel-related merchandise like luggage tags, travel pillows, or compact toiletry kits. These items are not only practical but also reinforce your brand every time your guests travel.

2. Innovative and Functional Products

• Smart Gadgets: Consider tech-savvy merchandise like branded power banks, USB drives, or phone stands. These items are useful and align with the needs of modern travelers.
• Eco-Friendly Options: Sustainable products like reusable water bottles, bamboo toothbrushes, or eco-friendly tote bags appeal to environmentally conscious guests and demonstrate your hotel’s commitment to sustainability.

3. Sensory Appeal

• Aromatic Merchandise: Create an air freshener with a signature scent that evokes memories of your hotel. This sensory experience can transport guests back to their stay, fostering a stronger emotional connection.
• Custom Scents: Develop a line of candles or essential oils with your hotel’s unique fragrance. These can be sold in your gift shop or online, allowing guests to bring a piece of your hotel ambiance home with them.

4. Personalization

• Customized Gifts: Offer personalized items such as monogrammed bathrobes, embroidered towels, or custom-engraved luggage tags. Personalized merchandise makes guests feel special and valued.
• Exclusive Collections: Develop limited edition merchandise collections for special occasions or holidays. This creates a sense of exclusivity and urgency, encouraging guests to purchase and cherish these unique items.

5. Interactive and Engaging

• Creative Packaging: Use innovative packaging that tells a story or provides an interactive experience. For instance, a puzzle box that reveals a branded item inside can add an element of surprise and delight.
• Guest Involvement: Engage your guests in the merchandise creation process by hosting design contests for new items. This not only generates excitement but also ensures the merchandise resonates with your guests’ preferences.

6. Practical and Multi-Functional

• Versatile Products: Offer items that serve multiple purposes, such as a blanket that folds into a pillow or a tote bag that converts into a backpack. These practical, multi-functional products can become indispensable to your guests.
• Travel-Friendly Gear: Merchandise like compact umbrellas, foldable water bottles, or travel-sized organizers can be incredibly useful for frequent travelers and remind them of your hotel every time they use them.

7. Brand Consistency

•  Cohesive Design: Ensure all merchandise aligns with your hotel’s brand aesthetics and values. A consistent design language across all products reinforces your brand identity.
• Quality Over Quantity: Focus on high-quality merchandise that guests will appreciate and use frequently. Durable, well-designed items reflect positively on your brand and encourage repeat stays.

8. Promotional Strategies

• Loyalty Program Tie-Ins: Offer exclusive merchandise as part of your loyalty program rewards. This not only incentivizes repeat visits but also strengthens brand loyalty.
• Social Media Campaigns: Use social media to showcase your merchandise and engage with guests. Encourage them to share photos of themselves using your branded items with a unique hashtag for a chance to win prizes.

By rethinking your hotel merchandise line with these strategies, you can create lasting impressions, foster deeper connections, and keep your brand top of mind for guests long after they’ve checked out. This innovative approach not only enhances guest loyalty but also opens new revenue streams and strengthens your overall brand presence.