Great Guest Experiences

Technology has transformed the hospitality industry over the past two decades. From digital keys and seamless arrivals to mobile apps and self-service guest journeys, today's holidaymakers have more tools and convenience at their fingertips than ever before. But despite these advances, the foundations of a great guest experience remain remarkably consistent. We spoke to Ricky Dent, Operations Manager at Landal, to explore why the human elements of hospitality still matter most.

With more than 20 years of hospitality leadership experience, Ricky supports Landal UK resorts in delivering exceptional guest experiences, operational excellence and commercial growth. Having held roles across the hospitality sector, including with Disney and Waitrose, he brings a broad perspective on what drives guest satisfaction. Ricky believes that while technology can enhance a guest's stay, it is personal connections, thoughtful details and a genuine understanding of guest needs that ultimately create memorable holiday experiences.

Ask most hospitality professionals how guest expectations have changed over the last 20 years and they'll likely point to technology.

Today's guests can check in digitally, unlock accommodation from their phone, scan QR codes for information and access everything they need without speaking to a member of staff. From a practical perspective, the holiday experience has become more seamless than ever.

But Ricky believes the fundamentals remain unchanged. "Most people would say the guest experience is vastly different because of technology, I'd actually say there is no difference. At its heart, guest experience is still about human interaction and human touchpoints."

In fact, guest feedback data often supports that view. Guests who enjoy positive interactions with staff consistently score their experiences higher than those who never engage with anyone during their stay.

Technology, Ricky argues, should enhance the experience rather than replace it.

That doesn't mean it isn't valuable. Digital information packs, online booking journeys and mobile key access have all helped remove friction from the guest journey.

One example Ricky highlights is the move away from traditional information folders left in accommodation. "They were always dog-eared, worn out and looked untidy," he says. "Replacing those with digital information is a really good use of technology."

Similarly, digital keys and seamless arrivals have helped reduce queues at reception and give guests more flexibility. Yet despite the convenience, many guests still choose to visit reception.

"Only around 50% of guests actually use the digital arrival process," Ricky says. "The other 50% still want the welcome. They want to ask questions. They want that human interaction."

One of the most influential lessons Ricky learned during his time at Disney was that great customer service isn't simply about answering questions, it's about understanding why the guest is asking them.

Take a simple question such as, "Where are the toilets?" A standard response might be to give directions; "Go down there, take the second right and you'll find them." There's nothing wrong with that answer, the guest asked for information and received it. But exceptional service looks different. Taking a guest to the point where they can physically see where they need to go, transforms a transactional interaction into a personal one. It takes only a few moments longer, but it leaves a lasting impression.

The same principle applies to one of Disney's most famous customer service examples: the question, "What time is the 5 o'clock parade?". Most people answer with the obvious response. But that isn't really what the guest wants to know.

Do they have young children? Are they hoping to get a good viewing spot? Do they want character interaction? Are they trying to collect one final autograph before leaving the park?

A great answer might sound more like: "The parade starts at the castle at 5pm and finishes around 5:45pm. If you've got younger children, I'd suggest standing near the ice cream stand around 4:45pm. If you're hoping for character interaction, the end of the route is actually better because the performers have more time to engage with guests there."

"The real lesson," Ricky says, "is understanding why the guest is asking the question. The answer should be tailored to them rather than simply providing information."

When asked what consistently creates excellent guest experiences, Ricky doesn't point to major investments or expensive facilities. Instead, he talks about first impressions.

At Landal, teams take part in a workshop designed to view accommodation through the eyes of a guest. Participants enter a lodge, immediately take a Polaroid photograph and then leave again. The photograph captures the guest's first impression.

"The reason we do it is because when you work somewhere every day, you become blind to things," Ricky explains. In many cases, the first thing guests saw when they walked into accommodation was a bin.

The accommodation itself might have felt dark or lacked warmth, but operational teams no longer noticed because they saw it every day. Small changes made a significant difference. Bins were moved out of the immediate line of sight. Tea and coffee facilities became more visible. Plants and greenery were introduced to create a stronger connection between the indoor and outdoor environment.

"We saw NPS increase by around 8%, We didn't add anything new. We just repositioned things we already had."

Another simple improvement centred on the guest arrival experience. After a long journey, guests often want one thing above all else: a chance to relax. By ensuring tea and coffee facilities were immediately visible and accessible, guests could settle in straight away.

"It's the same as welcoming somebody into your home. If a friend came round and you didn't offer them a drink, it would feel strange. Guests are no different."

Not every attempt to improve guest experience delivers results.

One of the most common mistakes Ricky sees is the use of token gestures that don't genuinely add value.

"If you're going to provide tea and coffee, do it properly. A cheap tea bag and a poor-quality coffee sachet can actually score worse than not providing it at all."

Another misconception is that expensive extras automatically improve guest satisfaction.

Over the years, many operators have experimented with complimentary gifts such as bottles of Prosecco, assuming they would elevate the guest experience. The reality was often different; guests didn't necessarily value those extras in the way operators expected. "There can be a disconnect between what owners think adds value and what guests actually value," Ricky explains.

For family accommodation, some of the most successful initiatives have been surprisingly simple. For example, Landal teams often gather information during pre-arrival calls, including the names of children travelling with the booking. Those names are then written on welcome boards inside the accommodation.

For adults, it's a nice touch. For children, it's magical.

"They walk in and immediately ask, 'How do they know my name?'"

The same thinking led to the introduction of quality family board games in accommodation. Guests frequently reported spending evenings playing games together that they hadn't touched in years. Those shared experiences often created more lasting memories than far more expensive gestures.

According to Ricky, guest experience should be considered long before a resort welcomes its first guest. In an ideal world, operational teams are involved during the design and development stages.

"We've worked with lodge manufacturers where one two-bedroom lodge took half an hour longer to clean than another because of design decisions," he says. Those differences might appear minor during construction, but they can have a substantial operational impact over time.

For existing resorts joining the Landal portfolio, improvements can still be made, although they often take longer due to supplier agreements, service contracts and existing operational structures. The benefit of Landal's scale is that it allows operators to access expertise, buying power and operational efficiencies that would be difficult to achieve independently.

Looking ahead, Ricky believes guest expectations will continue to evolve in line with trends emerging in everyday life.

“Historically, holiday accommodation has always reflected aspirations. Guests wanted larger spaces than they had at home. Then they wanted hot tubs, saunas and outdoor kitchens”. Now, Ricky believes culinary experiences are becoming increasingly important. Guests are looking for better cooking facilities, stronger connections to local food producers and more authentic dining experiences.

Recommendations for local butchers, bakeries and independent food producers are becoming increasingly valuable. Features such as herb gardens, Quooker taps and air fryers are also growing in popularity as guests seek the same convenience and quality they enjoy at home.

The challenge for operators is staying one step ahead of those expectations.

For Ricky, one of the biggest misconceptions about Landal is that it's simply a route to market for holiday resorts.

"People often see us as a business that can drive occupancy and revenue, which we absolutely can," he says. "But we're equally focused on helping owners improve profitability and operational performance."

That means looking beyond bookings and identifying opportunities to improve efficiencies, reduce unnecessary costs and strengthen the guest experience at the same time.

Rather than cutting corners or stripping services back, the focus is on finding sustainable ways to improve both guest satisfaction and commercial performance. Whether it's rethinking the arrival experience, improving housekeeping efficiencies or introducing small touches that create lasting memories, the objective remains the same: delivering better experiences for guests while creating stronger long-term returns for resort owners.

As Ricky's experience demonstrates, the most successful resorts aren't necessarily those with the most technology or the biggest budgets. They're the ones that understand their guests, focus on the details that matter and never lose sight of the human connection at the heart of hospitality.