Leaving a lasting impression and making sure the guest has a pleasant experience is arguably the mission of every hotel out there. And it’s not difficult to see why; with competition this huge, any little thing that might make it stand out from the rest can put it one step ahead of said competition.

According to data from 2023, there are roughly 700,000 hotels and 17.5 million guest rooms worldwide.

In order for hotels to remain competitive and profitable, the people responsible have to make sure they have their ducks in a row in regards to their commercial strategy. According to a seasoned hospitality professional, Glenn Carroll, this includes working on three levels: performance, process, and people.

In a piece for the Glion Hospitality school, Carroll pointed out that it’s crucial to know your position in the industry. “To begin with, it’s important to look in detail at the current situation, by carrying out a commercial audit. For example, which segment or segments are you operating in? Where does your business come from channel-wise? Who are your competitors and what do they do? It’s absolutely crucial for a hotel to establish where it is today before it can look at where it wants to be tomorrow.”

After successfully identifying the hotel’s place in the field, it might be time to work on certain strategies or perks that might benefit the guests. These often include promotions or, as seen in some of the pictures of this list, exceptional features that might make the guests come time and again (or at least tell their friends about it, this way enabling word of mouth marketing).

According to SiteMinder, only 14% of travelers say that their chosen property is “simply a place to sleep”, meaning that providing them with the most basic amenities is unlikely to be enough.

SiteMinder also revealed that over one-in-four globetrotters start their research using a search engine like Google, showing just how important it is for hoteliers to work on their websites and online presence.

And while tending to their websites or social media platforms, it’s crucial for hotels to provide all the information regarding what they have to offer, as netizens seem to be quite specific with their searches - statistics show that 70% of hotel searches on mobile devices are for a specific type of amenity; for example, “hotel with an indoor pool” or “hotel with jacuzzi in room.”

As a matter of fact, mobile searches with the “hotel with …” combination have grown over 60% over the past couple of years, meaning that it’s important to make sure the websites are mobile-friendly, too.

An Oracle survey from 2022 found that the pandemic has been a major influence on people’s preferences and desires regarding accommodation options; nowadays, more than 70% of respondents reportedly want hotels to offer technology that minimizes contact with the staff and other guests.

“The pandemic has established technology’s role in the guest and associate journey, and the industry is never going back,” said the senior vice president and general manager at Oracle Hospitality, Alex Alt. “Whether a hotel organization has two properties or 2,000, guests are looking for the highly digital, self-service experience they have come to expect in other parts of their lives, from banking to ordering food. For hoteliers to meet these demands, especially with constrained property staffing, they need systems that will enable them to quickly adapt, ‘plug in’ new services, and better and more efficiently serve a diverse group of travelers.”

According to the Oracle survey, more than nine-in-ten travelers admit not missing being around other people while staying on a hotel property. In addition to that, roughly four-in-ten of them say that they now want a fully self-service model, with staff only available upon request.

The data from the survey also emphasized the importance of convenience that technology can provide the hotel guests: nearly half of respondents said that on-demand entertainment access, which seamlessly connects to their personal streaming or gaming accounts, tops the list of the must-have amenities during their stay.

In addition to that, more than 40% of respondents said they’d like to have voice-activated controls for all amenities in their rooms—such as lights, curtains, and door locks, among other things—while roughly one-in-four reported wishing for room controls that auto-adjust temperature, lighting, and even digital art based on pre-shared preferences.

Oracle also revealed what amenities or exceptional features people are willing to pay additionally for, the most popular of which being a beautiful view; or at least the chance to choose their view. Next in line was the option to choose the room itself, followed by a spa, wellness, or fitness services, and choosing which floor to live on.

Some of the amenities on this list seemingly surpass the benefits of choosing one’s floor or the room, often becoming the detail that makes the hotel stand out from the rest. If you’d like to browse more hotels that ought to stand out as one-of-a-kind, too, check out the unique features of hotels on this list or browse this one for more similar content.