When I first heard about NPS years ago, I’ll admit, I rolled my eyes.
“Another fancy metric consultants love, but does it really help?”
Back then, I thought if my TripAdvisor reviews were decent and guests weren’t complaining too loudly, I was doing fine. But I was wrong.
Over time, I realized hotel NPS isn’t just a score; it’s a mirror that shows you exactly how guests feel about your hotel. And when you read it right, it becomes a crystal ball that predicts your revenue, your reputation, and even your future occupancy.
So let’s talk about it; not in a dry, corporate way, but in a real, I’ve-seen-this-work way.
So, What Exactly is NPS (and Why Should You Care)?
Hotel NPS (Net Promoter Score) sounds fancy, but it’s actually the simplest feedback tool out there.
You ask your guests one question:
“On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend?”
Then you group the answers:
- 9–10 = Promoters (they love you, and they’ll tell everyone)
- 7–8 = Passives (they’re okay, but forgettable)
- 0–6 = Detractors (they’re unhappy, and they’ll tell everyone too; but for the wrong reasons)
Your Hotel NPS is simply the % of Promoters minus the % of Detractors.
Here’s why it matters: Promoters drive referrals. Detractors drive bad reviews. And in our industry, word of mouth is everything.
Did you know hotels with a high NPS see 10–15% more repeat bookings and up to 25% more direct reservations? Because when people love their stay, they don’t just come back; they bring friends with them.
#OnResTips: How to Increase Direct Hotel Bookings?
What I Learned About Hotel NPS the Hard Way
I’ll never forget the first time I ran an NPS survey at one of my properties.
I expected glowing scores, I mean, we were a 4‑star boutique hotel with great reviews.
But the NPS came back at +12. Not terrible, but nowhere near the +50 luxury hotels brag about.
When I dug into the comments, I realized something painful: guests loved the rooms and the location, but they hated our check-in process.
They weren’t complaining to the front desk. They weren’t leaving 1‑star reviews. They were just… quietly annoyed.
And here’s the kicker; those guests didn’t come back. They didn’t refer us to friends. We were bleeding repeat business without even realizing it.
That’s when it hit me: Hotel NPS doesn’t just measure guest satisfaction—it reveals the silent gaps that stop you from growing.
How to Actually Collect NPS at Your Hotel (Without Annoying Guests)
Timing is everything. Send the survey within 24 hours of checkout. That’s when the stay is fresh in their mind.
And keep it simple. Guests don’t want to answer 20 questions. I just ask:
👉 “How likely are you to recommend us?”
👉 “What’s the one thing we could have done better?”
I send it via email or SMS, whichever they engaged with most during their booking. You’ll be surprised—response rates can hit 40–50% if you keep it short and personal.
And if you’re using a smart PMS like OnRes, you can automate all of this; no manual chasing, no spreadsheets.
What to Do With Detractors (And Why They’re Your Best Opportunity)
When someone gives you a low score, your instinct might be to panic. But here’s what I’ve learned:
Detractors are your best teachers.
When a guest tells you they were upset about slow housekeeping or poor Wi‑Fi, they’re giving you a roadmap to improvement.
I always personally reach out to low scorers. I say something like:
“Hi [Name], I saw your feedback and I’m truly sorry you had a less-than-perfect experience. Can we make it right?”
Half the time, they’re so surprised someone actually cared that they give you another chance. I’ve even had detractors turn into promoters, just because we listened.
And when you fix the underlying problem (like we did with our check-in delays), your NPS goes up naturally.
Don’t Forget Your Promoters!
Now here’s the part most hoteliers miss; your promoters are gold.
When someone gives you a 10/10, don’t just say “Thanks.” Ask them for a review or a referral.
Something like:
“We’re so happy you loved your stay! Would you mind sharing your experience on Google or TripAdvisor? It really helps us grow.”
We started doing this and saw a 35% increase in positive reviews in just three months.
Remember, people who love you WANT to help; they just need a little nudge.
Making Sense of the Score
What’s a good NPS for hotels?
- +20 to +30 is decent.
- +40+ means you’re doing great.
- +60+? That’s luxury hotel territory.
But here’s the thing; don’t obsess over the number.
What matters more is the trend. Are you improving month over month? Are your detractors shrinking while promoters grow?
I’ve seen properties jump from +10 to +45 in a year—just by fixing one or two friction points that guests kept mentioning.
What Happens When You Take Hotel NPS Seriously
When we really started using hotel NPS as a management tool, not just a vanity metric, everything changed:
✅ Check-in complaints dropped 50% after we redesigned the process.
✅ Direct bookings went up 18% because happy guests started referring friends.
✅ Staff morale improved, because they finally saw clear feedback; not just random reviews online.
It became part of our culture. Every week, we’d review the top NPS comments, celebrate wins, and brainstorm fixes for common complaints.
CustomerGauge discovered that a tenfold increase in NPS score correlates with a 3.2% increase in upsell revenue.
The Bottom Line: Hotel NPS is a Conversation, Not Just a Score
The truth is, hotel NPS isn’t magic. It won’t fix your problems overnight. But it will shine a light on things you can’t see from behind the front desk.
It’s like having an honest conversation with every guest. And if you listen, really listen; you’ll know exactly how to improve, retain more guests, and grow your revenue without spending more on ads or OTAs.
That’s why we built NPS feedback loops right into OnRes; so hotels can gather insights effortlessly and focus on action, not admin.Because in the end, it’s simple: happy guests come back. Unhappy guests don’t. And NPS tells you which one you’re creating.
