Buyer's journey in hotels: stages and examples

The buyer's journey tracks the entire path a traveler takes from dreaming of a trip to returning home. It maps key interactions and touchpoints a guest has with your property—online and offline—so you can better understand what they may need at each stage.

Why is it important to monitor the buyer’s journey in hotels?

Many property owners focus heavily on the booking transaction. However, the reservation is usually just one step in a longer narrative often referred to as the marketing funnel. Mapping the full buyer's journey can help you support travelers earlier in their research and continue the relationship after they check out.

The journey typically follows five distinct stages, which align with the Top of Funnel (TOFU), Middle of Funnel (MOFU), and Bottom of Funnel (BOFU) marketing concepts:

Dreaming (TOFU): The guest realizes they want to travel but hasn’t picked a destination yet.
Planning (MOFU): The guest has chosen a destination and is comparing options (hotels, rentals, B&Bs).
Booking (BOFU): The guest has selected your property and is ready to make a reservation.
Experiencing: The guest is on-property, from check-in to check-out.
Sharing: The guest is post-stay, leaving reviews and sharing memories.

This framework matters because guests often have different needs at each stage. In the dreaming phase, they may want inspiration. In the planning phase, they often want clear answers to questions about location and amenities. In the booking phase, they typically want a smooth, trustworthy transaction.

Treating a guest in the dreaming phase like they are ready to book can feel pushy. Conversely, treating a guest in the booking phase with vague inspirational content can create unnecessary friction.

Mapping this journey can help you align technology and communication to meet the guest where they are. Over time, this approach may support stronger direct-booking performance because you engage earlier in the decision process. It can also help improve the overall guest experience by reducing avoidable friction before arrival. And as you build more direct relationships with guests, you may be able to rely less on OTAs for demand.

What does the buyer's journey usually look like in hotels?

In the hospitality industry, the buyer's journey is rarely a straight line. It is often a “messy” process where travelers jump back and forth between stages and devices.

A typical traveler might start by seeing a photo on social media (Dreaming). They might then visit an OTA to see general prices in the area (Planning). Next, they might visit your website to check if you have a pool, then leave to talk to their partner. Days later, they might return to your site via a Google search to check availability, only to have a question about parking (Planning). Finally, they book.

Context in practice
Consider a family planning a summer vacation:

Monday: They browse Instagram and see a post about your region. They save the post.
Wednesday: They look at an OTA to compare 10 different properties. They narrow it down to three favorites, including yours.
Friday: They visit your direct website. They want to know if you have a crib available. If they can’t find the answer quickly, they might leave.
Saturday: They find the answer in your FAQ or receive an automated reply from your chatbot.
Sunday: They book the room.

This behavior highlights a critical reality: you are not only competing on price. You are also competing on information clarity and ease of use. If your website is hard to use on mobile, or if your photos don’t load, the journey can stall.

Travelers often look for information across multiple devices—sometimes starting on a smartphone during a commute and finishing on a laptop at home. A fragmented journey where information is inconsistent across channels (for example, different prices on OTAs versus your site) can create hesitation. A consistent, helpful journey can make it easier for guests to feel confident booking directly.

How do you calculate conversion through the journey?

While the “journey” is a concept, you can measure parts of it by calculating the conversion rate between specific stages. This can help you spot where guests may be dropping off.

Stage Conversion Rate = (Users moving to next stage ÷ Users in current stage) × 100

Practical example
You want to understand how effectively your website moves people from the Planning phase (viewing the home page) to the Booking phase (entering the booking engine):

Users on Home Page: 5,000.
Users entering Booking Engine: 1,000.

Calculation:
(1,000 ÷ 5,000) × 100 = 20%

If 5,000 people visit your site but only 20% check rates, it may indicate friction in the transition from Planning to Booking. You might test clearer call-to-action buttons, improved navigation, or better photography to help guests take the next step.

What factors influence the buyer's journey?

Several operational factors can shape whether a guest moves smoothly through the journey or abandons it. These factors include:

Online Visibility: If a guest cannot find you during the Dreaming or Planning phases, the journey may never start. This includes SEO, social media presence, and OTA listings.
Website Speed and Design: In the Planning phase, a slow website or one that doesn’t work well on mobile can create immediate friction. Some guests may also interpret a confusing website as a signal of disorganization.
Social Proof: Reviews are often important during the Planning and Booking phases. Many travelers validate their choice by reading about other guests’ experiences, and a lack of recent reviews can slow decision-making.
Responsiveness: When a guest has a question (for example, “Do you allow dogs?”), the speed and clarity of your answer can influence whether they continue researching your property.
Price Consistency: If a guest sees a lower price on an OTA than on your website during the Booking phase, it can create doubt. Clear rate positioning and consistent messaging can help reduce confusion.

How to improve the buyer's journey in your hotel

Optimizing the buyer's journey doesn’t require a massive marketing budget. It requires looking at your operation from the guest’s perspective and removing obstacles at each stage. Using the right tools to automate communication and streamline operations can help you guide guests from their first search to their final review with fewer points of friction.

1. Make the “Dreaming” phase visual and accessible

Before a guest books, they imagine the experience. Your online presence should support that imagination. Make sure your website and social media channels feature high-quality images that show not just the room, but what it feels like to stay there.

Update descriptions to focus on emotions and benefits, not just features. Instead of listing “coffee maker,” describe “enjoying your morning espresso on a private balcony.” This can help capture attention earlier. Also, ensure your property is listed accurately on local maps and directories so you’re easier to discover when travelers are browsing broad destinations.

2. Strengthen the “Planning” phase with instant answers

When travelers narrow down their options, they often have specific questions. If they have to email you and wait a day for a reply, they may move on to another option.

A chatbot can provide instant answers to common questions about parking, check-in times, or breakfast, 24/7. This means, the tool handles repetitive inquiries automatically on across different channel (from extranet messages to email to WhatsApp), which can reduce uncertainty and help guests keep moving through their research without unnecessary delays.

3. Improve the “Booking” phase by removing friction

The transition from “I like this place” to “I’m ready to reserve” works best when it feels simple and transparent. A complicated booking engine with too many steps or unclear fees is a common contributor to booking drop-off.

Review your booking flow and ask for only essential information. Make cancellation policies clear and easy to find, since uncertainty can slow decisions. A modern booking engine integrated with your PMS can help keep availability up to date and support a mobile-friendly experience. When the process feels straightforward, guests may feel more comfortable completing the reservation directly.

4. Differentiate your offer in the “Experiencing” phase

The journey doesn’t end when the credit card is charged. The time between booking and arrival is an opportunity to set expectations, answer questions, and help guests plan their stay.

This can be a good moment to present optional upgrades, bookable activities, or special requests in a structured way. Anticipating needs before arrival can make the stay feel smoother and can also create opportunities for guests to add experiences they might enjoy.

5. Invest in the “Sharing” phase to fuel future journeys

The end of one guest’s journey can support the beginning of another’s. The reviews and feedback guests leave often become part of the “Dreaming” content future travelers use for inspiration and validation.

Don’t leave this to chance. Automate your post-stay follow-up with a thank-you email after checkout and a clear review request. If you receive direct feedback, route it to the right team and follow up where appropriate. Responding to reviews—both positive and negative—can show prospective guests that you pay attention and care about the experience. This helps close the loop and keeps your guest communication consistent beyond the stay.