Success in the hospitality industry lies in providing exceptional customer service and creating memorable experiences. To stand out in a competitive landscape, leading hotels innovate by deploying an immersive selling strategy and leveraging immersive technologies within their marketing, sales, and operations teams.

Immersion in a hotel context refers to creating an environment or experience that fully absorbs the prospective or current guest into a particular setting or narrative, exploring one or more senses. The hospitality industry has used traditional immersive methods for years by adopting virtual tours and diagramming solutions. But immersion is evolving faster than ever, and tech-forward consumers have higher standards than ever for effective and engaging immersion. From the Vision Pro to the Dome in Las Vegas, immersion is all around us and is in high demand.

Immersion Media Types

Immersion goes beyond visuals—it embraces sights, sounds, and authentic communication. Each medium offers a unique avenue for engagement and exploration. Here are some of the most significant immersion media types.

• Virtual Reality (VR) immerses guests in a digital realm, transporting them to a hotel’s environment through VR devices. This immersive experience fosters a sense of physical presence and enriches their decision-making process and overall stay.
• Augmented Reality (AR) blends digital content with the real world, offering interactive experiences for users. Overlaying virtual elements onto physical spaces allows users to explore environments in real time, enhancing their understanding and engagement.
• 3D Models, also known as digital twins, provide accurate and detailed virtual representations of spaces. They facilitate error-free visualization and aid in planning, design, and decision-making processes with precision and clarity.
• 360° Photos and Videos offer panoramic views of properties, allowing users to explore spaces from various angles. This comprehensive perspective provides a deeper understanding of facilities and surroundings, enhancing the immersive experience and appreciation of the space.
• Interactive Websites offer dynamic and engaging experiences for users to interact with hotel content. From navigating sections to viewing high-resolution images and accessing detailed information, users can explore amenities, services, and local attractions. Guests can utilize map views to explore the entire property and access different content by clicking on map pointers.

How to Use Immersion to Create Additional Revenue Streams

The answer is simple: make every space of your hotel a sellable space. While rooms and event spaces are the primary revenue streams of almost any hotel -big or small- there are a lot of opportunities to use immersion as a sales tactic and elevate your customer experience.

Let’s explore some top ways that hotels can use immersion to create additional revenue and improve their TRevPAR (Total Revenue Per Available Room)*:

• Turning free room upgrades into paid upsells at check-in. Rather than simply offering a complimentary standard room upgrade, front desk teams can upsell more effectively by allowing customers to step into luxurious suites.
• Promoting leisure upgrades such as pool cabanas. An immersive preview of your elevated pool cabanas, for example, showcasing the space and unique amenities included, can significantly boost guests interest and booking.
• Leveraging wellness with spa facilities. By allowing guests to virtually immerse themselves in the relaxing space before booking, hotels can more effectively captivate their audience.
• Featuring unique dining spaces. Imagine rooftop restaurants boasting breathtaking views, underwater dining experiences with unparalleled ambiance, or spaces collaborating with renowned brands and chefs at exclusive chef’s tables. By curating such immersive dining experiences, hotels can generate additional revenue, set themselves apart from competitors, and entice a larger clientele.
• Showcasing kids’ spaces. Families and travelers with children are constantly seeking out hotels that cater to kids.  By showcasing engaging and interactive kids’ spaces, hotels can attract families and increase their revenue through additional room bookings and activities.

How does immersion improve conversion rates?

One key aspect of immersive experiences is the concept of “spatial presence.” This refers to the feeling of being physically present in a simulated environment. Studies using neuroimaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), have demonstrated increased activity in the brain regions responsible for spatial cognition and awareness when individuals engage with immersive content. This heightened sense of presence contributes to a more authentic and impactful experience. Besides, this heightened cognitive load can enhance memory retention and information recall, positively impacting cognitive processes, which could result in better conversion rates in the sales process.

As the competition intensifies within the industry, those hotels that master the art of immersion will likely emerge as leaders, setting new benchmarks for customer satisfaction and revenue generation.

Partnering with Visiting Media for Enhanced Immersive Selling

Hotels can maximize the benefits of Visiting Media’s immersive sales enablement platform, SalesHub, to unlock the full potential of immersive selling and drive revenue growth. Whether it’s presenting your hotel in unprecedented detail through immersive showcases or curating personalized guest experiences by seamlessly integrating various immersive assets with traditional content and even personalized voice messages, SalesHub covers it all!

As the only sales enablement software seamlessly handling advanced immersive technologies, we redefine how digital assets are deployed across teams and through digital channels.

Want to learn more about Visiting Media’s platform? Request a demo today! 

* Additional resource: STR blog post “RevPAR vs. TRevPAR”

Source: The Psychology Behind Immersive Experiences