Lobby, an AI-driven booking automation tool for travel and hospitality providers, has released a study questioning whether the industry’s emphasis on speed and conversion metrics truly reflects guest satisfaction. Their analysis reveals that while hotels frequently respond to inquiries promptly, they often fail to address all aspects of a guest’s concerns—just 44% of multi-part queries received complete answers. Worse, nearly 12% of incoming emails involved repeat requests from customers whose original questions had gone unanswered. The findings suggest that many properties treat reservations as transactional checklists rather than opportunities to enhance value.
Guest preferences were also frequently overlooked, even when bookings were completed. Lobby also found that hotels treat reservations as administrative tasks rather than commercial opportunities. In 42% of cases, conversations ended after a refused request with no alternative offered.