If I was a Product Manager at a Hotel…
Breaking down user problems, solutions, and prioritization
Spring Break 2022!
You can take the girl out of product management, but you can’t take the product management out of the girl.
My family and I recently went on a vacation for Spring Break. We had a wonderful time! And while it was a nice break from work, I couldn’t help but notice little things that didn’t work as well as they could. In other words, I was noting user problems and thinking through what I would do if I was a product manager at the hotel. Here are the user problems that I noticed:
Elevator
User Problem 1: Elevator that stops on every floor when it’s already full
Pain Points:
At peak times around check-out, the elevator gets jammed with luggage after the first few stops on the higher floors. By the time they reach the lower floors, the elevator doors open and the hapless guest peeks into the packed elevator before retreating and mumbling resignedly, “I’ll get the next one.” This drama plays itself out multiple times before reaching the Lobby level, the elevators empties, and the drama is ready to restart. For everyone trying to use the elevator, it’s inconvenient and time-consuming - whether you’re making extra stops on the elevator or you’re waiting for an elevator that will fit you.
User Groups:
People already on the elevator
People trying to get on the elevator with luggage
People trying to get on the elevator without luggage
Solution:
For people trying to get on the elevator without luggage, you could use the stairs if you’re not on too high of a floor. Otherwise, not many existing alternatives exist.
A possible solution could be to have a camera at the top of the elevator that detects if the elevator is full. This technology is similar to smart refrigerators that use AI to detect when you need more groceries. When it is, then it adjusts the elevator routing to ignore any buttons that have been pushed by someone trying to get on an elevator and only stops on floors that have been pushed inside the elevator.
Wall mounted toiletries
User Problem 2: Shampoo mounted on the wall that the kids can’t reach
Pain Points: My kids are old enough to shower on their own, but the younger one was not tall enough to reach the wall mounted shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Luckily, kids don’t stay in hotel rooms by themselves, so I was available to camp out in the bathroom and push dispense on product when she needed it. However, other people - such as those with handicaps - could face similar access issues and not have someone with them to help.
User Groups:
Guests that can’t reach the dispensers and are traveling with others that can
Guests that can’t reach the dispensers and are not traveling with anyone that can help them reach
Companions to people that can’t reach the dispensers
Solutions:
In our case, I was able to find a quick and easy alternative by pushing the dispenser for the kids.
Another solution that would keep the wall mounted dispensers could be to install the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash on a slider bar, so that users could customize the height. These slider bars are similar to ones used for shower heads that can be set at different heights. However, they would still require that someone is available to move it down if they’re initially set too high.
If having a companion is not feasible, then small bottles could be a solution for this type of exception case. When a guest can’t reach the dispensers, they can call Guest Services and request that the small bottles of product be delivered to them. However, the reason for wall mounted dispensers in the first place is that hotels are increasingly moving away from small bottles of products and towards wall mounted dispensers in order to cut down on plastic waste.
Wet swimsuits
User Problem 3: Packing wet swimsuits
Pain Points: You want to make the most of your last day of vacation by hitting the pool, but then you have sopping wet swimsuits to throw into your suitcase. You don’t want your wet swimsuit to get the rest of your belongings wet. Depending on how long you’ll be traveling, you also don’t want your swimsuit to develop that damp, musty, stinky smell because it’s stayed wet during your trip home.
User Groups:
Guests that go swimming on check-out day
Guests that go swimming and like to keep swimsuits dry
Solutions:
An obvious solution is to choose not to go swimming on your last day so that your swimsuit has time to dry, but that would run counter to your other user need of making the most out of your vacation time.
The other common solution is to pack it wet, hopefully finding a plastic bag or something that you can use to segregate your wet swimsuit from your other belongings. This still doesn’t solve the problem that your swimsuit could be musty when you get home.
Swimsuit drying machines are very common at pools. The hotel could install 1-2 machines near the pool or in the fitness center, so that guests can access and use the machines as needed.
A more creative solution could be to create a bag that absorbs moisture. If Thinx panties can absorb 5 tampons worth of your period, then a bag made from a similar material should be able to easily handle a swimsuit that has already been wrung out. These wet swimsuit bags could be sold directly to consumers or even provided by hotels as an amenity.
Prioritization
If I was forced to choose one solution to implement, then I would think about the goal, benefits, and costs from the standpoint of the hotel.
If I wanted to pursue a strategic growth opportunity, then I could choose the elevator solution. The elevator technology would be the most costly to develop, but the solution has huge potential reach across not just one hotel, but any building with multiple floors including other hotels, apartment buildings, and office buildings. All that said, it would be more likely that this innovation would come from an elevator company, rather than a hotel, and is such a different business model that it could be a distraction to operating a hotel.
If I wanted to improve the guest experience, then I would compare the ROI of improving the toiletries vs. the swimsuit experience. Slider bars cost around $50/each so for a 2,000 room hotel, it would cost around $125K, but all hotel guests could benefit from being able to customize the height of toiletries. Swimsuit dryers cost around $2500/unit and 1-2 machines would be sufficient for the entire hotel, but it would only benefit guests that swim and care about drying their swimsuit. Given the large cost differential and that both are relatively minor detractors for guests, I would prioritize bathing suit dryers, and use small bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash as a backup for customers who need it.
Phew, that’s it. I need a vacation from my vacation. :) What problem would you choose to solve?
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