1) Only Ask If You're Willing to Act
If you’re not prepared to make changes based on guest feedback, don’t ask the question. For example, if you know you're not investing in room upgrades this year, skip questions about the room. Surveys should drive decisions, not just gather data. Be honest about what you're willing to do with the responses.
2) Keep It Short and Focused
Guests are often willing to share their thoughts—but not at the cost of their time. Avoid turning your survey into a digital scavenger hunt. Stick to a few meaningful questions that provide real insight. The shorter the survey, the higher the response rate and the better the quality of feedback.
3) Start With the Most Important Question First
Put the most valuable question right at the top—whether it’s Net Promoter Score (NPS), an overall satisfaction rating, or something unique to your brand. After that, let guests choose whether they want to continue. A flexible, opt-in approach respects their time and still captures what matters most.
4) Ask Questions That Align With the Guest Journey
Every question should map to a touchpoint in the guest experience—from booking to check-out. This ensures relevance and clarity. Asking about areas a guest never interacted with only dilutes their trust and your data.
5) Use Plain Language, Not Corporate Speak
Guests aren’t internal stakeholders—they’re people who just spent time and money with you. Your survey questions should sound like a conversation, not a committee meeting. Drop the jargon. Speak like a human, and your guests will too.
Survey Questions
Once you've defined your survey strategy, the next step is choosing the right questions. This section provides a set of sample questions you can use or adapt to fit your brand and goals.
How to Choose the Right First Questions
Your survey should begin with one core question that captures the guest’s overall experience. If they only answer one question—and many will—you want it to be meaningful. That first question sets the tone and delivers your most important insight.
Make it count.
After that, you can offer follow-up questions, but don’t require them. A flexible, guest-friendly approach leads to higher response rates and better data. Let the guest decide how much feedback they want to give—your job is to make the first question worth answering.
You have two strong options to start with: a Net Promoter Score (NPS) question or an Overall Satisfaction question. Each has its strengths:
- NPS (0–10 scale): Asks how likely the guest is to recommend your property to others. This provides a simple way to benchmark and track loyalty over time.
- Overall Satisfaction (1–5 scale): Asks guests to rate their stay in a way that often feels more intuitive and natural. It’s easy for guests to answer and easy for teams to interpret.
Personally, I prefer a hybrid approach. The 1–5 satisfaction scale tends to invite more participation, while the NPS question offers a clearer view of true loyalty and long-term satisfaction. Together, they provide a more balanced and actionable picture.
Sample First Question (Choose One or Combine)
- On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend or colleague?
(0 = Not at all likely and 10 = Extremely likely.) - How satisfied were you with your stay overall?
(1 = Not satisfied at all, 5 = Extremely satisfied)
Note: Depending on the type of property you operate, you may want to use a shorter version of the NPS question: "On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend?”
Steven’s Choices for a First Question
- On a scale of 0 to 10, how likely are you to recommend us to a friend?
(1 = Not at all likely, 5 = Extremely likely)
Follow-Up Questions (Pick 2–4 Based on Your Priorities)
Only include follow-ups you’re prepared to act on. Focus on the parts of the experience that matter most to your team or are currently under review.
- What stood out as the best part of your stay?
- What could we have done to improve your experience?
- How would you rate the cleanliness of your room? (1–5)
- How would you rate the friendliness of our staff? (1–5)
- Did you use any of the amenities during your stay (e.g., pool, spa, gym)? (Yes/No)
- If yes: Please rate the quality of those amenities. (1–5)
- Did anything about your stay fall short of expectations?
- If yes: What was it and why?
- Was your check-in and check-out experience smooth and efficient? (Yes/No)
- Would you consider staying with us again? (Yes/No)
About the Author
Steven Latasa-Nicks is a founder and CEO of Miles Customer Experience—MilesCX. He merges over 30 years of experience in technology and hospitality and is a seasoned leader in customer and guest satisfaction, with over 15 years of specialized expertise in the field. Steven previously served as General Manager at Satmetrix, the co-creator of the Net Promoter Score, where he helped organizations transform how they connect with guests. His leadership blends operational excellence with a deep understanding of what drives loyalty and delight.
Steven leads the charge in transforming guest experiences through AI-driven solutions tailored for hotels, clubs, and golf courses. But he’s not just a tech entrepreneur—he has also owned and operated a thriving $2M full-service restaurant, giving him a rare dual perspective as both innovator and operator. His hands-on approach ensures that MilesCX solutions are grounded in real-world operations, redefining the modern guest experience by seamlessly blending the heart of hospitality with technological excellence.
