Hotel Services
At Boyd’s Hotel Reviews, we help hotels see their service through a guest’s eyes. Our discreet mystery guest programme delivers honest, actionable insights that highlight strengths and reveal opportunities for improvement.
Why Use Mystery Guests?
Every hotel wants to deliver exceptional guest experiences – but understanding how those experiences feel in reality is not always easy. Guest feedback forms and online reviews can provide clues, but they’re often inconsistent, incomplete, or influenced by personal expectations.
Mystery guests offer a different perspective. By visiting your hotel anonymously and experiencing it exactly as a paying guest would, they provide impartial, structured feedback you can rely on. These reviews aren’t just surface-level impressions – they’re detailed, guided evaluations tailored to your specific objectives.
Whether you’re looking to refine service at the front desk, assess housekeeping standards, or evaluate your restaurant and bar, mystery guests allow you to measure performance against real-world guest expectations. Our reports help you understand where your teams shine and where adjustments are needed, all without bias or hidden agendas.
Using mystery guests ensures your investments in staff training, facilities, and guest services truly resonate with your clientele – ultimately driving higher satisfaction, stronger loyalty, and better reviews across the board.
Our Process
ONE
Consultation
and Objectives
TWO
Guest Assignment
and Booking
THREE
Unannounced
Visit
FOUR
Detailed
Feedback Report
Consultation and Objectives
Every hotel is unique, and so are its priorities. That’s why our process begins with a consultation. During this stage, we take the time to understand your business, your goals, and the guest experiences you want to evaluate.
You might want to assess how efficiently guests are welcomed at reception, whether housekeeping meets brand standards, or how smoothly a room service order is handled. Perhaps you want a complete, end-to-end view of the guest journey. Whatever your focus, we’ll tailor our approach to match.
By clearly defining your objectives from the start, we ensure our mystery guest assignments are purposeful, and that the feedback you receive directly supports your operational and strategic goals.
Guest Assignment and Booking
Once your objectives are clear, we select the right mystery guest for your hotel. Our network includes a wide variety of travellers – from business professionals to families – allowing us to match the guest profile most relevant to your property.
We handle all aspects of booking discreetly, ensuring your team remains unaware of the assignment. The guest will appear just like any other booking, blending seamlessly into your normal operations.
This stage is all about accuracy and authenticity. By assigning the right type of guest, we ensure that the feedback reflects the kind of experience your typical visitors would encounter.
Unannounced Visit
The mystery guest’s stay is designed to replicate a real guest experience in every detail. They arrive unannounced, check in as usual, and follow the journey you’ve outlined in your objectives.
During their visit, they might explore the bar, dine in the restaurant, order room service, or request local recommendations – depending on what you’d like to evaluate. All observations are discreet and natural, ensuring your staff act as they would for any other guest.
The result is a genuine, unbiased snapshot of your service delivery, captured in the moment and free from the distortions of staged inspections.
Detailed Feedback Report
After the stay, our mystery guest writes a detailed report based on structured guidelines. These reports cover everything from first impressions at check-in to the finer details of service etiquette, cleanliness, and overall atmosphere.
We provide more than just a scorecard – each report includes narrative detail, specific examples, and clear recommendations. This allows you to see not only what worked well but also what could be improved and how.
The feedback is delivered promptly and presented in a way that’s easy for management teams to digest and act upon. It becomes a practical tool for staff training, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.
Benefits
Authentic Perspective: Gain real-world insights into how your hotel is experienced by everyday guests.
Tailored Focus: Evaluate the areas most relevant to your objectives, from reception to dining to housekeeping.
Objective Feedback: Remove bias with structured, impartial reports you can trust.
Staff Development: Use findings to inform training and encourage team accountability.
Consistency Checks: Ensure service standards are upheld across shifts, departments, and locations.
Competitive Advantage: Stay ahead by aligning your service with – or exceeding – guest expectations.
Reputation Management: Address potential issues before they appear in public reviews.
Operational Clarity: Identify inefficiencies and areas where processes can be streamlined.
Benchmarking: Track progress over time with repeat assignments and comparable results.
Informed Strategy: Base management decisions on data-driven insights, not assumptions.
Customisation
No two hotels are alike, and neither are our reviews. At Boyd’s, we believe in creating mystery guest assignments that reflect your specific goals, brand identity, and service challenges.
During the consultation stage, you’ll have the opportunity to define exactly which aspects of your business you’d like us to assess. This could include front desk operations, the quality of housekeeping, the efficiency of food and beverage service, or even the atmosphere in public areas such as the lobby or spa.
You can also request tailored scenarios. For example, a mystery guest might test the ease of booking a late check-out, order dietary-specific room service, or evaluate how staff respond to a special request. By customising the experience, you get meaningful insights that directly relate to the realities of your hotel operations.
This flexibility ensures that every review is relevant, actionable, and aligned with your broader service strategy. Whether you manage a boutique hotel, a business-focused property, or a resort, our approach adapts to meet your needs.
Case Studies
Boutique Hotel, Edinburgh
A 40-room boutique hotel wanted to understand why online reviews mentioned inconsistent service. Boyd’s assigned a mystery guest to evaluate reception, restaurant, and room service interactions. The report revealed gaps in staff training during shift changes. The hotel introduced refresher sessions and saw a marked improvement in guest feedback.
“Boyd’s highlighted issues we’d overlooked. The detail in their report helped us focus on staff training, and guest satisfaction scores quickly improved.”
Coastal Resort, Cornwall
A family-focused resort requested a review of its dining services, specifically children’s menus and allergen handling. The mystery guest dined as a family unit, testing both buffet and à la carte options. The report praised friendliness but highlighted delays and unclear allergen communication. The resort responded by improving menu labelling and staff training.
“The insights were invaluable. We’ve since updated processes and guests now comment positively on how well we cater to families with dietary needs.”
Business Hotel, Manchester
A city-centre business hotel wanted feedback on its conference and corporate services. The mystery guest booked a meeting room, tested AV equipment, and ordered working lunches. The review found excellent facilities but noted inconsistent service during peak check-in times. Adjustments to staff allocation resolved the issue.
“Boyd’s gave us clear, targeted feedback. We’ve made simple changes that directly improved the experience for our corporate clients.”
FAQs
What types of hotels do you work with?
We work with properties of all sizes, from boutique hotels to large international chains. Our process adapts to your needs, whether you’re focused on luxury experiences, family travel, business stays, or resort-style leisure.
How do you select mystery guests?
We maintain a diverse pool of guests, allowing us to match the right profile to your hotel. We consider your objectives, typical clientele, and desired scenarios when selecting who stays.
How do you ensure staff don’t recognise the mystery guest?
Guests book through standard channels and behave like any other visitor. Because we use everyday travellers rather than professional inspectors, your team will not be aware of the assignment.
What does the feedback report include?
Reports contain structured evaluations, detailed narrative observations, and practical recommendations. You’ll see what worked well, what could be improved, and suggestions on how to enhance guest experiences.
How quickly will we receive the report?
Typically, feedback is delivered within one week of the guest’s departure. This ensures fresh impressions and timely information you can use straight away.
Can we request specific scenarios?
Yes. From spa treatments to late-night room service requests, you can customise what the mystery guest experiences. This ensures the feedback is tailored and relevant to your goals.
How often should we use mystery guests?
Many hotels schedule quarterly or biannual visits to track progress and maintain consistency. However, the frequency depends on your objectives and desired level of ongoing evaluation.
How is confidentiality handled?
All findings remain strictly between Boyd’s and your management team. We never share results publicly, ensuring your reputation and operational details remain secure.
Do you only review guest-facing services?
Primarily yes, but guest-facing services often reflect internal operations. By testing check-in, dining, or housekeeping, we indirectly assess your processes and team dynamics too.
What are the costs involved?
Costs vary depending on the scope of the review, number of nights, and complexity of scenarios requested. We’ll provide a tailored proposal after consultation.
Can we repeat reviews with the same guest?
Yes, some hotels prefer consistency by using the same guest for follow-up visits. Others request varied profiles to gain a broader perspective. Both options are available.
How do we get started?
Simply contact us to arrange a consultation. We’ll discuss your objectives, propose a tailored plan, and begin the process of assigning a mystery guest.
