Hotel Mystery Shopping for Beginners
Hotel Mystery Shopping for Beginners sounds like one of the better assignments in the business. After all, you're staying at a hotel, and someone else may be picking up most or all of the bill.
But there's a little more to it than getting a free night's stay.
A hotel shop can begin before you ever arrive at the property. You may have to make a reservation by telephone or online and evaluate that part of the experience. Once you arrive, you could be evaluating the front desk, your room, housekeeping, restaurants, room service, the fitness center, or other areas of the hotel.
By the time you check out, you may have interacted with several employees and accumulated quite a few details for your report.
That's why hotel mystery shopping for beginners can be fun, but I wouldn't automatically call it an easy first assignment.
Want more help getting started? My book, Take That Job And Mystery Shop It!, walks you through finding assignments, completing shops, writing reports, and avoiding many of the mistakes new shoppers make.
How a Hotel Mystery Shop Works
Every assignment is different, so read the instructions before accepting one.
You may be required to make the reservation yourself and record how long it takes for someone to answer the phone. Did the employee identify the hotel? Were you asked the proper questions? Did the employee offer a particular room or explain the hotel's amenities?
When you arrive, another evaluation begins.
You may need the name of the front-desk employee, the time you entered the hotel, how long you waited, and what was said during check-in. Once you get to the room, there may be a checklist of things to examine.
Is the bathroom clean? Are the towels and supplies where they're supposed to be? Does the television work? Is the room temperature comfortable? Is there dust on the furniture? What about the hallway, elevator, and other common areas?
Some assignments go considerably further. You may be instructed to call the front desk with a question or request something from housekeeping to see how the staff responds. At a full-service hotel, the assignment could include a restaurant, bar, valet parking, or room service.
This is where organization becomes important. You're evaluating several experiences instead of one short interaction.
Hotel Mystery Shopping for Beginners: Know What You're Accepting
Before taking the assignment, find out exactly what is being reimbursed.
Many times, the mystery shopping company will reimburse up to a certain amount for the majority of costs. This includes parking, meals, tips, and resort fees. If you're required to eat at the hotel restaurant, find out how much of that is covered.
Don't assume.
Read the reimbursement limits and determine what you'll have to pay out of pocket. You may also have to wait for reimbursement, which means the hotel charge could remain on your credit card until the mystery shopping company pays you.
The shopper fee and reimbursement are also two different things. If you spend $175 at the hotel and receive $175 back, you've recovered your required expense. That doesn't mean you earned $175 for completing the assignment. Look for the actual shopper fee when deciding whether the job is worth your time.
For hotel mystery shopping for beginners, I'd also pay close attention to the report.
Hotel reports can be lengthy because you're evaluating more than one part of the property. A shop that looks wonderful when you're checking into a nice hotel may not seem quite as wonderful when you're staring at a long questionnaire the next morning.
Whenever possible, look at the report before doing the shop. You'll have a much better idea of what you need to remember.
Keeping Track of the Details
Don't rely on your memory for an overnight assignment.
You might remember the front-desk employee when you check in, but will you remember that person's name after dinner, several other employee interactions, and a night's sleep?
Find a discreet way to record important information as you go. Write down names, times, employee descriptions, and anything unusual that happened. Keep all of your receipts together.
Your instructions will tell you what documentation is required. You may need the hotel folio, restaurant receipts, parking receipts, or photographs. Don't throw anything away until the assignment has been accepted and you're certain you won't need it.
Hotel shops also require you to behave like an ordinary guest. Don't walk around the lobby obviously inspecting furniture or stare at an employee's name tag while trying to memorize it.
Enjoy the experience while paying attention.
That's the balance you're trying to develop as a mystery shopper.
Your Best Next Step
If this article helped, read these next:
- How to Choose Your First Mystery Shopping Assignment
- How Mystery Shopping Reports Work
- Apartment Mystery Shopping for Beginners
- Mystery Shopping for Beginners
About the Author
I'm Mystery Don, and I've completed mystery shopping assignments for restaurants, hotels, apartment communities, automobile dealerships, and new home builders.
I created this website to help people avoid the mistakes I've seen—and to show new shoppers how legitimate mystery shopping really works.
My book Take That Job And Mystery Shop It! lists over 150 mystery shopping companies to contact. I offer beginner-friendly tips and honest guidance without hype.
We're always looking for new faces to visit different places.
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