DESIGNING A GUEST JOURNEY THAT BEGINS BEFORE THE STAY
Your guest experience starts long before someone walks through the door—and the story doesn’t end when they check out either.
Imagine a traveler scrolling through vacation rentals, looking for somewhere to spend a long weekend with the people they love.
One listing catches their eye. The photos feel inviting. The messaging speaks to the kind of getaway they’ve been craving. Maybe there are pumpkins styled on the porch, a cozy reading nook, or a bubbly bath they could see themselves sinking into. Something about the property makes them pause and think, *This feels like our kind of place.*
They book.
Now the anticipation kicks in. They reopen the listing. They read the confirmation message. They wonder what to pack, where to eat, and what they'll discover when they arrive.
They haven’t even checked in yet, but their experience is already underway.
Every photo, message, design detail, and interaction is shaping what they expect from their stay—and what they believe that stay is worth.
I was reminded of this recently while scrolling back through one of our client property shoots, having styled the porch for fall.
And then just recently at own short-term rental, The Ellijay Olive.
A few pumpkins, a touch of hand-crafted styling, and a thoughtful photo can do more than make a property look pretty. They can communicate care.
They can help a traveler imagine the welcome waiting for them. They can make a stay feel worth choosing before the guest has spent a single night there.
That’s the power of intentional hospitality.
Your guest experience isn’t a series of disconnected moments. It’s a story unfolding across a journey.
And the most memorable stays are designed with that whole journey in mind.
HOW THE OLIVE JAR APPROACHES THE GUEST JOURNEY
The 15 touch points: little cues, bigger story…
…and why isolated amenities aren’t enough.
At The Olive Jar, we use a three-act Guest Journey Map to help hosts think through 15 story beats across the guest experience.
Inspired by The Hero’s Journey—the storytelling architecture behind so many of our favorite movies and television shows—our framework follows the natural arc of a character’s transformation throughout a great story with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
We meet the hero, follow them through an adventure filled with discoveries and unexpected moments, and ultimately watch them arrive as someone different than who they were when they started.
In hospitality, the guest is the hero.
And these aren't simply 15 amenities to purchase or 15 tasks to add to an operations checklist.
They're 15 opportunities to create interactive story cues that travelers pick up across their journey—from the first impression to the moments they experience on-site and the memories they carry home. Here's the distinction:
Your brand story is the thread. Your guest touch points are the cues that carry that thread from one moment to the next. Each one has a role to play in moving the story forward, building anticipation, inviting participation, and creating an experience that stays with the guest long after they've left.
A beautifully designed space may earn attention. A thoughtful amenity may delight a guest. But the experience becomes far more powerful when those details connect to a clear brand story and reinforce one another across the journey.
Without that connection, even the most beautiful or thoughtfully selected details can feel incidental.
With it, the experience has a point of view. Guests begin to recognize what makes your property different—not just what it contains, but how it makes them feel and what it invites them to do.
This is also why adding more amenities isn't always the answer.
A property doesn't need another feature simply because a competitor has one. It needs the right touch points for its story, its guests, and the experience it wants to create.
Take a record player, for example. In one rental, it might simply be a decorative object. In another, it could invite guests to choose the soundtrack for a celebration, share favorite songs, or discover an unforgettable kitchen dance party together. The object is the same. The role it plays in the guest experience is entirely different.
The work starts long before the final throw pillow is in place. It requires a whole-picture approach: understanding who your guest is, why they're traveling, what kind of experience they're seeking, and how each interaction can help deliver on that promise.
Ultimately, the question isn't just, What can I add to my property?
It's, What do I want my guest to experience—and, more importantly, how can I invite them to take part and make that experience their own?
What are the 15 story beats? Well, we work with our clients to define each one, customized to their ideal guest avatar. But right here on this page, I can tell you where those 15 beats land on the spectrum of a great story…
HERE'S HOW YOUR TRAVELER
COULD MOVE THROUGH YOUR STAY
Act One: Before the Stay
The story begins before the booking is confirmed.
Every traveler has a reason for getting away. Maybe they're celebrating, reconnecting, or looking for a change of scenery. Your job is to help them see how your property could make that experience possible.
From your listing photos and brand messaging to booking confirmations and pre-arrival communication, these first touch points establish expectations, build trust, and create anticipation. They're your first opportunity to show travelers that you understand what they're looking for—and give them a reason to choose you.
Act Two: During the Stay
The promise becomes an experience.
Now the traveler arrives. The design, amenities, atmosphere, and thoughtful details should begin delivering on the story you told.
But the goal isn't simply to surround guests with beautiful things. It's to create opportunities for them to participate in the experience. When each detail has a purpose and reinforces the larger story, guests become more than occupants of a beautiful space. They become active participants in the experience you're creating.
Act Three: After the Stay
Your guest leaves. The story continues.
Checkout may mark the end of a reservation, but it doesn't have to mark the end of the relationship.
What guests remember, what they share with others, and whether they return are all part of the journey. Thoughtful follow-ups, opportunities to revisit a favorite memory, and meaningful reasons to reconnect can extend the experience well beyond checkout.
Because the ultimate goal isn't simply to host a great stay. It's to create an experience that stays with them.
YOUR STORY ISN’T OVER YET
The most memorable guest experiences don't happen by accident. They're shaped by intentional story cues that give every touch point a purpose and invite guests to become active participants in the experience.
At The Olive Jar, we help hosts connect the dots—from a collection of ideas to a fully realized guest experience.
Curious about the 15 guest touch points that shape your traveler's HERO'S JOURNEY through your stay?
That's where the deeper work begins. Book a Discovery Call to explore our three-act Guest Journey Map and how its 15 story beats can bring your brand story to life across the entire guest experience.
Not sure where to start? TAKE OUR QUIZ to discover your experiential hosting style.
It's the first step toward seeing the whole picture: your property, your story, your place, and the experience you want your guests to have.
Image credits: The Olive Jar, Anchor Pictures, June Choi