3 Ways Hotels Can Cater to Solo Travelers
Solo travel is on the rise, and hotels are taking notice. This article explores expert-backed strategies for accommodating lone adventurers, from offering discounted room rates to creating personalized experiences. Discover how the hospitality industry is evolving to balance privacy and social opportunities for solo guests.
- Offer Discounted Solo Room Rates
- Balance Privacy and Mingling Opportunities
- Create Personalized Safari Experiences for Solo Guests
Offer Discounted Solo Room Rates
Solo travelers frequently face the dreaded "single supplement" where they have to pay twice what someone who is traveling with a partner would since they're not sharing the accommodation.
At Women Travel Abroad, we exclusively serve solo female travelers and over the last 10 years have seen women cite "single supplements" as the number one barrier to their travel. These women aren't seeking budget hostels or shared rooms - they're sophisticated travelers willing to pay for quality experiences, just not 50-100% more simply because they're traveling alone.
While hotels are unlikely to be able to offer rooms at 50% less to solo travelers, since the fixed cost of the room is high, they can offer some discounts. There are variable costs associated with the number of guests staying in a room, for example, any city tax or breakfast is for one person versus two.
Hotels frequently include these "extra" charges into the price of the room, but then solo travelers get stuck paying for two breakfasts when they only ate one. So, to attract more solo travelers, hotels should offer a slightly discounted solo room rate that removes the costs associated with a second traveler.
Creating solo-friendly rooms that have less square footage but are comfortable for a single person is another great investment. These can cost less and offer a perfect entry point to the solo market. In Japan, many hotels have this model of "comfort" rooms that are small (less than 200 sq ft) and very economical. They often put just a twin bed to save space, but for the solo traveler, this is perfectly comfortable. Then, for the rooms for couples or where guests need two separate beds, they offer the deluxe rooms that are the size of most standard US hotel rooms (approximately 300 sq ft).
Finally, offering deeper discounts for solo travelers during low season or times of low occupancy is another great strategy. Many solo travelers have flexibility in their travel plans and will prioritize going to destinations where they can get good deals, so you can entice them to your city in low season with special discounts on single-occupancy rooms.
Balance Privacy and Mingling Opportunities
What's one piece of advice you'd give to hotels looking to attract and cater to the growing segment of solo travelers? What are the unique needs and preferences of this demographic?
For hotels aiming to lure solo travelers, my No. 1 piece of advice is to emphasize personalization and flexibility. Indeed, this demographic is looking more and more for a space made for them, without inundating them with a menu of options that may just be too intimidating or unfamiliar. Solo travelers like their privacy but also love the chance to mingle when they feel like it. When a hotel manages to find this balance, it's able to enrich guests' experiences.
Single travellers are after a more efficient, user-friendly experience. Providing things like tailored recommendations, flexible check-in and check-out times, and digital concierge services can be good ways to build a smooth journey. It's not just about a place to sleep — it's about creating a space that makes them feel like they belong in it, whether by providing quiet zones for work or inviting communal spaces for socialising.
Like whose profile? Let's say it's a solo traveler who stays at a property near a popular hiking trail. The pristine hotel room is a given, but a customized list of recommended trails you better believe it, and in-house yoga, why yes, I'd like to book one of those in the morning for sure isn't lost on us. Hotels might also consider creating packages specifically for solo travelers, in which the guest feels like a VIP instead of a fifth wheel.
This increasing customer segment also sees the value in safety and comfort-centric services such as 24/7 support and secure, private areas. Small and attentive touches — a well-lit and accessible entry at night, clear consensual communication around safety protocols — make a big difference. Additionally, solo travelers are often drawn to one-of-a-kind experiences where they can let their hair down without feeling completely removed from the world. Hotels that provide these sorts of experiences and services — whether it's guided excursions, local experiences or even in-room wellness services — are likely to gain more loyalty from this demographic.
Create Personalized Safari Experiences for Solo Guests
As the General Manager of Ngoma Bush Lodge, a peaceful safari retreat in Hoedspruit, South Africa, my top advice for hotels and lodges looking to attract solo travelers is this: focus on creating a space where solo guests feel safe, seen, and part of something meaningful — without pressure to "fit in."
Ngoma Bush Lodge is a rustic retreat property on a 600-hectare private farm, just 45-60 minutes from the Orpen Gate of Kruger National Park. While we don't host the Big 5, we offer daily plains game drives teeming with giraffe, zebra, sable, kudu, eland, and more. We've also had occasional sightings of leopard, hyena, and caracal — always a thrill for guests. Our goal has always been to provide a quiet, grounding safari experience that reconnects people with nature — and solo travelers appreciate that deeply.
Solo guests often arrive seeking more than just a holiday — they're looking to unplug, explore new perspectives, and enjoy nature on their own terms. At Ngoma, we accommodate this by offering:
- Five thatched bungalows, each sleeping two, designed for privacy and peace
- Flexible itineraries, with morning and afternoon guided game drives
- Communal or private dining options — depending on each guest's comfort level
- Home-style meals and warm, personal service
- Easy access to local attractions like the Blyde River Canyon, the Panorama Route, waterfalls, and wildlife rehab centers
We've found that solo travelers value genuine interaction, local storytelling, and smaller lodges where they aren't just a number. They appreciate attentive but non-intrusive service, thoughtful touches like a warm welcome by name, and a space that invites relaxation without isolation.
Our lodge's location — just 13km from Hoedspruit — makes it easy for solo travelers to plan additional day trips or cultural excursions, all while enjoying a budget-friendly alternative to larger, Big 5 safari lodges. It's luxury in simplicity, and our guests leave feeling deeply recharged.
If you're a lodge looking to connect with this growing segment, invest in atmosphere, trust, and flexibility. For solo travelers, the journey inward is just as important as the journey outward — and that's something we embrace fully at Ngoma Bush Lodge.
Cedric Mabuli
General Manager
Ngoma Bush Lodge - Hoedspruit, Limpopo
res@ngomalodge.com
Ngoma Bush Lodge offers dinner, bed & breakfast rates, twice-daily game drives, and authentic bush experiences for solo travelers, couples, and families alike
