Return on Experience (ROX): The Hospitality Metric That Matters Most

Hospitality isn’t only about maximizing occupancy.

It’s about maximizing impact.

That’s a line from INDIE HOTEL, and it’s more than just a philosophy—it’s a filter. A lens we use to make decisions that go beyond spreadsheets and standard KPIs. Because while metrics like RevPAR and ADR are critical, they don’t tell the full story. They don’t capture the value of what a guest feels, remembers, or tells their friends.

Some of the most impactful things we’ve ever done for our hotels didn’t make financial sense on paper. Take, for instance, the time I wrote and published a children’s book—not for bookstores or libraries, but for our hotel lobby.

It wasn’t created to drive revenue. It wasn’t expected to “perform” in the way most projects are. But it aligned with our brand. It helped tell our story. It gave parents a tool to connect with their kids. It created a memory that guests could literally take home with them.

Today, that book continues to find its way into carry-ons and onto nightstands. And it serves as a reminder that hospitality, at its best, should leave an impression—not just a receipt.

That’s what I call Return on Experience, or ROX.

ROX is the value created through intentional, emotional, often intangible guest experiences. It’s what happens when you do something memorable—something unexpected, generous, or story-worthy—that deepens the connection between your brand and your guest.

Where ROI measures return on dollars invested, ROX measures return on emotion invested. And in hospitality, that emotional return is often what makes a guest choose you again—and tell others to do the same.

Here’s the truth: in the long run, a brand with more amenities will never beat a brand with more meaning.

Let’s look at a few real-world examples from respected leaders across the industry:

Pritesh Patel shared a powerful story from his property: a housekeeper found a wallet—complete with cash, ID, and Social Security card—after a family had already left for the airport. Instead of simply logging it into lost and found, his team tracked the guest down and mailed it back.

Turns out, that guest’s son was starting college nearby. Over the next four years, the family stayed at the hotel every time they visited him—and referenced the wallet story every time.

That’s ROX. Not a single line item was added to the revenue sheet. But trust was built. Loyalty was won. And word-of-mouth marketing began.

Scott Foos describes how his team greets each guest with a small basket of locally sourced snacks—artisan jerky, homemade trail mix, and a sweet treat or two. It bridges the gap between check-in and the next meal. It introduces guests to the region’s flavors. It says, “We were expecting you.”

Scott said they plan for this cost per night, and sure—the rate accounts for it. But there’s no direct metric to track its impact. And yet, the guest satisfaction it delivers is undeniable.

It’s not about the snacks. It’s about the thoughtfulness behind them.

Molly Folsom calls ROX a marketing engine hiding in plain sight. She points to White Sands Hotel in Waikiki as a great example. The property offers cold oshibori towels at the pool, printed destination guides at check-in, and complimentary beach toys for families.

“These aren’t just amenities,” she says. “They’re emotional anchors that shape the guest’s memory of the stay.”

And strategically, they do three things:

Bashar Wali describes ROX as “emotional alchemy”—the act of turning overlooked or underused elements into something that moves people.

At The Mining Exchange, his team transformed a forgotten stairwell into an immersive art gallery using vintage safes from the building’s history. At Americana in Flagstaff, they leaned into the region’s dark skies by offering telescopes and hosting stargazing nights with local astronomers.

None of these ideas are revenue-generators in the traditional sense. But they create moments of awe. Discovery. Wonder. They generate memories that shape guest perception and brand affinity.

That’s ROX.

ROX is often dismissed because it’s hard to quantify. But just because something is difficult to measure doesn’t mean it isn’t valuable.

Here are a few ways to start evaluating ROX in your hotel:

If you’re presenting to owners, investors, or board members who are laser-focused on ROI, ROX can feel like a distraction. But it’s not. It’s a different lens for value creation.

ROX enhances:

The goal is not to replace ROI. It’s to complement it with a broader understanding of what actually drives long-term performance.

Danny Meyer once wrote, “Business, like life, is all about how you make people feel.” And Will Guidara reminds us, “To be truly excellent, you must be willing to be unreasonable.”

ROX is about embracing that idea—and using it as a compass.

Hospitality is a memory business. Our job isn’t just to fill rooms—it’s to fill hearts. And that means creating moments that linger long after checkout.

So next time you’re evaluating a new idea, ask yourself:
Not just “What’s the ROI?”
But: “What’s the ROX?”

Because in the end, that may be the more important question.