Understanding what motivates
people to take action is the underlying force that allows the best hotel
management companies to increase demand for their guest rooms. Selling your
hotel to the traveling public is a very complex process. Attention must be paid
to every detail. If you can provide more of what a guest wants at a better
price than the competition, word will get around and your occupancy rate will
soar.
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Presenting your lodging facility
in the best possible light is the job of everyone who works at the hotel.
Financial costs must be borne by the owner of the property. Management and the
maintenance staff are responsible for the physical appearance of both the
inside and outside of the hotel. Interior decorators play a role in furnishing
the guest rooms and making them warm and appealing. Having great people who
check in guests, clean the rooms and take care of the landscaping duties are
all very important. Overseeing it all is the General Manager.
You can undertake big projects or
concentrate on small details to make your property more welcoming. The
possibilities are almost unlimited. Following is a list of 15 simple and not so
simple ways to get travelers to want to stay at your hotel.
1. Renovate the Building
A hotel that has been neglected
over the years and is showing its age is not very appealing to guests. A
substantial investment may be required to do a complete renovation. If you have
the finances to spruce up the property, you can dramatically improve the
appearance and add new amenities that guests desire most.
2. Evaluating Management
Managers get paid more because
they have more responsibility than the employees they supervise. Having a
manager that does not have the skills, enthusiasm and drive to produce positive
results is a manager that should be replaced.
3. Evaluating Other Employees
Professional attitudes and
pleasing personalities are two of the most important qualities that a manager
should seek when hiring new employees. Employees should possess the skills or
be able to learn all aspects of their job. While they are doing their job, they
should also maintain a friendly disposition and always be willing to stop what
they are doing to assist a guest in need. Both new employees and those that
have been part of the staff for years need to be evaluated periodically. Those
that are underperforming should be warned first, and then, if they do not raise
their game, be replaced.
4. Empowering Employees to Make
Decisions
Is there anything worse than
having to tell a guest that you can not help them and that you will have to
call the General Manager to resolve their problem? Any issues that may arise
during a guest’s stay should be able to be handled by the front desk and the
hotel staff. Part of that process is having a well-trained staff. Empowering
employees to make immediate decisions and then take action will quickly resolve
most problems to the satisfaction of your guests.
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5. Make Sure the Front Desk
Responds Immediately to Guest Issues
Empowering employees to make
decisions goes right along with providing excellent customer service. When a
hotel guest calls up and says that the water is not draining out of their
shower fast enough, a really good hotel staff will summon a maintenance man to
that room in minutes. There is no excuse for saying someone will be by in the
morning to take a look. Fast responses to problems are an indication to guests
that customer care is more than just lip service.
6. Creating an Enthusiastic Team
Spirit
Enthusiasm is one of the best
qualities any worker can have. You can overcome a lack of skills through training
much more easily than trying to instill an enthusiastic spirit in workers who
are working long hours for low wages. Enthusiasm is catching. Having a bubbly
personality to greet guests when they check in or always walking around with a
smile on your face does matter. Enthusiastic employees work harder, talk
positively about their jobs and promote the virtues of their hotel.
7. Encourage Guests to Share
their Experiences during their Stay
Learn more about your guests by
using your website, handing out customer satisfaction surveys or just having a
conversation with them before they check out. Encourage guests to post videos
or pictures of their trip and time they spent at your hotel. Ask them how they
found your hotel and if they would recommend it to a friend. Making guests feel
important is a surefire way to keep them interested in your property. People
who feel appreciated and valued are much more likely to come back in the
future.
8. Always be Polite and Treat
Guests with Respect
It might take all of your inner
strength to restrain yourself when an angry guest starts swearing at you
because they had to pay $10 extra for wireless Internet service, but always be
polite and act professionally. As long as you treat people with respect, they
will usually not make a scene. Your mother would be proud to know that you are
behaving in a civilized way and minding the good manners she taught you.
9. Do Daily Inspections of the
Guest Rooms
A dirty and stained mattress or
paint peeling off the walls is a definite turnoff to any guest staying at your
hotel. Inspect rooms daily and make sure everything is clean and in good order.
10. Make Every Guest Room
Comfortable and Inviting
When an individual is traveling
on business, their room becomes very important. There should be a nice work
area and, of course, a big, flat-screen TV to keep them entertained. Wireless
Internet connectivity is almost a must. A coffee pot and other amenities like
an upgraded shower head or a mini-fridge and microwave will be appreciated by
all guests.
11. Eliminate Unpleasant Odors
and Freshen the Air
Old hotels may have a musty smell
in the rooms and in the hallways. Keeping carpets clean and adding a little
carpet freshening powder will keep guests from being offended by lingering
smells. Air fresheners are available in many pleasing scents and should be
strategically placed throughout the interior space of the property.
12. Brand your property Through Multiple
Channels on the Internet
Internet marketing is a great
asset for branding and promoting your hotel. Establish a presence with your
website. Add a blog. Participate in social media sites. Use a targeted email
campaign to reach out to prior guests and invite them to come back and visit
again. You can offer special rates, discounted tickets to area attractions or
anything else to encourage people to stay at your hotel.
13. Integrate Both Internet and
Traditional Marketing Strategies
While Internet marketing is
fantastic, do not forget about traditional marketing and advertising methods.
Every hotel should have a prominent sign that attracts attention. Depending on
your budget, you can advertise on television and radio, place an ad in a
magazine or newspaper and even hold special events that will bring in the
crowd.
14. Promote your Hotel’s Green
Programs and Policies
Travelers are more concerned than
ever with protecting the environment. Companies that practice and promote
themselves as being green have an advantage over their competition that has not
kept up with the population’s changing views.
While the best way to be
environmentally friendly is to start with the design and construction of a new
property, existing hotels can also do a lot to become greener. Replacing
inefficient air conditioners and other energy-hogging appliances with new,
high-efficiency products can require a large outlay of cash. However, the
monthly savings in electrical costs and the goodwill that you build in the
community and with guests will pay you back handsomely in the long run.
Less expensive but equally
important ways of going green might include a recycling program for both
employees and staff, saving paper by storing and viewing data in digital form,
and encouraging guests who are staying for more than one night to have their
sheets changed and washed less frequently than every day.
Post any certifications or awards
that your hotel has received for achieving green status. These can include
national, state and local recognition of your hotel’s environmentally sound
policies and practices.
15. Make Everybody Happy!
Everything that you can do to
make your guests and employees happy will make your hotel a more desirable
place to stay or work. Happy guests will want to write positive reviews and
tell their friends about their experience. Happy employees will work harder to
improve the hotel and also promote their hotel among their family, friends and
acquaintances.
If you do not feel that you are
up to the task on your own, you can hire a hotel management consultant to
assist you. While getting your hotel to be the best requires a huge commitment,
the results will be well worth the effort.
Do you want to get more clients? Isn’t it time to do something different? Isn’t it time to start making a change?