Having the advantage over your competition is something that has been sought after since the dawn of time. Whether it’s war or business, your livelihood depends on being able to best others who are after the same prize.
While your prize is obviously more guests, your enemy may not be who you think. In reality, the one holding you up is most likely your hotel. You’re not going to sabotage another lodging, or meet them on an open field of battle.
You have to go to war with yourself and your own location to figure out how you can stand out on a listing and in the eyes of all who choose to stay at your hotel.
How? That’s a good question and we hope to help. Here are our 5 suggestions.
- Communication
We’re not talking about making sure your staff says, “have a nice stay”. You need to communicate verbally and visually with your guests to show them you care. Here are a few ways to do it:
– Weather forecasts during wake up and other calls
– Call before they arrive to let them know you are ready for them
– Welcome returning guests to let them know you appreciate repeat business
– Create more signs to leave little notes letting guests know bedding was changed and other areas were cleaned.
- Professionalism
Since we’re on the topic of communication and signage, everything you do should say the same thing. Colors, patterns, dress code, among other things should all have common branding. One handwritten or poorly spelled sign can turn off every guest that sees it.
Making sure your brand looks the same to everyone staying will keep you from looking like a poorly run franchise.
- Reviews
Picking up the phone and asking guests how their stay went can be the best marketing money can buy. With reviews on travel sites becoming more and more important, you could offer a discounted stay in return for an honest review.
Bonus: If you right the wrongs for unsatisfied customers without being confronted, your best reviews may come from those who didn’t like your hotel at first.
- Be Social
If you’re not utilizing social media, you’re missing out (big time). You are in the hospitality industry, perhaps even in a vacation hot spot. Large chains are utilizing digital marketing to fill their empty rooms. The neatest part about using this platform is its cost effectiveness.
Your ad spend doesn’t have to be very much to see a great return. In fact, you can publish content that gets passed around for free exposure.
- Update Your Style
The popularity of boutique hotels is growing. And the travel industry is being taken over by a younger and more design savvy crowd. All this means that you may need to add a few updates to your rooms. Clean lines and tech friendly spaces are among the most sought after features of a millennial crowd.
SOSS hardware is used in some of the finest hotels and buildings all over the world. Clean lines are incredibly easy to achieve with our invisible hinges and will last a lifetime. We’d love to show you our designs and help you find a dealer today.