Running a hotel is a real challenge, and that’s an understatement. Even if your business is still small and slowly growing, you’re probably well aware of the hospitality industry’s demanding nature. It’s an industry that always has an interested target market, but it’s also incredibly competitive. And providing exceptional customer service is essential to your reputation. Obviously, a good reputation is important in any industry, but it’s particularly important for hotels; most customers weigh up an establishment’s reviews before deciding whether they want to stay there. We’ll discuss all of those points in this article. Here’s how to turn your small hotel into a successful empire.
Create a fantastic team
Your brand identity is crucial to the success of your hotel, as we’ll mention later in this post. If you really want to make sure that your small hotel grows then it’ll need a consistent and engaging brand. This all starts with a fantastic team. Your employees really bring the brand to life, after all. Don’t just expect guests to believe your hotel provides a helpful service because you say so in your adverts – make sure your team helps every single guest in a professional and caring manner. Foster teamwork and positivity in the workplace.
Do your research
If you want to not only expand your hotel but improve upon your existing service then you need to do your research. You need to make sure that you’re keeping up with competitors in the market. That means you need to have all the potential services and amenities on offer that a guest would expect from a modern hotel. For example, offering free WiFi at your hotel could be the small detail that puts you ahead of the competition. You might also want to attend a hospitality exhibition to get new products to refurbish and renovate your hotel. It’s important to keep your establishment looking and feeling modern. A small hotel has to fill big boots if it’s going to compete with well-known establishments in the area.
Treat your guests well
This should go without saying, of course. But you always need to think about the reputation of your business. One bad review for your hotel on Yelp or another big site could persuade potential future guests to avoid staying at your establishment. You need to make sure every single customer is pleased with their service. You can’t cut corners. Every room needs to be made up perfectly for the next guest, security needs to be an absolute priority, and the food needs to be high-quality. Every detail counts when it comes to leaving a good impression on your customers.
You should also try to exceed guest expectations. That’s how you’ll get the best reviews. Maybe you could reward guests with loyalty points to encourage them to stay with you again; those points could be redeemed for discounted rooms or meals at your hotel. If you want to turn your small hotel into a successful empire then going above and beyond to impress each guest will go a long way towards building your reputation. The size of your hotel doesn’t matter; it’s the success of your brand that determines whether or not potential guests will choose your business over other accommodation options in the local area.
Collaborative post. Images by QT Hotels of the Sydney Hotel which is one of the most remarkable hotels I have had the pleasure to visit. Images also courtesy of the wonderful blog, Not Quite Nigella.
