Strategies for Thriving in the Hospitality Industry
In the competitive realm of hospitality and lodging, independent hotels, bed and breakfasts, and resorts stand as beacons of authenticity and personalized experiences. Amidst the ever-changing landscape of traveler preferences and technological advancements, these unique properties must navigate their paths to success. The journey requires a strategic approach that celebrates their distinct identities and embraces innovation, setting the stage for an unforgettable guest experience.
Here are some essential strategies that will empower independent hoteliers.
Finding Your Niche and Owning It
To create effective hotel marketing, one core question must be asked: Who are we serving? You interact with your guests all the time at your property and understanding what attracts them to you is crucial.
- What do we do better than anyone within a 30-mile radius?
- What do past guests say about why they loved their stay?
- What kind of experiences do they look for when they stay?
- What local events, attractions, or activities interest them?
- What forms of communication do they prefer (email, text, video, social)?
By answering these questions, you can target your offerings to the desires and expectations of your guests. Then make videos, get active on social media, and use advertising in the right channels that drive travelers to your website and booking engine.
Keep the Competitive Edge
It's also crucial to move fast on industry trends - whether you're just testing new ideas or committed to changing the market or consumer behavior. For example, Booking Cart Abandonment, where potential guests start a reservation but do not complete the booking process, creates an opportunity for hoteliers to promptly contact these potential guests automatically with booking abandonment e-mails and text messages, offering incentives or personalized experiences to encourage them to complete their reservations.
Another great opportunity is to join local and nationwide lodging associations. By becoming a member, you get access to conferences and meet both peers and vendors. Here you connect directly with them to learn different ways of delivering hospitality to continue what you’ve built. rezStream offers valuable insights and in-depth resources on staying ahead in the hospitality industry. Be sure to explore our Education Center featuring FREE blogs, webinars, and resource guides to empower your property’s growth and success.
Walk Through Your Own Website as a Guest
A successful hotel website should showcase exactly what you have to offer customers who make a booking with you. Not only should it consider the look of a property’s home page, but navigational elements, load speed, ADA compatibility, and a fully responsive website are the small technical things that make the difference in how you rank in Google and whether you can meet ALL your guests’ needs.
Take a day with your team and audit your website:
- Is the design eye-catching?
- Is it easy to find valuable information (room, booking, activities, specials, policies)?
- How quickly and easily can they contact me (phone, email, social, booking)?
- How simple is navigating and completing a booking (booking links, buttons, widgets)?
Still unsure of how to proceed or running out of time? rezStream can help you highlight what your boutique hotel or bed and breakfast has to offer, as well as increase bookings and boost revenue.
Create an OTA-to-Direct Booking Strategy
Direct bookings in 2022 grew by 50% over pre-pandemic levels, meaning the opportunity for increased higher-margin revenue is substantial. By allowing your guests to book their rooms directly on your website, you turn your website into your top-performing booking channel, with no added commissions to OTAs.
One way to achieve this is to feature a “best rate guarantee” on your website. Ensure that guests are confident they are receiving the most competitive rate for their stay by making it clear that the lowest rate available is through your branded booking page. After that, keep them coming back and booking direct by introducing a loyalty program through special discounts or rewards. Learn more effective ways to perfect your OTA-to-direct booking strategy in our blog article “Turning your OTA guests into loyal customers in 7 easy steps”
Let Your Data Tell You How to Build a Special Experience
To make the journey enjoyable, guests are seeking fun activities, places to eat, and amenities that enhance their stay. By being close to local attractions you increase your booking appeal. For example, Murphy’s Resort in Estes Park, CO features an extensive list of nearby activities on its website.
Run a report in Google Analytics to see which activities on your website are most viewed. Then do the same thing for your specials. Once you have an understanding, combine the two with a room offering and connect with your marketing team and start promoting it. Get it on your website, in your booking engine with a promo code, and on social media as a boosted post.
Motivate Employees and Keep Them Happy
Without your staff, you have nothing but a property full of angry guests. By finding the right person for the right role, you can ensure that the workforce is motivated and happy. You want your hotel's staff to share your same love of hospitality so that guests can sense it when they walk through the door. Your staff plays a vital role in creating the guest experience.
Implement a performance-based reward system such as offering tickets to a local concert for hitting key metrics to recognize employees for their hard work. Additionally, you can provide a family discount for your employees to stay at the property, allowing them to connect with the guest experience and reinforcing their commitment to delivering exceptional service. AmericianExpress has a great article “15 Ways to Reward Employees Without Offering Money” that will surprise you with unique ways you can give back to your team.
Invest in Mobile Technologies
Mobile applications offer convenient ways to communicate and engage with guests, providing streamlined operations and contactless options for check-in, communication, and on-property requests. One such innovative solution is Akia, founded by a team of ex-Facebook engineers with a mission to revolutionize guest engagement for hotels. Through the integration between rezStream and Akia, properties can enhance guest communication via text messaging, ensuring a delightful and hassle-free stay.
Let Us Support You
Are you looking to unlock the full potential of your independent lodging property? The integrated solutions that rezStream provides will help you embrace innovation, enhance the guest experience, and streamline operations. Schedule a demo today and discover how we make Better Lodging Simplified.
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