Running a hotel business isn’t easy. Not only do you have to ensure top-class customer service, but also proper hygiene. Despite all the effort, innumerable external factors such as a pandemic or new trends, can affect your sales.
Even then, hotels have continued to remain as popular as ever. In 2023, the hotel and resort market had reached a staggering $1.5 trillion.
If you want to take your business to greater heights, then there are some unmissable tips and tricks that you must keep in mind! So come on, let’s see what they are!
1. Hire the right staff
A hotel owner is identified by their staff. No matter how great you are at running your business, if your staff isn’t good enough, tourists won’t stay at your establishment.
Establish a rigorous screening process to ensure that you hire expert personnel. Once you’ve hired the kind of people you want, you must accommodate them to your own processes with proper training.
Try to make guests feel comfortable the moment they walk in with your impeccable customer service. Host team meetings and encourage open conversations.
2. Distribute business cards
Even though there are many new ways to spread the word about your hotel, business cards remain one of the most popular methods of networking!
If you don’t want to use conventional paper-based business cards, try digital ones. For example, you can distribute NFC-embedded digital cards when guests check out.
Get business cards printed by a professional so that they carry your brand identity and colors. You can also use these cards to network with potential business partners at various meet-and-greet marketing events.
3. Focus on long-term goals
As a hotel manager or owner, it’s easy to get lost in the daily activities of the hotel, such as toiletries restocking or room maintenance. But remember to focus on the long-term goals too, which is increasing the hotel’s revenue or the annual footfall.
The long-term goals might seem daunting at times, so you can always break them down into smaller and more manageable tasks.
4. Track your hotel business metrics
Identifying & tracking key business metrics is the key to the success of all multinational chains. If you truly wish to see how your hotel has been performing per month, per quarter, or even per year, you need to feed your data in quantifiable terms.
For starters, you can include a rating or review system on Google and check how many people rate your hotel at least an 8 or higher out of 10.
Next, make a hotel website and track your progress through metrics like website traffic, click-through rate, and conversion rate. Establish clearly defined goals that can be measured.
5. Delegate your tasks
No matter how hard you try, a business owner can’t manage a hotel all by themselves. Therefore, it’s important to identify tasks that need to be delegated and to whom. This way, you can focus your energy and time on things that require your immediate attention.
For example, people in your team who are also people-person can be the point of contact for your customers, and others can offer services that do not require direct contact.
Remember to recognize your team’s efforts and reward them from time to time. This will keep their motivation high and your business running.
6. Incorporate technology
Use of the latest tech will not only reduce your team’s cost but also help you stand ahead of the competitors who refuse to make the investment that it needs.
Some of the basic things you must include are high-definition TVs, free wifi, and seamless charging stations. Other than that, you may also have remote-controlled lights and air conditioners, electronic keycards, and even a small cyber cafe.
You might feel that including more technology will minimize human interaction, but in reality, it’ll make a big difference.
Over to you…
Now that you know the essential tips to run a successful hotel business, it’s time to put them into use. Apart from what’s mentioned above, don’t forget to collect feedback from both guests and your staff to check how each point that is being implemented has affected them.
Hold weekly meetings with the staff and encourage honest feedback sessions. Ensure that all the desired Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are being met & tracked regularly.
