Travel is a “thing” again after over a year of travel bans thanks to COVID 19 quarantines and lockdowns. If you own a hotel, motel, or other lodgings, it is time to get your head back in the game. It is time to start thinking about how to improve your hotel business.
There are several key steps you need to take if you are on a mission to learn how to improve your hotel business. Following these simple reminders and tips will help you find the success that you are hoping for.
Obtain Structural Inspections and Repairs
If your hotel was shut down for a while because of the pandemic, or if you are getting ready for your busy season, one of the best ways to start on the right foot is to do a detailed once over of the structure.
A structural inspection from top to bottom will help you to determine if there are any repairs that are necessary, point out any maintenance that needs to be done, and ensure the structure is ready for guests. Periodic structural inspections are key if you are looking for answers to how to improve your hotel business. Catching problems before they become major issues is cost-effective, which is good for your business and your bottom line.
Contact a trusted roof company to manage a roof inspection before your “in season” rush begins. There is nothing worse than having a roof problem while you have a hotel full of guests. An annual roof inspection and some roof maintenance can help your establishment to avoid serious roofing issues.
A complete structural inspection will ensure that your guests are comfortable while they are staying with you, and you do not have to write a bunch of refunds because of a structural failure. Growing a positive reputation is vital to growing your business. A leaky roof does not help your reputation. Of course, maintenance, repairs, and improvements can all be ways to preserve the building and save money.
This would be a good time to consider having one of the trusted solar power construction companies come out and give you a quote as well. Lodging that uses solar power can attract a specific audience to come and stay. Many consumers look for ways during their travel to remain committed to the environment. Being a hotel that uses solar power can be a huge selling point. Of course, it can also keep your overhead down. It is a win-win option.
Enhance Safety Practices
When people are traveling, they want a few main things. They want to feel comfortable, and they want to feel safe. Commercial facility fire protection services can help with these safe feelings. Not only is it good for business to take fire safety seriously, but it is good for your peace of mind.
Unfortunately, fire danger is a tremendous risk in any lodging establishment. Any place you have mass gatherings of people, the fire risk increases. Adding fire extinguishers in conveniently located locations can help to reduce the risk of injury or even death from a fire.
Of course, visible fire extinguishers throughout the hotel can also help to make guests feel safer. Many times, learning how to improve your hotel business brings in more guests and can help you reduce the hotel’s liability.
No one wants to make it into the papers because their hotel burned down and people were injured. Taking some extra fire precautions and working closely with a team of professionals is how to improve your hotel business while protecting your interest.
Look Into Better Business Insurance for Your Hotel
Liability is always a risk when you own a hotel. If you are wondering how to improve your hotel business while better protecting your business, consider getting better business insurance. Business insurance quotes from a trusted provider an break down your options into small digestible chunks that make it easy to compare plans.
By comparing new policy options you can wind up saving money and improving your coverage. A good business insurance policy will provide protection for your business and come with a fair premium. Many business owners (hotel owners and others) make the mistake of staying with their current insurance for longer than they should out of loyalty.
Reevaluating your insurance coverage from time to time to ensure that you have the protection that you need is critical. Make it a habit to audit your plan annually and to do some comparisons.
Improve Your Hotel Business’s Website
Who is booking their hotel reservations online? About 80% of consumers are making booking decisions online. Improving your hotel’s website can be one of the easiest ways to improve your hotel business.
Tips for how to improve your hotel business by updating your website:
- Make sure all services and amenities are accurately listed. If you have removed any services or updated any amenities make sure your website reflects that. Far too many times services and amenities change and the information on the website is outdate. Guests wind up disappointed.
- Pictures speak louder than words. Visuals and videos make a huge difference in perception. Use plenty of photos to highlight your facility.
- Connect with a professional marketing team. A professional marketing team can get the word out about your hotel and make sure when someone is searching for lodging in your area, your hotel information is returned as a solution to that search.
It is hard to beat a visually stunning website for improving your hotel business. If you need help with your website invest in a professional team, it is well worth the investment.
Keep Important Contacts Handy for Guests
Going above and beyond for guests is a great way to improve your hotel’s reputation. An easy answer to how to improve your hotel business is to be accommodating to your guests. Accommodating is not just about providing a clean comfortable space; it is also about the customer care you provide.
Keeping a handy list of local providers you know provides great services can help your guests out in a pinch. For example, a guest’s vehicle may break down, which will cause them to need towing services. You have the number on hand for the towing service everyone in town uses and trusts. You instantly have become a hero.
The same is true for other service providers, like auto body repair services, auto mechanics, local medical centers like urgent care centers, and great restaurants. Keep a list of phone numbers for local attractions as well. Providing your guests with easy access to the services they may need will endear you to them during their stay.
Improve The Landscaping
The first impression of your hotel starts when the guests pull up. Making the right first impression is critical to giving guests a preview of what to expect from your hotel. If you want to know how to improve your hotel business, the answer is simple, improve your property surrounding the hotel.
Unsightly grounds send the wrong message to potential guests. Nicely appointed landscaping sends the right message. It makes your hotel more inviting when you invest in tree and stump removal, lawn care, flowers, and shrubbery around the property.
The idea is to create outdoor spaces that excite potential guests about what’s inside. A manicured landscape is a must.
Redesign Your Hotel Lobby
There is a huge difference between vintage and just outdated. If your hotel lobby is leaning more toward the outdated than the vintage, it is time to address the problem. Once your guests have made their way through your newly manicured landscaping you do not want them to gasp in disbelief at how shabby your hotel lobby looks.
How to improve your hotel business is answered by delivering a “complete” experience. That means that the landscaping and the lobby, common areas, and rooms are well kept and look their best. No one wants to walk into a hotel and find the lobby looking outdated.
If you do not want to invest in a complete overhaul, you can do things that will brighten up the lobby and help it look a little more modern. Consider changing out the lighting, the flooring, adding some newer furnishings, do a little interior plantscaping, and or add a fresh coat of paint.
You do not have to rip everything out and start over, but you should continuously be on the lookout for upgrades to keep your lobby looking good. The lobbies in some of the world’s most popular hotels focus on a sleek modern minimal look. It is an easy look to mimic. Well-placed plants, a few pieces of modern furniture, and plenty of bright light can do wonders.
Ensure the Hotel Has Comfortable Temperatures
We touched on the two basic things guests want from their hotel stay; guests want to feel safe, and they want to feel comfortable. If you have climate control issues in your hotel, you are not meeting one of the two key factors that guests expect.
If your commercial HVAC system is acting up and you are wondering how to improve your hotel business, the answer is simple. Connect with a commercial HVAC expert to either replace or repair the system.
Your guests want to feel warm in the winter and find the hotel space is cool during the dog days of summer. This is a basic need. Everything else you do to improve your hotel business will not improve it unless you can meet this very basic need.
How To Improve Your Hotel Business: The Basics
Improving your hotel business will take work. Some key factors will make it easier to improve your hotel business, including:
- Proactive maintenance.
- A staff that is committed to exceptional customer service.
- Your willingness to invest in repairs and upgrades.
One of the key long-term ways to improving your hotel business is to stay ahead of maintenance. Regularly scheduled maintenance for the systems in the hotel can help to extend the life of those systems and ensure that unforeseen repairs do not derail your business.
Going above and beyond what other area lodging has to offer can make your hotel a stand-out option. Hotel guests will remember that your staff was extremely helpful when they stayed with you or that you provided some extras they did not expect. Commit to going above and beyond.
Putting the guests’ needs first and having a staff of trained customer service experts on board will ensure that every guest finds the stay 100% satisfactory and are willing to spread the word about your hotel. Hiring the best talent and investing in their training is one of the surefire ways of improving your hotel business.
Finally, it takes money to make money. If you are looking for how to improve your hotel business without investing anything at all in your hotel, your search will hit a brick wall. You will need to invest in repairs, maintenance, training, property upgrades, and more if you want to realize the success you are after.
There is no single ingredient that will help to improve your hotel business. There are many working parts to growing a successful hotel business. In most cases, one component will rely heavily on another component being present. For example, you upgrade the design of your lobby, but you do not train your staff. Guests may find your lobby lovely but still complain about their stay if your desk clerk was rude.
Guests, whether business travelers or on travel for pleasure, are looking for a complete experience. They will overlook minor annoyances if you have all the working parts meant to create that complete experience. Good luck improving your hotel business, and remember, there are no quick fixes. Everything takes time.