If you are a hotel owner then you will be more than aware that the hotel industry is going through something of a tough time. Not only are more and more people electing local vacations than international breaks, private vacation rentals like AirBnb have completely changed the market and hotels are now struggling to keep up with the vacation rental industry. I often travel for work and I have stayed in hotels all over the world, one thing that I always notice is the simple things which make hotels of such a high standard.
I have stayed in budget hotels in Thailand, 5 star hotels in Europe and just last week I was in the exceptional Bicycle Casino Hotel in California. What all of these great hotels do so well, are the basics and if you want to make sure that your hotel stays competitive, here are the things which you need to get right.
Cleanliness
For me, cleanliness should be something which is highly focussed upon in hotels and everyone that works in the hotel should be conscious of the cleanliness of the rooms and the amenities. I just don’t understand how any hotel can expect to attract clients when they can’t even clean the place properly. In a world where everyone loves to leave negative reviews about your place, and reviews are so crucial to future bookings, cleanliness should be a given.
Service
Similar to cleanliness, service should be a key focus for hotel owners and everyone in your hotel should be constantly striving to give the guests the best stay possible. As a guest, I expect that the staff in a hotel make me feel welcome and are always on hand for anything that I need, unfortunately this is not always the experience that I receive. As as hotel owner, you should drill into your staff the importance of great service and it is up to you to manage it and ensure that it stays at a very high level. Great service has the power to make people forget about smaller issues which there may be in your hotel and if you aren’t offering this, you can’t expect your clients to be happy.
Decorating
Whilst I understand the high cost that goes into re-decorating your hotel, continuing with an outdated look will serve only to turn clients away and it is vital that you stay up to date. I have spent time in countless hotels around the world who have the same decor that they likely had when they opened in the 80s and as soon as I see this, I instantly decide that I am not going to return there. When I am paying for a hotel, regardless of how much I am paying, I want somewhere that I can feel relaxed and comfortable in. For this reason you should always be looking to make sure that your hotel does not look tired, but looks up to date and modern.