When you run a hotel, it’s easy to feel taken for granted. Sometimes, it can seem as though customers simply sleep with you and then leave. They take advantage of your convenient facilities, and then they leave you in the lurch.You may even watch as they stroll straight into the restaurant across the road. This can be heartbreaking. Worse than that, it can lose you money.
Let’s be honest; the hospitality industry isn’t easy anymore. The convenience and affordability of Airbnb’s have meant closures to many hotels. Dropped customer numbers mean that running a hotel is about more than just beds nowadays. If guests are leaving the moment they wake up, you’re heading to trouble.
Which begs the question of how you can impress your customers into sticking around. How can you encourage them to choose to eat with you instead? More importantly, why aren’t they doing so already?
Your food isn’t up to scratch
For years, hotels have managed to get away with mediocre food. You’re a hotel, after all, not a restaurant. Even if people did order food from you, it was for convenience rather than gourmet purposes. But, as we’ve mentioned, times have changed. If you want to make a success of yourself, you may need to hone your offerings. To compete with the other restaurants around, you need a top-quality chef and menu behind you. You should also upgrade that basic hotel kitchen with appliances like those available at aeromfg.com. These are small steps which could see your profits soaring. If word got out, you could even make a booming trade with customers who aren’t sleeping with you. How’s that for upgrading your image and your income at the same time?
Your bar isn’t welcoming
The majority of hotels have a bar of some sort on offer. But, again, many of these aren’t as good as they could be. We’ve all seen dingy, empty bars with staff for company. Only the jet-lagged or the desperate drink in places like those. Rehash that image by refreshing your bar. Focus on bright colors which look inviting rather than drab. Install a door straight onto the street to encourage constant traffic. Build buzz using the methods outlined on sites like www.buzztime.com. And, whatever you do, avoid those old-fashioned jukebox songs. Instead, install speakers and play the latest hits to start pulling the crowds.
Your rooms don’t scream relaxation
It’s also possible that your rooms are at fault here. If people sleep and go, it’s a sure sign your rooms aren’t relaxing enough. That’s a problem because people who don’t hang around can’t spend money. If guests have an incentive to stay in, there’s more chance of them ordering room service or using the mini bar. That’s why you need to consider installing entertainment options like televisions. It may even be worth replacing those shower cubicles with clawfoot baths. These would make your rooms so luxurious that no guest could resist spending at least a little extra time in them.