BUSINESS
LODGING
HOW TO STAND OUT FROM THE COMPETITION Differentiating yourself from the crowd is a task that demands the full attention of any hotelier, and the responsibility has become an even greater one in the post-Covid-19 era. Patrick Landman, CEO and founder of Xotels, an international boutique and independent management company, looks at how to attract attention for all the right reasons.
Countless marketing, sales and operational tools available in the market have allowed hoteliers to gain quick returns in the past, but unfortunately, a mediocre strategy and cookie-cutter approaches are not enough anymore. This begs the question: which decisions will truly help hotel brands differentiate themselves in the post-pandemic market?
Personalization Not providing a personalized service in this day and age will almost certainly have a direct negative impact on performance. Generic, uninspiring stays are the antitheses of what guests are looking for. Although personalization can mean many things, it is important to first understand two nuances: technology and the human touch. Technology — mainly in the form of a good CRM/CRS/PMS system — will play an important role in both the execution and control of rolling out personalized offerings at your hotel. Without it, the success rate is likely to suffer, as your team can only follow a certain amount of things going on at the same time.
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HOSPITALITY NEWS ME | APR - MAY 2021
The human touch Providing a great guest experience is what most hoteliers highlight as their hotel’s main selling point. Unfortunately, I believe that the market still has a long way to go and there’s plenty of room for improvement. In my opinion, hotels must fully embrace personalization by accommodating guests’ preferences from the outset and throughout their stays. I like to call this the “inclusive guest experience." This relies heavily on the skills of the team to execute it.
tight budget, you can come up with creative ways that still provide guests with something personalized.
Marketing Marketing can certainly help hotels shine, and there are a few developments to take into consideration.
SEO
Focus on scaling this with the help of your staff. Empower and train your employees to offer that extra level of service. That way any guest can experience the same feeling multiple times during their stay.
There is no question that people will continue searching regardless of any crisis, and it is up to hoteliers to funnel as much traffic as possible by having websites that are fully optimized. Search engine optimization (SEO) is fundamental, so using the right keywords is something that cannot be overestimated. Staying on top of these words requires constant evaluation of which are the most valuable and profitable, luring as many viewers as possible to your website. Don´t forget to look beyond the obvious; consider the search intent of potential customers.
Many hoteliers wonder about the financial feasibility of this initiative, but thinking differently is important here. If you're on a
You can pull in a significant amount of website traffic by blogging, where visitors are inspired to visit your hotel and its
Think of that feeling you got after the concierge told you about the little romantic restaurant that served you some of the best food you've had. Now that’s an experience that will last a lifetime.
