Your guests chose to stay at your hotel/inn for a reason. Being chosen is not enough however, if you are a small hotel, business comes best through word of mouth. Once you have a guest, their stay is of more importance to your business. With travelers reviewing on Google, Trip Advisor and Yelp, to recommend all people on the internet of the pros and cons of a hotel, it’s important to keep all guests happy. Customer service, ease of checking in and checking out are of the few items that must be of high quality and even more so, the amenities.
Guests usually chose their hotel based on cost, location and the amenities. To stay a step ahead, you want to remind the lodgers that your hotel has something they didn’t even know they wanted until they were offered it.
The staple amenities are of course, toiletries (with sufficient towels of varying sizes), simple cutlery for if they order room service and need an extra fork, stationary with pens and paper, slippers and a robe, a tea and coffee machine (or at least instant), and internet access. There is a range of ways to provide these amenities. The toiletries can reflect your hotel’s brand such as keeping to a fragrance or color. A desk with adequate lighting will give more of a considerate touch to a basic room with only a bed. Cups, cutlery, napkins and such should be present, even if there is no mini-fridge.
Now that we got the essentials out of the way, there are other amenities you can add to go one step further towards guest satisfaction.
- An iron and ironing board is a great feature to add to every hotel room. Packed luggage can get wrinkled on a journey and having the option to iron out clothes will be much appreciated by your guests.
- Add a city guide or local tour brochure outlining what to do at your destination. If you are in a tourist location, many travelers can easily find tourist-y type adventures with a simple google search. Offer your guests mom and pop shops and local treasures to visit. In addition, this is a perfect business opportunity to meet with local restaurants and stores to promote their business in exchange for mentioning your hotels to customers. Some hoteliers have coupons for meals or events around their hotel. Find your boarder something they wouldn’t find at the first google search.
- Historical treasures can separate your inn from the nearby bigger chain hotels. Perhaps it’s a letter from a local historical figure or an artifact of somehow. Local museums are usually amiable to donating to local establishments.
- Switch up the usual pancake “complimentary” breakfast that is often given in lower range hotels. To not drive up food costs switch out simple breakfasts, such as French toast instead of pancakes. Brunch is also a very popular dinner time now days, extending your breakfast hours or creating an entire brunch menu time will have those millennials buzzing.
- There’s a pinch of nostalgia in the old ways of serving people. Instead of having a normal staffer bring room service, if it is offered, classify your staffer by duty. For example have a butler come to rooms that ordered liquor or to light a fireplace. Having that extra romantic touch can alter any experience from pleasant to extraordinary.
- Create private rooms for honeymooners. Honeymooners are more likely to spend more for a chance at a room with a better view, personalized service and a cozy atmopshere. Any of your rooms with some of those features can be transformed into a warm, romantic space for the newlyweds.
- Treats are always a pleaser, the inner kid (and especially kids) will be happy to find those. Whether it is a simple mint chocolate placed on the pillow cases after changing the sheets or packet of sweet biscuits on the stationary, these small gestures will put smiles on your lodger’s faces.
- Simple souvenirs like straw hats or a patterned fan upon check in puts the cherry on top for the start of their stay. Anything that can tie the location to their arrival enforces your hotel’s brand of caring for the people who are staying with you.
These extra amenities do not have to be luxurious items, only simple actions that give your guests something to
remember about your inn. It is important to distinguish yourself from the competition and to have your hotel’s hospitality spread. Detail in the simple things will ultimately paint a bigger picture. Whenever possible, reinforce your brand whether that is on the label of the shampoo bottle or on the chocolate wrapping paper. And remember hoteliers, basic amenities plus a little extra will go a long way.
Be sure to visit Hotel4Humanity’s site for guest room amenities and supplies as well as our blog for many other hints and tips on your hotelier needs.