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.