When we think about what makes a hotel great, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? The food? The amenities? The location? The spa? The architecture? The rooms? The brand? Make no mistake, all of these are important and add to the experience. But what really moves a hotel from good to great? Here are a few easy tips that may surprise you that can make all the difference between just good and great.
- Easy Booking: Is your online booking system fast and easy to navigate? If you have a rewards program, is it easy and stress-free for your guests to redeem their points? Do guests who make reservations by phone go straight to a reservations agent or do they have to go through an endless list of menu options before they finally get to talk to a human? The bottom line…make it easy for your guests to book a reservation and they’re much more likely to keep coming back to stay with you.
- First Impressions Are Everything: Is your lobby easy to navigate? Is it warm and inviting? How about your team members? Do your team members create a warm and inviting atmosphere with their greeting and their attitudes? Does your team make the check-in process welcoming and stress-free? No matter how amazing your amenities are, they will be quickly forgotten if your guests feel like they are not truly welcome.
- Knowledgeable, Friendly Team: During their stay, your guests will come in contact with your front desk team, your maintenance team, your guest services team, your housekeeping team, your food services team and much more. Regardless of the team, train everyone to be friendly, welcoming, and knowledgeable about both your hotel and the area. Your guests should be able to ask any team member about both the hotel and the surrounding area and get a knowledgeable and helpful answer. Training ALL team members in this area will have large dividends. One last note on this. All conversations between team members must be professional and positive. Guests must never hear grumbling, complaining or off-color language from team members. There should be no exceptions tolerated.
- Exceptionally Maintained Guest Rooms: It is a given that your guests will expect all the usual amenities. A comfortable bed, space to move around, a coffee maker, Wi-Fi, a television, a microwave, ample lighting, etc. All these things are expected but what about the following:
o Do all the lights work properly?
o Do all the appliances work properly?
o Do the heating and air conditioning work properly?
o Does the shower work properly?
o Do the sink and toilet work properly?
o Do all the electrical outlets work? (With outlet covers)
o Is all the cabinet and door hardware in place and working properly?
o In other words, have you exceptionally maintained your guest rooms?
- Cleanliness: This is absolutely non-negotiable. A great hotel must be exceptionally clean. And there should be no exceptions. Guests expect an exceptionally clean room. But what about the rest of your hotel? To be great, your hotel must be free of trash, free of clutter and free of dirt. In other words, it needs to literally shine from top to bottom.
- Problem Resolution: Problems come up. It’s a fact of life. Train your team members to handle problems quickly, effectively, and professionally. Your guests will forget whatever problems they encounter if those problems are resolved and handled professionally. However, they will forever remember poorly handled attempts at problem resolution.
Most folks focus on the food, location, design, guest room appearance and amenities. But the luster of these things can quickly fade if ease of booking, first impressions, knowledgeable staff, exceptional maintenance, exceptional cleanliness, and effective problem resolution are overlooked. Master these tips and greatness is within your reach.
Sources:
https://www.theedgewater.com/news/7-features-that-make-any-hotel-feel-like-a-luxury-hotel-2
https://www.puretravel.com/blog/2020/02/25/10-qualities-of-a-good-hotel
https://dobetter.esade.edu/en/hotel-excellence-qualities?_wrapper_format=html
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