Top four tips to keep your hotel competitive in 2017

Step into a respectable hotel’s front office and you’re greeted by a picture of calm. Everything seems to happen with a graceful air – nobody’s in a hurry, nothing looks disorganized. As every hotelier knows however, it’s a completely different story behind the scenes.

Managers, employees and even owners are constantly on their toes, often handling multiple tasks at the same time to ensure that the property runs smoothly.

Like a perpetual motion machine, a hotel’s operations never come to a stop. The pressure on the staff can build, and human errors can creep in. However, by following a few simple practices you can make sure that all your activities run like clockwork.

Optimize your resources to lower costs
Computers truly are powerful productivity drivers. However, it’s easy to go past the point where that advantage ends and the high costs begin to become inhibitive. Moreover, tech-novices may have a hard time working with traditional workstations. Mobile management technology allows hoteliers to lower their dependence on conventional desktops, allowing them to manage operations directly from their smartphone. This doesn’t just decrease costs – it boosts mobility for the staff and enhances the guest experience as well.

Adopt tools that make life easier for your staff
It’s no secret that turnover in hospitality is amongst the worst of any industry. Hotel employees rarely clock 8 hour shifts – work hours often stretch considerably beyond designated timings. Since a number of properties rely on outdated pen-and-paper or legacy systems, staff members spend a lot of time manually entering details, updating inventory, managing rates and so on. However, cloud technology today automates the majority of these processes, enabling employees to better optimize their time. Not only does this improve efficiency at the property, it also improves staff morale.
Adopting modern management tools also enables you to monitor responsibilities of individuals and delegate tasks to unburdened personnel. When your staff can work without hassles and manage their time better, they don’t have a reason to walk away.

Take guest personalization seriously
Millennials are rapidly overtaking Gen Xers as the spending majority, and hotels would do well to take note of their preferences. Personalization is a powerful factor in swinging millennial bookings. Modern hotel management systems record a number of guest preferences and details. These can be later recalled to customize the stay the next time the guest makes a booking at the property. This personalization helps establish loyalty and strengthens the hotel’s relationship with its clients.
Something as simple as a bottle of champagne on an anniversary or a complimentary upgrade can leave a lasting impression on a visitor’s mind, also encouraging them to share their experience with friends and family.

TripAdvisor is growing in significance
The power of online reviews can never be overstated. Guests trust the opinions of other travelers – even if they’re strangers. Having a robust presence on global OTAs accounts for little if your property doesn’t have many reviews. There seems to be a misconception that collecting reviews is tedious. However, with integration to review collection tools like TripAdvisor’s own Review Express tool, it is possible to automate this step. When you put so much effort into ensuring that your guests have a great stay, why not take that extra step to ensure that others can see what a great time they had?

Keeping your hotel competitive is an ongoing process – trends in hospitality are constantly changing, guest behavior is always evolving and what works today may not work tomorrow. It’s important that your hotel is flexible, and willing to adopt latest measures to connect better with emerging segments of the market.

Travel Technology Europe 2017, a major event in the hotel-tech space is also great platform to discover the latest trends in the industry and network with like-minded professionals. If you’re attending the event, we’d love to meet you there – my fellow founders Prabhash Bhatnagar and I will be at the Olympia Grand, London on the 22^nd and 23^rd February. You can pre-book your appointment here.