Three Issues That Keep the Hotel Manager Up at Night

As the busy summer travel season nears, hoteliers are examining their strategies in preparation. They’re setting room rates, monitoring occupancy targets, and exploring new ways to capture the interest and business of prospective guests. Within this, hoteliers will also be worrying about keeping up with trends and making sure that they have the teams and technology to ensure the best possible service. There are so many considerations for a hotel manager but for many, there are three key areas that may keep them up at night.

Personalization, Simplified

For travelers, personalization creates unforgettable experiences and for businesses, personalization offers an opportunity to upsell and win deep customer loyalty and trust. To truly build personalized experiences that make for a memorable stay, it’s crucial to also look beyond the on-site experience and consider how hoteliers can engage with guests pre- and post-stay. Some creative ways to introduce personalization include:

• Ancillary packages and offers go a long way towards satisfying the guests who seek out personalized experiences. For instance, if the hotel has childcare facilities, relationships with local attractions or offers welcome amenities or tailored room upgrades, this can be made known to guests before they arrive. These bonuses are not just great upselling opportunities but make guests feel valued as they enjoy a seemingly tailored experience. The best part is that these add-ons are not particularly complicated to implement as they are already elements of the hotel’s service. 
• Profiles can keep track of returning guests so that the relationship can always continue where it left off and make clients feel valued. Even the newest member of the team will know how to welcome a guest ‘back’ and book a table at their favorite restaurant or be able to greet guests by name in passing. Even better, they can streamline the day-to-day operations and save time, as the team can access a history of guest requests and preferences and be proactive in delivering them. 
• Make guests feel like a local, since research shows 70 percent of travelers would like hotels to offer more advice about unique things to do during their stay. Hotels can consider selling third-party experiences as an additional revenue stream, or leverage their team to share knowledge of the area with guests and make valuable recommendations. To get the most from the team, hotel managers can ensure they have everything they need to point guests in the right direction – like paper maps and brochures. 

Change Management

According to new research, we can expect a 16% increase in technology investment across the hospitality industry over the next six months. Further, one in five hoteliers are planning to invest at least 20% more than they did last year. Technology – and investment in it has emerged as a priority in the industry, but for hoteliers who also manage daily operations – making these upgrades can feel daunting.

As new technology constantly emerges, having a tech investment guide can be helpful, both on its own and ensuring hotel managers are asking the right questions to find the right solution. As a rule of thumb, there are five questions to ask when considering technology upgrades. 

1. How will this technology fit in with the existing tech stack?
2. Will this solve multiple issues, or just one?
3. How long will it take to pay itself off, or how much money would it need to save per transaction to be valuable?
4. Will it be able to integrate with different technology in the future?
5. Does the hotel already have technology that could be adjusted to include this new functionality?

As new solutions are developed a technology partner can keep hotel managers abreast of these changes and ensure that they have the best tech stack for their operation. The value of a partner lies in their industry experience, where they have likely overseen and supported hundreds of transitions and upgrades which positions them well to advise and support technological changes. However, it’s crucial to critically assess any potential partner to make sure that they have the relevant, proven experience that is needed. 

All Hands-on Deck: Reducing Employee Turnover

The hospitality and leisure industry experiences some of the highest and fastest staff turnover, according to the US Chamber of Commerce. Not having enough well-trained staff is a major cause for concern and can undermine brand standards and overall guest satisfaction.

The first – and most important step is to use business intelligence insights to aid in minimizing staff turnover, to look ahead and understand what is happening in the market and use this to gauge occupancy and resource requirements. If a hotel manager anticipates a busy summer, they can ensure they have a fully trained team before the season starts – even if that means being overstaffed in the short-term. 

An often-overlooked tool to cope with staffing is technology – and specifically how it can act as an enabler to help staff do their job better, faster, and more confidently. Service optimization solutions aids in increasing employee satisfaction through easy onboarding, upskilling training, and creating a more connected culture. From ensuring basic customer needs are met (clean rooms, prompt check-in times) to executing highly personalized and anticipatory service for loyalty guests, technology can help automate these tasks to increase staff productivity and inspire exceptional stays.

For many hoteliers, their main priorities will be delivering guest personalization to win new and returning business that deepens customer loyalty. Central to realizing this is being able to invest in new technology and integrate current solutions where and when they are needed to ensure healthy staff levels and reduce employee turnover. These foundational elements are key to delivering a positive guest experience, streamlining hotel operations, and ensuring long-term business growth.