For most hotels, there are two main peak seasons: the summer, and the end-of-the-year holiday season. Currently, health anxieties are at an all-time high, general mood low, and we are in the middle of a major recession. This year, capitalizing on the usually profitable holiday season is going to be difficult. The outbreak has dealt a blow that many say is a never-before phenomenon. Out of all industries impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic, the hospitality industry has taken the biggest blow. Hotels all over the world are looking for ways to survive the unprecedented economic fallout. While more harder than other years, there are still ways that your hotel can turn a profit this holiday season.
Let's talk about marketing strategies for hotels to make the most, even this year. Yes, you have read that right. The article is not another bleak analysis about sad hotel occupancy rates in the last six months. Instead, it's a realistic plan on how to raise your profit. If you are eager to do that, of course. Winston Churchill is supposedly said, “Never let a good crisis go waste”.
Unless the travel industry undergoes a massive overhaul in how we operate, owners and employees will continue to take a direct hit from an event that we thought was only possible in a doomsday movie. But there are steps we can take to mitigate our losses.
Showcase safety
This year, more travelers will wish to experience your active efforts to provide them the safest Hotel experience possible. Purchasing new personal protection equipment for your facility can help you in a few ways. It shows your customers that you care about their safety and mitigate the possibility of a COVID-19 outbreak occurring at your facility. You can incorporate the safety to your marketing messaging as well. Appease any worries your guests might have by providing them with the most safe accommodation. If they feel safe, they will be more likely to stay with you in the future. Besides purchasing masks and other PPE, there are other ways that your hotel can showcase the safety measures it is taking this holiday season such as retraining your entire staff so that they are equipped with the skills to provide a safe lodging experience. Guests will be happy to see the seriousness that your team is approaching the COVID-19 situation with. Therefore, promoting safety is one of the best holiday marketing strategies for hotels right now.
Go Contactless
Commonly touched surfaces such as doorknobs, pens, and room keys are all super-spreaders of germs. The problem is, most times, there is no way to sanitize these surfaces. To better prevent germs from being spread at your hotel, we suggest making the switch to offering guests a contactless hotel experience. Today, with the help of technology, every hotel can make the transition. To create a contactless stay, you will need to reassess and overhaul every part of the customer journey from the check-in process, to the guest’s departure. Luckily, we are here to make things easier, from an operational standpoint. How will it work? Your smartphone will find an available room of your choosing, cleaned and fully prepared. With one touch of your finger, you can book and pay for your room. You arrive at your hotel, get a key to the room through your smartphone and go straight to the room avoiding formal procedures at the reception desk and contacts with the crowd. In your room, you can log into our app, order some snacks, all on your mobile phone. When the app notifies you about a delivery, your orders are left outside your room for you to collect. It's easy as that, with no delays, no waiting time, no nerve-wracking.
Create a Quarantine Wing
Travel is going to cause more logistical problems than people anticipate. A 14-day quarantine may be necessary, depending on where they are coming from. This is going to cause a plethora of issues for many travelers. If an individual returns home to visit family for Christmas but has to be quarantined for two weeks before visiting, they likely will not have a place to quarantine. While this may seem like a problem for the guest, it can be an opportunity for your hotel. Consider converting a section of your hotel into a quarantine wing. This area of your hotel can be designated for travelers who want to come into town for the holidays so that they can quarantine ahead of time. Try to make this part of the Hotel feel like they are at home. Invest in new mini-fridges, microwaves, and comfort food options. Also with remote work a possibility now, allowing guests access to a good WiFi connection, conference rooms for work will make them more likely to come to stay. This will give guests the ability to work from your hotel effectively for an extended period of time and they will not need to take time off.
Domestic tourism
Should international travel restrictions remain in place over a longer period of time, explore domestic tourism as an alternative revenue source to make up some of the lost demand. Restrictions on travel means that staycations are set for a boom. With limited international travel, travellers might instead take shorter trips close to home. After months and months of being forced to spend all of their days living within the same four walls, people itching to get away. A quick road trip or even a stay in their own city for the weekend can offer some much needed room to breath. Many may be seeking wellness packages and spiritual rejuvenation after an unprecedented period of stress in their life. The psychological effects of a global pandemic like this shouldn’t be understated. Cater for travellers looking for body and soul restoration, to feel healthy, clean, and normal again. Many will be anxious to escape the surroundings they have just spent in lockdown to find calmer experiences. The plan is simple; capture domestic business as much as possible, however you can.
This holiday season is going to be.. bizzare. As the season approaches, be prepared, flexible and transparent. To win over your customers, you will need to show them all the ways that your hotel is superior to the competition. Showcase all efforts you are taking to provide a safe, but enjoyable stay at your hotel. So schedule a demo with us today and see how TripKit boost revenue and increase guest satisfaction.