6 Smart Hotel Moves for Women Owners
The National Restaurant Association says that women now own more than 50% of hotels in the United States. The scenario is the same in other parts of the world, with women running some of the most luxurious hotels on the planet including Four Seasons, Buenos Aires and Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok.
Even more impressive women account for 57.5% of the hotel industry’s entire workforce according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Plus, female restaurant owners have distinct advantages over their male counterparts from funding sources to the ability to connect with employees genuinely.
But, in an industry with a high failure rate and cutthroat competition, it is essential for women entrepreneurs to up their game to remain in business.
Offer Personalized Solutions
Your guests are the backbone of your hotel. They are the reason you are in business. And, gone are the days when guests would check in, get the “usual” room service, stay for a couple of days and leave. It is essential that you keep track of your lodgers. Know their specific needs and give it to them.
There’s nothing that’ll keep people coming back to your hotel if you provide personalized service or product. Think of it as a way to attract and retain loyal customers.
Try Influencer Marketing
Here’s the thing – we’re now living in a global village thanks to social media (read the internet). With the new “power of connectivity” is the rise of influencers. And guess what? You can use the new trend to give your brand more exposure and most importantly deliver your message to the target audience.
Start a YouTube channel and go big. You can even call it the “out and about channel” if you like (is the name taken already?). And, because Social Media Daily helps buy YouTube subscribers, you shouldn’t have a problem boosting your influence in a couple of months. Be sure to feature influencers who’ll encourage people to travel by highlighting their experiences as guests from place to another.
Develop the Millennial Mindset
Travel and tourism are changing rapidly. There’s this thing called the millennial mindset. For starters, millennials are keen to break the traditional barriers. They embrace the idea of a shared economy. They’re after authentic experiences. Put differently; they tend to spend money in a curated way, as they try to discover their real character.
What does this tell you? Well, it implies that its time you started warming up to the idea of homestays! That’s the future of the hotel industry right there!
Provide Weekend Getaways
Many people aren’t going for holidays like they used to back in the day. In fact, the days of planning for vacation could very well be behind us. What’s the new trend? People are making decisions fast, and they’re travel in an hours’ notice. The ripple effect is that the hotel industry will start to see the rise of long weekend stays. How do you position yourself as a hotel owner? You have to start thinking about offering weekend promotional packages.
Invest in Smart Rooms
Technology is revolutionizing the hotel industry, as is the case with every sector. These days, most guests are tech-savvy and prefer staying in a tech-friendly environment. You should, therefore, consider equipping your rooms with toys and gadgets such as motorized curtains, tablets, automatic lighting, voice assistants and more. And the beauty of it is that you don’t have to burn through your wallet to get these devices.
Make your Restaurant Green
The world is going green, and your hotel shouldn’t be any different. So, make sure that you’re taking the necessary measures to reduce carbon footprint. Keep in mind that the industry will start to see the rise of lodgers who want to stay in green hotels.
…Don’t Forget to Provide Clarity to your Team
You need to let your employees know where you want to take your business. Share with them your goals. Let them know that they’re part of the dream. Make sure that you have a competent management team. That way, you can focus on other things such as coming up with ways to outwit your competition.
Delegate tasks and avoid micro-managing. The last thing that you want to do is to make your employees feel as if they’re not good enough by following up every little instruction.
Final Thoughts
Women are shaping the hotel industry, and that isn’t going to stop any time soon. As a woman entrepreneur, you have to remain sophisticated and smart. Look for opportunities and make the most out them. Remember to inspire upcoming women business owners and provide mentoring.