In a competitive sector where lots of different establishments are all offering a similar service, potential guests face a complicated choice. As a result, hotels have to find ways to increase their visibility in order to increase their revenue in turn. A key way to achieve this is by showcasing the services your hotel has to offer, such as the restaurant or spa.
Wellness: a rapidly growing market
There is a continuing and indeed growing trend amongst travellers to look for wellness experiences. These aren’t limited to specialist resorts or establishments, however. Every hotel, regardless of its geographical location, can offer spa services and thus increase its sources of income. This trend is further confirmed by the fact that several big hotel groups, like Hyatt and IHG, have acquired spa brands. A study conducted by the Global Wellness Institute found that in 2015, spending figures for travellers who were not travelling primarily for wellness reasons reached $482 billion. This included, for example, money spent on yoga classes, massages or gym access. More generally, 830 million wellness trips were taken in 2017 and the figure is projected to rise to one billion in 2019. The wellness tourism market is vast, and can be found notably in France, Germany, Austria and Italy in the most visited destinations. We don’t need to quote any more figures to illustrate the potential that this sector holds. In addition to the trips themselves, the local clientele represents a real opportunity, as they might also be interested in the services your hotel offers. Thus, if you have a spa, you can bring a certain value to your hotel which is particularly important in terms of the experience you wish to offer your guests. It’s undeniable that people may like and praise a hotel due to the range of massages the spa offers or the quality of the gym. It’s therefore crucial to showcase services like these as much as you can, as they represent a real competitive advantage, and to do so both on your website and in your communications with your guests. Promoting your spa before and during your guests’ stay, for example, can be an effective way to make additional sales and increase your revenue.
Offer a complete guest experience through your restaurant
Depending on its size, a hotel may or may not have a restaurant, and if it does, the resources it has available will dictate whether it only offers breakfast or whether it provides all kinds of meals, plus room service. Just like the spa, the restaurant can play a decisive role in your hotel’s ability to compete with its rivals. There are several possible scenarios.
First, on a financial level, your restaurant can allow you to diversity your offering and keep guests in your hotel. It also gives you greater flexibility and creativity in your commercial approach, as you can offer packages, for example. Your restaurant offering can also play a role if you hold conferences and other similar activities, thus giving you greater credit. Alternatively, it can act as a shop window for your town or region by offering local specialities. Guests are generally very sensitive to the culinary aspect of their stay, regardless of the reason for their trip, and here, you can offer them an authentic experience. In this specific case, if your restaurant has its own separate identity, you need to implement an adequate marketing strategy, for example by creating a separate Google My Business account or TripAdvisor page. Of course, guest reviews are crucial for your restaurant’s visibility. Don’t hesitate to ask your guests to leave comments in which they tag your restaurant and, more importantly, reviews about its services to maximise the impact on your brand image. Room service is also a significant source of extra revenue. By offering a selection of meals (they don’t need to be particularly complex), you can easily satisfy guests who are staying in your hotel for work. You can promote your room service at every stage of the guest journey in a pre-stay email or an email sent during the stay.
To conclude…
The services you offer relating to your restaurant and wellness facilities give you a chance to make additional sales at every stage of the guest journey. The pre-stay period is crucial because this is the time when you can provide your guest with relevant information and details to get their stay off to the best possible start by provoking their interest and helping to create a pleasant experience.
For your local clientele, share information about these services in a newsletter and on your social media accounts and allow them to book. For your guests, stagger your communication :
- Before they arrive: in a pre-stay email in which you outline the services you offer and the various booking and/or upgrade options
- During their stay: in an email or text, in which you can promote a special offer
- After they leave: by creating a satisfaction survey orientated towards these services so you can gather constructive feedback which you can also showcase on your website in a “guest reviews” section
By initiating these communication efforts, you will boost your hotel’s visibility significantly and generate extra revenue. Your hotel has far more to offer than just rooms, so take full advantage of all of its benefits.
Do you want to implement a personalised communication strategy at every stage of the guest journey and offer your guests a truly memorable experience? Request a free demonstration with one of our consultants today.
