The hospitality industry is finally starting to get back up to speed again! Although the pandemic is not quite over, the realisation of the vaccine and the reduced spread of infection have created a renewed interest in traveling, eating out, and visiting hotels. Additionally, many travellers are choosing holiday places in their own countries instead of traveling abroad this summer. So how can you best take advantage of this growing demand and boost your bookings?
The past year has been, to say the least, dizzying for the hospitality industry and it may feel daunting to get started again in such a transformed industry. What will it take for guests to feel safe again at hotels? And how do you get potential hotel guests to choose your hotel over someone else’s? Let us inspire you with some of the trends we are seeing in the hotel industry right now.
1. Communicate your corona measures
Never before has hand hygiene, disinfection and human distance been so important. Hotel operations around the world have introduced new routines and measures to meet the requirements set by the health authorities. However, in order to build trust with potential guests, it is also important to communicate the specific actions your organisation has put in place.
Do you disinfect the rooms between guests? Do you offer free rebooking? Have you limited the number of visitors to your spa facilities? Describe what measures you have implemented and make these visible to potential guests, for example on your website or in your social channels.
Being upfront about your organization’s corona actions is extremely important in securing bookings. This is partly to convey that your guests can feel safe in the hotel, and partly to convey what your guests can expect from their stay. In addition to being safe and secure, guests also want to make sure that they can use the facilities and activities that are usually offered. Is the restaurant open? How are the spa services affected? The clearer the information you share, the easier the decision will be for the guests to book with you!
2. Digitize the guest experience
Digital solutions in the hospitality industry have received a real boost as a result of the pandemic. Digitization has made it easier to protect guests and staff from the risk of infection than what the previous personal contact routines entailed. But the benefits of digital solutions extend beyond the pandemic, contributing to a better guest experience and reduced staff administration time.
With smart technology such as self-check-in, digital keys and digital communication, you can make your guests’ stay easier while keeping your business at the forefront of the modern hospitality industry.
VisBook collaborates with several partners who offer smart solutions for a digital guest experience. The integration of the digital solutions is seamlessly linked with VisBook’s PMS so that you can handle everything easily in one place.
3. Focus on local hotel guests
It is still difficult to travel internationally, and many travellers will also avoid domestic flights and train travel. Therefore, we see that many hotels are directing their offers to local target groups who can get to the hotel by car. A good way to capture the interest of people in the local area is to offer attractive package bookings, such as spa packages, gourmet packages or golf packages. Or why not partner with another local business to offer a combined hotel stay and activity? This way the stay is not about discovering a ’new’ place, but about an experience where your hotel is the destination.
In VisBook’s booking section, you can easily build packages. When the guest books a package with, for example, accommodation, dinner and spa, each department automatically receives the information they need to deliver a fantastic guest experience.
4. Send out offers via email and SMS
A simple tip to boost bookings is to make sure that previous hotel guests are reminded of your facility. We see that VisBook customers are using more and more of our built-in functions for mass sending of emails and SMS. This can be a good way to communicate offers, discounts or news to the customers already in your register. Maybe an email from you makes a previous guest remember what a fantastic weekend they had with you five years ago, and want to test your new package offer or take advantage of a great discount?
VisBook users can find instructions for mass send-outs via e-mail here.
5. Be creative with your meal offerings
Many hotels have changed their food and beverage offerings to meet guidelines for social distancing and numbers of visitors in the restaurant. Breakfast is often served in a takeaway bag or at an allotted time at the breakfast buffet. This is an opportunity to do a little extra for your guests. Maybe you can offer room service breakfast in bed? If you run a hotel surrounded by beautiful nature, maybe you can offer a romantic picnic dinner? Such offers can appeal to those guests who want to avoid congestion – or just to experience something out of the ordinary! With VisBook’s POS solution, you can also easily connect the guest’s bill to the room so that they pay for the meals at check-out.
The features you need to utilise these trends and tips are available in VisBook’s PMS, or through integration with one of our partners. Book a demo if you want to know more about VisBook, or contact support if you are an existing VisBook user who wants help getting started with a new feature. We look forward to hearing from you!
