If you’re opening a hotel this year, you need to start big. A hotel isn’t a business that can slowly build popularity over time. If you don’t reach high levels of success straight away, costs will drive your company into the ground.
Luckily, we know exactly what you need to do to guarantee all your rooms are booked on the first night you open. Are you ready to learn what you need to reach success?
Liquor license? why certainly
Don’t even think about opening a business like a hotel or restaurant without an approved liquor license. We know what you’re thinking. Does it matter? Surely, they are coming for the ambience, not the booze.
They’ll be coming for both, and they won’t be pleased if they find your establishment doesn’t serve alcohol. This is something that you’ll need to arrange early on to ensure your bar is legal when the hotel opens.
Stylish rooms
What’s the difference between a three-star hotel and a four-star hotel? We’ll give you a hint; it has nothing to do with the facilities. It’s all about the way the hotel looks and feels, particularly to guests. Remember official star ratings aren’t as important anymore in the hotel industry.
Not when customers are going to be judging based on what people who have already stayed there think. If you book a hotel, you won’t know the official star rating. You’ll just know what it’s been awarded online at places like Trip Advisor.
Who cares what the actual star rating is. Customer opinion is what matters and they are the only ones you need to impress. They’ll be happy if the hotel looks stylish and the rooms are clean.
Great Service
There is one other thing that guests want to see in a hotel, and that’s great customer service. If you have staff that are rude or dismissive, you can guarantee your hotel will struggle. Forget opening night because you won’t even make it past opening week. You can afford to have poor employees later on in the life of the hotel. But not when you’ve just opened the doors, and word has already started to spread.
Amazing design
From the outside, your hotel should look like a haven. Use whatever tools and devices you can to make this happen. You might want to start by setting up exterior lighting or perhaps hire a designer. We’re sure they’ll have fun telling you all the ways you can make your hotel unique.
It needs to stand out in the best possible way, and the design shouldn’t end with the exterior. You’ve got to make it look visually impressive inside too. Things like floating, luminescent liquor shelves in the bar or leather walls in the entrance hall can create the right type of effect.
Fantastic marketing
Last but certainly not least, you have to invest in marketing. You need to make sure that everyone knows your hotel is opening. People should be coming from near and far. The best form of marketing is media attention. Just let the locals radio and news stations know that your hotel is opening and you will have the public’s interest.