Take advantage of the opportunity for boutique hotels to influence the hotel industry like never before.
Are you unsure how to increase your hotels business? Are you unsure what makes a hotel profitable?
We are here to offer you solutions and help take charge of your distribution channels.
1. Book direct strategy: simply the best
Here is the be-all and end-all of your distribution strategy: you must provide exclusive offers with the best rates and terms & conditions on your own website.
This is truly the foundation to help you increase your hotel revenue and profit.
One of the most damaging misconceptions is that OTAs can offer a more favorable deal than individual hotel websites.
Boutique hoteliers need to be in touch with consumer demands and gain back control.
As a hotelier, you need to earn your guests' trust and to give a compelling reason for direct bookings. Here are some tips:
- Have an easy to use and mobile-friendly website
You need a
well-designed website with a great user experience, where potential guests can find everything quickly and easily book directly.
It should also be optimised for mobile devices - over 60% of direct bookings come via tablets and phones.
- Offer special packages to your loyal guests who booked directly
Surprise guests with their favourite gift on arrival and leave a thank you card.
If you want to convert them to loyal guests, send a follow up email a few days later with a welcome back message.
Mention exclusive offers which resonate with their luxury lifestyle.
2. Focus on guest experience to increase your revenue
Luxury guests are ready to pay more for exclusive customer experiences.
You may ask how can I create a great guest experience?
- You should cater to different travelers' personalities, profiles, needs, and expectations. It's essential to understand who your guests are and why they are choosing to book a room in your property. You need to create guest personalities and tailor your messages to them.
- Think - what are we are selling, to whom are we selling it, and why would they book with us rather than a competitor.
- You should make it easy for guests to leave a review, so you can collect and analyze your comments. Encourage them to share their feelings about their experience while staying at your property.
All of these approaches will set you apart and portray you as a human, caring business and not a sales machine.
3. How to market in the boutique hotel business: tell your story
As soon as visitors land on your site, you have the chance to capture their attention and engage them.
By reflecting your identity, your
bespoke website is an extension of the experience guests can expect upon check in.
Your imagery, videos, logo, font, animations and messaging are details which combine to present a whole which is thoughtfully designed to tell your story.
Don't forget that beauty is only half the picture. Your team is a powerhouse of data.
Beyond the questions of what your offer, your services and amenities, your guests are constantly looking for information.
They want to know which room offers the best views of the setting sun, what is the easiest route to a nearby attraction and much more.
No third-party site allows for this type of hotel-specific information - you can answer these questions in an attractive, easy to navigate format which if structured in the right way is also rewarded by Google.
4. Use killer technology to increase hotel business
Your website must provide a seamless experience no matter what device is used to access it.
- Responsive website design does just that: ensuring that content, images, and structure remain the same on all platforms. OTAs are leading the way with cutting edge web sites and mobile applications. If you need to pick one thing to future-proof your business, invest in a responsive website.
- The best way to increase your reservations is to have a comprehensive rate strategy across all online segments. This is particularly important when trying to attract guests from niche markets, such as luxury travelers. This type of strategy allows you to create a different product offering and attract the right target market.
5. Protect your brand by bidding on it
What could be more frustrating than seeing your hotel's name hijacked by a third party at the top of a search engine?
Online travel agencies (OTAs) routinely bid for your brand name using Google Hotel Ads and pay per click (PPC) ads, taking away direct booking business from you and leaving you with high commission rates.
How do you increase your hotel business when OTAs dominate search engines?
Brand PPC generates quality traffic, clickthrough rates are much better than using generic terms and return on your investment is excellent when carefully managed. The return is amplified when combined with GHA.
Do you need support with increasing hotel revenue?
With over two decades of experience in the boutique hotel industry, Aró has a proven record of creating winning strategies, engaging and converting high-end guests and increasing book direct revenues.