Group Purchasing Organization
If you are in the hospitality industry, then you know how important it is to offer the right amenities to your guests. Not only are complementary services important, but the types of services and amenities that you offer can make the difference between standing out from the competition and being just another chain hotel.
In today’s post, we’ll take a look at the top 10 things that every hotel must offer if they want to get a competitive edge over other businesses in the hospitality industry. To increase your buying power, make sure to contact Source1 Purchasing and learn what we can do for your business. Our group purchasing organization has what it takes to push your business to the next level. Keep reading to discover how to impress your guests!
1. Visible Boss
No matter what you call your hotel manager — general manager or resident manager — it’s important that they are not only on the premises, but also accessible and available for guests. A manager who spends the day in an office is not going to have the positive impact that you want to make on guests. Make sure that your hotel manager knows that part of their job is to be on the floor greeting guests, creating a “face” for the hotel, and generally finding ways to emphasize the hotel’s commitment to a fabulous experience for guests.
2. Genuine Personality
Your staff needs to be more than just courteous. While good manners and a service-oriented attitude are important, they won’t do much as far as establishing your hotel’s brand. If your goal is to create a persona for your hotel that is friendly, open, and genuinely caring, then it’s important that you communicate this with your entire staff. The more that your staff displays empathy and genuine interest in their interactions with your guests, the more that your hotel will set itself apart from the competition.
3. Easy Check-in and Check-out
Whether your guests have been traveling for the past week on business or are arriving after a tiring day of driving, you want to make sure that the check-in and check-out processes are as streamlined and efficient as possible. The less time that your tired guests spend at the desk, the quicker they will be able to get to their room and unwind. Train your staff to display welcoming body language, smiles, and friendly words. Try to avoid vague greetings such as asking how someone is. Rather, a more specific phrase such as, “It’s nice to have you with us,” will make a deeper impact.
4. Discretion
While most of your guests will probably not be celebrities, that doesn’t mean that they don’t appreciate your attention to their privacy and security. Make sure that your front-desk staff understand the value of using a guest’s name discreetly. Hotel staff should never broadcast a name or room number as this is not only a breach of privacy, but is also a potential security issue.
5. Avoid Assumptions
Sometimes, finding the balance between being proactive and making assumptions can be difficult to find. It’s important that your hotel guests never feel that decisions are being made for them. This is especially important with regular guests as it can be easier to assume that you know what they want. Make sure that guests are always presented with options and allowed to make their own decision.
6. Details
Everyone knows that the details can make or break almost anything, which is why it’s important that you make sure the accents in your hotel are distinctive, tasteful, and when possible, local. The more time and attention you put into the details in your hotel, the more your guests will appreciate spending time in their rooms, the lobby, or the guest lounge during their stay with you.
The more that you can offer detailed services and gifts, the more you set your hotel apart. The best things to keep in mind is that the more refined and local your offerings are, the better. Here are just a few examples of items that show true attention to detail:
- Delicious local truffles
- A fruit bowl with beautiful and edible fruit
- Fresh pet treats for those traveling with a pet
- Fresh floral arrangements made from local flowers and plants
7. Local Knowledge
Room service used to be one of the most important hotel requirements during any guest’s stay. These days, however, your guests are just as likely to expect you to have extensive local knowledge. If they are looking for a community-rich experience, then it’s important that you can share some of the best places and locations for them to visit, as well as dining experiences that are affordably priced.
8. Impeccable Housekeeping
One of the best features of impeccable housekeeping is the ability to be invisible. If your guests are not disturbed by talking, radios, or TVs that are the result of housekeeping taking care of other rooms, then you have successfully overcome one of the biggest hurdles.
One of the cardinal sins that no housekeeper should ever commit is to move items that belong to a guest. While this may create a challenge when it comes to cleaning the room, it’s important that your guests feel that their space is respected. Additionally, it’s important that your staff know where to check when cleaning, and be willing to search beyond the obvious spots.
9. Plentiful Outlets
Depending on when your hotel was built, you may not have a lot of options when it comes to the number of electrical outlets that you can offer to your guests. One easy solution is to purchase charging strips that can plug into the few available outlets in each room. There are two benefits from doing this — electronics are protected from power surges, and you instantly create more outlets, which caters to your guests’ comfort and convenience.
10. Beautiful and Easy-to-Operate Showers 
While hotels can feature some of the most amazing showers, including indoor showers, outdoor showers, showers with multiple showerheads, rainfall showers, and more, they really don’t do any good unless they are easy to operate. There’s nothing quite as frustrating as stepping into a shower only to realize that you can’t figure out how to turn it on or adjust the settings to your comfort level. If your hotel provides showers with complicated features, then make sure to offer directions that are simple and easy to follow.
These are just a few hotel management tips from our team of hospitality professionals. When you choose Source1 Purchasing to be your group purchasing organization, we can provide the buying leverage that you need. Whether you need to source hotel essentials for your guest rooms, kitchen, or offices, we can help. Contact us today to get a free supply chain analysis.
