In the hospitality industry, whether you are running a hotel with food and beverage services or a managing full service restaurant or managing a catering company, pricing food is always the key to profits and it’s more important than ever before.

Our purchasing solutions will help you meet the needs of your diverse stakeholders. Your employees will do their jobs more efficiently and you will have help managing the financial expectations of senior management and, most importantly, it will help you provide exceptional guest experiences.

If your guests remember having a hot breakfast at one of your hotels, they will expect the same if they stay at another in a different location. Guests want the peace of mind that comes with knowing that when they stay at a specific hotel brand they will receive the same level of service and quality.

Here are Source1 Purchasing’s top 5 reasons why uniforms are important in the hospitality industry.

Centralized purchasing offers more opportunities for businesses than decentralized. “There were a lot of independent operators who were buying different levels of quality” from a wide range of suppliers, he recalled. His goal was to establish standards and work with brands already familiar to consumers rather than those geared exclusively for business use.

The commodity market for staples can always impact product costs and hotel operations. At Source1 we suggest alternatives and our volume leverage can maximize availability for our customers.

By rejecting products that don’t meet these (among many) standards, a chef sends a message to the supplier that can result in higher quality ingredients being delivered to their location.

Brackins concurs. “Now, myself and company management can concentrate on other aspects of running our hotel operation, particularly ensuring improved quality and an elevated guest experience.”

What should we be thinking about in the hospitality industry? How do we assure long-term financial viability? Well the answer has not really changed since the dawn of Marketing.
“Long-term financial viability comes when someone–in our case, guests–gladly pay for our offerings.” Wise words from Trevor Stuart-Hill of Revenue Matters. But how do we assure that is the case. Stuart-Hill details 5 effective marketing tips in order to maximize opportunity. Making sure these areas are genuinely customer-centric is the goal.
Let’s take the hospitality marketing list one by one.
1) Policies
2) Pricing Schemes
3) Online Presence
4) Guest Engagement Practices
5) Promotional Activities

1) Policies-
I remember distinctly pulling into a resort hotel at about 6:30 pm after a long day of touring. The idea was to refresh for the evening before heading back out the next day. The pool looked beautiful and so inviting. I couldn’t wait to jump in! But, the pool closed at 7:00 PM. By the time we checked in and changed our clothes, it was too late to take a swim. I was left with disappointment rather than delight.

We get that sometimes budgets are tight and trade-offs need to be made. But, it is in your best interest to make sure your policies support your guest’s needs. In a resort area, it would seem that that patrons might want the pool to be open later than 7:00 PM.

2) Pricing Schemes-
Understanding what guests are willing to pay for is important! This comes down to really understanding your segment, your location and your product offerings. When you can offer something no one else can, and that difference is valued (a hot bar scene, a restaurant attached to a limited service hotel, proximity to a beach or even free parking) your pricing structure can and should reflect your advantage. The key is to communicate that advantage in a way that potential customers see the benefit. But value is key. Walking distance to the beach probably is not super important in Maine in January. But proximity to a ski hill might be!

3) Online Presence-
We have all been there. A beautiful website with amazing pictures and quotes from satisfied customers. You can’t wait to try the restaurant, hotel, casino, whatever! Or the opposite experience – a confusing website where you cannot find what you need or the functionality is just not there! The menu loads slowly or you cannot find the number to ask a question or make a reservation. Or there are not enough pictures and you just cannot figure out whether the property is luxury or mid-scale and whether they are catering to foodies, singles, tourists, families or some other group.

The moral – make sure your website puts your best foot forward! It is the first place a potential customer will go to learn about what makes you different. Make sure they close out their browser with a reservation or at least wanting to learn more.

4) Guest Engagement Practices-
What happens when your guest walks in the door. I remember being in France. In every region from Paris to Nice to Normandy, I was greeted with Bon Jour or Salut the second I crossed the threshold. It was welcoming, it made me believe they wanted me in their store and it made me comfortable to just poke around. And believe it or not, many times that led to a sale. So if you look hard at your establishment, are you making your guests comfortable, from the second they walk in? Do they have help with their luggage? Are they being guided towards check in? Do they have a drink at their table as soon as possible? In general, are you maximizing their guest experience? Something little like saying hello can enhance guest satisfaction which can lead to additional sales, word of mouth and repeat business.

5) Promotional Activities
Are you sending them the messages they want to hear in an environment where they are ready to receive them? There are so many options when it comes to hotel marketing strategies! Newsletters, Google ads, Groupon, email promotions. The guideline here is to make sure your vehicle, offer and brand image are aligned. For example, it may not make sense to put a 5 star hotel offer for a free night in the PennyShopper.

Source1Purchasing is a company that focuses on driving revenue through the purchasing process. If you want to increase revenue and guest satisfaction through best practices and smarter purchasing contact one of our experts.

Forget the outdated concept of room service and embrace the newest trend in the hospitality industry: the hotel pantry. The pantry is available to meets the needs of your guests when they are looking for a light snack, quick meal or even some aspirin after a long day of traveling. This recent hospitality trend has become a brand standard for many hotel brands, such as Marriott International’s “The Market” and Hilton’s “Pantry Pavilion” and “Suite Shop.” These pantries are a great source of revenue, however, when in the beginning stages of planning a pantry for your hotel, how do you select the right products and categories that will best meet the needs of your guests while ensuring you’re earning a profit and making the offering worthwhile? You must keep a few things in mind when developing your hotel pantry assortment. First, you must decide what categories should be included as pantry necessities, such as sweet snacks, salty snacks, healthy snacks, quick meals, ice cream, frozen dinners, and travel size amenities. Then, what are the best sellers in each of those categories? You will be able to determine these categories based on market research. Continue reading to learn how to stock a pantry to keep your guests happy!

1. Stick with what you know. Offer popular products that your guests search for when stepping into a pantry. Some hotels want to stand out by offering only regional items or organic products. This can be beneficial, but national brands typically outsell specialty items 4 to 1. Research has shown that guests, especially families and business travelers, prefer comfort foods from well-known brands while they are traveling rather than trying something they have not had before. By offering items that guests are familiar with, sales and guest satisfaction will rise.
2. Use room rates as budget indicators. The room rate of a guest’s hotel is a great indicator of their travel budget and should be factored in when selecting the offerings in a pantry. For example, a guest who is willing to pay $200 per night to stay at a hotel is more likely to pay $7 for a pint of premium ice cream such as Ben & Jerry’s or Haagen Dazs. However, a guest who chose an economy hotel at a $49 per night rate is more likely to opt for an inexpensive ice cream product in the $3-4 range, such as Klondike or Good Humor novelties. Studies have also shown that generic or guests, no matter what their budget, do NOT usually prefer low budget items because they are normally associated with being low quality. If these products are stocked in the pantry, you will find that they will not sell as quickly, even if they are a low price.
3. The bigger the better. You’ll find that guests typically purchase the 20oz soda, the King Sized chocolate bar, and the large “grab bag” chips. These products sell better and faster, presenting an opportunity for larger profits. Market retail analysis of over 400 Marriott Markets shows that King Size beverages, candy bars, and potato chips outsell their normal size counterpart across all categories where a king size alternative is offered. To put it into perspective, the single serve 1 oz bag of Lays can be purchased from your food service company for about $.35 each (depending on your negotiated price) and can be sold in the pantry for $1.00. That’s about a 200% markup and $.65 profit per bag. However, a king size or grab bag size (2.25 oz) Lays sells wholesale for about $.65 and can retail in a hotel pantry for $2.00 or more. That’s about a 225% markup and $1.35 profit per bag. These simple size options can greatly increase your profits.
4. Switch things up. Guests want options – not just in the number of products being offered, but also in the categories available. A guest should be able to walk into the pantry and find a satisfying solution to for cravings. This means that if a guest needs to satisfy a sweet tooth, he should have several choices to choose from, including chocolate, cookies, and candy. If the guest comes in and is trying to stick to a diet, he should be able to select from a variety of healthy products like energy bars, trail mix, or Lean Cuisine meals.
5. Remember! Travel size assortments and single serve over-the-counter medicines are very popular sellers, but are commonly overlooked by hotels. These products allow you to meet the needs of your guests while earning a healthy profit, since most wholesale for under a dollar and can be sold for $2.00 or more. When properly supplied and merchandised, these assortments fall in the top five for all pantry offerings.

No matter what region or guest profile being served, the convenience of a well-supplied pantry market can greatly improve guest loyalty and increase sales for hotel operators. Selecting the right offerings is the first step towards hotel retail success. Source1 Purchasing is a leading strategic supply chain management group focused on cost management, savings and operational efficiencies for the hospitality industry and offers a wide assortment of products to stock your hotel pantry in order to increase your profitability and guest satisfaction. To learn more about the Source1 Program and how it can benefit your hotel operations and efficiency, visit our website at www.Source1Purchasing.com.