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.

Read about some precautions you can take to avoid allergic reactions in your restaurant while delighting your guests.

Source1 Purchasing is a proud supporter of the GO Fund, a non-profit organization that helps women and children throughout Africa.

LED lighting is one of the fastest-growing interior design trends in the hospitality industry. LED lights are long-lasting, economical, and can be used in a multitude of ways throughout your property. Most people are aware that LED bulbs are among the most eco-friendly lighting choices. However, there were several reasons why hotels were reluctant to adopt them into their design elements until now.

Continue reading today’s post to learn the benefits of LED lights for hotels, and contact Source1 Purchasing to learn more about how our group purchasing organization can provide the services you need. Call for your free supply-chain analysis.

First, the limited choices when it came to fixture designs made it difficult for hotels to find LED lights that worked for them. Further, the high cost of LED lighting fixtures was a huge deterrent to hotels that had to be mindful about their budget. Today, neither one of these issues are a concern. There are more styles of LED lights than ever before. Plus, with their popularity continuing to grow, they are substantially less expensive than they once were.

Benefits of LED Lighting

Lifespan

Unlike the incandescent bulbs of the past, LED lights will never burn out. Instead, they simply begin to slowly dim over a long period of time. In fact, they can last up to fifty times longer than an incandescent bulb depending on the fixture. This unique feature will help save both time and money for your maintenance department.

Energy Savings

Another benefit of LED lighting is that these bulbs are much more energy-efficient than fluorescent, incandescent, or halogen bulbs. It is estimated that this type of lighting uses about half the energy as the other lighting options, which can lead to significant savings on your energy bill over time.

Improved Safety

One of the advantages of LED lights is that they are typically made up of shatter-proof material. If they are dropped, there is little to no risk of shards of glass scattering throughout the area. What’s more, there are many options for fixtures that can operate on a backup power supply. This can create an added level of safety for lighting hallways and potentially hazardous areas in your hotel either at night or in the event of a power outage.

Flexibility

No matter what type of area you need to light, there is a fixture that is perfect for the job. Unlike some of the other lighting choices, LEDs provide pleasant lighting for any application. Whether you need bright lights for a guest’s bathroom or soft lighting for lounge areas, you can easily find the perfect LED fixture to match your hotel’s aesthetic.

At Source1 Purchasing, we are here to help you get the best prices on lighting and other design and maintenance supplies that you need in your hotel. Contact us today for a free cost-savings analysis.

Due to customer demand, pet-friendly hotels are becoming more common than ever. If your hotel isn’t already in the practice of welcoming four-legged guests, now may be the time to start. You may be concerned that opening up your hotel to pets will bring more complications than it’s worth. However, there are several benefits to operating as a pet-friendly establishment. Continue reading today’s post to learn about some of these benefits, and contact Source1 Purchasing for all of your procurement service needs.

Pet Lovers Are Big Spenders

The pet industry is a huge market, with pet owners spending tens of billions of dollars on their animals each year. Pet lovers are known to be big spenders, which is especially true for those who want their pet to travel with them. This means that you can charge premium room rates for guests who want to bring their pet. More often than not, you will likely discover that your guests will happily pay for this feature.

Upsell Opportunities

There are plenty of opportunities to upsell guests staying at your hotel or resort with their pet. You might consider adding pet-friendly items to your room service menu. For example, treats, bones, and toys are sure to be crowd-pleasers. Many pet owners would jump at the chance to offer their pet a special treat during their stay. If you have an on-site convenience store, then make sure you stock pet-friendly items.

Tips for Making Your Hotel Pet-Friendly

There are a number of amenities that you can offer to guests who are traveling with their furry companions. While these extras probably won’t seriously impact your budget, they are likely to make a big impression!. Providing water and food dishes as well as pet beds can enhance your guests’ experience during their stay.

If you want to take your commitment to pet-friendliness to the next level, consider building a fenced-in dog run. This will give your four-legged guests a safe place to enjoy the outdoors. If you’re able to create a positive experience for your guests and their pets, then you will probably gain a customer for life!

Guidelines for Accepting Guests With Pets

Although you want to do everything in your power to make your guests feel welcome, it’s okay to set some guidelines to make sure that the presence of pets isn’t disruptive to your other guests. Dogs should be required to be in a carrier or leashed when they are outside of their rooms. If a guest has to leave their pet alone in their guest room, then it’s a good idea to require them to kennel their pet while they’re away. Once the guest checks out, your cleaning staff should take extra care to make sure that the guest room is properly sanitized and free of any pet hair.

Should you choose to become a more pet-friendly hotel, then you’ll want to consider the additional cleaning supplies you’ll need to address pet odors and stains. At Source1 Purchasing, we can help you enhance your purchasing power to get the most benefit from your budget. From hospitality supplies and cleaning products to food and furniture, we can source what you need. Contact us today for a free cost-savings analysis.