7 Ideas to Help Your Hotel Stand Apart from the Competition
With thousands of available hotel rooms nationwide, setting your property above others in your city and getting the competitive advantage is paramount to your success.
The hotel landscape is increasingly competitive in the last year due to not only the Covid pandemic, but to new brands and new ideas. Your goal is to gain the competitive edge over your competition, and there are ways you can do that.
In this article, we look at six ideas to help your hotel stand apart from the competition.
#1: Find Your Personality
One of the first things you need to do is to find your personality. This is what attracts customers to your hotel.
For example, is your personality fun and kitschy, or is it serious and formal?
Finding your personality is key to all of your marketing online including your website and social media.
Branding is the core of your success marketing strategy to help you stand apart from the competition.
As you work on finding your personality and incorporating it into all of your branding, ask yourself what makes you stand out. Take a look at the design and the décor of your hotel. Look at your restaurant’s menu. Consider the design and accoutrements in your hotel rooms.
These are the things that are attractive to your hotel guests, and you really want to capitalize on them.#2: Know the Advantages Your Competition Offers
Knowing how to stand apart from the competition means knowing why people gravitate to them.
You can only stand out once you know how to stand separate from them.
This is easy to do through some mystery shopping and a little legwork. The first thing you want to do is create a list of your direct competition. Consider properties that your customers might reserve instead of yours.
When creating your list, separate them by location, price, and concept. For example, group hotels and bed and breakfasts separately.
Next, you want to look at what gives them an advantage. Why do people stay with them? Do they have better service, a more unique décor, a great restaurant, superb amenities, better prices, or something else?
Once you know their advantages, you can decide your strategy for overcoming them. This doesn’t mean becoming them, it means deciding what you can do better and highlighting it.
#2: Offer Something Unique
This goes along with what you do after finding out where your competition shines.
Now, it’s your time to turn up the charm and really stand apart from the competition. You can do this by offering things they don’t.
Here are some ideas where you can really offer something unique:
- Keyless entry
- High-speed Wi-Fi that actually is high speed.
- Rooftop swimming pool
- Extra amenities – survey your customers to find out what they might like
- Specialty restaurants catering to your customers’ needs and desires
- Smart televisions
- Unique décor – consider something beyond the traditional
- Sustainable and local offerings in your mini bar
- Upscale dining
- Indoor plants and landscaping
- Koi ponds
This is your perfect opportunity to offer something your guests can find elsewhere. Showcase your offering in all of your marketing online, and you’ll find your competitive edge grows.
#3: Concentrate on Customer Service
Nothing is better than training your staff in customer service on an ongoing basis. You want to always go above and beyond in every customer interaction. (tweet this)
This means all of your in-person transactions but also any transaction online, too.
You want to focus on providing extraordinary customer service, so people talk about your service. Train your staff to exceed expectations.
This helps you stand apart from the competition because it creates brand ambassadors who will do your marketing for you.
Concentrate on training your team to anticipate your customers’ needs and provide them at every opportunity.
#4: Provide a Special Guest Welcome
You only have a limited amount of time to make a great first impression.
Concentrate first on your reception area. Make it feel like home. Do keep with the personality of your brand. If casual, it can be colorful or trendy. If your hotel is more formal, your reception can be classy, yet comfortable.
Add some fresh flowers on the table and on the reception desk. Your reception area should also be clean and shiny.
When it comes to your hotel guest rooms, these need to be extra special and welcoming. For example, surprise your guests with a little welcome package. This might include a small vase of flowers, some bottles of water, and a few snacks. You can also include a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert from your restaurant.
The key is to surprise your guests with the welcome. Make it one that makes them feel extra special, so they are even more excited about their stay at your hotel.
#5: Use Social Media
Another way to gain the competitive advantage is to be really active on social media. It doesn’t matter which platforms you use as long as you choose the ones your customers and target audience use.
Provide excellent service on your social media platforms by responding to all comments, both positive and negative.
Post daily and stay in front of your audience. Provide them with reasons why your hotel is better than others in your area. Use photos and videos to do this.
Consider using customer video testimonials. In addition, highlight everything that makes your hotel unique.
#6: Respond to Online Reviews
A lot of hotels get both positive and negative reviews online. But not all of them respond to them.
Be the hotel that responds to all reviews in a timely manner with kindness and empathy.
Doing this helps you gain the competitive advantage when it comes to future customers as well as your current ones.
Final Thoughts
The key to help your hotel stand apart from the competition and gain the competitive advantage is a great marketing strategy.
Know your brand and your personality. Decide what sets you apart. If there isn’t anything, it’s time to add something that’s unique.
Add a healthy dose of ongoing customers service, and you’ll soon find your hotel is the one people booking when visiting your city.
We are your hotel’s digital advertising specialists. Whether it’s a new website, search engine marketing, social media marketing or website design, we are here to help. Contact us today to start a conversation about your hotel’s digital advertising needs.
Images: Jeremy Zero and Lute on Unsplash
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