Travellers do not buy rates; they buy value – here are ways to increase hotel occupancy without discounting your hotel rooms.
In a ruthless and aggressive market, hoteliers need to find other ways to increase hotel occupancy without price promoting, heavily discounting their rates and diminishing their brand’s image. Ways to enrich the guest’s hotel experience is the ambience of the hotel, exemplary service, adding value and promoting the lavishness and luxuriousness of your hotel accommodation – find out more.
Upselling
Luxury brands such as perfume, designer bags and makeup do not discount their products, instead they give their customers a gift with purchase. Similarly, rather than discounting their hotel rooms, hotels can offer bundled packages such as room hire and breakfast, dinner, spa treatments, free WIFI access and so on. You can also offer room upgrades and discounts on multi-night stays to encourage customers to stay longer.
Selling experiences not hotel rooms
In this saturated market, accommodation providers that will succeed are the businesses that sell experiences and not just hotel rooms – this differentiates these hotels from their competitors on factors other than price. Your online marketing campaigns should sell the feeling and experience of staying in your hotel. This should start from the quality website design, imagery and copywriting to make a favourable first impression.
Positioning your hotel
If your hotel is positioned as a 5-star luxury hotel for instance because of its superior location, hotel rooms, facilities, amenities and exceptional customer service, then this needs to be reflected in the design quality of your online properties as well as your copywriting. Communicate clearly to customers that this is what they are paying for when they choose to book your hotel over a competitor’s.
Encourage repeat business
One tried and tested way to increase hotel occupancy is to encourage repeat business and improve your retention rate. You can foster brand loyalty by creating VIP, membership or rewards programs and exclusive-social media promotions to entice both new and existing hotel guests to re-book the hotel. Tailor and personalise the messages to specific categories such as families, business executives, couples and so on.
Foster brand loyalty
With so many options available and hotels competing for their travel dollars, travellers can be quite fickle and quick to switch their patronage in the eternal quest for better rates, added extras or VIP programs. Reward your hotel guests for their continued loyalty by offering them exclusive deals and offers. Marketing a hotel purely on rates may bring increase hotel occupancy in the short term but dilute your brand in the long term.
Online hotel marketing is a cost-effective way for businesses from small boutique establishments through to large chain hotels to be able to put heads in beds and work smarter not harder with their marketing budget. Contact Hotel Internet Marketing and find out how you can enhance and enrich a traveller’s hotel experience and find clever ways to increase hotel occupancy without promoting merely on price.
