Running a boutique hotel is no small feat. With so much competition from big hotel chains and Airbnb, just maintaining revenues and bookings can be incredibly challenging. Boutique hotel owners have to do more just to compete in the same space as the big players.
Having a marketing strategy in place can help you keep ahead of the competition. While you can always hire hospitality marketing consultants, some things require a personal touch. Here are a few simple pointers for marketing your hotel:
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Know your guests
If you want to compete with the big chains, you have to set yourself apart from the pack. Don’t try to emulate them. Instead, focus on gaps that big hotels find challenging to fill. For instance, your boutique hotel can offer a more personalized service for guests. And that means you have to know your guests.
If you want to provide the best guest experience, you have to know who they are, what they need, and what they expect when they book a room in your hotel. Your online booking form should have fields to allow guests to provide information about their needs and preferences.
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Invest in good website UI/UX
For many of your guests, their point of entry to your hotel is its website. Good guest experience should extend to cyberspace. That’s why your website should be a reflection of your hotel: clean, user-friendly, and useful.
The website should be fast, reliable, easy to use, and tell guests everything they need to know about the hotel. And with more and more people booking through their phones, your website should also be mobile-friendly.
If your website is slow and difficult to use, your hotel will suffer a credibility hit. Investing in good site UI/UX goes a long way in improving your hotel’s image and service.
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Focus on your strengths
Many boutique hotels often try to mimic or duplicate the services of big chains. Most of them fail for one simple reason: they’re not a big hotel. Boutique hotels should focus on their strengths instead of trying to emulate a chain hotel.
For instance, if your hotel is pet-friendly, you should let your guests know. Advertise in your marketing materials your hotel’s unique features to set it apart from chain brands.
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Exclusive offers from direct booking
While there are a lot of benefits of listing your hotel on a third-party booking website, you shouldn’t forget about your regular customers as well. If you have your own website, you should create incentives for people to use.
For instance, you could offer special discounts to guests who use your website to book their stay. You can also leave welcome gifts to win them over. The goal is to create a lasting impression that will make them returning customers.
These pointers will help you market your hotel better and set it apart from larger chains. While there are many marketing fads and strategies you can use, these four techniques are proven to increase your bookings and improve guest satisfaction. Lastly, always focus on marketing your hotel’s unique features and amenities.