The hospitality industry was among the hardest-hit industries when the pandemic started. It can take a couple of years before the industry can fully recover. While times are tough for the industry, the lifting of restrictions has helped hotels gradually recover from the initial shock of the pandemic.
The recent surge in cases might further affect the recovery of the industry. Despite this, hotels across the country can still recover from the slump they experienced during the health crisis. Here are some tips that hotels can consider to increase occupancy in the middle of the pandemic.
Adapt and Adjust
The first thing that hotels should do is to adapt and adjust to the current situation. The pandemic highlighted the importance of staying healthy. With this, they should focus on implementing proper safety protocols to ensure the health and safety of their guests. This means they should clean and disinfect their facilities, especially if they are located in an area with many cases.
Hotels should also develop and implement a cleaning routine to ensure their facilities are safe. Offering contactless payment options also gives guests the peace of mind they look for when staying in a hotel. They can even use these safety features as part of their marketing strategy to attract more people to book with them.
Update the Images
Over a year after the pandemic started, hotels should update their multimedia assets by updating the images and videos they post online. This allows the hotel to update its guests on the enhancements they made to make their facilities safer for them to use. Aside from the safety features, hotels can also enhance the hotel’s overall look.
They can look for brick-paving contractors to enhance the outdoor spaces of the hotel. These professionals can convert a run-of-the-mill-looking pavement into an impressive walkway that can impress potential guests of the hotel. The enhancements these professionals make to the hotel will also make the images look better when the hotel posts them on its website.
They can also create promotional videos showcasing the property. It should highlight the enhancements that make the hotel safer and more impressive than before. It also allows event planners to check the hotel even without leaving their homes.
Upload New Content on the Website
Aside from the new pictures and videos, hotels should also upload new content on their websites. For instance, hotels should post any new guidelines they are implementing to ensure the safety of their guests. They should also show the protocols and procedures they are implementing to safeguard the health of everyone using their facilities.
Even as pandemic protocols are important, hotels should also post inspirational content on the hotel blog. The content can be information about the hotel and the destination. It can also include things that guests can do in the hotel and the areas close to the hotel. For instance, if the hotel is close to a row of restaurants, it can post recommendations on the places guests can visit depending on the types of food they are looking for. Hotels should work on making their website the main source of information for people visiting their location.
Facilitate Online Booking
With around 300 million internet users in the US, hotels should make it easy for guests to book online. Aside from booking a room, hotels can also allow event planners to book events and meetings online. This can facilitate the booking process and allow the hotel’s sales team to focus on other tasks.
Work with Event Planners
Since hotels also offer facilities other than their rooms, they should work with event planners looking for venues for the events they are organizing. They can facilitate communication with event planners if they have questions about the facilities available in the hotel.
Working with event planners can help increase the occupancy rate of the hotel. These planners have events that last for more than a week, and they need a place for the participants to stay.
Focus on the Domestic Market
Hotels can also focus on the domestic market and offer their facilities to nearby offices looking for a place to have meetings. They can showcase their facilities and make it an appealing option for businesses looking for a new place to hold a meeting. The hotels can even facilitate virtual meetings and offer their equipment for these businesses to use.
The hotel industry is reeling from the effects of the pandemic. But they can still increase their occupancy rate by performing simple yet effective measures to make their facilities appealing to guests, event planners, and local businesses.
