Jen Cialfi, account manager at Vizergy Digital Marketing, considers how hotels can encourage locals to come in and try their facilities while occupancy rates remain low.
We often forget some of our favourite aspects of our vacations – the colorful food, the view from the pool, the calming ambiance of the spa. Those activities and moments during your stay are made possible by the amenities offered to you by the hotel.
Your unique onsite amenities can help make the guest experience memorable. We’ve talked a lot about putting heads back in beds, so let’s look at some other ways to generate interest and business at your hotel by using what you already have.
Work with your space
Work life has changed. The days you spent staring out the window from your cubicle on the 15th floor of your local boutique hotel seem like a distant memory. Doesn’t that sound like a better way to spend your eight-hour workday than staring at the same blank wall in your home office?
On-demand workspaces are guest rooms that have been converted into meeting space, an area for conference calls, or coworking spaces. You can also use your event space and business centre for the same purpose.
Invite your locals to change things up by booking one of your rooms as their temporary workspace for a change of atmosphere. Who knows, that day of work might turn into an overnight stay later.
Social fitness-ing in style
Some gyms are still not open, so why not offer a monthly gym membership to your community? Abiding by local guidelines, you can offer locals the chance to become members and use your facilities – pool, gym, sauna, etc.
You can also offer a month for free with a three-night stay or throw in a restaurant or valet voucher. These memberships can be tiered, incentivising your guests a bit more to come enjoy amenities they don’t have at home.
Eat, tweet, repeat!
This quarantine has reignited the DIY lifestyle and what better way to jump onboard than by sharing some signature recipes?
Social media platforms have given hoteliers the greatest marketing tool – video! Facebook Live and Instagram Reels are the ideal platforms for your chefs to showcase their specials or your bartender to mix up a cocktail. Virtual happy hours engage your potential guests and have them ordering another round.
And who doesn’t love a challenge? Social media challenges and contests are another creative way to get your guests to interact with you! Plus, user-generated content can go a long way.
It’s not always easy to think outside the box, but luckily you don’t have to look very far to see what great amenities you can offer potential guests. Just think about how you can use your amenities to your advantage.
People will love the opportunity to get out of their homes, even if only for a few hours. And the time they spend using your facility could create a loyal guest for life.
This is an edited version of an article that appeared on Hotel Online.
Jen Cialfi is a specialist on public relations in the hospitality industry. She also has experience of account management, project management, social media marketing, search engine optimisation, sales, customer service and event management. She is currently working at Vizergy Digital Marketing, a company that provides leading marketing technologies for the hospitality market.
