With hotels being forced to closed, there has been no easy solution to this complex situation. Each property is experiencing setbacks, some greater than others, and are trying to navigate out of the storm. With the clouds clearing up, it’s time to take a positive approach and prepare for the post-crisis world.
Keep your PR efforts alive
If you’ve shut down your property’s marketing efforts, it’s time to reboot. The world is starting to open up again and if you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind. Abandoning your guests will hurt you in the long run, so maintaining a social media presence is vital.
Find ways to communicate with your customers, past guests or anyone currently staying at your property. If you are offering any accommodations for frontline workers and medical personnel, this is the time to advertise that. If you have certain discounts that can add brand value to your estate, it needs to be showcased. Don’t cut off communication and make sure there are multiple channels for people to reach out to. When people start traveling you want to be at the forefront of people’s minds. The organizations that continue to stay active will be the ones that dominate in the future.
Refocus your marketing and find solutions to increase guest safety
This is entirely dependent on your location and current market. With everyone being quarantined and slowly returning to travel, chances are that people are going to want to avoid far-away destinations. That doesn’t mean they aren’t going to want a staycation. Drive-in markets can help provide a short-term cushion until this situation ends.
Hotel owners can provide guests with an immediate sense of safety by implementing specific restrictions and cleaning protocols. For most properties, cleaning has already been intensified, but it needs to be communicated to guests regularly and often. Even if it requires reorganizing specific spaces, the process can be made simple by moving and removing furniture.
As time goes on you can continue to evaluate the short-haul feeder markets and those currently booking at your property. The data you gather will be your biggest asset in determining the strategy you implement on a week-by-week basis.
Putting focus on things that may have been too time-consuming
It’s important to note that how you treat your employees right now, WILL have an impact on your organization later. People will talk. While finances put restrictions on the ability to help everyone, having open communication isn’t costly. Check up and let your employees know what’s going on as everything slowly reopens.
If you have the capabilities, now is a great time for online training and professional development courses and collaboration tools. If there are any additions you are wanting to add to your property, now is the time to begin implementing. Even with layoffs, if you make the effort, you can come back with a stronger team.