How Big Hotels Can Learn From Small Hotels
“How The Big Can Learn From The Small”
by Paul White from the Bed & Breakfast Club, a blog aimed at small hoteliers, explains how large hotels can learn quite a lot from Britain’s B&Bs
The good thing about B&Bs is personal service. Your innkeeper is basically a guide, host, friend, maid and chef all rolled into one.
But without employing a single individual (who owns the hotel) to look after you, how can a big hotel compete with this? The answer is they simply can’t. Not to the same degree that a B&B can. However, with a bit of imagination they can go quite a long way to making sure you feel comfortable and at home.
When I stay in a big hotel the biggest thing I miss is the guide element that a B&B provides. Big hotels could do far more here. It’s no good having a hotel rep that is working on commission, because they have a conflict of interest. Why should I believe him when he says the hotel excursions are best?
The way to go some way to competing with a B&B for local knowledge has to be through media. An entertaining, professional, impartial welcome video of the area – not the hotel. A website address and a list of FAQs. A rolling Trip Advisor slide show in the lobby demonstrating what people recommended about the area.
Another thing that all good B&Bs do is surprise their guests with treats. It has to be something personal and meaningful like a gift of home made jam with the guest’s names wrote on the label. Something that says, ‘They’ve gone to a bit of trouble here’. A local delicacy, personally packaged would be a winner. Or a special keepsake, something that makes guests remember their stay.
Plan this into your budget and reap the rewards of recommendation and repeat stays.
People don’t want to be a number and the more they are made to feel like people the better. The nature of large hotels means they will fail on a personal level, but they can make up for this with just a few touches. It’s the thought that counts.
B&Bs sometimes speak to local businesses and negotiate offers to give to their guests. This saves guests money and helps local business. Win win.
While towels made out of swans are a nice gimmick, perhaps that time would be better spent with a visit asking how people are and helping with any concerns. I know which I would rather have.
I think hotels should employ a lot more older people. Students don’t really care about their job or make you feel at home. A caring, paternal figure is nice to have when you are miles away from home. And they are likely to have much better local knowledge.
The reception desk is last on the list, but probably by far the worst thing about all hotels. Why does it always take so long? I don’t understand why guests have to fill in pointless forms, that they have already filled in online?
To summarize the way that a B&B wins over a hotel is about personality and if hotels want to regain my custom they need to get some.
by Paul White from http://bedandbreakfastclub.co.uk
Follow me on Twitter @bandbclub | facebook.com/bedandbreakfastclub
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I agree with the message that Paul is passing along. I have spent the last year working to try and solve this problem. Trying to design a tool to allow larger hotels and inns to maintain that B&B personal touch. This question led to the creation of ChkInn.com an invite only website that networks inns and their guests. Hotels are invited to use the free service, they receive a free homepage within the site and then are empowered to create and maintain message boards, filled with local information. The guests that they invite into their network are then encouraged to respond and interact with the sight before, while, and after their stay. Check out CHKINN.com, I think it is the beginning to the answer, a way to make impersonal personal, and large a little smaller.
This is refreshing to read. After a short break from the industry while managing the front office of a 428 room hotel and conference centre, I found myself at a purely unique hotel of only 34 rooms, a lone ballroom, a meeting area, and a lovely dining room. The change was a breath of fresh air in realizing that the days are just as busy betwee nthe two front desks, because customer service is of the utmost importance to the smaller hotel.
Gone are the days of throwing your guests through the lobby and hurrying them up to their room with hardly a “hello.”
In this industry, as competative as it is, it’s important to note the hard evidence between guest satisfaction, guest retention, and possitive refferals. Simply recognizing a first-time guest is simple and creates the begninning for your relationship with the clientel of your hotel.
Cheers!
I agree completely that a smaller hotel can teach a lot of things to larger ones. Small hotels often offer a very homey feelings and very personable service. Large hotels often have newer amenities, but the smaller chains seem to make guests feel more at home during lodging, this is a huge importance for hotels, just as you said, “it’s the thought that counts.”
I agree with Paul that “hotels should employ a lot more older people”, but not for front office or any position which requires quick actions. Concierge would be perfect position, I think.
Very true, and on top of the personality, I would also add “money-wise”. It can be seen in any industry, not only in hotels, that smaller guys are more aware of their spending and costs, so that they avoid wasting resources which can easily happen in a larger setup.