With all the restrictions caused by COVID-19, all kinds of businesses are having trouble operating, especially the ones in the hotel industry. A lot of people cannot work like they normally do, and that forces them to be more creative on how to keep their businesses alive. What exactly are hotels doing to adapt to the social and economic changes made by the global health crisis?
Everyone in the hotel industry is shifting their approaches and refocusing their efforts to cater to their customers. They’re making new ways to minimize contact with their guests and getting innovative with what they’re offering beyond cozy rooms.
Here are some ways hotels are operating in consideration of the limits they are facing because of the pandemic:
Updated Marketing Strategies
Digital marketing is at its peak now that everyone is called to minimize contact in accordance with social distancing measures. It does not only offer contactless engagements but also boosts brand awareness in the fastest and most convenient way. It also allows hotels to promote their businesses through different social media platforms that people are most likely spending a lot of time using nowadays.
Virtual tours are trendy these days. They help catch people’s interest and build excitement. Through them, hotels can also show how ready they are to accommodate guests with safety protocols because of COVID-19.
Tweaking promotional branding to comply with the needs of guests in the time of the pandemic is also a good way to market. Hotels can add or change their promotional products to comply with what the situation warrants. For instance, they can add more handy sanitation products to their brands for promotion.
They can do all these things and update their marketing tactics with the help of a trusted hotel advertising agency. That way, they can also get consultation and find the strategies that will suit their business.
Promote Sanitation Protocols
Accommodating guests during the pandemic is trickier because hotels need to make them feel safer and more secure. Hotels should be transparent regarding their cleaning policies and sanitation standards clear so that their guests will know what they can expect during their stay. With the dangers brought by the coronavirus, they will need constant reassurance that they can trust their chosen accommodation with their safety.
Hand sanitizing stations and handy disinfecting products should be available for guests to use at all times. They should be placed all around the hotel, including the lobby, bathrooms, and suites. Assuring the guests that their rooms have been thoroughly cleaned by the hotel’s staff is also a must. This can be done by putting room seals or signage on their doors.
Contactless Guest Experience
Important changes should be made in order to reduce human contact. That’s because it is the biggest way to stop the virus from spreading. Investing in new technology that will help ease the check-in and check-out process is vital for a contactless yet best guess experience possible. Hotels can adopt the use of apps for the necessary processes like room selection and digital keys to access rooms and other hotel facilities.
The use of new technology will limit face-to-face interaction at the front desk. It will also be convenient in case hotels need to adapt to new procedures and requirements in the future.
Flexible Offers
The normal services and offers that hotels extend to their guests have become limited. Certain facilities, like pools and gyms, have been closed down in order to avoid crowding. A lot of people are also turning away from overnight stays. With the shift in demands, hotels must find different opportunities that will allow them to do more.
Staycations and “workstations” are now becoming a trend as people try to find ways to relax or do their jobs in places other than their homes. To adapt to these trends, hotels can offer day-rate and staycation packages and turn rooms into workspaces for daily use. They can also allow facility rentals so that guests can privately use spas and other recreational facilities. Access to in-room perks also helps grab people’s attention and interest them to stay in the hotels.
The ability to adapt to changes and find opportunities during a crisis is important for hotels. It is because there will always be challenges along the way, and they have to be able to thrive through them. That way, they can avoid the struggle when facing restrictions. If they can survive a tough environment like the one we are living in now, they will only become more powerful in the future.
