Care for HER safety

Security, safety and discretion are of utmost importance to female guests. You as hotelier can make us women feel safe by offering (among other things) secure on-site parking, allocating us in rooms close to lifts and not on the ground floor, illuminating your hallways well, double-locking hotel doors, manning your reception 24/7 and making sure your receptionists are not announcing room numbers out loud.

Some hotels go the extra mile and offer all-female staff support which escort solo female travellers to their room or deliver room service to them. Richard Branson’s Virgin Hotel in Chicago takes it one step further. The hotel features special privacy doors allowing female travellers to order room service and having it conveniently delivered to the room – all without the need to interact with the hotel staff.

Upgrade your rooms for HER

Cornell Center for Hospitality* found that women are more concerned about getting a good night’s sleep than their male counterparts. This implies that to improve female guest satisfaction, your mattresses should be adjustable in firmness and with high-quality hypoallergenic bedding. Offering a pillow menu is another highlight (oh yes, thanks to Savvy Sleepers there are even anti-aging satin pillowcases available to prevent wrinkles and hair breakage).

Women (and not just the women!) enjoy living a healthy lifestyle. You can improve their travel experience with some in-room workout facilities and yoga mats; offer the possibility of in-room spa treatments as well as provide great coffee and an enticing herbal tea selection.

Choose an upscale skin care line, have a full-length mirror in the room as well as an enlarged and well-lit magnification make-up mirror. Ensure there are cotton pads available, enough wardrobe space with skirt hangers, satin-padded hangers and why not even a sliding show rack (think of all the Jimmy Choo’s that would thank you for it ;-)?

Last but not least, get slippers and bathrobes in the right sizes and remove the gigantic sizes from the room. Have towels that are big enough to be used as hair-drying turbans and high-powered hair dryers. Another hint: curling irons and hair straighteners will truly win your female guests' hearts – we promise you!

PS: A small but important side note for all hotels and resorts in romantic destinations: when a female solo traveller (applicable to male solo travellers as well) checks in, please check your in-room communication and facilities. Remove the invitation for romantic couple dinners and treatments, and exchange them with relaxation and detox offers (or whatever you have prepared for your solo travellers). Remove the second pair of slippers, bathrobes and amenities in general. Make them feel that the room is perfect for one – they will appreciate it.

Tailor your food & beverage offering to HER

It’s commonplace for hotels to offer healthy menu choices throughout the day that are nutritionally balanced, as well as a beverage selection that includes infused waters, fresh juices, etc. To make a greater impact, think about offering smaller portions for female guests, so that they can enjoy an appetizer and a dessert as well.

Make an effort in your restaurants to offer your lone female diners the option between joining a communal dining table or a discreet corner table, so that they feel comfortable and at ease.

One more thing: taking care of your female travellers' needs does not mean segregating them from other guests. We are not fans of women-only floors, gyms or spas in hotels. Instead, we believe that the adjustments we mention in this blog post won’t disturb but be appreciated by many other guests as well, regardless of gender.

Talk to HER

As we all know, women are different. So is their use of technology while booking and travel planning, as well as on social media platforms. Important to keep in mind is that they love to share travel intelligence and are big into rating hotels.

Make an effort to tailor and target your communication on your website and social media channels to your female guests, and mention the facilities and services you offer especially for HER.

One last thing that is dear to our hearts and we really want to emphasise is hotel photography. Long gone are the days when women appear in ads and photographs simply as the sweet companion of greying, successful (travelling) men. Show (and you’ll automatically reach out to) real women, independent business-women, female artists, single moms – feature the female buyer persona you would like to welcome in your hotel.

Women will appreciate the extra attention you give them. Take their needs into consideration and they will turn into loyal customers and come back again and again.

We hope this blog post has given you some useful insights and information. Now we are excited to hear from you: What do you believe female travellers need? Which hotel have you been to where they truly tailored the experience to female guests? Thanks for sharing!

Your MAp team

*Brownell, J. (2011). Creating value for women business travellers: Focusing on emotional outcomes. Cornell Hospitality Report, 11(12), 6-17.

Service quality is crucial

Outstanding quality in all areas is a must for luxury hotel guests. This is in terms of equipment, furnishings, design, food and facilities. From exquisite bed linen to fine tableware, the guest experience must be consistently characterized by the highest of standards. However, it is the quality of service that makes the real difference. The smallest gestures can make the greatest difference to the guest experience. Spontaneous human interaction is not easily reproducible and creates a truly unique, authentic and memorable experience for guests.

Consistency of service is also crucial. Only those luxury hotels able to provide the highest level of immaterial service components, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, are regarded for years, and often decades, as truly the best.

A human approach makes the character of a hotel distinct and unmistakable

When it comes to providing services in luxury hotels, it is not, as often falsely assumed, absolute perfection, but rather a matter of conveying a sense of perfection to the guest. There will always be room for small errors. However, it is the way in which a hotel responds to and resolves these that is crucial for the luxury perception of the guest.

In order to provide an almost perfect service, hotels need people who not only truly understand and are interested in the needs of the guests, but are extremely passionate about taking care of and responding to these individual needs. It is about having the right attitude, the willingness to live the company culture and ultimately to be innovative, caring, passionate, dedicated and "human". Employees that embody these intuitive characteristics are like gold dust, as these traits cannot be achieved by targeted training from the company alone.

Trust is the key to success

Happy employees do more than just their job. Not because they are paid for it, but because they really want to do it. It is exactly this character trait that distinguishes an outstanding luxury hotel from competitors and ultimately justifies the higher price that can be achieved and is accepted by the market.

But how do you get your employees to do more than just their job? Among many different factors, the basis is definitely to create a culture of trust in which employees are empowered to make decisions by themselves. Such a culture creates optimal conditions that motivate employees to express their talents and ideas, and enables open and effective communication. This guarantees transparency and leads to an increased level of trust in the management. The proof is in the pudding - hotels with an established trust culture experience staff turnover rates well below the average as well as exponentially increasing business results.

Best practice example: the Hotel Ritz Paris

The Hotel Ritz Paris took a different approach to many hotels in 2016, after a renovation that kept its doors shut for nearly four years. Instead of employing a new and cheaper workforce once the refurbishment was completed, the company took a strategic decision to retain over 200 former employees despite incurring a significantly higher cost structure. The management consciously opted for the former hotel staff, as they had the necessary knowledge, the sound training and valuable experience the hotel needed to succeed. These characteristics were and are crucial to the Hotel Ritz Paris in order to maintain the outstanding quality and guarantee the prestigious personal service and the absolute consistency in the service provision.

The management of the Hotel Ritz Paris recognized the long-term value of their staff recruitment approach as they appreciated the importance of familiarity and consistency of staff and service to their many regular guests. Maintaining the human component has been attributed to ensuring the character and soul of the Hotel Ritz Paris remained, as well as ensuring the long-term economic success of the hotel.

Finally, our MAdvice to hoteliers

Gaining the confidence and trust of your employees is crucial to success – both economically and in terms of the guest experience. This process requires change, rethinking and buy-in from the corporate management. Happy employees live the corporate culture, the DNA and the spirit of the hotel every single day. Their service style, which is based on the corporate value and service philosophy of the hotel, defines the culture of the hotel and forms the character and soul of the hotel.

Ongoing employee training and education is also key to customer satisfaction and ultimately to financial success. However, maximum success can never be achieved unless employees are entrusted and can truly "serve", in an authentic, genuine and human way.

In this spirit, we advise you all to learn from successful entrepreneurs and to treat your employees not only good but very well. In order to win in the long-term, employees no longer have to be seen as the biggest cost factor and saving potential, but as the biggest and most important guarantor to long-term business success.

We look forward to hearing from you and as always feel free to share this blog post.
Thank you and all the best with putting employees at the heart of your hotel!
Your MA people

A few months ago, we came across the following quote by transformational business coach Bill Baren: “Best marketing beats best product EVERY single time!” Please, stop for a moment and savour every single word of this sentence, because grasping the full implication of this statement might have the power to change your business forever.

What do you think is the most important department of any hotel? Is it the food & beverage department, or housekeeping? Who opts for front office and guest services? And no, all departments are equally important isn't an acceptable answer ;-). We no doubt share the same view as you - that in the long run, a hotel can only be successful if every department performs at the highest standard.

That said, we believe that the most important department of a hotel right now is the marketing department. Why? Because without marketing, you have no guests. And without guests, you have no hotel. 

So, to make sure that your great hotel product attracts not just any guest but the right ones, here are our five hotel MArketing MAdvices to increase the performance and success of your marketing approach.

1 – Have a clear concept

“First the concept, then the rest.”
MA people ;-)

A clearly-defined hotel concept, and derived from it, an equally-clear positioning are the basis for everything – the hotel product development, optimisation and innovation; the menu in your restaurant; the amenities you use in your guest rooms; … AND of course, the marketing strategy you follow.

If you and your marketing team are not 100% clear as to what your hotel and hospitality business stands for – how can you decide where to invest your marketing budget? In our opinion, marketing without a clear concept and message is like driving with your eyes closed!

2 – Know your guests

“When the customer comes first, the customer will last.”
Robert Half

At MAp, we always focus on what drives and generates sales and profits – the people (every … single … time). That’s why we place huMAns at the very heart of everything we do. 

If you are in Munich and have set the objective to reach Zurich the same day by car– would you take the highway to Vienna? Pretty obvious answer, we know. However, have you ever noticed how many hotels say they want to reach affluent guests, but then they buy adverts in magazines read by budget travellers? Or what about the family hotel that invites fashion influencers to stay in their hotel and blog about the spa area?

Hotels have the right to invest their budget how, when and where they want. But by being uncompromising in regards to buyer personas, hotels can influence guest satisfaction and profits. We urge you to take the time to define or redefine your buyer personas in detail. You need to know them by heart, where they live, what newspapers and online forums they read, what is important to them, and what social media channels they are using, etc. Also meticulously research what their problem is = the problem that your hotel solves for them. The answer to this last question will be your main marketing and communication message. 

3 – Define a budget

“You cannot be everything to everyone.
If you decide to go north, you cannot go south at the same time.”
Jeroen De Flander

Once you know your basics, it's important to define your budget. How much are you going to spend on marketing activities in the next year? What is the return that you expect? Always remember, setting aside enough budget for your marketing is important: no marketing = no guests, no guests = no business.

Calculate your budget, divide it into different segments (e.g., how much you plan to spend on online marketing activities, print, social media) and act accordingly.

Once you know your budget, it will be easy to set priorities and to say no to random marketing activities that pop up in your email inbox.

4 – Have a strategy

“Hope is not a strategy.”
Vince Lombardi

A strategy is defined as your plan of action to achieve your goals. This implies that before you define your hotel marketing strategy, you have to define your goals. If you are working with a marketing team, include everyone in this process because it is important that everyone involved buys into your goals and works towards them.

Once defined, create your plan accordingly. Is your main priority to fill rooms during low season or to create attractive premium packages for high season to extend the average length of stay? Is the goal to push direct bookings or to strengthen the sales via external partners? As always, the strategy depends on your concept and the defined buyer personas.

5 – Measure, measure, measure!

“If you can't measure it, you can't improve it.”
Peter Drucker

We want to say right here, right now that one of the biggest lies we hear way too often is that you can’t measure marketing. This simply is not true! But many believe this to be the case. You can already gain a competitive advantage by ignoring this, measuring your impact and learning from the results. It helps you to optimise and to pivot; and in the long run, to budget every year more efficiently, generating more returns. 

Measure every single marketing activity that you do: Did we generate more clicks on our website? How many people followed us on Facebook by running the campaign? How many bookings have been made through the advertised special offer booking code?

So what does great marketing look like? Well, here are two examples of recent hospitality marketing campaigns and initiatives that caught our eye. Have you seen any others? 

Know your guests - niche content by SBE & Morgan’s Originals
Morgan’s Originals hotels are specifically targeted to creatives, as it is a "family" of individual hotels that create a surreal fantasy where anything is possible. Originals bring vision and style together with a spirit filled with magic and illusion. Morgan’s Originals use their online blog "Back of House" to build brand authority and awareness with highly-niche content that is specifically targeted to creatives. It’s more a general lifestyle publication than a brand blog, amongst which you’ll find interviews with people in the art, fashion or music industry. 

Measure, measure, measure! - Marriott’s Moxy tent at Coachella
For the opening of Moxy Times Square, Marriott transformed eight safari tents into hotel rooms during Coachella 2017. Influencers such as Amy Pham and Marriott Rewards members were invited to experience the Moxy tents, which also were a preview of the NYC Times Square property rooms. The campaign proved a huge hit, earning over one billion media impressions, exposure on major media outlets, and a 63% week-on-week boost in Instagram reach.

As always we hope that this blog post is of great help to you. Please feel free to do some marketing for it and share it with your friends - and let us know your opinion in the comments section below!

Revolution is the only solution

This was our credo when starting to work at the Kandima Maldives resort concept (and it still is). In an overcrowded market there is no chance to succeed if you haven’t got the vision (and the guts) to create something remarkably unique. But first you have to understand the game before you can change it. That’s why our research stage was key. We journeyed through Europe and Asia to analyse the most innovative concepts – what made them work – or not in some cases. We slept in millennial hotels and also in tiny airport cabins all in the name of research.

Work with the best

If you want to create the best, you have to work with the best. As the saying goes “You can’t do epic shit with basic people”. Therefore Kandima Maldives partnered with globally renown experts in their areas. Did you have a look at the Kandima Maldives branding? It has been created by the truly incredible Snask in Stockholm. The feedback we received: wow, different, special – game-changing. Goal achieved ;-).

Be dynamic but never compromise on the basics

Creating a resort concept might take some time, implementing it even longer. Over the last two years our partners at the project changed, the amazing and fun K’ team has been formed; new people are continuously joining and co-creating. This means that there is a steady stream of new ideas and new tasks to be tackled every single day. Our role as strategic partner is to help, assist, co-ordinate and be as flexible and dynamic as possible. Our key focus is to ensure the basics - the foundations and details that make the Kandima Maldives concept and brand fresh and unique - are implemented effectively and without compromise.

Fall in love with the details

It’s all about the details. The small touches. As a visionary and concept developer, it is a must to fall in love with these details – even if that means that you lose some sleep over that one single social media post, or design elements that aren’t quite right yet. You cannot half-ass anything if you want to create a unique and successful hotel concept and bring it to life.

It’s all about huMAns

A concept may be great on paper, but without the right people in place it will never (ever) fulfil it’s potential. We never underestimate the power of the people. At MA people our concepts start and end with huMAns. At Kandima Maldives guests will experience service unlike any other resort. The K’team will make the difference, ensuring each and every guest is "kandimatised". They will help to create memorable and unforgettable lifestyle experiences. There are many definitions out there for hospitality – at MA people we boil it down to one simple yet crucial statement: it’s from huMAns for huMAns. If everything you do and create keeps that in mind, you are already a game-changer in today’s hospitality market.

Follow the journey of the K’ team until the opening in December 2016 and get "kandimatised"!

Feel free to share this post with other visionaries - or get in touch if you, or someone you know is interested in co- creating the next game-changing concept with us.

Talk to you soon,
Your MA people 

1- Clearly positioned hotels achieve optimum returns

Clearly positioned, differentiated and specialised hotels with a strong profile do sustainably stand out from the competition. They evoke desirability, generate higher occupancy and achieve significantly higher ADRs. Hotels that have the courage to be different, incomparable and offer tailored facilities and services to a specific target group, are more likely to attract the right guests, with the right expectations and willing to pay the right prices. 

2- A unique positioning is vital for your long-term success and survival of your hotel venture

Guests do have an abundance of choice when looking for their holiday destination and online platforms as Booking.com, Google, TripAdvisor or Trivago supply them with unlimited options. Often nowadays, in an interchangeable hotel product environment only the price is the remaining distinguishing factor for consumers. Hotels with a unique positioning are clearly different than competitors, offering clear advantages and benefits for the guest. Only hotels that truly stand out from the crowd can achieve higher occupancies, ask for higher prices, obtain a higher RevPAR and in the long run win the battle.

3- A clear positioning is a basis for your marketing success

Why should guests stay with you and not with another hotel - if you have the same standard pictures and content as any other hotel on your website, offer the same facilities and services, promote the same packages and offers, have the same social media profiles, tell the same marketing messages and so on and so forth? Hotels who know who they are and have the courage to tell their unique story on a consistent basis, will clearly stand out from the crowd and be able to obtain premium returns for their product.

4- A clear positioning fosters happy guests

Guests do have clear expectations and needs when they travel and can get very upset, if their hosts do not meet these. Very often this situation results in bad reviews on rating platforms. Hotels with a clear and authentic market position and a promise to fulfil certain expectations, avoid unhappy guests, since their guests clearly know what they get and can set their expectations accordingly. As such a clear positioning does not only prevent disappointments, but on the contrary generates happy guests that are most likely to come back again and again, recommend the hotel and write positive guest reviews. 

5- A clear positioning makes your life so much easier

The more you offer for more guests, the harder it is to focus,  streamline and move on. To limit your offer and focus on your consciously selected target group to fulfil their needs and desires, can be very liberating and motivating. This (and positioning) doesn’t mean that you should ignore guests who do not fit in your target group, as you may have to cater to various target groups in order to fill your rooms. Positioning means that you know exactly which guests (and which not) you can and want to target and cater for in an outstanding way that is not comparable with any other hotel.

To sum up, we can say from our experience that a holistic, sustainable, creative and innovative hotel concept and the clearly derived positioning are fundamental to the success and sustainability of your hotel venture. As always we hope that this blog post is of great help to you. Please feel free to share it with your friends and let us know your opinion in the comments section below.

Thanks and until then,
Your MA people 

Ps.: Want to dive even deeper into the topic? Here are two other MA people blog posts that might be of interest: Why YOU absolutely need a hotel concept and Why best marketing beats the best product EVERY single time.

1. Soohyun, what exactly is “glamping” and how did you discover / start to love it?

Glamping is a combined term from “glamour” and “camping” to describe a style of camping with amenities (like washroom, kitchen) and in some cases, resort-style services not usually associated with traditional camping. It has become an alternative way to spend one’s vacation. I was inspired by the Tree hotel in Sweden, and began to think of new inventive ways to experience nature in the closest proximity. Our younger clients wanted the same and asked for something dramatically different than a single hotel room. That’s when we started our glamping projects in 2014.

2. Can you give our readers some information on your company “Atelier Chang”? What’s the idea behind and where have you implemented this concept already?

Our design focuses on Simplicity For Many. Glamping represents this concept the best. Our glamping tents are designed for the distinctive user experience by offering very simple but inventive form and content. These tents are called Cutent, Firefly, or Mountain, as their concept was driven from simple objects found in nature. The breadth of space is also quite unique: 45-60 sqm of interior space, as big as a small flat. The tent material adds to its exciting appearance: stylish bright colorus of the fabric is 100% non-flammable, 100% recyclable. It’s the same fabric used for the London Olympic Stadium. About 5 glamping resorts are already built in Asia with our models in recent 2 years, with 2-3 more projects on its way this summer in larger scale.
http://atelierchang.com/glamping/

3. Can you tell us a bit more about the Knothouse, the 5 residential structures that you realised on Geoje Island, South Korea?

We wanted to create a knot from a strip of landscape. A house made of knot could blur the boundary between the inside and outside. While sitting in the living room Jacuzzi, you could feel like you are immersed in the entire ocean view in front of you. The front garden continues seamlessly into the living room. It turned out to be a popular project that many people wanted to visit even with 2-month-in-advance reservation. 
http://atelierchang.com/knot-house/

4. We know you like to travel with your family and your little son. Which hotels and accommodations do you prefer and what exactly are you looking for when booking your family escape?

We always look for vacation venues where both parents and kids can have fun. For instance, if the hotel itself has interesting programs or a concept that our entire family can enjoy – separately or together – that ticks the mark. Convenience as well as adventure are parts of the criteria.

5. From your perspective: what are the trends that are going to shape the future of hospitality and tourism over the next years?  

I once read an article where a global officer in Marriot Edmundson said “Design has been democratized.” Design does not reflect the rich few, but will have to face new consumers like millennials, who want great quality service with non-ridiculous overcharges. I cannot agree more that the new trend of hospitality will target on the intelligent mass, whether it be young family with toddlers, young couples travelling on backpack, or innovative retirees in their early 60s. They are more educated than ever and treasure unique experiences. As much as Airbnb has shaken up the dusty hotel businesses, the new small but unique outdoor experience will be welcomed by unprecedented mass audiences.  

Thank you Soohyun & keep on inspiring us with your innovative creations ;-)
MA people

1 - "The lamentation over the sharpness of competition is in reality only a lamentation over the deficiency of ideas." Walther Rathenau

Ouch! Mr. Rathenau couldn’t be more direct! What does this tell us? Well, certainly we should stop ourselves before complaining about the “others”! The realisation is that we need to get better, not bitter. Turn negative energy into motivation and focus on developing stronger ideas instead of hoping for weaker competition.

2 - "You can’t look at the competition and say you're going to do it better. You have to look at the competition and say you’re going to do it differently." Steve Jobs

Word, Steve Jobs. Nothing is more important for your boutique concept (or any concept in fact) than to create unique, innovative and clearly distinguishable points of difference. These tangible USPs make your product unique, command attention and give you a talking point, not to mention a strong story. They attract PR and thus maximise marketing efforts, allowing you to achieve higher average room rates, boost your occupancy and sales.

3 - "Companies that solely focus on competition will ultimately die. Those that focus on value creation will thrive." Edward de Bono

When creating the Milaidhoo Island concept we did a LOT of homework (and we mean a LOT). We studied the market, the industry, ... We knew that if we wanted to innovate and differentiate the Milaidhoo Island product, we had to create trends, rather than follow them. So we started to look at luxury and boutique tourism from a different perspective, studied new luxury guests in different industries and in different markets and above all, were not only thinking about hardware and services, but much more about experiences. Because we knew that only if we were able to create real and true value, the boutique resort product would thrive and succeed.

Our hard work has certainly paid off. The outcome of nearly 19 months of research and development is an undeniably sophisticated 5-star boutique resort, brimming with USPs that clearly taps into a niche. Milaidhoo Island is by no means just another 5-star resort in the Maldives. Offering reinvented luxury and spacious outdoor living it epitomises the true and contemporary Maldives by telling the story of a small island. It’s a lifestyle escape with personality, offering heartfelt hospitality and barefoot informality. Don’t just take our word for it, see it for yourself.

As you might have already guessed, we are totally in love with the Milaidhoo concept and it’s potential. We could go on and on about it – but for all our sakes we will stop here! We are truly convinced that from November 2016 onwards it will introduce guests to a new, exciting holiday experience and will go some way to redefining boutique hotel concepts in the Maldives and beyond. Want to know more? Follow the story of a small island here.

So how about you? When will we see you on Milaidhoo Island? What’s your take on creating boutique hotel concepts? Are you in love with your competition? As always – feel free to share, comment, post and tell us your story ;-).

In this spirit, better your best!
Until the next time…

Your MAp team

1 – Cool community areas

The lobby / living room / club lounge or whatever you like to call it, is the heart of the hotel. Make this space comfy and inviting with flexible furniture, good lighting and an abundance of multi-power sockets. This is the place they will meet, chat, rest, work, brainstorm, connect and party both off-and-online.

2 – Fab accommodation 

Using space in an intelligent and convenient way is key as functionality is often more important than size. Take inspiration from first class train compartments; fancy cruise ship cabins and business class airline cabins.. Monsoon showers, good quality and natural bath amenities, an over-sized bed with organic mattresses, a desk with multi-power point sockets are just a few of the absolute must-haves.

3 – Tech-savvy

Make it easy for Millennials to live and breathe their digital lifestyle by offering free and fast Wi-Fi in all areas. Take the opportunity to use technology wherever possible such as online check-in, self check-out.

4 – Flexible food & beverage

Offering Millennials flexible dining options is as important as offering the latest cocktails. Ideally, hotels will offer a 24/7 dining offer inspired by the location and using locally sourced ingredients.

5 – Give back

Millennials are passionate about social and local responsibility and will assume green schemes and / or community programs are the norm in hotels so don’t disappoint.

At MAp Boutique Consultancy the above five points are the foundations of any successful Millennial hotel concept. Adopting these points will ensure that smart, modern travellers are happy, raving about the place and above all, return.

Do you agree with our TOP 5? Are there any other points crucial to making Millennials happy? What is your experience in working with and / or for Millennials? Of course, if you or someone you know is planning a visionary concept targeted at the “digital natives”, get in touch and let’s co-create the perfect hotel concept!

Talk to you soon,
Your MAp team

BTW, we just recently co-created a Millennial-inspired game-changing resort concept in the Maldives, have a look at www.kandima.com and also check out and follow our Millennials travel Pinterest board https://www.pinterest.com/mapeople/millennials-travel/

1 – Your hotel concept gives strategic direction

For something to be a success, everyone involved needs to be on the same page and working in the right direction. A hotel concept provides a clear overview of a hotel venture, with clearly-defined goals and objectives required to succeed on a long-term basis. It outlines the core capabilities of the hotel and defines its hard and soft facts by focusing on the right things = the things that are the most likely to deliver the best performance, productivity and profit, both now and in the future.

2 – Your hotel concept serves as day-to-day operational guide for you and your team

It’s easy for people to veer off-course, especially during busy times. A hotel concept should be the go-to document for all stakeholders. It provides clear and extensive guidance and serves as the basis for consistent briefings to external partners. Each and every one of your employees and partners needs to understand and buy into your hotel's true Purpose (the WHY!), understand your objectives and goals (the destination), as well as the course they need to take to get there. This helps everyone involved to make the right decisions on a daily basis and provide the outstanding service that you (and ultimately your guests) want.

And there’s an added benefit! Employees who understand WHY they do what they do and HOW they have to do it, feel more engaged, enjoy their role and will stay with you longer. So enjoy reduced employee turnover rates and recruitment costs, as well as increased repeat business resulting from your employees' outstanding service attitude.

3 – Your hotel concept ensures that you attract the right guests

We never underestimate the power of the people. Hotel concepts that place people at the heart, in fact, focus on what truly drives and generates sales and profits. Your hotel concept will be based on your unique vision as well as thorough research and analysis. It will clearly outline who your perfect guests are and what they want. They turn into happy guests, and guess what, generate healthy profits. Happy guests are your best investment. They become your on- and offline brand ambassadors, and promote you and your business for FREE!

4 – Your hotel concept gives you a competitive edge

What exactly makes a hotel concept creative and innovative? Above all, it’s about being unique and authentic. A great hotel concept outlines what makes your hotel truly special and clearly distinguishable. It defines the tangible USPs and the added value for guests when choosing to stay at your hotel over a competing property. A competitive edge always commands attention and gives you a talking point, not to mention a strong story. That’s why we believe in innovative hotel concepts, as they create a clear stand out in the market, attract PR and maximise marketing efforts, allowing you to maximise room rates and boost your occupancy and sales.

5 – Your hotel concept is the ONLY guarantee for long-term personal and financial success

You may not be able to rely on a lot of things in life, but one thing you can always count on is a clearly-defined hotel concept! A unique concept that is based on your personal vision, motivation and passion ensures that your business is aligned with your values, and does not only make your guests happy, but yourself as well. It guarantees that your hotel is not only a cool idea or a dream - but a long-term viable business concept. 

Now you know WHY we are passionate about crafting hotel concepts. If you’re interested in the HOW check out this. 

As always, feel free to share this blog post, and don’t forget to let us know your thoughts on hotel concepts in the comments below. Thanks!