Tailoring your Hotel Amenities to your Customers THe dAyS of one-Size-fiTS-ALL HoTeL AMeniTieS are a thing of the past. In addition to creating vast inefficiencies (i.e., a swimming pool at a bustling business hotel), basic hotel amenities fail to suit the unique tastes of increasingly particular guests who crave unique creature comforts. According to Trip Advisor’s 2014 Trip Barometer report, 77% of hotel guests stated that a hotel’s amenities are of significant importance. By way of comparison, only 25% of hotel owners thought that amenities played a role in bookings. In order to address this discrepancy, owners, operators and managers should be asking, “Who are my customers, what do they want, and how can I cost-effectively provide it for them in order to exceed their expectations and increase repeat business?” depending on the type of property, hotel amenities can vary widely. Certain offerings— soap, shampoo, conditioner, hair dryers, irons, ironing boards, wake up services—have long been the industry standard, though product quality varies depending on property. However, as guests’ preferences continue to evolve, hoteliers need to review their amenity offerings. The following are some recent trends to consider when reviewing your list of amenities while continuing to operate efficiently and within your allotted budget. Business centers Since most professionals these days travel with laptops and portable electronic devices, expansive business centers replete with desks and desktop computers are no longer necessary. This is especially true since most people enjoy the ability to relax on a bed or comfortable chair while working. As a result, many hotels have begun converting parts of their lobbies into casual lounges full of comfortable seating decked out in warm textures and colors. Wi-Fi is provided for free and scanners and printers are available for use (as a general rule, fax machines are no longer necessary). These inviting lounges mirror the interactive work settings that more and more offices have been incorporating into their design. Wellness To keep up with the demands of increasingly health conscious travelers, hotels should reexamine 8 California Hotel & Lodging Association WinTeR 2016 offerings that relate to diet, exercise and relaxation. While swimming pools should remain the cornerstone of leisure provided at resorts and vacation properties, they are expensive to build and maintain, and make little sense in a busy urban hotel that primarily caters to business guests. Fitness centers, however, are a different story. Due to increased interest, many hotels have vastly improved their fitness center offerings to include various kinds of cardio machines, free weights and open space for stretching and yoga. These upscale centers are designed with an inviting color palette, high quality rubber flooring and bigscreen televisions. Many even provide towels, earphones and water to their guests. Kimpton Hotels goes the extra mile, for instance, by providing yoga mats in every room and makes bicycles available for complimentary use. Some properties have found creative ways to offset these costs. For example, the Westin has partnered with new Balance to lend high quality workout gear for the nominal price of five dollars per guest. Many highend properties provide spas not only to their guests, but to the local community as well, in order to generate additional revenue. Because spa operations and maintenance can involve a lot of staff, and be specialized and costly, hotels will often outsource these services to third By Taylor Burras, Michelman & robinson
CH LA Lodging News Winter 2015 2016
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