Are good service and brand standards enough for today and tomorrow’s hotel and restaurant guests?

Stephen W. Ayers, CEO STAY Ahead Hospitality

It is of course critical to the success of the hotel or restaurant to provide a smooth flow of good service from arrival to check out. Also critical is a sense of good maintenance, cleanliness and interior, facilities and value.

So many managers across the globe strive to deliver those qualities regardless of the restaurant or hotel standard, whether two to five star establishments. I have had many perfect experiences in almost all the categories. I have had great food in small independent hotels and terrible food at five star places.

I am convinced that there are countless restaurants and hotels of all sizes and categories that deliver a good experience to their patrons, and make sure to tick all the boxes in the first paragraph.

BUT, and a big BUT, is that enough to carry them into the future with thriving success and a great bottom line?

My answer is an emphatic NO!

Think about this for a moment. How many generic hotels are there out there that are generally of the same size, standard, and facilities where virtually the only identifying feature is the sign at the top? Turn on the lights and close the curtains and you could be in any of the brand hotels. Even worse, many of the independent hotels try and copy the generics and some succeed, but for how long?

These attributes were sufficient for the fading generations who generally looked no further than for good value,  a clean warm bed in a well maintained hotel where the service was good and the food of a sufficient standard.

Not so the Millennials who are already the largest consumer segment. They do of course look for all the prior aspects mentioned to be perfect, but they expect a lot more when searching for a place to stay. Of course they look for good value, but they also look for ‘boxes’ that they can tick off that answer the values and needs that they hold dear and expect from the hotels and restaurants they patronize.

They are the first ‘caring’ generation. It’s a fact. They care about the environment, involvement in community, supporting good causes and unique, different experiences. They earn money to spend it, and live to experience the world.

So, whether you are a brand hotel or, more importantly, an independent establishment, it is time for a reset. It is time to differentiate your property from the crowd, time to deliver what the guests of today and tomorrow are looking for.

For more information on how to ‘reset’ your establishment and read about the benefits of ‘The Meaningful Seminars’ please go to:

http://www.stayaheadhospitality.com/the-meaningful-seminars

Please contact us at STAY for further information about the seminars; we will be delighted to hear from you!