Have you ever wondered about what hotel amenities your competition offers that your guests would love?

Welcome to another addition of hospitality property school.

Today, I am going to be talking about hotel amenities that will improve your guest experience.

 

 

We at Keystone HDC sat down and compiled a list of items we feel every independent hotel, resort, inn and bed & breakfast should have.  In today’s podcast, I want to share some of our favourites with you.

 

These are no particular order:

 

  1. WIFI

Traditional tourist demands have changed and for that reason, hospitality properties need to improve what they offer to guests by providing free WiFi. All things being equal, if it comes down to a choice between you and your competitor and you’re offering free WiFi, you will attract the new customer almost every time. Even the United Nations is considering making access to the Internet a fundamental human right.

 Other reasons to have free WiFi are:

  • It is an opportunity to collect your guest’s data
  • It is inexpensive to set up
  • You’re meeting your guest’s expectations
  • Free WiFi is now available on public and private transport, in city centres, libraries, hotels, restaurants, pubs and even churches. By you not doing this could be damaging to a business.

 

 

  1. A Sound Sleeping Experience

The bottom line for most room rentals is so your guests can have a place to sleep, so why not make that experience a memorable one. These are things that we have found properties have invested in to make this happen:

 

  • All rooms have airport-grade windows (especially if located near an Airport, highway, high pedestrian traffic areas)
  • Complimentary soft slippers, (your properties brand colour, if possible, with name or logo and non-slip soles)
  • Bathrobe(s) – nothing worse than just stepping out of the shower, hearing someone knock and then open the door while saying “housekeeping”. This is the perfect time for a large comfortable bathrobe, instead of the little hand towel. (make them available for sale)
  • Speaking of Towels (a good size bath, 2 hand towels, and a face cloth per person) the extra hand towel if for the ladies and sometimes men who need them to dry their hair.
  • Choice of soft and firm hypoallergenic pillows
  • Bed linens with minimum 300 or more thread count. 3 things to look for are;
    • if it’s Egyptian cotton
    • where it’s woven
    • the thread count (buyer beware tip: A complete sheet set with a high thread count for $100 or less is probably not the bargain you think it is)
  • Sleep Masks
  • Earplugs
  • A mattress that is responsive to your body (the type of mattresses you use is quite often a personal preference but if you go with mattresses similar to or from firms like the Simmons or Sealy, you should be fine. In the first and third quarter mattresses should be flipped end to end. In the second and fourth quarter, mattresses should be flipped side to side. Depending on your occupancy they should be replaced every 3 to 7 years.

 

As part of your regular routine, mattresses should be checked and cleaned at least every three months; the very last thing a guest wants to see is any staining and stay away from the plastic coated mattress like they have in hospitals. All hotels should have at the very least a mattress protector of some sort on their beds, preferably the most absorbent.  It is also not a bad idea to have an additional soft layer of absorbent material such as a wool rich blanket used beneath a mattress protector. This can act as a final vapour barrier.

 

  1. Blackout drapes

This is something I feel is a must for hospitality properties. Whether you’re trying to get a few hours’ sleep in the afternoon or you’re feeling a little restless at night, having a dark undisturbed place to sleep can definitely help you get to rest you need.

 

  1. Adequate Power outlets

I travel with a smartphone, a tablet, an iPod and a camera and based on what I’ve seen, I am not the only one. The thing they all have in common is that they have to be charged, so I am still surprised when I walk into a hospitality property room and find only one or two outlets for guests and more often than not they are hidden behind the bed.  An ample number of easy to access power outlets strategically placed above the desk, table, and nightstand should be a standard in rooms.

 

  1. Coffee Maker

A room with a good coffee or espresso machine as well as a hot water machine or kettle for tea.  It is so nice to start a relaxing morning knowing you don’t have to go to the dining area for your first caffeine jolt.  Another nice idea is to have packets soup available. My wife and I have a great memory of after that be in on the road for a week in Ireland and not feeling like going out for dinner, sitting in front of our hotel rooms window, in bathrobes, eating noodle soup.  It was perfect and we still talk about it.

 

  1. Closet Hangers

There is a real good chance I am not going to pay your room rate, just to steal your hangers and those who do wish to steal them are probably few and far between.

Since I have been travelling professionally for over two decades, the idea of travelling light is important to me. However, I do bring nice things with me and I like to hang them up so they don’t get wrinkled. It drives me crazy to open a closet door to find hangers that don’t come off the bar or a variety of plastic hangers.

A good rule of thumb is to have six wooden hangers per guest. I want to feel welcome at a hospitality property and not like a possible thief.

 

  1. Information packages

When I arrive at a new property one of the first things I do is look at their information packet.  These are the type of things I look for:

  • Property history
  • Properties rules and guidelines
  • Menus
  • Room service menu (if applicable)
  • But eating establishment options within the area
  • Phone procedures (for international travellers)
  • Local attractions
  • And any other relevant information

So, how do you compare?  Maybe you’re looking at our list and saying “no problem, I have all that covered”.  Or you might be saying “I never thought of those”.  Either way, as professional travellers, these are the type of things we look for and we know your guests will appreciate.

 

In Conclusion

Going the extra step to enhance your guest’s experience will not only keep you a step ahead of your competition but could help create memories that are soon not forgotten.

 

For more ideas of successful amenities, visit the “The Guide to Operating an Independent Hotel or Bed & Breakfast” Training Tutorials

 

If you have other must-have hotel amenities that have worked for you and would like to share, or have any questions or feedback, again, you can leave them in the comments section of the show notes at.

 

You can access this through a link in the show notes at:

 

keystonehospitalitydevelopment.com/KHDC037

 

That’s it for this session of hospitality property school.

We appreciate your comments and if you have topic ideas, feel free to reach out to use on

 

Facebook at facebook.com/keystonehdc

Twitter at twitter.com/keystonehdc

Or email at

info@keystonehospitalitydevelopment.com

 

So, as always, let’s work together to put heads in your beds.

Until next time, have a fun day.

 

 

 

Hospitality Property SchoolFor listeners of the Hospitality Property School Podcast

we are offering an additional savings of

25% off the

 

“The Guide to Operating an Independent Hotel or Bed & Breakfast”

Training Tutorials

This offer will end without prior notice so act now by visiting …

 

https://keystonehpd.com/training-tutorials-save25

 

Music Credit:

Sun Spark
http://www.danosongs.com/

 

 

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KHDC 037 - How Does Your Hospitality Property Compare?