Hourly bookings are marketable to a variety of guests and increase hotel revenue by filling rooms that might otherwise go unsold.
NB: This is an article from WebRezPro
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They provide an opportunity to generate an income from hotel spaces outside of your guest rooms. Hourly bookings can be lucrative and set your property apart from the competition. All it takes is the right approach – and the right kind of booking system.
Read on for ways to attract guests who aren’t necessarily in it for the long haul but can still boost your bottom line.
Why Hourly Bookings Matter
Hourly bookings appeal to multiple guest segments, i.e., companies, remote workers, travelers looking to relax between flights or before an event, locals, and road warriors (they can pull off the highway for a quick nap!).
In addition to bringing in new guest segments, hourly bookings enable otherwise empty rooms and spaces to generate revenue. As of May 2024, the global hotel occupancy rate was 68 percent, which meant that 32 percent of rooms were sitting empty. There’s space for hourly bookings, though you should take your demand and seasonality into account.
Selling rooms by the hour provides a way to offer an affordable price point without devaluing your rooms. In addition, it raises your ancillary revenue by giving guests the chance to use your amenities for the day.
How to Attract Hourly Bookers
Hourly bookers seek comfortable spaces and quality amenities. However, each hourly guest segment has unique requirements, so know your audience and tailor amenities to them.
Business Travelers
Post pandemic, global business travel is on the upswing with an increase of 30 percent between 2022 and 2023. A significant portion of business travel involves meetings, conferences, and events, which require rooms and spaces that can be reserved by the hour.
Meeting and event spaces should have strong Wi-Fi, comfortable seating, and user-friendly AV equipment (no one wants to spend 15 minutes figuring out what plugs in where). They should also be accessible to all, either on the ground floor or near the elevator. If you offer catering options, consider sourcing local food vendors and include choices for people with dietary restrictions.
With one quarter to one half of the American labor force working remotely at least part time, there’s an opening in the market for coworking spaces as well. These spaces attract workers seeking an office environment without the 90-minute commute. Whether you provide a shared coworking space or a private guestroom, the ability to book by the hour is especially appealing to those who don’t have a quiet place to concentrate at home.
Ensure business travelers have everything they need to be productive, including fast, secure Wi-Fi, plenty of outlets, access to a printer, and ergonomic desks. If you have the budget, consider turning it up a notch with sound-proof call pods and games guests can use for a brain break. Shuffleboard, anyone?
Nappers
Renting a room for a nap appeals to roadtrippers and tourists who want to rest between flights or sightseeing. Hourly room bookings are also convenient for both personal and professional day-use purposes, allowing guests to take advantage of your property’s other facilities too, like your pool.
If your hourly guests are paying to catch some zzz’s, make sure they get their money’s worth with top-quality mattresses and bedding as well as blackout curtains or blinds. Bonus points for sleep tourism amenities such as pillow menus, soothing scents, and white noise machines.
