We understand that as a hotelier, your mandate is to attract more guests, sell extra rooms, increase occupancy, and boost revenues.
NB: This is an article from AxisRooms
And when this is what exactly you are looking for, you must pay attention to the power of vacation packages. Also referred to as travel packages, holiday packages, or hotel packages, these exclusive hotel deals help you serve a wide range of travelers and guests.
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Why are vacation packages important for your hotel business?
When you sell these packages as specially-crafted deals, you increase your guest experience. For example, if your hotel package has three-times meals included in it, your guests will not have to worry about finding a nearby restaurant. Such offerings are pretty important, especially in these uncertain times when the hotel industry is slowly limping back to normalcy, with many neighborhood eateries yet to roll up their shutters. Moreover, guests who book packages are less likely to cancel their reservations, stay longer, and spend more during their stay. Industry experts believe that the ADR for package stay is always higher than FITs, leading to enhanced revenue for your hospitality property.
How to go about configuring the right travel packages?
It entirely depends on several factors – what type of property you are, your USP, location/local attraction, and target segment, etc. Let’s look at some of them –
Romantic/Honeymoon Packages
If your location and competitions are known for attracting newlyweds, then creating packages around the honeymoon is a good idea—plan for this well in advance, much before the wedding season. Look at your competitions and guest profiles coming to your location. You can also sell more rooms under the couple’s vacation package to those looking for romantic getaways. Tie up with tour operators targeting guests in this segment. Offer your guests what they want. Give them value for money. See if you can arrange a premium wine or a lavish parting meal for such couples. These gestures make their stay with you more memorable.
Family Packages
The mantra here is to promote your family-friendly amenities. Tell your guests that you care for their kids and that you have an array of indoor and outdoor game facilities for them. Want to go one step ahead? Say it out loud that their kids can use the in-room game console for free. Don’t you think parents will be happy about it? And yes, you may want to inform them about the recently added instructor-led swimming pool for your tiny guests. Let nursing moms know that you offer essentials like baby food, wipes, bottle warmers, and many other things. A family wants a home wherever they are and even when they are away from their home. Offer them this experience and see your business go up.
Wellness Packages
Wellness, mental health – these are now buzzwords. You may even sell them as a healing and healthcare package. From fitness to relaxation and yoga to meditation, you need to package everything to help your guests rejuvenate through physical and mental detoxification. Be prompt to promote your locality, for example, how far your property is from the city’s hustle and bustle and how beautifully it is surrounded by greenery.
Work from Hotel Packages
If you are a property located in some isolated area yet can offer everything that working professionals need to do their daily jobs, you can undoubtedly cash on it. It has now become a trend that many professionals choose resorts to stay and relax while continuing with their work. In your promotional activities, clearly state that you offer well-equipped working spaces, including ergonomic workstations, printer/copier, and most importantly, a fast, secure, and stable Wi-Fi connection.
The list of packages can go on as there is no limit to it. You can create a solo traveler package, nature package, adventure package, and many more. Talk to your guests, find out what they are looking for, and see if you can offer them a customized package. For example, you can add a portion of the wellness package to your work from the hotel package. It is all about how creative you can get.
A few more points
It would help if you worked with popular tour operators/organizers to sell your packages and attract guests. Create effective marketing campaigns to spread the word about your vacation packages to target the right guest segment with the suitable package. Politely ask your guests about their feedback on your services. Promote positive guest reviews. Keep your past demand and data in mind. Work with the revenue management team while leveraging the power of an intelligent revenue management solution to come up with the right room rates. Employ dynamic pricing and length of stay rules to increase your ADR. Most importantly, offer what you promise. And yes, don’t forget another important aspect – a real-time room distribution strategy with a channel manager solution like AxisRooms.
