There is only one aspect of your property that you absolutely cannot change – your physical address. Renovate, replace staff, add new operations, re-flag or re-brand, it makes no difference; you are where you are!
Your location is uniquely yours, so why not make the most of it? When a guest arrives – especially for the first time – they rarely have the in-depth knowledge of your neighborhood to go about on their own without some guidance. While nowadays there are numerous online resources that can give visitors a broad overview of the top highlight, your guests will nevertheless want your help in discovering what truly makes your area special.
The best part about levering your location for better guest satisfaction is that becoming the local expert is not overly complex. However, it will require some leg work on behalf of your team to break ground for your guests, find those unique venues and potentially secure relationships that provide added value. Over the years, I’ve seen many programs that have aided properties in differentiating themselves while, at the same time, offering wholly new revenue opportunities.
For many of these, you’ll have to design and print some collateral materials, but mostly this will involve you posting the information to your website and creating downloadable PDFs that your guests can use as reference. And then the front desk pitching in with additional copies as required. The key to upgrading your operations so that your hotel appears as fully embracing its locale is to take initiative one angle at a time, and so here are some ideas to consider.
Walking or Jogging Maps
Running is one of the most practiced sports in the world. Domestically, some 64 million people went jogging or running in 2016. But that pales in comparison to walking as a pastime or for fitness which drew nearly 110 million participants according to a 2015 statistic. These huge numbers suggest that a good portion of your guest population will be looking for interesting routes or cool trails for a morning or afternoon jaunt.
