HOW TO GIVE YOUR HOTEL A COMPETITIVE EDGE€¦ · British Hospitality Association (BHA), and one of...

How to Give Your Hotel a Competitive Edge ~ Ideas into Action © Zeal Coaching Ltd ~ www.zealcoaching.com

HOW TO GIVE YOUR HOTEL A COMPETITIVE EDGE

How to get the best from your Ideas into Action

Planning Document

I recommend you print out this document and have it to hand as you listen to the interviews.

I've included a short introduction to each of my guests, so you'll know what to expect on the

day.

There is then space for your notes during the interview, but you may find that you want more

room than this, so have some spare paper to hand just in case!

The chances are you won't capture every point first time round, but remember you will be

getting access to the mp3 recordings and pdf transcripts to refer back to time and again.

You are bound to hear things that you know already, but the idea of this document is to

prompt you to do something with those ideas! This document will focus on the short term, and

capturing ideas. In the next document we'll help you to put together some longer-term plans,

which are compatible with the long-term vision of your hotel business.

I suggest you set aside time immediately after each interview to reflect on what you've heard,

whilst it as all still fresh in your mind. Each day you'll have similar questions to consider, as well

as a few questions or challenges relevant to the content of that particular interview.

If you are listening with your team, you may want them to take a copy of this document for

them to form their own ideas, and to compare your notes afterwards. If you are listening

alone, I would urge you to involve your team with the discussions around what can be

implemented in your hotel.


Call details

Monday 5th July

Nina and Gérard Basset

Tuesday 6th July

Lucy Whittington

Wednesday 7th July

Peter Hancock + Bob Cotton

Thursday 8th July

Peter Thomson

Friday 9th July

Peter Birnie

Monday 12th July

Josiah Mackenzie

Tuesday 13th July

Sally Shalam

Wednesday 14th July

Jennifer Keen

Thursday 15th July

Beppo Buchanan-Smith

Friday 16th July

Caroline Cooper

Dial in Numbers for callers outside of the UK, and call charges:

UK 0844 84 84 84 0 4.3 pence

Austria 0820 401 15473 € 0.11

France 082 123 1046 € 0.12

Germany 01805 123 0131 € 0.12

Spain 902 886 038 € 0.06

Poland 0703 100353 0.35 PLN

Any other country +44 844 873 60 60 Check with your service provider

Any other country +49 1803 002 063 Check with your service provider


Nina and Gérard Basset

Guest profile

Nina and Gérard are the founders of the boutique Hotel TerraVina in the New Forest. The

couple met whilst working at Chewton Glen, along with their future Hotel du Vin business

partner, Robin Hutson. Hotel TerraVina encompasses Gérard's passion and knowledge of wine

- he is the only person in the world to hold the combined titles of Master of Wine, Master

Sommelier, Wine MBA and, as of April 2010, World's Best Sommelier. Nina has her own claim to

fame as the youngest ever AA Hotel Inspector, and was instrumental in creating the

Townhouse classification scheme.

After months spent carefully renovating and adding a contemporary twist to Hotel TerraVina,

Gérard and Nina are now extending the brand into the TerraVina label range of merchandise

that reflects the hotel's style and ethos.

Interview topic

Gérard and Nina will be sharing with us:

� How they have used Gérard's passion for wine in shaping the hotel's identity and

creating an award winning hotel

� Their 4 top tips for hoteliers for running a successful hotel brand

My notes during the interview


Notes continued

What are the key points covered that I can apply to my hotel?

How do we compare?

List below your analysis of how you compare with the aspects identified by Nina & Gérard


Questions & Challenges

What is our USP?

What criteria do we use for selecting staff?

How would we define our hotel's brand?

What points do I want to take back to discuss with my team?

What actions do I need to take away as a result of what I've heard

today?


Lucy Whittington

Guest profile

Lucy is my co- author of the Hotel Success Handbook . She combines her love of travel,

business and marketing to focus on helping hotel and travel business owners get great results

from their marketing. Combining her passion for travel with her love of marketing (especially

online) her advice and tips for hotels is both researched and practical.

www.inspiredbusinessmarketing.com

Interview topic

Lucy will be sharing with us:

� Her top 3 tips for maximizing your on line visibility so your website becomes more than

just an expensive brochure, and is one of the first on the list when prospective guests

start searching, not tucked away on page 2 or 3

� How to take control of your own hotel website so it's up to date, without the need to

spend a fortune with a web designer each time you need to change anything (and

without the need to learn any complicated computer jargon!)

� How to keep your site focused on your customers so once they come to your site they

convert into paying customers



Notes continued


How do we compare?

List below your analysis of how you compare with the key criteria identified by Lucy



How much detail is included on our website?

What keywords should we be using for search?

How clear is the navigation of our web site?

What are the calls to action?



today?


Peter Hancock

Guest profile

Peter Hancock is Chief Executive of Pride of Britain, the marketing consortium for small

privately owned luxury hotels in the UK. Prior to joining Pride of Britain, Peter worked for

Johansens, initially as a regional inspector and becoming a director in 1996. Peter is a fellow of

the Institute of Hospitality and a fellow of the Tourism Society, and has a regular column in the

Caterer and Hotelkeeper.

Interview topic

Peter will be discussing:

� His must haves for any hotel,

� What makes a hotel a destination in its own right

� What any hotel should be asking before deciding on whether a consortium is right for

them



Notes continued


How do we compare?

List below your analysis of how you compare with the aspects identified by Peter



How do we rate against Peter's must haves?

What type of welcome do our guest receive?

How involved are our management team?

What style of approach is in keeping with our guest profile?



today?


Bob Cotton

Guest profile

British Hospitality Association (BHA), and one of the hospitality industry’s most influential

champions who has raised the profile of the profession in the UK to unprecedented levels in

recent years.

Interview topic

Bob will be sharing his views on:

� What we can learn from the recession and his predictions for the future of the industry

� The 3 absolute basics hotels have to get right, and how even with big investment some

hotels still get this wrong

� What hoteliers need to do to give people the 'excuse' they need to come and stay at

your hotel



Notes continued


How do we compare?

List below your analysis of how you compare with the aspects identified by Bob



What 'excuse' do we give people to come and stay here?

How good are we on delivering the basics: cleanliness, the welcome, the bathroom, quiet?

How well do we invest in our team's development?



today?


Peter Thomson

Guest profile

Peter is now regarded as one of the UK’s leading strategists on business and personal growth.

Starting in business in 1972 he built 3 successful companies – selling the last to a public

company, after only 5 years trading, for £4.2M enabling him to retire at age 42. Since that time

Peter has concentrated on sharing his proven methods for business and personal success via

audio and video programmes, books, seminars and conference speeches.

Interview topic

Peter will be telling us:

� The 4 golden questions any business needs to ask to increase sales

� The best retention strategy there is, and to use this to test your relationship with your

customers

� A simple model that has made Peter and many of his clients many millions of pounds



Notes continued


How do we compare?

List below which of the tools and models discussed by Peter we already use



What are the things we can be doing in response to each of the four golden questions?

What process could we put in place to get more referrals?

Where are there gaps on our 'magic matrix'?

What type of customer experience do we give?



today?


Peter Birnie

Guest profile

Peter is an independent consultant, who advises small hotels and B&Bs with their quality, food

and wine and general running of the business. Other clients include Tourism South East,

VisitEngland, Bournemouth University and the Alastair Sawday Guides. Additionally, he is

involved with various regional and national award judging panels. He worked for 15 years with

UK hotel and restaurant guides, Egon Ronay and then the AA, where he was Chief Hotel &

Restaurant Inspector from 2003-2008. www.peterbirnie.com

Interview topic

Peter will be talking about:

� The 4 factors that influence quality in a hotel

� The top 3 things guests will notice when you get them wrong, so you need to avoid

� 2 key areas in which hotels can influence quality which don't require any big

investments



Notes continued


How do we compare?

List below your analysis of how you compare with the aspects identified by Peter



How do we rate on each of the 4 factors that influence quality?

How clean is our hotel from a guest's perspective?

Are we guilty of any of the things that guests only notice when they go wrong?

How well do we convey the standards expected to our staff?

What more could we do to encourage feedback from guests?



today?


Review of week one

Take stock of everything you have heard this week

What are the key points you need to address or action?

What do you need to discuss with your team?

When will you do this?

What steps could you take in the next few days to get this started?


Josiah Mackenzie

Guest profile

Josiah is an internet marketing consultant with experience designing and managing highly

profitable new media campaigns for firms throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Josiah

specialises in helping hotels and hospitality businesses use the internet to increase direct sales.

www.hotelmarketingstrategies.com/

Interview topic

In my interview with Josiah you will hear about his 4 key success tips to make best use of social

media in marketing your hotel



Notes continued


How do we compare?

List below where you are currently in relation to a social media strategy



What are our objectives for any social media strategy?

What am I doing currently to 'listen' on line?

Who might be the best person to champion social media?

What the demographics of our audience, and what might be the best social media platforms

to start using initially?

What would be our measurement of our success in using social media?



today?


Sally Shalam

Guest profile

Sally is a freelance travel writer with more than 500 articles published in the British national

press. She specialises in reviewing accommodation in Britain, for a Saturday column in The

Guardian Travel section and Condé Nast Traveller. This year she has been moving into a new

area of work – something she says she enjoys tremendously - working as a consultant to the

tourism trade, and now offers private and group workshops and mentoring specifically for

small businesses such as B&Bs to help them with branding, marketing and PR.

www.sallyshalam.com

Interview topic

In my interview with Sally she will be sharing her top tips on

■ How to get an editor or writer's attention

■ How small hotels can stimulate media interest, and gain maximum PR potential



Notes continued


How do we compare?

List below what you already do to get PR attention



How do we monitor and make best use of the PR we already get (good or bad)?

What can we do to build better contacts with press?

What can we do with our web site to encourage more PR?

What do we do well that deserves attention?

What do we need to do differently to avoid negative reviews?



today?


Jennifer Keen

Guest profile

Jennifer is director at Total Revenue Solutions, and helps hotels realise their commercial targets

through the implementation of effective revenue management strategies. This is achieved

through consultancy based commercial analysis, followed by a tailored training and team

engagement programme. Total Revenue Solution works with Hotels, Conference & Events

Team, F&B operators, Golf Clubs and Spas to unlock revenue opportunities.

Interview topic

Jennifer will be discussing

� How to engage your team to drive Total Revenue and maximise all opportunities within

your business

� The top 3 considerations for a hotel in managing its rates to ensure it achieves a

competitive edge



Notes continued


How do we compare?

What are we already doing to manage our revenue?



How well do we involve our team in identifying potential revenue opportunities?

What systems and processes do we have in place, or need to put in place?

How good is our current performance compared to the potential?

How will we measure the impact of any changes we make?



today?


Beppo Buchanan-Smith

Guest profile

Beppo is manager of the Isle of Eriska Hotel in Argyll, situated on a private island reached only

by a causeway. Since becoming a partner Beppo has turned the hotel from a seasonal

operation to a full time facility using the growth in indoor facilities and activities as the

backbone of the seasonal extension. In 2008 the hotel won the UK Catey's Hotel independent

Hotel of the Year, and in 2010 won the Catering in Scotland Excellence Awards Hotel of the

Year.

Interview topic

Beppo will be sharing

■ His first hand experience on how to turn a seasonal hotel into a year round destination

(even in the most remote locations)

■ His top 3 tips to give your hotel a competitive edge



Notes continued


How do we compare?

List below your analysis of the ideas covered by Beppo that you already deliver. What is your

goal in terms or increasing occupancy?



How well do you look after guests?

How well have we evolved in recent years in response to what guests tell us?

How well do we build on the team's ideas to develop?

What can we do to ensure consistency?



today?


Caroline Cooper

Profile

I'm your host for the 'How to Give Your Hotel a Competitive Edge' Interview Series. But I will also

be sharing some of my own insights. My career in hospitality spans over 25 years, and in recent

years I've worked with thousands of owners and managers either one on one or in group

situations to become more confident or effective leaders. There's no doubt that the style of

your leadership and the behaviour of your team are a key influence on the success of your

hotel.

Interview topic

I will be sharing with you my top 5 keys to having an engaged and motivated team who

convey the image you want and the level of service your guests expect and deserve.



Notes continued


How do we compare?

List below your analysis of how you compare with the aspects covered by Caroline



What processes do we have in place to attract and recruit the best staff?

How good are the systems we have place to ensure consistency and so that our staff know

what's expected of them?

How clear is our vision and the part each team member plays in contributing to this?

How well do we reward and recognise our staff's achievements?

What feedback and development do we give our staff and management team to ensure

they can perform to the best of their ability?



today?


Review of the series

Take stock of everything you have heard over the two weeks

What are the key points you need to address or action?

What do you need to discuss with your team?

When will you do this?

What are the priorities to give us the biggest impact?

What steps could you take in the next few days to get this started?

You will get your Strategy Panner shortly to start longer term planning

Good luck

HOW TO GIVE YOUR HOTEL A COMPETITIVE EDGE€¦ · British Hospitality Association (BHA), and one of...

Documents

Transcript of HOW TO GIVE YOUR HOTEL A COMPETITIVE EDGE€¦ · British Hospitality Association (BHA), and one of...