The road to recovery for the hospitality industry is appearing to be a long one.
As states began to reopen, hoteliers might have anticipated that the worst was behind them and business would soon be booming. Unfortunately, cases are rising once again and the trajectory for economic growth is difficult to anticipate. The goal for all hotel owners should be agility.
“It is not the strongest of species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”
Charles Darwin’s quote assuredly rings true during this era. Hotel owners must prepare for the worst and focus on finding new, creative solutions to this crisis. Yes, these are unprecedented times, but industries have bounced back from worse and hospitality will too. Here are some unique strategies for growth during COVID-19.
Reimagine Your Staff.
Management operations need to be pared down and more efficiently implemented. Staff must be more broadly trained to handle more tasks than before, and this will benefit their experience as employees. Hotel managers need to be multifaceted leaders of their team, inspiring hard work and encouraging employees to bring in fresh ideas.
Higher level management should do their best to make employees feel secure in the company. More communication from executives is crucial to creating a tightly knit team of staff.
Put out some good news.
This is a great opportunity for your hotel to gain positive press in a dark time. Many hotels have set up isolation rooms to keep hospitals from overflowing or let the homeless temporarily reside in the hotel. Good deeds are rewarded and the public will take notice.
Sustainability is another key facet to the new world of 2020. Consumers are paying attention to brands who focus on taking extra leaps to promote environmental friendliness.
Build Trust Through Digital Experiences
Before COVID-19, hotel companies were investing in technology capabilities to enhance the guest experience. But now, technology has become critical for the contactless customer experience at a hotel.
Critical technologies include:
- Mobile check-in/out
- Mobile door unlock
- App-based, in-room dining
- Mobile device menus at restaurants
- Contactless payments at retail outlets
WORLDVUE by WCI thankfully has all these capabilities available to OTT customers.
Bottom line, get creative.
Around the world, hotels are generating innovative strategies to jumpstart their recovery during COVID-19. Some are offering virtual camps and classes taught by experts over Zoom, or creating new demand channels.
Growth is possible if you think outside the box (or hotel room). This industry has some of the best minds in business, and it won’t go down without a fight.
Photo credit: Zoom