5 Things Your Competitors Can Teach You About Your Hotel Business

Business strategies is all you need for your business when its newly opened. Does it start from the day it is opened? NO. Business strategy starts at the point of creating a business analysis, at the point when you start to make a business plan. Foundation of your hotel business is paramount; competition is fierce out there, A number of good hotels out there to satisfy customers by all means possible keep springing up over there.

As a company you wouldn't like to be left behind, struggling, picking up the crumbs left by your competitors. The hotel business is a strategic one. WHY. It's lucrative, it's interesting, It's social impact is high, the benefits are high when the business is well grounded. There are a couple of things to keep in mind while creating your business plan, "Don't run from your competitors, keep a very close eye on them, familiarize with them, keep them very close to you."

There are 5 things your competitors can teach you about your hotel business

1. Websites
 Check your competitor's websites, what makes them sell more, why do they have so much traffic to their site for online bookings and so on. Check the layout of their site, do they have a blog for customer interaction, how do they run it. How did they lay their gallery, compare them to your site picture quality, you will definitely see one of the reasons why they sell more.

2. Social Media

We are at the peak of technology where social media is used for every business, it strikes me when some hotel business don't understand how the social media works. Check your competitors activities on social media, hoe do people respond to them, how do they make use of it to advertise their business without spending a penny. learn how to drive traffic to your hotel business through social media, communicate with people around the world through it, post everyday on this platform by instructing a trained personnel to run it effectively, train your staff on how to share posts made on your hotel with friends on their social media. Is your hotel business on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, tumblr, Pinterest, Quora, Flipboard? Check what your competitors are doing with them and how they are getting more guests than you are.

3. Learn From Competitors Mistakes

There will always be a loophole somewhere. What are the mistakes your competitors are making, why do they loose a few guests. Once you find out what it is, improve on it and implement it into your facility. You already have other tools in place such as the functional website and social media to get your business out there and the big name you have created for yourself. Be a better contributor to your community with your hotel business, when people here about your good image, they help you advertise your business with word of mouth.

4. Search Engines

What keywords do you type to see your competitors at the top of the google page, type a keyword to search for your own hotel, if it's not at the top or among those at the top, then it's time for you to work on the SEO. Run adverts on the google ad sense, use google business to optimize your business,  send your hotel details to online hotel booking platforms which your competitors are obviously doing. Update your local pages to drive your hotel business worldwide.

5. Optimise Response Rate

Their are lots of customers out there searching for hotels to book into or make use of their services, most times they do random visits to the hotel or calls to their phone desk, they would rather call back the hotel that responded to them faster and in a very polite way. Customers like to be identified with, they love to be well attended to. How does your staff respond to customer enquiries and how fast, so that they won't end up in your competitors hotel. How fast do your competitors respond to online hotel reviews compared to your hotel. How fast do you respond to customer emails and submissions, online bookings, phone call reservation follow up. Don't make them change their minds or loose interest in your hotel because your competitor is on the look out for them.

Image Credit: Pixabay

Thoughts on Hotels

I always wish the hotels were like they are in the movies and TV shows, where if you are in Paris, right outside your window is the Eiffel Tower. In Egypt, the pyramids are right there. In the movies, every hotel has a monument right outside your window. My hotel rooms overlook the garbage dumpster in the back alley - Gilbert Gottfried.

I always worked in institutions , I  never had a restaurant of my own before, but I have opened over 30 hotels, restaurants and casinos. I understand what it takes to keep them running- Robert Irvine.

All good hotels tend to lead people to do things they wouldn't necessarily do at home - Andre Balazs.

I had a very difficult relationship with my Mother. She used to wake me up in the middle of the night if I wasn't sleeping straight and was messing up the sheets. Now when I stay in hotels I sleep so straight they don't even think I've used the bed - Mabrina Abramovic.

Africa is really a place for the wealthy traveler. It's got some nice hotels, but they are very expensive hotels. It doesn't really cater to the back packer to the overland traveler- Paul Theroux

Image Credit: Pixbay.com

Hilton Hotel, Lagos Signs Agreement on 350-Room Hotel at Lagos Airport

The Hilton Worldwide has recently decided and announced to erect a 350 guest room and suite hotel at the Muritala Mohammed Lagos Airport, Nigeria.

This latest development which was signed at AHIF 2016 in Rwanda is set to open in 2023 and join Hilton's growing African Portfolio of more than 80 properties trading or in the development pipeline, which will see Hilton more than double it's presence across Africa in the next three to five years, said the hotel group in a statement yesterday.

According to Patrick Fitzgibbon, Senior Vice President, Development, EMEA, Hilton Worldwide, he said, "With a population of more than 16million, Lagos is the seventh-fastest growing city in the world and the second largest in Africa, with much of the nation's wealth and economic activities concentrated here."

He also said, " Strong growth is forecast for both domestic and international travelers using Muritala Muhammed International  Airport, so this exemplary new hotel will be well placed to meet traveler's needs, offering an unparalleled level of design, comfort and service."

The hotel will be situated within close proximity to Ikeja, the capital of Lagos State, as well as the passenger terminus at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, which services travelers flying to hundreds of destinations around the world.

Hilton Lagos Airport will comprise of 350 guestrooms, of which 72 are suites, an executive floor and multiple food and beverage outlets, including a restaurant serving an international cuisine; a specialty restaurant ; a fashionable rooftop cocktail bar; and a hip night club.

An elevated pool deck, with lavish gardens and a striking horizon pool overhanging the side of the property will provide breathtaking views of the surroundings and a unique leisure experience of the airport property. The hotel will also feature a spa and fitness centre.

According to reports by Thisday, this signing is in addition to the recent signing of Legend Hotel Lagos Airport, Curio Collection by Hilton, also with QUITS, with an additional 76 guest rooms to be added, bringing the room count up to 130 keys.

They are the two most recently signed at Lagos Airport at the same time. Report says that The Curio Hotel, due to open in 2017, will be the first within the airport environment.

Image Credit: The News Nigeria.com

Opening Soon - Marriott In Nigeria with Renaissance Hotel

The first Marriott Hotel in Sub-Sahara Africa will be opening next month in Lagos at Isaac John Street, GRA, Ikeja, The global luxury brand in hotel management will make it's debut in the grand opening of Renaissance Lagos Ikeja hotel.

Located in the heart of Ikeja, with it's close proximity to both the local and international airport, the hotel is reputed as an embodiment of luxury, high taste, class and safety. From the gate to the reception and to the exquisite rooms, Marriott oozes class and panache.

The Lagos based Marriott Hotel consists of all day-dining restaurant, 155 tastefully furnished rooms of varying classes on nine floors, specialty steakhouse, an outdoor terrace, spa, pool deck and event place among others. In a rare feet, it equally parades eight conference rooms of different capacities ranging from 10 - 500 comfortable seats.

According to Ahmed Tajudeen, Director of Projects, Avalon International, owners of the hotel, the glamour of the assortment of marble-like finishing on the floors and walls, combined with a unique carport at the entrance will make lodging irresistible for guests.

He also said, "The suspended glass floor and glass bridge at the reception area is to create a unique class for a hotel that is first of it's kind in Africa. With an underground car park, security within the premises is reinforced, starting with electronically controlled bollards at the gate, at the car park entrance and body scanners at the entrance and reception area.

The date for the grand opening ceremony of the hotel would soon be announced.

Image Credit: Marriott.com

Monday Motivation

Monday is a fresh start,
It's never too late to dig in
And begin a new journey
Of Success.

This is your Monday reminder
That you are an amazing person
And you can handle anything.

I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots - Albert Einstein.

Welcome to Monday
Live it
Love it
Hug it - Sade

Osun Osogbo Sacred Groove

The Osun Osogbo Sacred Groove is a tourist attraction located in the city of Osogbo in Osun State, Nigeria. It is popularly known for it's uniqueness which is a sacred forest in the river banks of the Osun River.

According to long aged reports from the early history of the of the Osogbo people is founded on the mythical on spiritual beliefs along the lines of the tradition of the Yoruba people. The Osun Rive Goddess is credited with the founding and establishment of the Osogbo town. The Osogbo town is known for it's Osun Osogbo Festival which has been on for about 600 hundred centuries, it is usually celebrated every year by the people in the month of August at the groove, it was initiated out of the relationship between the river goddess Osun and  the first Monarch of the Osogbo kingdom Oba Gbadewolu Laroye.

The yearly festival always attract tourist from all walks of life, Osun worshipers, and spectators. The aim of the festival is for celebration, to cleanse the land called 'Iwopopo', the cultural reunion of the people with their ancestors and founders of the Osogbo kingdom.

The festival is a 2 week programme which starts with the traditional cleansing of the town called the 'Iwopopo', which is followed in 3 days by the lighting of the 500 year old, 16 point lamp called 'Ina Olojumerindinlogun' after which come the 'iboriade', an assemblage of the crowns of the past ruler, Ataoja of Osogbo and the Arugba, Yeye Osun and a committee of priestesses.

Over the years, the indigenous people have traditionally taken up the responsibility of taking care of the groove, using the myths and belief system which cannot just be carried out by an ordinary individual. This prevents any form of encroachment regarded as sacrilegious and encroachment to the gods and the goddess. The groove was taken into cognizance by UNESCO in 2005 as a world heritage site and has been linked to the consistencies that the festival has enjoyed over the years.

The Osun Osogbo festival has been a huge success in Nigeria and the world for centuries, it is worldly recognized and celebrated, there have been reports from the indigence that the Osun river helps in curing diseases and gives children to the motherless. It has been a beauty to the land and to the people.

Culled from the en.wikipedia.org
Image Credit: Osun.gov.ng

Unregistered Hotels in Nigeria to be Sanctioned by Lagos State

The Lagos State Government has advised operators of hotels, hospitality centers and other recreational facilities to register them or face sanction.

The State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, who gave the advice, said the registration would afford the state government to monitor activities at such places.

The ministry's spokesperson told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that hotels and facility centers must comply before the end of the year or face sanctions.

He said the registration was part of the ministry's efforts to upgrade the present standards of hotels and hospitality groups in the state to an internationally accepted standard.

He said the exercise would also serve as security-assurance for tourists and users that might want to lodge in them.

The spokesman said that the ministry would invoke the Hotel Licensing Law of Lagos State to ensure that all hotel groups and hospitality complied.

"A number of hotels and hospitality groups had refused to comply with the directive before now.
"Sequel to that, the commissioner, Mr Folorunso Folarin-Coker, had directed that defaulters be fished out," he said.

According to NAN he said that there had been an increase in the number of registered hotels and hospitality groups from the 450 recorded in May.

"We still have some miles to cover, with the current number of unregistered hotels; but we shall continue to appeal to them to comply before the year runs out," he said.

NAN
Image Source: Informationng.com