Hotel Chez You.
You own a hotel, which I believe makes you a hotelier. Congrats! For your hotel to be successful, you’ll need to consider five factors. In no particular order, they are:
Presentation.
How does it look when we pull up to the curb for our stay? Are there well-attended flowerpots, welcoming lighting, and a clean entrance? When we walk into the lobby, is it clean, friendly, and organized?
The front desk attendant, with a genuine smile, welcomes us as we approach. With a swift check-in complete, we head to the elevators, which are shiny, well-lit, and swift.
My wife gushes “Oh wow, this is beeeeautiful!” as she walks into the room.
From the front curb through the lobby and into the room itself, the presentation is well thought-out, clean, and welcoming.
That checkbox is checked
Marketing
“How did you find out about us?”
“We found you through a Google search, which brought us to your website. It’s really well laid out, and super easy to navigate!”
There are floorplans and virtual tours for both the rooms and the hotel and amenity areas. The photos, along with 3D tours, were beautiful and really helpful in getting to know the property.
After reaching out to the front desk with some questions, their response was fast and helpful.
The presentation online reflected reality, so as soon as we arrived, we knew we had made the right choice.
Another checkbox is checked.
Location.
The hotel is in a beautiful part of the city. Only a short stroll to the main street, we love the proximity of the quaint cafes and restaurants. Right across the street is a gorgeous park, complete with ponds, trails, and weeping willows.
Tomorrow, we’re heading to the baseball game, which is only a 15-minute walk.
“There’s a band playing in the pub next door. Shall we go after dinner!?”
The third checkbox is officially checked.
Terms.
These are the finer points that you, the hotelier, dictate.
You recognize that some hotel guests prefer a later check-out. Want to check-out at noon? No problem, and no charge. Just call the front desk and let them know.
Have kids? No worries. Bring them to the lobby restaurant for breakfast, where they eat for free!
“What about our dog?”
“No problem! We have a pet friendly floor, so absolutely—bring your furry friend with you!”
To recap: Presentation, Marketing, Location, and Terms are all aligned and working well. Which brings us to the final piece.
Price.
If the hotel presents well, is marketed perfectly, is in a prime location and has excellent terms—but the price is out of sync with the competition—it will suffer.
Unless those first four pieces are so outrageously better than the competition, once the prospective guest sees the price, they are quite likely to keep shopping for other options.
And on a similar note, if your home shows beautifully, with magazine-worthy photos and video, is in a highly sought-after location, and has flexible terms (i.e.: can close anytime), but the price is too high, buyers will keep shopping.
The home that maximizes its sale value is the one with all five checkboxes checked.
In a buyer’s market, where the buyers are in control, those five checkboxes are even more important than ever.
If market value appears to indicate a listing price of $699,900, now is not the time to “try” $725,000. And the same applies to virtually all other price ranges.
- “It only takes one buyer!”
- “We can always come down, but we can’t go up!”
- “Let’s see what happens!”
- “You never know!”
All of those sentences are gateways to trouble in a heavy buyer’s market.
2025 requires strategy and preparation. If that sounds like something you’d like to discuss, we are here anytime.