Providing a high-quality guest experience via first-rate hotel management takes time and dedication. It may seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day, especially when it comes to smaller family-run hotels, peak season bookings, or juggling back-to-back events.
To help hoteliers increase their work efficiency, here are the best 10 ways to boost productivity and streamline daily operations. These minimal-effort techniques can go a long way in freeing up a hotelier’s hectic schedule and perhaps even helping them grow their business by refining their hotel management style.
Suggestions on how to increase productivity
#1 Have a dependable channel of communication for employees and management. For example, WhatsApp and Slack can help both small and large hotels become more efficient by creating message groups for each hotel or department. Hotel employees can then relay guest needs and actionable items to all staff within moments, saving time and improving guest services while keeping management informed.
#2 Use Hootsuite to schedule social media posts ahead of time. Although social media is best done “live,” this pre-scheduling tool will help you maintain a consistent presence during the times when you’re too busy to post.
#3 Move property management to the cloud. Platforms like Base7 are intuitive to use and operate from the cloud, making them accessible from wherever you are and from any mobile or desktop device.
#4 Cut out the junk. Unsubscribe from email clutter and subscribe to only the most informative hospitality news websites for the latest news, analyses, and tools that will help you grow your business.
#5 Outsource when possible. A hospitality professional can’t be expected to also be a professional accountant, marketer, website designer, photographer, and maintenance person as well. Save time and hire an expert. This is often the most affordable option in the long run, too.
#6 Get inspired every day by doing something you love. Is it a morning swim? Maybe it’s listening to music, or browsing design hotels online for décor ideas. Whatever it is, when you’re enjoying yourself, your productivity level rises.
#7 Invest in a high-speed Internet connection to avoid long loading times when you’re online working with your hotel images, processing bookings, or monitoring bookings. Your guests will also be thankful for the high-quality connection.
#8 Find your time of day for getting office work done. Instead of just sticking to conventional office hours, identify what time of day you work best and schedule your main to-do’s, such as updating your online hotel profiles, then.
#9 Have an in-room “cheat-sheet” or “A to Z” book that answers your travelers’ most common questions before they come to the front desk to ask them. Include Wi-Fi connectivity details and breakfast information. Have a pool? Include the hours of accessibility. Want to go the extra mile? Let guests know what is nearby in terms of food, drink, and unique attractions.
#10 Encourage guest reviews via in-room and in-lobby signage. This will save you time, as you’ll no longer have to send individual emails to see an increase in feedback online. If you’re good at what you do, this will help you improve your hotel’s online reputation and encourage more bookings, as seeing recent reviews helps travelers feel confident about their hotel choice.
Bonus tip Manage your property’s profile on trivago. With a presence on trivago, a leading global hotel metasearch, you can reach millions of travelers from around the world — in one place.
