28.06.2016
Ask anyone why they might choose a B&B over a hotel, and you’ll almost always find the word ‘homely’ cropping up somewhere in the answer. It’s a simple and obvious fact that people stay with you because they prefer the feeling of being in a real home to some impersonal, sanitised, corporate hotel.
So it follows that, as the proprietor, a major key to your success is giving them what they want, by making them feel properly at home. And herein lies a problem: because people have an unfortunate habit of being different, all with individual tastes and preferences, and you can’t go refurbishing your accommodation to suit the unique personality of every single guest.
There are, however, a number of fundamentals which, if you get them right, go a very long way towards keeping all of the people happy all of the time.
Gleaned from many years of listening to our customers’ experiences, we’d like to share just five of our favourite tips for making your guests feel at home:
First impressions count
First impressions count, so make the welcome your guests receive upon arrival as special as it possibly can be. This includes being ready for them (not making them wait while you finish servicing their room); and giving the warmest welcome possible means asking how their journey went, offering a cup of tea, help with luggage, and making sure they know that if they need anything, you’ll be very happy to provide it.
Make the process of checking in, getting settled, and finding their bearings quick, easy, and comfortable too.
Wi-Fi - no ifs, no buts
You must provide Wi-Fi, no ifs, no buts; and make it easy to connect to. That means giving your Wi-Fi an obvious name, preferably the actual name of your establishment, and an easy password which is published both in their rooms and also in public areas.
Give guests control
Allow guests to personalise the atmosphere of their rooms as much as possible. Some people like bright and airy, others like dim and cosy. So if they can adjust the heating themselves, as well as the lighting and the airflow, you’re allowing them to make your home just like theirs. And be sure to provide spare pillows and blankets too.
Spoil your guests…even just a bit
The bathroom toiletries and the hospitality tray are two of the biggest influencers of guest satisfaction, and both are so easy to get very right and also very wrong. So always be doubly certain that everything is there, clean, and full. And try to over-deliver on their expectations, even just a tiny bit.
And finally…
Right up there with not enough loo roll or no coffee sachets sits the dirty teaspoon when it comes to the ‘ruining it all with one small oversight’ league. So do always make sure that every inch of the bedroom and the bathroom are spotless and shiny, and check standards regularly.
Even the best cleaners can have a bad day, but it won’t be half as bad as yours will as a result!
Of course, the right products and equipment will help you a great deal in achieving all this, and as ever the Out of Eden team are ready to help in every way possible.
