With the prospect of reopening on the horizon, Profitroom has put together its key steps for how to take advantage of a surge in demand:
1. Increase your minimum length of stay restrictions
Put simply, this encourages guests to book for longer, allowing hotels to get more value from each individual booking and helps to fill shoulder nights to reduce occupancy gaps. People will also be looking to take advantage of longer breaks now, especially domestically, so give them the option. We recommend the optimal minimum LOS restriction for the summer season should be 3 nights.
2. Add more upsells and experiences
With the cabin fever of lockdown restricting so many of us, more people than ever are open to adding luxuries or exciting extras to hotel stays – so look to provide upsells that entice guests, encouraging them to spend more.
3. Increase peak season prices
Demand will be high, so increase prices to reflect this; especially during peak season. As we saw following lockdown 1, demand quickly outstripped supply and many hotels were sold out.
4. Extend ‘traditional’ seasons
Summer for hotels traditionally runs from the third week of July to September 1st, however hotels should look to extend this from June until September. With homeschooling and virtual working ever more prevalent, there’s more opportunity for people to get away, with fewer term time restrictions.
5. Add more packages to generate higher booking value
In a similar vein to adding experiences, unique and creative packages are easier to sell – think about what people want post-lockdown; be that ‘self-care’ packages, outdoor activities, or simply treating themselves to a high-end experience.
6. Configure paid dog stays online
Lockdown saw a huge increase in dog ownership. Not just this, with owners being home all the time, many dogs now have separation anxiety. So, we anticipate a boom in people wanting to take their dogs on holiday with them – make sure you’re well placed to take advantage if you’re dog friendly, with prominently placed messaging and targeted promotions.
7. COVID guarantees
Safety and trust are important factors, especially as consumer confidence grows in the wake of the vaccine, but make sure you reassure guests that you’re COVID secure.
8. Payment Schedules
With longer stays and higher prices, look to provide an option for guests to establish a payment plan to tempt them to extend their booking. At Profitroom, we have a new feature that allows for this – and it’s proving extremely popular with guests.
