Hotel profitability doesn’t start or end with how clever your marketing team is or how many positive reviews you have. Your hotel operations speak volumes more in the profitability equation than your promotions or social media ever will. Keep this mind as you consider the ways in which hotel operations affect hotel culture.
“It’s not what you say, it’s what you do.”
Laurence Haughton
Your hotel culture directly impacts each guest who stays at your properties and every employee you hire.
Consider surveying the landscape of your current culture. If you actually asked your team, guests and potential guests, “What is your honest opinion of ______ ?”, what would they say? And, how do these responses align with where you’re trying to position yourself among your competition?
Mixed messages
When you’re crafting the best experience possible for your guests, it should feel natural and immersive. If you’re uncertain of your culture or processes, you risk either doing too much or not enough for guests. This can pull away from the culture that you’re trying to build.
Whether you’re an environmentally friendly resort or a cozy inn, creating a clear identity based on values will help you connect with your guests and place your culture on full display.
Creating a brand identity
Before you start doing too much, you need to establish a clear set of brand guidelines. Who are you? What do you want to be known for? Who do you want to target? What matters to you? Creating this effectively will inform every decision you make as an operator – Your design, where you’re located, who you hire, how you engage with guests, what amenities you offer (both standard and upgrades), how you function, any initiatives you have/support, the technology you need, and the platforms you use to manage and measure.
Your brand identity sets the mold from which your culture can be crafted.
Employee development and expectations
Culture, especially in the hospitality industry, starts from the inside out. How you hire and develop your team will impact your guest experience. This, in turn, will impact your overall reputation.
By training your team, you ensure that employees feel engaged, invested in and confident in their roles. You can also rest assured that employees are specially trained to fit within your unique culture. If you have confident, happy, cordial, intuitive and intelligent employees, it will show.
Guest experience and reputation
In a digital age, perception can quickly become a reality through online reviews and social media exposure. Your guests’ experiences are highly influenced by the operation of your hotel. This online reputation shapes the public’s perception of your hotel’s culture.
Ensure that your culture is represented properly to leads by creating an unquestionably culture-driven experience for your current guests.
Creating your legacy
Your operations should be informed by your culture just as your culture should be informed by your ideal legacy that you want to leave on the industry. For those that are familiar with your organization, what’s the first thing you want them to think of when they hear your name? Comfort? Convenience? Modern-edge? Abundant amenities? Whatever your ideal legacy is, it needs a commitment from the top of your organization all the way down to the newest hires.
“We added a director of corporate culture to make sure that everyone who works in our company understands that we’re here for something great, in addition to serving others. We have one of the lowest turnover rates of our peers. I know the outcome of that is profit.”
Chris Green, Chief Commercial Officer, Chesapeake Hospitality
And there you go.
Put in place the standards and processes to turn your company’s founding principles into a tangible culture that everyone who interacts with your hotel can feel. Now you’re in the profitability game, which you can measure, manage and optimize with myDigitalOffice solutions.
