It’s a conversation that we’ve all had so many times in the midst of holiday heaven, usually when sipping cocktails on the beach, wearing rose tinted glasses to shade your eyes from the tropical sun. It goes a little something like this:
You “Isn’t this the life. Imagine if we could stay here forever …”
Your partner “ But what would we do?”
You: “We could buy that old rundown property down the road and turn it into a boutique hotel?”.
You both ponder the possibilities and the potential, plotting exactly how you’re going to overhaul your lives and secure enough money to invest in your new hypothetical venture. Oh, the dangers of too much time spent daydreaming on the beach…..
But, if you’re serious about laying down your roots somewhere sunnier and more exotic, with hospitality and hosting at the heart of your everyday, then you’re gonna need some guidance. So, here are 5 IDEAL tips on opening your dream boutique hotel.
TAKE A STEP BACK, IT’S HARDER THAN YOU THINK
Sure you might imagine the charmed life of a hotelier; hosting glamorous guests, taking daily dips in the sea and sipping on cocktails in the evening, and sure, this sounds great. But owning and running a hotel is much more complicated than this, with more time spent on paperwork in the office than on loungers in the sun. You’ll have to muck in with all sorts of jobs including pouring drinks, cleaning toilets and more. A good way of understanding the sort of jobs you’ll be doing (and how to do them efficiently) is to get some training and a certificate in hospitality.
While we’re all for following your dreams, make sure this truly is your dream before doing anything drastic like selling your house. Remember that a life in hospitality isn’t a holiday.
RESEARCH & STAY IN TOUCH WITH TRENDS
If you’re undeterred and want to make the dream a reality, first things first – do your research. There are so many hotel openings each year, some fail and some succeed. To be better than everyone else you’ve got to track the trends and research, research, research, especially if you’ve never worked in the hospitality industry before. Sign up to industry newsletters and stay at as many hotels as possible to find out what you like and dislike. Aspiring hotel owners have got to get under the skin of the business to be able to succeed.
KNOW YOUR MARKET AND MARKET IT
You need to work out who you’re marketing to? What type of audience are you trying to attract? Once you’ve figured that out, then make sure you appeal to your target audience and get noticed by that segment. The web makes it easier for small hotels to be found but in the hospitality industry you should never underestimate the power of a good travel marketing company.
PICK AN IDEA AND RUN WITH IT
With so many boutique hotels out there, you’ve got to be worth remarking about. What’s your unique selling point going to be? Once you have a clear idea, stick to it. You might have all sorts of creative and innovative ideas for your boutique hotel concept – and that’s great – but the challenge is not to get your message confused.
LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS
The number one rule of the trade always remains the same: listen to your customers. You may have a vision for your hotel, but you need to use all your senses when you’re running a business which is, ultimately, for other people. If you don’t you risk bad reviews and publicity, and in the information age this negative press can spread fast. Keep on top of the customer experience and you’ll be rewarded with loyalty.