COVID-19 may have slowed the world down a bit but the world of business continues to function. Sure, companies may be limiting long-distance travel and relying more on technologies to conduct business, but when business professionals do need to travel, they’ll need the shelter and comfort of a hotel while they’re out of town. So, how do you target this market and increase your bottom line? Here are a few suggestions listed below:
Make Sure You Have What They Need
Before you begin trying to attract more business professionals to your hotel, you have to make sure your hotel accommodates their needs. While those traveling for leisure might be attracted to things like luxurious rooms, swimming pools, sports complexes, and other forms of entertainment, business travelers have different ideas in mind for a positive traveling experience.
For instance, business professionals have a need to always be connected. Meaning they would likely be impressed by a hotel that offers free quality wi-fi service for guests. Since they’re away on business, the need for a designated workspace is also high on the priority list. You could satisfy this need by having comfortable desks and chairs in the office equipped with plenty of lighting and outlets for their devices. Another option would be to have a conference room or business center.
Needing to always look presentable, business travelers would also appreciate laundry or dry cleaning services. Another easy perk for corporate guests are low-waste bathroom essentials like deodorant, toothpaste, a toothbrush, and more. Can you think of someone more stressed out than someone on a work trip who realizes they forgot their toothpaste 60 minutes before a big presentation?
Special Pricing for Business Travelers
Just as travelers look to find 2 for 1 business class flights to get a good deal on airline tickets, they’ll also be looking for hotels that have the most affordable packages for accommodations. You might offer a discounted rate for business travelers that increases the more nights they reserve.
As businesses are always looking for ways to cut costs, many hotels have also found success in offering customer loyalty programs. These are programs in which returning customers get incentives every time they reserve a room with you. For example, allow business travelers to accumulate points to earn free stays, upgrades, and luxury services the more they stay at your hotel.
Host Corporate Events
Hotels are a common venue for corporate events. This is especially true if you have a business center, conference rooms, or large ballroom areas. As you get more companies interested in hosting an event at your hotel, you’ll bring in new guests. This can include business travelers from out of town who need a place to stay or locals who never even knew your hotel existed. By hosting such events, you gain more exposure and have an opportunity to show professionals how great your services are.
Showcase Your Town
Business travelers often need to do a lot of research to discern the best place to stay when out of town. This can take hours depending on what they’re looking for – something most business professionals don’t have to sacrifice. You can save them the trouble by creating content for your hotel website or blog talking about the area surrounding your hotel.
Talk about the community, other businesses, schools, and any other landmarks or resources that you believe would be interesting or important for a business traveler to know. This method not only helps to save them time but helps them to make a more informed decision for the best traveling experience.
Collaborate With Other Businesses
Depending on where your hotel is located, collaborating with other businesses can be an effective way to increase brand recognition and attract more business travelers. For example, if you’re positioned next to an arena, business center, or tourist attraction, you might ask to them to add your hotel to a list of recommended places to stay in the area. In exchange, you might put their pamphlets and business cards in your hotel lobby for guests to access.
Take Measures to Make Them Feel Safe
During these especially scary times, the safety and wellbeing of your guests must be top-priority. If you want to attract more business travelers to your hotel, do what you can to make them feel safe. This can include requiring guests to wear masks in common areas, providing staff with PPE, scheduling cleaning and sanitizing services more frequently, having sanitation stations, and placing signs and markers to instruct on social distancing.
Once you’ve implemented these practices, you want to make sure that you advertise it on all your digital platforms so that people are aware of the lengths you’re willing to go through to keep everyone protected.
The current pandemic and economic crisis have had a negative impact on hoteliers and their business. Be that as it may, there are efficient ways to weather the storm and keep business booming. By shifting your marketing efforts to business professionals who frequently need to travel or a place to stay out of town, you can essentially gain new customers that remain loyal to your hotel for years to come.
