By Kacey Bradley
For many people, a hotel stay is a luxury. It’s a vacation from home, and, as such, should envelop them in high-quality comfort that makes their stay relaxing and memorable. The same goes for business travelers who are traveling hundreds or thousands of miles away from home. They’re working hard and they’re on the move — all they want is a place that will let them rest in complete comfort.
It’s up to hotels to provide this feeling to its guests, and it’s up to hotels to do so with efficiency so that they don’t break the bank. Fortunately, this line has been successfully toed time and time again. The following are four ways to make your establishment one that’s both comfortable and efficient for business travelers, vacationers and everyone in between.
1. Easy Check-In and Out
Many hotels already provide a quick check-in-and-out process. But there are specific brands revolutionizing it even more to make guests either feel more comfortable or more able to start — or finish — their day with an extra-fast check-in.
For example, some hotels have adopted a check-in host in place of a traditional check-in desk. Rather than wait in line to check in, guests can grab a drink and sit down as the host moves from guest to guest with a tablet, where they can access a reservation, charge cards and create room keys. Other hotels make these hosts even more mobile, sending them to stand in elevators so that guests can immediately go to their rooms and get keys within minutes.
This quick service helps everyone to their rooms faster, which means they can have a bit of privacy and relaxation. That’ll set every stay off on a very comforting foot.
2. Luxurious Linens
Once guests arrive to their rooms, they’re likely to put their bags down, take their shoes off and plop right into bed. This is a make-or-break moment when it comes to satisfaction with a hotel stay: will the linens be soft and fresh-smelling? Will there be fluffy pillows with varying degrees of firmness to suit everyone’s tastes?
Linens are key to a comfortable hotel stay because, no matter how much time a person spends outside of the room, they’ll always be there to rest and shower. Because of this, they’ll always test the sheets and towels and notice when they’re of top-notch quality.
Investing in nicer linens is only part of the job, though. Maintaining your luxury towels, bed sheets, blankets and pillowcases is the other end of the deal. Make sure your staff is washing everything with care so that your linens stay just as noteworthy as they are the first day you use them.
3. Benefits for Regulars
Traveling for business can be a lonely experience. There are many ways for guests to combat this feeling on their own, but hotels can do more to make guests feel welcomed at their home away from home.
One great way to treat regulars is to provide them with benefits when they’re staying with you. Something as simple as a free hot breakfast every morning can motivate tired, slightly isolated travelers with something to look forward to in the morning. An upgraded room, a free on-demand movie, or even free access to Wi-Fi will have them looking forward to their stay, rather than dreading the solitude.
Wi-Fi is especially important for guests who want to keep in touch with their loved ones back home. Providing free access to Wi-Fi — especially if that access is available in the privacy of the guest rooms — means your regulars can video chat with family members before bed. For someone who’s away from home a lot, this type of contact can mean the world — and make them allegiant to your hotel when they travel.
4. Amenities — On-Site or Beyond
Even while on the road, many guests will want access to the amenities that they have at home. Aside from the beds and bathrooms you already provide, you can try updating your hotel with more features that’ll make stays more comfortable because they’re more familiar.
If you don’t already have a gym on-site, it might be worth it to consider the cost of installing one. A fitness center allows guests to stick with their healthy routines, which will make them feel good while they’re staying at your hotel — and there’s nothing more your accommodation could want. An in-house bar and restaurant make it easy to grab a drink or bite to eat without jumping into a taxi to the nearest establishment.
Even if you don’t have the resources to update your hotel’s slate of offerings, you can make it easy for guests to access them. A concierge desk can connect them with local sight-seeing spots and well-known restaurants. Front-desk staff can also provide directions to local fitness centers, running trails and other resources that a guest might want to take advantage of. It’ll even better if you can link up with local business to obtain discounts for your guests who visit the local gym, restaurant, or tour guide with your recommendation.
Comfort Acquired
With these steps in motion, your hotel will be even more of a haven than it is now. Guests in town for business or pleasure will look forward to hanging their hats with you because you’ve put so much time and effort into making each person’s stay an easy process and a comfortable experience. And, with a good thing like that going, everyone wins.
