How To Manage Your Hotel

To manage your hotel effectively, you need to be responsible and organized. Follow these helpful tips to improve your management skills and ensure your hotel is operating at its best.

Inventory Management

Depending on the size of your hotel, you will need to find a method of inventory management that works for you. To begin, you should start by cataloging all rooms and inventory items that are at your hotel. Sort items by category and use inventory tags to efficiently track and organize your inventory. As you are sorting, you may find items that are expired and must be thrown away. Make sure to keep a count of all discarded items to maintain good records. Managing your hotel inventory will require you to prepare several reports and records for each individual department of your hotel. For example, you will need to manage a room supply report, discard report, receivables report, and many others. Some reports like a housekeeping pantry report may need to be audited every day. Over time, your data will begin to show patterns that will help you stay on top of restocking your hotel. You will even be able to predict occupancy rates and prepare accordingly for guests.

Customer Service

Optimize all aspects of your hotel in a way that caters to your guest’s every need. The best way to do this is through excellent customer service. In the business of hospitality, keeping your customers happy is especially important. Ensure your entire staff is always friendly and welcoming to your hotel guests. To create a consistent service and improve your hotel’s reputation, you can offer special gifts and accommodations for your guests. Offer a complimentary meal or gift to make sure your guests enjoy and remember their stay. Address your hotel guests by name when possible and give extra attention to young children or the elderly. Stay connected with your customers through intermittent emails. You can even send out special deals for birthdays and anniversaries.

Reliable Team Members

Your guest’s experience is largely determined by your hotel staff. It’s important not only to train your employees to provide excellent customer service but also to ensure they are familiar with proper procedures. Bellhops, valets, front desk concierge, housekeeping, and kitchen staff should be trained on how to do their jobs efficiently. When hiring employees, you want to look for the right skills and experience. Employees should demonstrate the ability to work well with others, have good communication skills, and respect the workplace environment. Conduct thorough interviews and proper screenings to ensure your hotel is full of dependable employees. Managing your hotel is easier when your team members are reliable.

Prepare For Emergencies

In the unlikely event of an emergency, it is important to be prepared. Having an emergency response plan in place will help minimize stress and anxiety about the situation if it does arise. Assess the risks in your area and establish proper emergency plans and procedures. If your hotel is near a tropical coastline you may be more prone to experiencing hurricanes or floods. Hotels in large cities may face higher crime rates than small country towns do. Your standard emergency plans should cover fire, medical emergencies, severe weather, and any other security risks. Assemble a trustworthy team to help you lead and enforce emergency procedures. Practice drills to ensure your entire staff is thoroughly trained on how to respond in the case of an emergency.

Final Thoughts

Several things go into making sure your hotel guests are satisfied and likely to return. Using these helpful tips, you can better manage your hotel and provide the best experience possible for your guests.