Staying competitive in the accommodation industry can help you get more guests at your hotel. While running your own accommodation is challenging, you need to know who your competitors are and retain a competitive edge. Here are 4 ways you can stay competitive in the accommodation industry.

Research your competitors

You can find your competitors in a number of ways. Start with OTAs such as TripAdvisor, Booking.com or Expedia. Search and filter results to identify your competition. You’ll be able to get an idea of their pricing, and what their guests think about their service. You can also look at social media pages to see which accommodation is popular in your area. Of course, you can also find out who your competitors are is by asking your guests. Ask them if they’ve previously stayed in your area, and why they chose you this time.

Personalise the stay

Providing a personalised service will give you a good chance at staying ahead of the competition. As a boutique hotel or B&B, you’ve got the potential to offer a truly special and unique stay. Refine your service to be more personalised, and you’ll create an experience guests will recommend. Make your hotel’s stay special by honing in on what makes the property or location attractive to guests. You may choose to create a theme for your interior design that matches the landscape or gather information on your guests prior to arrival to delight them with restaurant recommendations that suit their dietary requirements or preferences.

Develop your brand

Get a leg up on your competitors by developing your hotel’s unique brand. While many boutique hotels offer a wonderful stay and individualised service, they don’t last in their guests’ memories because they don’t have a brand. Your brand is everything your hotel stands for and is translated to guests in everything from the appearance of your hotel, to the style of stay, to how you and your staff communicate with guests. Remember to carry your brand presence through to your website and social media.

Be efficient in your processes

An efficient hotel is a profitable hotel. Get that edge on your competitors by making your process more efficient with the right technology. A hotel management system (commonly known as a property management system) helps reduce administrative tasks such as bookings management, record keeping and reporting. Connect your PMS with a channel manager (like Preno’s channel manager, or Staah or SiteMinder) and you’ll save time on manually updating room availability and rates across your booking engine and other booking sites.

To find out more about simple hotel property management software to help you be more competitive contact Preno’s friendly customer success team or sign up for a free 14-day trial.