Every guest house owner wants to make sure that their establishment stands out in the minds of their guests – because being remembered fondly means that customers will come back. While it may seem that little separates one establishment from another, there is actually a world of difference between the merely good and the excellent. Here are some quick, easy and affordable tips to making your establishment stand out.
1. Simple touches
A visitor to a guest house wants to feel pampered and special, and one of the easiest ways to create this feeling is through simple, inexpensive touches. Leave a bottle of water and a snack bar on the nightstand, give each room a complimentary bottle of wine (you can get some really excellent ones for as little as R40), or put a bowl of fresh fruit at the reception desk. The amount you spend is irrelevant; guests are much more likely to recall that they received a great bottle of wine on arrival than to consider how much it cost.
2. Seasonal changes
Consider how the weather in your area changes over the seasons and provide guests with small things that will make them more comfortable. For winter, leave a hot water bottle on the bed; in summer, provide a spray bottle with cool water, and surprise your guests with a complimentary scoop of ice cream or an ice-cold smoothie. If you live in an area with a very rainy season, get disposable plastic rain jackets for guests who’ve forgotten theirs at home. And if you serve food, tailor it to seasonal produce and appropriateness.
3. Small services
Guest house owners who go the extra mile often provide small but useful services to their guests. One of the easiest and best things you can do is offer to organise transport and restaurant reservations for your guests. All you need to do is make a quick call, but the guests will appreciate the convenience. Other handy services include dropping off and fetching laundry or dry-cleaning, recommending trusted tour operators, suggesting things to do in the area and sourcing safe parking for your guests’ cars.
4. Remember the basics
Finally, remember that the most important elements are the most straightforward – guests expect comfort, cleanliness and convenience. Anything that you can do to provide these will be greatly appreciated. There’s no point providing an extravagant supper if the guests come back to dirty towels and cold rooms. Once you have the basics firmly in place, you can experiment with extra touches – but make sure that you get the essentials right first.
The 10-week, part-time UCT Guest House Management course is ideal for existing and aspiring guest house owners and managers and starts on 23 August 2010. For more information contact Abby on 021 685 4775 or abby@getsmarter.co.za
Guest post by Anna Malczyk and Corine van Dyk
Blogger Muzi Mohale
I’m Muzi Mohale, based in Roodepoort (South Africa). Blogger with www.travelwires.com. Love Travelwires.com since I get to travel our beautiful country through blogging and get first hand tourism experience.
