The travel industry is a very competitive one, and in order to succeed, you must keep trying new marketing plans to get the attention of prospective customers. Hotels have a perpetual need to fill rooms, keep conference rooms booked and staff busy and be on the lookout for the next big gathering that will help them add more profit to the bottom line. Developing new marketing and promotion ideas is critical to the success of any hotel.
Become the Town Hub
One of the things that can help a hotel stay profitable is a healthy relationship with other businesses in the area. A promotion that could be run with the other businesses may be special, where hotel guests are offered a variety of special coupons to local restaurants and nightclubs for discount food, admission and drink rates. There could also be coupons for other local entertainment destinations such as museums, movie theaters and amusement parks. Creating the impression that the hotel is an active hub for the other leisure spots in the city can help to bring in more people from out of town that are looking for things to do during their stay.
Offer Discounts to Air Travelers
If your hotel is close to the local airport, then you may be able to use that to put together an attractive package for conventions and holiday travelers. Work with the various airlines to include your hotel at a discounted rate when the traveler books a flight with that airline. Offer larger-scale discounts to conventions that use those particular airlines as well. One of the more effective ways to advertise these rate specials is through travel agents and travel clubs. This can be a particularly effective promotion if it helps to fill rooms during what would normally be your slow time of year.
Offer Free Amenities
Travelers are always looking to get the best deal possible and one of the promotional strategies that hotels have been using with great success are free amenities. These amenities can include a free continental breakfast or breakfast buffet to each guest, a free newspaper left at each guest's door and even a concierge service that helps guests get their dry cleaning done and find over-the-counter medication. To stand out from the rest, you can create your own list of free amenities; some ideas that may help gather interest in your hotel may be a souvenir bathrobe, a free drink at the hotel bar or complimentary shuttle service to some local places of interest.
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