Hotel & Tourism industry have already taken action to adapt to the atmosphere of uncertainty caused by Covid-19. Although the demand has significantly risen lately, guests still hesitate to travel and stay at hotels. They are afraid of getting infected or not receiving a refund in the event of uncontrollable circumstances.
These fears are justified, but they can be decreased. Since 2020 hotel guests developed 3 more needs: a need of safety, a need of flexibility and a need of consideration. If your hotel meets them, clients will be less reluctant to book and stay. We are going to have a closer look at them.
Safety
Travelers want to know what security and safety protocols you implement. When choosing a hotel, guests prefer the one that provides comprehensive information on how they prevent the virus from spreading.
Measures to take:
- Ensure transfers from airports and train stations so that clients avoid public transportation.
- Make a uniform laundry protocol a more frequent event.
- Use chemicals proven effective against Covid-19.
- Create regulations for quarantine.
- Train staff to detect symptoms of coronavirus.
- Implement temperature control.
- Increase disinfection frequency of ventilation systems.
- Revise the process of cleaning linen and bedding.
- Demand that suppliers maintain hygiene and safety as well.
Flexibility
Clients expect hotels to develop new cancelation policies, like a refund in the event of border closures. Option for cancelation flexibility will make guests more confident about booking a room, because they will no longer be worried about losing money.
Measures to take:
- Introduce at least 2 cancelation policy options: rescheduling a stay and getting money back. This can be a full refund or a part of it so that you could cover the expenses, depending on how many days prior the reservation was canceled.
- If there is no way you can fill in the vacancy after cancelation, offer a discount for the next stay instead of refund.
- Provide flexible room upgrades so that guests who unexpectedly have to quarantine are comfortable.
- Make early check-in and late check-out free of charge. This will prevent your guests from waiting outside, in lines and in common areas.
Consideration
In order to build trust, online travel agencies (OTAs) provide updates on listings of hotel related to the pandemic. Hotels should do the same: display crucial information on country’s current situation, security measures and services available. Explanation of local Covid restrictions will also come in handy. If clients feel that you care, they will be more eager to book.
Measures to take:
Providing safety for guests and employees is a great deal of saving your business and acting socially responsible at this time. Implementing the listed above is not enough. You should make the measures visible for guests offline and via emails, on social networks and hotel website. This will increase the number of bookings and maintain a sufficient occupancy rate.