High demand and influx of guests contributes to the high occupancy of the hotel, which characterizes the peak season. The influence of the season can vary, from the top, through its stagnation to a significant drop. In the event of a fall in the season, the struggle to attract guests and occupancy is pronounced, so hoteliers must have a good understanding of the seasonal character in order to optimize profitability.
Preparing for the low season allows hoteliers to adequately manage costs and avoid low occupancy and negative cash flow. Predicting a period of low hotel occupancy is a key step. Applying a proactive approach allows management to successfully determine the reasons for the fall of the season, control costs and performance, as well as potential initiatives to change low occupancy.
There are many ways to increase hotel occupancy during the fall season. Conducting marketing activities or highlighting the benefits that your hotel offers is a great way to increase direct bookings. Here are some ideas to help you get started.
Loyalty programs
Loyalty programs are a great way to increase the number of regular guests at the hotel. The advantage of such programs is the creation of connections and long-term relationships with regular guests.
Using the Property Management System allows you to collect information about your guests, which can be used to create an email list. The reward system such as discounts, bonuses, list benefits can attract more guests, it is good for repeated bookings and a steady income. In addition, loyalty programs are a good way to build brand identity and hotel recognition.
Event organization
One period of the year is usually reserved for business events. Renting a conference room, seminars and partnering with the organizers can be a great way to promote the hotel, and due to the fall of the season, an increased number of reservations. You can also use local events, manifestations, festivals as a marketing opportunity to attract new guests.
Another idea is to organize promotions in the form of discounts for local events, whether they are fairs, concerts, festivals or concerts, which can result in an increased number of reservations.
Discount policy
People generally like discounts, and off-season discounts are made. Adopting a discount policy will surely attract more guests to the hotel. There are many ways to promote that will increase your bookings in the low season.
It is possible to grant discounts to the target group (such as group, student ..), as well as promotions for longer stays in the hotel or discounts in one of the local restaurants. Activities on social media are a good form of communication with potential guests, so connecting with discounts is a sure way to greater hotel occupancy.
Set the price
The fall of the season brings with it a small occupancy, which is why hoteliers usually decide to lower the price to such an extent as to attract guests.
Each hotel has its target guests who are easy to determine during the peak season. In that case, when determining the off-season price, it is important to carefully segment your target group, which in combination with other trends, such as the needs and behavior of guests, serves as a basis for its closer placement.
Prices should be low enough to be attractive and appealing and high enough to cover costs.
Investing in hotel software
To increase the number of reservations, hotel software is needed, which significantly facilitates the process of attracting guests to the hotel. We have already listed the Property Management System as the main system for controlling reservations, information on check-in and check-out of guests, room layout, price control and availability. In addition to the Property Management system, two key software to increase sales and revenue are Booking Engine and Channel Manager.
The online reservation system or Booking Engine is a system for direct reservations, without commission, which enables synchronization not only with the hotel’s website, but also with the Facebook page. The integration of Channel Manager with the Property Management System is one of the best tools to increase hotel room sales, which allows all OTA (Online Travel Agency) channels to be in one place.