A couple of years ago I went to the cinema to see a comedy about an eccentric hotelier and his peculiar guest approach and quirky, adventurous story. Despite being in the hospitality industry and travelling for many years, I could see how the movie -based in the early 80's- pictured hoteliers as technology reluctant, old-school and sometimes even nostalgic. But in my experience, hoteliers are now changing and have a completely different face.

How does a modern hotelier look? Or who are they? This is a crucial question to ask because the skill set needed to run a hotel today differ radically from 20 years ago. One could claim the biggest disruptor has been the Internet. Although it was available worldwide until late 2000's, business dynamics have changed to the core.

Hotels, who used to rely on walk-ins, calls, and travel agencies, now need to manage their own marketing strategies, be present multiple distribution channels, become photographers to take appealing pictures of their properties; be social butterflies and talk, not only to their guests, but to the network where their guests move and more. Overall, the modern hotelier should have two critical perspectives: a creative mindset and analytical criteria. Let's dissect them:

A creative hotelier

Think of how guests book a room. Research is the initial step. Guests look for hotels in their destination, set the criteria in the search engines, and then start looking at properties one by one. They see the pictures of rooms, read the descriptions, revise the amenities, navigate reviews, and from that, and other bits and bobs, they get the gist of the hotel and finally, decide.

Have you thought who took the pictures, wrote the room description, answered the reviews and also answers your questions? An hotelier. A creative hotelier. Nowadays, the job demands photography skills, an eye for detail, a creative mind to write engaging stories around the hotel and guide that precise narrative mentioned before. Think of hoteliers as part advertisers, copywriters, and creative directors of their own advertising agency

Videos? Check! Amazing photos? That's for beginners. A creative hotelier knows how important social networks are, and is present in the same where guests are. Some adventurous hoteliers use Snapchat and Vimeo to reach potential guests and tell their own story. And even if they don't have the skills, they know when to ask for help. A creative hotelier is also a smart hotelier, embracing technology to improve service and operations. Free Wifi for guests? That's basic. A mobile device for check-ins? Yes, please.

A creative hotelier seeks for social opportunities around its area, understanding travelers seek an experience and connecting guests with the best available. Beyond the traditional concept of hospitality, a creative hotelier is not afraid to break paradigms to send handwritten notes or going beyond the standard. Along the same lines, a creative hotelier remembers -or has a system to remember- guest's preferences to build loyalty. If Mr. Martins mentioned once during one of his many business trips he liked your wine glasses, an hotelier would remember, buy a set, and reward a returning guest. That is memorable for your guest.

A number h
otelier
On the other hand, there's the number oriented hotelier, who doesn't just appear when you ring the reception bell, but also listens and observes guest behaviour, tracks preferences, analyses occupancy and pricing, and analyses all possible information to build a stronger service-led and profitable company. To be number oriented means not only to talk about the financial aspects of a hotel but to truly understand the spending habits, transactional perspectives, spending purpose and more. A number hotelier analyses in every situation

A great example is giving free biscuits in the lounge to encourage guest to buy a drink during the summer. This follows the reciprocity principle when people feel obliged to return a favour even when they didn't request it. Understand your market and lure them with things they can't say no to.

Finally, a number hotelier is always monitoring its occupancy. By doing so, hoteliers can revise pricing strategies, room distribution, and adapt to the changes in the market. Additionally, they keep all eyes on OTAs and any other distribution channels with commissions, understanding how they work. Leveraging customer obtainment costs is almost a science, but if dissected, can be understood and even beaten to increase revenue through direct bookings.

A modern hotelier might have a camera hanging from its neck, a phone with pictures from the latest event at his hotel, and its mind on the pricing strategy for the international music festival happening in 6 months in the nearby village. That is who the modern hotelier is, and the good news is that anyone can become a modern hotelier.

Do you have any questions related to how to become a modern hotelier? Let us know in our social media in Facebook or @Base7booking, and we'll do our best to help you.