InnFocus Fall 2020

Well, the world is somewhat scary right now. We live in an uncertain,
jarring, unnerving, and uncomfortable time, and the hotel business is
experiencing that more than most industries thanks to sharp reductions
in travel and large meetings. If the hotel strategy meeting is meant to
be the most valuable, then shouldn’t we face these realities together,
head-on? With that, here are five scary topics to bring into your weekly
strategy meeting:
1. Reviews/Guest Reputation
Hopefully this isn’t too frightening! Sometimes executive teams are
reluctant to discuss reviews and ratings in this meeting format, but I feel
the opposite to be true. After all, there’s a direct correlation between
guest reviews and price positioning, and this is the perfect place to
discuss the topic. Start by reviewing current scores and changes from
the prior week for all review sites, then confirm management responses
and address guest issues.
Look at what successful
competitors do over time.
2. The Competition
Okay, this one can definitely send a shiver down your spine, depending
on your market. Here are a few things to address:
• Make sure you’re looking at all of your competitors, not just those
on your STR comp set. Explore Google’s “Similar Hotels Nearby”
and, on Expedia, filter for your hotel’s star rating and neighbourhood.
InnFocus 27