Sunday, October 29, 2017

Addressing a global issue as a small property


After traveling well in excess of 15 hours, a tired traveler arrives at their hotel ahead of the check-in time. The hotel was fully booked with back to back check out arrivals. Most of the other arrivals don't arrive until late evening that day.

The hotel should:

  1. Give the early arriving guests priority with having their room prepared quickly so that they can access it a bit earlier. 
  2. Make them wait until the appointed check-in time because of the hotel's policy. 
Almost daily, this is a situation that faces many. Yet despite being the case, many properties still struggle with the decision of what is best to be perceived as offering good hospitality. 

The question(s) they need to ask is/are:
  1. What is great hospitality?
  2. How do our standards align with the perception of great hospitality?
  3. Where do gaps exist in what we currently offer and what we should be offering?
  4. How quickly can we amend the situation should gaps be found? 
  5. How do we convey our findings and changes to our team members so they can be adopted? 
Small hotels are not limited in their capacity for offering exceptional hospitality. Yes, there are global standards and many try to compete within that realm. However, we must recognize that as small hotels, we function in environments that would require a business model that would address the unique situation(s) that are faced by small properties in small economies. 

In the Caribbean, we offer life experiences at a different tempo. 


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