It is no surprise that running a hotel is not an easy job, with hotel and operations managers having to balance the many complexities of the day-to-day of their properties. Thanks to COVID-19, these complexities have become even greater as hoteliers now have to navigate new cleaning protocols, changing guest expectations and demands, labor shortages and unpredictable occupancy levels.
In this blog we will identify what makes up hotel operations, why it's important to have a strong system in place, and what can be done to help transform your daily operations to meet your guests and properties evolving needs.
So, what is hotel operations?
Put simply, hotel operations are all the necessary activities and processes that keep a hotel running and provide the most comfortable stay for your guest. At the heart of your hotel operations sits the front office and housekeeping teams. These departments play a vital and highly visible role in ensuring your guests have the best stay possible. Hotel operations also include the back office, maintenance, food and beverage, all the way through to sales, finance, and security depending on the property size and service levels. Not all these departments are guest facing but all play a critical role in keeping the hotel running smoothly.
Alongside providing a good experience for the guest, one thing all of these have in common is the need for operational efficiency.
Why is it important to have a strong hotel operations platform?
A successful hotel operation is one which can meet your guest requirements, whether that is a last-minute request for a late check-out or a request for no stayover cleans. A hotel manager needs to be confident their team can handle that request in a timely fashion. As well as guest management, hotel operations need to consider areas such as maintenance, security and other key departments which can all have a positive and negative domino effect on the guest experience.
And most critically, a hotel manager needs to be able to report on hotel profitability and the performance of your team and processes. Operations is the largest expense a hotel has. Without the ability to evaluate your operation you run the risk of being stuck using costly, time-consuming, old-fashioned processes. It is estimated that over 90% of hotel operations are managed with dated methods of pen and paper to run daily operations. By leveraging technology, hotels can optimize labor, connect the front and back of house and centralize information across all departments with the potential to reduce 60% of manual communication, a 20% reduction in labor costs and a 25% increase in productivity for hotel operations.
In today’s operating environment those reductions in costs, time, and the increased productivity can make the difference on the longevity of a hotel. Effective housekeeping and operations teams need to rely on software to access critical intelligence on their hotel and operations performance and to ultimately streamline processes across the whole hotel system.
It’s time to elevate your hotel operations
The hospitality industry has been slower to adopt technology than others due to concerns over costs and transitioning to new systems. However, one positive outcome from the pandemic was the down time it provided hotels, which could be used as an opportunity for hoteliers to assess their systems and take the time to find the right technology for their hotel and be prepared for when the industry is back in full force.
If you’re looking to increase your productivity and efficiency, the best place to start is speaking with your team. You need to identify where the challenges are in your current operation and where you could use dynamic technology to help. Could you benefit from a stronger communication system that connects the front desk and housekeeping team without relying on middle men, loud radios, or pen and paper? Is manually planning your housekeeping routes taking up valuable time that could be spent on the floor with your team or with guests? Take the time to see where you need support and invest in the right technology for your needs.
Whether you’ve taken the first step to invest in technology or you are looking to update your current tech, it’s important to make the most of it. Work closely with your provider to understand all the ways the product can help your business, what you can customize to your needs and how it can help you achieve your goals. At Optii, our Success Coaching has been set up to support you through implementation and beyond to make sure you are getting the results you want.
If you’re interested in finding out how you could elevate your hotel operations, check out the 5 reasons to switch to an intelligent housekeeping operations.
Ready to see how Optii can help your hotel operations? Book a demo with our team!