5 things to consider when pre-opening a hotel
The pre-opening of a hotel is an event that gives your establishment visibility and completes its organization before the actual opening. As this phase of designing your hotel is at least as important as the actual opening, here are 5 things to consider when pre-opening your hotel.
1. Communication: the key to getting the word out
As with any important event, the key is to communicate well on the subject in advance. This will ensure that more people are present at your hotel’s commercial launch. Communicating about the opening of your hotel involves several channels, such as setting up and creating your website, social networks and advertising posters. It’s vital to manage this pre-opening phase professionally, so as to attract the maximum number of customers when your hotel launches. You can also call on the services of a press attaché to increase your hotel’s visibility in the press.
This pre-opening communication phase is essential, as it enables your hotel to gain exposure even before it opens, bringing you potential customers.
2. Plan for key hires
To be ready for the launch of your hotel, it’s important not to miss any key hires during the pre-opening period. Some positions should be filled in advance of the opening, to prepare for it as effectively as possible. For example, it should be possible to hire all department managers around a year before the opening of your hotel.
You also need to draw up clear job descriptions setting out the tasks to be carried out by your staff. This will ensure that you have a team that knows what it has to do when you launch your hotel. It’s also important to point out that the presence of a pre-opening office is important, as it will give your first contacts an image of your hotel. Be sure to plan for this type of location during your pre-opening.
3. Drawing up an operating budget
It’s important to plan ahead for your pre-opening. Drawing up an operating budget will enable you to be clear about all your resources and expenses for the launch of your establishment. You should also consider drawing up a business plan that covers the 3 to 7 years following the opening of your hotel. This will enable you to launch your hotel more serenely.
4. Upstream marketing, to secure customers from day 1
It’s vital to start marketing your hotel several weeks, or even months, before it opens. There are various tools you can use to do this, but remember that most hotels have a booking tab on every page of their website. Don’t overlook online hotel reservation sites either. This will enable you to develop a clientele in advance of your hotel’s opening, which is necessary for a successful launch.
The marketing phase also involves setting your own prices, possibly through revenue management. Marketing your hotel is therefore the phase that follows its marketing development, enabling you to develop your clientele, and hence your revenues.
5. The opening: an event not to be missed
The realization of your hotel’s pre-opening phase is its launch. It’s essential to design an opening event that’s in keeping with your establishment’s brand image. The importance of this event means choosing the right date, so that you’re ready for the launch, and communicating the event well, so that you have the maximum number of guests and customers at your hotel’s opening event. This final stage will also see you gather the first opinions of your customers, so it’s important to design this event as well as possible to build customer loyalty right from the start.
In this way, the pre-opening of your hotel will enable you to achieve a better performance when your hotel opens. The ideal is to plan well in advance, so as to be ready on opening day. The pre-opening of a hotel is therefore a key step not to be put aside, so as to be operational as soon as your hotel opens.
