Hotel Owner Hotel Owner May 2017 digital | Page 50

MARKETING MATTERS | AGONY AUNT Q&A WITH ANGIE PETKOVIC Overhauling your USP Every month ANGIE PETKOVIC picks one of your questions to answer in her regular column. To have your Marketing Matter considered, email one of the team or send to Angie directly Q When I first opened my independent hotel more than 20 years ago, we guests around their individual passions. I remember one in Southern Scotland be happy with it, I have seen hotels that specialise in naturalism, in golf or other were the largest and highest quality with a petrol-head motorbike enthusiast, sports, in arts and all sorts of things. USPs hotel in the town and our USPs were who organised four biking weekend don’t even have to be a specialism, but personal service, friendly, loyal staff and experiences a year, and also provided they do have to be special. What will make high-quality furnishings. It might sound covered motorbike parking, a workshop your hotel stand out from the crowd and be simple, but it worked and we had circa with spares, maps and routes of the best remembered? What little touches can you 92% year-round occupancy. Things have biking country locally and even had a range add? I once stayed in a hotel in Cornwall moved on, we face more competition, of bikes for use by the guests, as long as that left me with a hamper of pasties and guests are making different choices and they organised insurance before coming cream tea and while it is sadly no longer in I think it is time to overhaul the USPs. to stay. His hotel was traditionally weekday operation, I visited six years in a row. Any tips to get us started? business trade, and for the first two years, A Before I go, one hotel that deserves a these organised stays guaranteed him mention is the newly launched Divorce Hotel four weekends of full occupancy and high in Yorkshire. Dubbed the ‘heartbreak hotel’ whose USPs are an afterthought and in revenue, during traditional quiet periods. By by some media outlets, the hotel provides many cases a lucky accident. The owner or year three, news had spread and not only couples with a neutral space for an amicable manager sets about creating their vision did he continue running his four events, settlement of their estate, providing two without actually formalising what that but motorbike enthusiast clubs started days of talking and mediation culminating vision is, then quickly establishes what their organising their own weekend events, and in an official divorce just three months later. USPs are after the fact when they need to bikers also came to stay during the week. With a price tag of £10,000, couples will promote the business. You are right that It was this which took the business from check in, stay in separate rooms, wine, dine competition has increased in recent years, 90% weekday occupancy and 45% weekend and relax and settle their affairs over two particularly from the roll-out of some of occupancy, to a year-round 89% average. I days. Owner David is a trained mediator and the big brands, and they are sucking up was fascinated to visit, even if I am rubbish counsellor and believes the business model the ‘ordinary’ market; guests looking for at riding pillion! If you haven’t read it already, has the potential for huge success. Whether a clean, pleasantly furnished venue with my dear friend Deborah Heather has written you’re comfortable with the idea or not, you approachable staff, leaving independents this month about diversification and has have to admit that’s a pretty unique USP! struggling to compete. highlighted the story of Millbrook Estate I often come across businesses I feel like I regularly say this, but one of the best things about independent hoteliers is their passion for the industry, in Devon and their Runaway Weddings. For any businesses who aren’t sure Another success story. where to start, Angie can help you If you haven’t got a passion that you establish a personalised plan. Email her and their love of hospitality. It usually goes feel others will share, or perhaps of course at [email protected] and of beyond a job or a career, to a lifestyle; a you don’t want to share with others, then course you can ask other questions too! way of operating and engaging with guests look at success stories elsewhere in the at an individual level. This passion in itself country, which don’t have competition near Angie Petkovic is managing is not always a USP, but using your other you. Establishing USPs which makes your director of APT Marketing & PR. passions can make it one. Some of the most hotel the destination is the aspiration, If you have a marketing matter successful hotels I have had the pleasure so what are others doing that you can you’d like Angie to answer, email of visiting have built large audiences of core replicate. While you of course have to [email protected] 50 www.hotelowner.co.uk May 2017