For many hotels across the US, the end of tourist season translates into a sudden drop in occupancy (and profits). However, an increasing number of hotel and resorts are successfully battling against the “off-season slump” by focusing on building strong relationships within their community. In this post, we’ll explore some ideas for expanding your local reach, including interesting ways to leverage your property’s assets (like your hotel cabanas) to make an impact.
The Benefits of Being an Active in the Community
As a hotel operator, it may seem counterintuitive to spend time marketing to and networking with members of your local community since you’re primarily targeting tourists and/or business travelers. However, building stronger relationships with the businesses and residents in your area can open you up to countless opportunities for diversifying revenue streams and attracting more off-season guests.
Join with Local Business Owners
Think about it like this. Many businesses regularly host events, such as sales meetings, customer appreciation dinners, and employee skill building workshops. Many also attract professionals from out of town, like new clients, vendors, and employees from satellite offices. So, becoming an active member of this community inevitably impacts your bottom line.
So, how do you make yourself stand out? Consider hosting an event of your own. By inviting the local business community onto your property for a unique (perhaps even ongoing) event experience – such as hosting a cocktail & networking hour in your hotel cabanas – they’ll start thinking of your property when they need to rent an event space or block of rooms. It may be worthwhile to target members of established networking groups, like BNI or Vistage, or your local chamber of commerce.
Partner with Nonprofits
There are many benefits to working (in one way or another) with local nonprofit organizations. Of course, it simply feels good to give back and help those around you – but there are more tangible benefits that can add value to your business.
First, from a networking perspective, you may find that certain nonprofits connect you with people who are actually in your target demographic, such as business owners who are board members, parents who volunteer with their child’s sports league, etc. Additionally, there may be significant marketing benefits – especially since an increasing number of consumers (especially within the Millennial Generation) are influenced by a brand’s advocacy for any number of social and/or environmental causes. Finally, getting involved with local nonprofits will create a natural “in” for hosting their events and fundraisers.
Even if you don’t have a lot of time or resources to give, there are smaller ways to build your reputation with local nonprofits, such as donating a day in one of your hotel cabanas as a fundraiser or auction prize.
Explore Your Options for Hotel Cabanas
At Resort Cabanas (a division of Eide Industries, Inc.), we specialize in designing, manufacturing, and engineering custom commercial cabanas and pre-engineered options. With almost 80 years of extensive design, construction, metal fabrication, industrial sewing, and installation experience, we are proud to offer the highest quality products possible, made right here in the U.S.