Running your own guest house can be incredibly rewarding. Not only do you get to make your guests’ stay comfortable and welcoming, but you get to work from the comfort of your own home and set your own pace for the working day. But if you’re struggling to get more people to visit your guest house, the whole thing can become complicated and stressful.
Below, we’ve rounded up five of the best ways that you can get more guests at your B&B.
IMAGE: PEXELS
1. Use Online Booking
Nowadays, we all use the internet more than ever before. So take your guest house online and use online booking software like Eviivo. Not only will this make your bed and breakfast more attractive to potential customers, but it will save you time and help you stay organized and efficient. There’ll be no need for a booking line, pen and paper when you have an online booking portal where you can manage bookings simply and effectively.
2. Run A Special Offer
Special offers are limited time discounts are a great way of drumming up trade, especially in the quieter months of the year when occupancy rates are low. You could, for example, offer a bed, breakfast and evening meal package with a Champagne arrival around Valentine’s Day, or run a pre-Christmas special offer that includes a meet and greet with Santa (or, at least one of your employees!). The opportunities for promotion are virtually endless.
3. Update The Rooms In Your Guest House
Your bedrooms are the most important part of your business, so consider updating some of the tired rooms if you have the available funds. Modern travelers expect luxury for less, so the better you make your rooms, the more likely they are to choose you. Remember to take some high-quality photos of your rooms once they’ve been updated to add to your website.
4. Partner Up
Start networking with other local businesses, like restaurants and event companies, and see whether you can partner up to run promotions. The local theatre, for example, could offer you discounted tickets so you could sell “room and show” packages to your guests to boost occupancy rates and attract a different type of clientele. There are lots of ways that you can work with other businesses – running an affiliate or referral scheme is another option.
5. Use Social Media
Social media is one of the best ways to spread the word about your guest house, so sign up for profiles on Twitter and Facebook and start posting content that you think customers will want to read. You could post news about your local area, share photos of your new room renovations or get involved in local hashtags. The more you interact, the more you’ll gain.
The tips that we have offered in this article should help you increase occupancy rates and make your guest house more successful. Whether you’re an established hotelier or you’re new to the industry, we wish you the best of luck.
If you are interested in even more lifestyle-related articles and information from us here at Bit Rebels then we have a lot to choose from.
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