With rooms booked and business brisk, busy seasons leaves little time for anyone in hospitality to catch their breath. Peak demand means that everyone is going to be busy to keep operations going and guest happy.
Despite this, it is never too late to get a jump on marketing campaigns and other initiatives to continue momentum straight through the off-season.
For marketing and sales, the peak season is the ideal time to put heads down and plan ahead. For operations and IT, the peak season brings lessons and trials to learn from. All teams should take these moments to consider what can be done to maintain momentum in the off-season and ensure not only that the property is busy, but also prepared for the next peak season.
5 Key Takeaways
1. Respond quickly to requests during peak season.
Don’t miss the opportunity to grow your email list! With all the guests on property, you have plenty of targets for return visits. Collaborate with operations to determine the best way to build your list. For example, the front desk can ask each guest if they would like to be added to a list for exclusive promotions.
2. Consider the training value of peak season.
Training materials are often disconnected from what it’s like during busy seasons. Be sure to use some of that kinetic energy to prepare better staff training materials.
3. Look at your busy season.
Respect the power of the peak season to teach you plenty of lessons on improving your operations. There is a lot of lessons to learn, processes to test and technology to evaluate.
4. Look around.
Capture enough content around your property to underpin your off-season marketing campaigns. Take photos, videos, and testimonials from groups to seed campaigns throughout the year.
5. Focus on loyalty & build your database.
Strive to make a certain percentage of peak season guests return for an off-season visit.