Love is in the air!
I hope that each of our hotels already has a “romance” package, promotion or special in their sell strategy, I hope you were proactive and I hope that you had this strategy in place because you included it in your 2015 Sales & Marketing Plan!
If you don’t/didn’t, while it may seem a little bit late, there may still be time to capitalize on the fact that Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year, and put something into place to entice couples to come celebrate. If not Valentine’s Day – celebrating LOVE in general.
Here are a few “ideas” to jump start the business of “Love” in your hotel:
- Design an “Every Day is Valentine’s Day” special rate and offer it year round. Don’t focus on discounting price (drive rate off rack rate), feature what you can add to your rooms to make them special and lure guests to “escape the ordinary”. Think about luxury and romance and picture yourself as the recipient of such a package…. what would wow you? It might be as simple as a wonderful room, and towel swans on the bed.
- Design a full-blown Romance Package and drive rate off of your rack rate. If you have a restaurant in your hotel, add “dinner for two”. If not, partner with a local restaurant and include a gift card with a specified dollar value to your room. Other ideas are dance lessons, massages, spa treatments, cooking lessons, golf, fishing, skiing, sleigh/buggy rides, wine tastings and other such “couple” activities. Add roses, chocolates, champagne, or movies add-ons to make the day/night complete. This package should scream LUXURY and be priced to lure people to celebrate in style.
- Build a specific “Valentine’s Day Weekend 2015” special. Consider all of the above and design a specific two-night package for this upcoming holiday. Who wouldn’t want to “get away” for the weekend? Make sure the package gives the guest a reason to come for 2 days!
Whatever you decide, it’s how you get the word out! Distributing in local media, e-blasting to past guest lists, creating flyers and distributing to local businesses, venues and retail outlets, posting on social media, featuring on your website…. the possibilities are endless. Have you sent your package/special/promotion to your LNR customers to deliver to their employees? You can create packages, promotions and specials until you are blue in the face, but if you don’t get the word out no one will every buy your offer!
If nothing else, have you at least sent a post card, e-mailed a flyer, or called past years’ brides/grooms and suggested they return to celebrate their special occasion?
YOU STILL HAVE TIME! Do something today and don’t just chalk it up to “there’s always next year”.
Happy Loving!
Linda