STEPS

Organization chart, Recruitment & Training

After the project study, you established the target organization chart of the company with the positions planned by department. We must now fill them in: We often tend to overestimate the ease of finding a good management team. Finding a highly skilled opener who will develop, implement, participate and execute the strategies is even more difficult. You have to start recruiting as soon as possible to find the right people for the right job and sometimes, depending on the projects, it can start two years in advance to be able to recruit them and start on time.

The good timing //

J-12 months // Recruit the General Manager one year in advance allows operations to be launched in good conditions while the construction project ends.

J-7 months // Recruit the managers of the Sales & Marketing-Communication, Finance, Maintenance and Human Resources teams makes it possible to set up procedures and anticipate the opening subjects to be prepared.

J-3 months // Recruit managers of operational and functional departments.

J-1 month // Recruit operational teams to prepare them for the opening.

For a season opening, the deadlines are generally shortened because the managers are often already well in place and the procedures established, it is a question of putting the machine back on the road. On the other hand, the integration of operational teams is always crucial, including training to take one’s bearings and understand the functioning of the company.

In the “BLOG” section, find my articles and recommendations on #Beyond the organization chart, define positions and missions for the flexibility of the company.

Stages of reopening or opening of an establishment

For a reopening of a property, I advise you to follow several steps necessary for a good anticipation. Sometimes, taking over an establishment in operation, joining a team already in place, makes it possible to question the operations and ask the right questions.

Redefining “The #positioning”

Before relaunching a hotel and in its market context, it is important to know how to differentiate ourselves: What are we today for our customers? What do we want to be, in relation to our vision? What makes us so special? What is our positioning?

Revive “The #environment”

Then, it is important to ask the question of our image. An establishment, whatever its positioning, must be in perfect operating condition, without imperfection: the customer who arrives must immediately have this impression of a well-kept House. Regular maintenance, especially of areas visible to the customer, is a priority. Our eyes and the eyes of our customers must always be amazed and surprised. It is therefore necessary to make a precise tour of the public and private spaces for customers such as the bedrooms, reception, gardens or outdoor spaces, the swimming pool as well and prepare a list of improvements to be made before the opening.

Reinstall “The #equipment”

For day-to-day operations, maintenance is essential. Too often, maintenance is neglected and leads to operational problems or even structural risks over time. The repair program must correct the existing problems to prepare the next season calmly and focus the teams on the operational rather than the resolution of recurring technical problems and by priority: 1. the basic technical operational requirements for the management of a hotel . 2. the technical requirements expected by customers in relation to its positioning. 3. Technical risks in the back office, areas not accessible by the client but which have repercussions in operations. 4. Technical improvements to gain efficiency or save money.

Relaunch “its #commercial action plan”

Finally, there is the marketing work to be relaunched or put back in place to ensure its seasonal activity and its activity development. By customer segment and source of reservations, it is a question of thinking about its action plan to attract customers and retain them. Once again, as in market research, you have to know your customers well, their expectations and define which products and services to put in place to meet their expectations. Identify the reservation sources for each type of customer to go and get them. I recommend working your sales, marketing and communication action plan on the direct B to C segment (establishment’s website, Standard, affiliated commercial networks) and the indirect B to B segment (Wholesalers, TO, OTAs, Agencies ), with different approaches.

In the “BLOG” section, find my articles and recommendations on the opening checklist.

Informatic Systems //

For optimum operation, we need technology! For any establishment and depending on its size, it is imperative to select its PMS (Property Management System), its reservations engine (Web Booking Engine), its CRS (Central Reservation System) as well as its registration on GDS (Global Distribution). System). The choice of a Channel Manager or a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) can complete the system as soon as the size of the company allows it. The POS (Point of Sales) also enables invoicing of services. These devices can also include complementary software for the management of a Spa, online reservations, application for customer relations, etc. Today, the best tools are certainly the easiest to use by by teams and by customers and which reduce administrative tasks and focus on the customer experience. All these systems must be selected, purchased, installed between 6 and 3 months before opening.

Sales actions, Marketing, Communication

Press relations

The promotion of the property should ideally begin at the start of construction of an establishment. Put in its entry “Coming Soon” with beautiful photos of the project to attract the attention of people who pass by. Change photos regularly throughout the construction to keep abreast of progress. During the construction of your establishment until it opens, it is easy to create a buzz in the press because new products attract curiosity. It is not enough to simply send a press release. Emphasize the institution’s vision and what it will be like tomorrow. I recommend regular press invitations to provide an update on the progress of the project and to show the work, the show room, the hotel tour to present the new projects on the occasion of a reopening for the season. You have to generate interest in the project and give anecdotes, tell the story and how it will last with the upcoming opening. The priority is to interest the local and regional market, initially, the first subscribers of the project! Then see more in relation to the markets you are targeting.

Social media

FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Blogs etc are the perfect media to communicate even before an opening. Share the history of the hotel online, the progress of the work with you potential future customers. Connecting with the local market helps to convey the right messages that they will share. Each media has a different communication approach // Photos for some with comments, videos for others featuring you to present the hotel. These materials are easy to share. You have to show what future customers expect from your establishment and not just the rooms! A suggestion of the next dishes that will be served, or your bartender’s favorite cocktail are also highly sought after. Also highlight what your customers can do, what they can discover and visit in the region. The establishment does not have to be open to be the expert concierge for any activity or discovery! And why not already present your next packages and exclusive products…

Web Site

One of the most important factors in a website’s positioning on Google, by far the most important search engine, is history. Thus, I advise you to start as soon as possible with a page, initially, from the beginning of the project to position your establishment. It’s never too early to start. Then, during the construction phase, you can open an “under construction” transition site explaining what is happening. For the launch of your establishment’s website, it is important to understand that it takes time for search engines to integrate the different pages of the website (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc.). It is advisable to launch a website (even with temporary images and content) 18 months before opening but especially no later than 12 months.

Search Engines Optimization “SEO”

The logic here is the same as with your website, timing is crucial. If you are in a competitive market, do not expect, as soon as you launch your site, to have priority natural referencing. Referencing on search engines takes time and this is the reason why you should not launch your website too late, in any case ideally no later than 12 months before opening. A sufficient budget to position yourself is recommended. The recommendations are varied but to start, it is advisable to work with an 8 to 1 ratio at the beginning // To generate 100,000 € in direct sales on the site per month, you will have to spend 12,500 € per month on digital actions! This budget should be used in various ways such as adding your site to hotel site directories, highlighting press articles online on specialized sites or working with SEO expert agencies for the purchase of keywords, use of cookies to facilitate highlighting or even rework your texts for natural referencing. This gives you some work leads for the launch of your establishment.

Revenue Management

The revenue management must also begin no later than 12 months before the opening. In your market research and the orientations decided, you must have a clearer picture of the development of your strategies by market, the calendar of the seasons, the price tables, the prices of the competition, etc. These are tasks tedious and time consuming but essential when making significant investments for an opening but especially to ensure the success of the return on investment.

Distribution

Signing contracts with distribution and sales networks is also an important and time-consuming task. Your openness depends on the efficiency of your team but also the responsiveness of online agencies (OTA – Online Travel Agencies) to register and update your information in their systems. It may take 3 months, or even longer in some cases. It is important to be open for sale on these distribution networks at least 3 months before your opening when you are in a city destination and 6 months when you are in a summer vacation resort destination. Tour Operators (TO – Tour Operators) generally sign their contracts 12 months in advance. You have to solicit these networks anyway so that they make your information visible on the market even if you are not yet open.

Reservations

So the hotel must be ready for sale at least 3 months before opening and the website at least 12 months before opening. To prepare reservations, you have to dedicate a person as quickly as possible who will handle the first requests and answer the phone. The idea is to collect any request and then come back in more detail when the teams are ready. When starting a project, do not miss any request from the start! An important point is therefore to plan to build your sales team: integrate it and train it in the procedures put in place.

Sales

Bringing in business is a long and difficult job. The job is to leave the hotel to pick up clients and get people talking about the establishment. If your hotel is aimed at business travelers, it all starts with visits to the local market (2 hour drive around) of all the companies that can bring you clients. Plan visits, meetings from 9 months before the opening, time for these partners to withdraw from other establishments. If your hotel is aimed at individual leisure travelers, all contacts must be established as quickly as possible with the agencies in the region and in your main region that is the source of requests. As soon as the clientele is international, use your sales networks, affiliations, to participate in events promoting the destination and your establishment. For international customers (leisure, MICE or Corporate), make sure you have enough travel budget. Send teams to explain to buyers, travel agencies, specifiers, the trade press, why they should start using your establishment. By using voucher invitations for a drink, a meal, a treatment or even a complete discovery stay, solicit your networks to visit and discover the hotel, the services, the experiences and everything that differentiates you. A hotel that opens always has a plus that the establishments already in operation do not have and the resulting digital communication is #viral. These operations have to start 9 months before the opening.

In the “BLOG” section, find my articles and recommendations on the structure of the sales action plan.

Soft opening and launch

The opening date is approaching, your action plan is well defined, reservations are open, the teams recruited have participated in setting up the premises and equipment, and have participated in training. They practiced: Now, we must open !

Planning a “day of cohesion” for the teams is essential to give the impetus to openness and to reinforce everyone’s commitment to this adventure. Give your teams a day of seminars to pass on the right messages again and strengthen cohesion. The traditional team photo in uniform is to be taken to mark the opening or reopening date of the season. End with a friendly and relaxed evening.

Then comes the Soft-opening period // Period when the hotel welcomes its first customers, generally only by reservation, to do service tests and train in new workspaces. Take advantage of this period to provide employees with the guest experience and receive their comments! Each department can combine these experiences with other departments in order to improve the customer experience and make adjustments. The “story telling” and the way in which the teams will tell it to the customers are essential. Ask the sales teams to invite the main decision-makers in the target markets, the press, to test the hotel. Treat them as TOP VIPs, dine with them, make them become true ambassadors of your company. If you manage to surprise them, amaze them with an unforgettable experience, they will be the first to share “word of mouth”.

Finally, plan, for the local market, your prescribers and the press but also all the people who took part in the realization of the project, an inauguration evening. Give your overnight guests the experience of the hotel and its strengths.

The GO for operations then comes quickly with the opening of all the points of sale and the stage where the company enters into its daily operations. IT’S SHOW TIME.