Multi-location hotels, also known as hotel chains or hotel groups, face unique challenges when it comes to marketing their properties. These challenges arise due to the sheer size and complexity of managing multiple locations, each with its own unique characteristics, target audience, and market dynamics. In this article, we will discuss eight hotel marketing challenges that multi-location hotels often face and the strategies they can employ to overcome them.
- Brand Consistency: Maintaining consistent brand messaging and identity across all locations can be challenging for multi-location hotels. Each property may have its own management team, marketing team, and operational procedures, which can result in inconsistencies in branding, messaging, and guest experience. This can confuse potential guests and dilute the overall brand image. To address this challenge, multi-location hotels need to establish clear brand guidelines and standards that are followed by all properties. This includes standardizing logo usage, color schemes, typography, messaging, and tone of voice. Implementing a brand management system or a central marketing team can help ensure consistency across all locations.
- Localized Marketing: While multi-location hotels may have a global brand, it's crucial to remember that each property operates in a specific local market with its own unique characteristics and customer preferences. One marketing strategy may not fit all locations. Therefore, multi-location hotels need to adopt a localized marketing approach. This involves understanding the local market dynamics, conducting market research, and tailoring marketing campaigns to meet the specific needs and expectations of the local audience. This may include adapting language, cultural nuances, and promotional offers to resonate with the local audience, as well as leveraging local events or attractions in marketing efforts.
- Competing with OTAs: Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) such as Booking.com and Expedia dominate the online hotel booking landscape. For multi-location hotels, competing with OTAs can be challenging as they have significant marketing budgets and strong online presence. Additionally, OTAs often charge high commissions, which can impact the profitability of hotel chains. To overcome this challenge, multi-location hotels need to focus on direct booking strategies. This may include investing in a user-friendly and visually appealing website with easy booking capabilities, offering exclusive discounts or perks for direct bookings, implementing a loyalty program to encourage repeat bookings, and leveraging social media and email marketing to drive traffic to the hotel's website.
- Managing Online Reputation: With the rise of online review platforms and social media, managing online reputation has become critical for hotels. For multi-location hotels, it can be challenging to manage online reputation across all properties, as each location may have its own online reviews and ratings. Negative reviews or feedback from guests can significantly impact the overall brand reputation. Therefore, multi-location hotels need to implement a robust reputation management strategy. This includes monitoring online reviews and social media mentions regularly, responding promptly and professionally to guest reviews, addressing and resolving guest complaints effectively, and encouraging satisfied guests to leave positive reviews. Training staff across all locations on proper guest handling and complaint resolution can also play a crucial role in managing online reputation.
- Coordinating Marketing Efforts: Coordinating marketing efforts across multiple locations can be complex, as each property may have its own marketing team, budget, and marketing activities. Ensuring consistency in marketing messaging and campaigns, and coordinating promotions and events can be a challenge. Multi-location hotels need to establish effective communication channels and centralize marketing efforts to ensure consistency and coordination. This may include regular marketing meetings, sharing best practices and success stories among properties, using project management tools for collaboration, and implementing a centralized marketing platform to streamline marketing activities and ensure consistency.
- Ensuring consistent pricing: Multi-location hotels must offer consistent pricing across all their locations to promote brand consistency and avoid confusion among guests. They must also price their rooms competitively to attract guests. To ensure consistent pricing, multi-location hotels can use pricing software to set prices based on demand and market conditions.Multi-location hotels must offer unique experiences that differentiate them from their competitors. These experiences can include local tours, customized packages, and unique amenities. To offer unique experiences, multi-location hotels can partner with local businesses and organizations to offer exclusive deals to their guests.
- Building brand loyalty : Multi-location hotels must build brand loyalty to retain guests and promote repeat bookings. They can offer loyalty programs that reward guests for their loyalty to the brand, such as free upgrades or discounts on future bookings. They can also offer personalized services and experiences to make guests feel valued and appreciated.
Summarily, multi-location hotels face several marketing challenges that require careful planning and execution. By maintaining brand consistency, managing multiple marketing campaigns, maximizing visibility in local markets, offering personalized experiences, managing their online reputation, ensuring consistent pricing, offering unique experiences, and building brand loyalty, multi-location hotels can overcome these challenges and thrive in a competitive market.Visit https://www.prideinn.co.ke/ for booking and reservations.