If you run a bed and breakfast, then you’ll already know how difficult it can be to compete against multinational chains and budget hotels – but it can be done. If you want to make more money from your bed and breakfast this year, follow our top tips below.
Offer online booking
According to a report from Travel Weekly, 80% of all hotel bookings are now made online, so it’s essential that you offer online booking if you want to encourage people to choose you over a competitor. Hotel management software like Eviivo
Upgrade your rooms
If you only have one ‘class’ of bedrooms to offer your guests, then consider upgrading a couple of rooms and creating a premium bed and breakfast service. Not only will you be able to attract a more affluent clientele, but you’ll be able to increase your room rates. From there, you can invest any additional income in renovating bedrooms so that your bed and breakfast is more modern, comfortable and stands above the competition.
Offer extras
Extras such as Wi-Fi, late checkout, room service, laundry and evening meals can all be charged at an additional rate to help you bring in more money. The Hotel Marketing website has put together a fantastic guide to front desk upselling, giving you scripts to use if you want to encourage your guests to upgrade to a more luxurious, premium bedroom or suite.
Up your rates
It sounds obvious, but upping your hotel rates during the high season can help you bring in more money. If your bed and breakfast is in a seaside resort such as Blackpool, for example, then you should aim to up the price of rooms for key events such as Blackpool Illuminations, late night openings of the town’s Pleasure Beach and during the summer holidays. In fact, some bed and breakfasts have completely separate rates for different times of the year, while others have adopted a flexible pricing structure to ensure rooms are always filled.
Run an event
There you have it – five ways to ensure you’re making more money from your bed and breakfast. Whether you’re struggling to fill rooms or you just want to be more profitable, it’s easy to create new revenue streams within your hotel – you just need to have the right ideas and an entrepreneurial spirit. Good luck!