Are hotels missing some obvious tricks to boost dining sales?

Yes – according to new research by CGA and Zonal Retail Data Systems’ GO Technology report – which found that Hotels are missing out on F&B sales by not offering customers an incentive at the time of booking, or a facility to order food from their smart device during their stay.

Their report surveyed 5,000 adults in the UK and found that:

  • 54% of leisure customers (and 45% of business users) cite price as a barrier to dining at a hotel’s in-house restaurant during their stay.
  • guests’ preconceptions of the expense of eating in hotels can be overcome by offering advance booking discounts on dining. 50% of leisure customers (and 43% of business guests) would consider making a reservation if they were offered an incentive at the time of booking.
  • A further 45% of 18 to 34 year olds would also be more likely to order room service from the hotel restaurant if they could use their smartphone,
  • 62% of those would be more likely to book lunch on-site, if they could do so from their mobiles

The mobile booking facility demand echoes a growing trend in the general hospitality sector, where 67% of consumers have said they would spend more and buy more drinks if they could order from a mobile device.

Rhys Swinburn, managing director of hotel management system, High Level Software, part of the Zonal Group, said: “Our research indicates that consumers prefer a more personal approach when it comes choosing where to stay, giving hoteliers a real opportunity to capitalise on this captive market.

“Hoteliers need to think how they can pitch themselves against high street operations and incentivise guests to stay for lunch, dinner or even enjoy a drink before heading out.”

He added: “Giving guests the chance to reserve a table, coupled with an offer at the point of booking their stay is likely to have a positive impact on trade.”

How to find hotel finance for tech investments

If you are looking to make any investments to grow your hotel business – like investing in marketing software to facilitate initiatives like mobile reservations and pre-booking discounts – you may well need hotel finance.

At Stewart Hindley and Partners, we are in an ideal position to help you as we understand the hospitality business through and through. We are long-established specialists in securing hotel mortgages. Our experienced team will be able to offer you friendly and informative advice to help you build and improve your business. Browse our site for case histories and more information about the process involved in securing hotel finance or call us now to speak to our team of experts.

Source:  https://www.hotelowner.co.uk/11306-go-technology-report/