If you’re a regular traveller, you’ve likely stayed in many hotels around the world, but what happens if you’re not very experienced? What about travelling for those who have never really stayed in too many hotels either abroad or at home?
Accommodation can be a huge cost of any travel adventure, which is exactly why you’ll want to make sure that you make the right decision when it comes to a good quality hotel. It’s certainly very common to find cheap hotel deals, but what should you really be looking for in a good hotel that will ensure you have a great holiday?
What Makes for a Good Hotel Stay?
Whether you plan to stay somewhere at home or abroad, you want to know that the hotel you stay in will be worth the money you pay for it. In this spirit, here are a few key qualities that you should look for in any hotel that will make your holiday more memorable and more comfortable:
- Clean – Perhaps that number one complaint from people who have stayed in second- and third-rate hotels around the world is how unclean they are. This could range from finding hairs on the shower soap to finding blood stains on the bed linens. The fact is that none of us ever want to stay in a hotel that is dirty. Even if what we find in our hotel room amounts to very little, the truth is that, psychologically, we never want to think about anyone else having slept in the same bed. What you’ll find in the best hotels is an absolute dedication to cleanliness throughout the establishment that extends to hotel rooms, commercial kitchens, and everywhere else.
- Service – The hospitality industry is nothing if not built on great customer service. Indeed, happy customers are the very lifeblood of hospitality at any level, and no establishment will last very long at all if the customers and patrons are unhappy. This is especially true in an age where a single bad review on an internet travel site can ruin a business and turn people away. Always ensure that you stay in a hotel or other establishment that emphasises good customer service that is professional, prompt, and friendly.
Enhancing Your Hotel Service
While it’s pretty clear what potential customers are looking for in their hotel stay to make that holiday more memorable, what can the average hotel owner do to put themselves on the map? The competition in this field is pretty tough, so it makes sense for every hotel owner to look for ways to really enhance their offerings.
One thing that really sets apart the largest hotel chains from the smaller independent hotels and other accommodation is in how they handle their linen. In fact, many hotels actually outsource their linen cleaning to a third party, such as http://www.stalbridge-linen.com.
By outsourcing all linen cleaning and laundering to an experienced third party, the hotel gains the benefits of a prompt and professional cleaning service. This means that every staff member will be wearing clean and freshly pressed uniforms. It also means that your hotel guests won’t ever have to worry about finding stains on the bed sheets.
Why Clean Linen Is Also Good for Your Staff
It’s certainly pretty clear why clean linen is great for guests and customers, but why is it also good for your staff? Consider the following benefits:
- Morale – When your staffis wearing their freshly laundered uniforms, they will feel a sense of pride and a sense of being part of a team. Some linen services also offer a uniform service so that every chef, every short order cook, every waiter and waitress, and every other staff member can be clothed in a uniform that speaks volumes about the professionalism of the company.
- Professional – When your staffis all dressed in a uniform that is clean and presents well, they will appeal more to customers. In fact, a customer is more likely to generate positive first impressions when they see that all staff are wearing a consistent uniform that is freshly laundered and pressed. This will enhance your brand recognition and make your marketing efforts more effective.
- Clean – More importantly perhaps, clean linen in the kitchen and the hotel restaurant means that your customers won’t be studying the remnants of gravy stains on their tablecloth. Similarly, they won’t find stains on their bed sheets either!
Running Your Establishment the Smart Way
Running any business is tough work, especially right now, when global economic conditions can spell disaster for a wide variety of businesses when they take a turn for the worse. The truth is that none of us can control these kinds of global economic forces, but what we can do as business owners is to take control of the details and make our business work more effectively and more smartly.
Outsourcing to a fresh linen service is not only beneficial for the many reasons outlined above, but it is also smart thinking when it comes to running a business. It may seem like something of a cop-out or like cutting corners, but in reality many different types of businesses outsource. It saves time, saves stress and frustration, and also means that you know that a dedicated and professional service is taking care of part of your business while you focus on more important things, like your customers, your staff, and your marketing.
Why make running your hotel, your commercial kitchen, or your restaurant harder than it needs to be? Business is difficult enough without having to deal with extra stresses. Outsourcing may seem like an expensive idea, but the truth is that the benefits actually outweigh the costs in the long-run. This is because your customers will see you as more professional, more efficient, and more dedicated. These are the sorts of first impressions that can be hard to buy in today’s volatile business economy, so always look for a better way to get things done for your business!