Survival of the small hotel

For hoteliers that thought they were well on the path to recovery after the disastrous effects of the 2008 financial recession a warning has been issued, adapt for the future if you want to survive.

Though currently the hotel industry seems to be experiencing healthy times with good occupancy rates and growth especially in the luxury sector, economists have advised that another market downturn is predicted in the next 2-3 years  which could have a significant impact on smaller hotels.

With more business than ever being done via mobile devices  smaller hotels are being affected as they do not have mobile-responsive websites and therefore business is being put through the bigger chains that have the marketing and IT support of booking apps and mobile adapted websites.

It is also more important than ever to encourage visitors to leave positive feedback about their experience on the hotels website and independent review websites such as trip advisor. A recent survey has found more than 79% of customers read reviews before booking a hotel and having out of date or a limited number means a customer is far less likely to make a booking.