Lucy Whittington - Hotel Success Handbook: Practical Sales and Marketing Ideas, Actions, and Tips to Get Results For Your Small Hotel, B&b, or Guest Accommodation

First edition published in 2010
Copyright 2010
Caroline Cooper and Lucy Whittington

The right of Caroline Cooper and Lucy Whittington to be identified as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1998.

All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this publication may be made without express prior written permission. No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted except with express prior written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1956 (as amended). Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damage.

Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this book, as of the date of publication, nothing herein should be construed as giving advice. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not of MX Publishing.

Paperback ISBN 9781904312888

ePub ISBN 9781907685385

Mobipocket/Kindle ISBN 9781907685392

Published in the UK by MX Publishing
335 Princess Park Manor, Royal Drive, London, N11 3GX
www.mxpublishing.co.uk

Caroline dedicates this book to Clive, her husband, for putting up with too many late dinners, and her Dad for all his encouragement.

Lucy dedicates this book to her family husband Andy for his ongoing support, encouragement & hot chocolates, and her small people Alex & Henry for their smiles.

I wish Id had this book to hand when I startedout.
If you do not want to be the laughing stock of thenext series of The Hotel Inspector you will want toread this book from start to finish.

Thomas Dowson, B&B owner
www.bassecopette.com

Devoid of sales and marketing jargon, this handbook is just what every manager needs ready to hand and to be dipped into regularly. The Hotel Success Handbook is an essential addition to the hospitality managers tool kit.

Philippe Rossiter MBA FIH FTS, Chief Executive, Institute of Hospitality

Although I hate to admit it I learnt an awful lot and found it an addictive page turner.

Patrick Burfield, Award Winning Restaurateur and Hotelier

It really is a bible for the twenty-tens and I defy anyone to come up with something that is not between the covers that should be included. Running a small business in tourism and hospitality just got a bit less scary.

David Curtis-Brignell, Chairman, The Tourism Society (2004-7)

I cant recommend this book highly enough for any hotel owner looking to maximise not just the results they get from their web marketing, but their overall business growth and development.

Ed Rivis, author of Email Marketing Dynamite and The Ultimate Web Marketing Strategy

This is a great book to have around like having a brainstorming team and personal business advisor constantly on hand.
A thorough and comprehensive guide

Joy Huter 5* Bed and Breakfast owner

An indispensable tool for small hotel and accommodation business owners who want an accessible guide to both traditional and online marketing.

Dr Philip Alford, Senior Lecturer Tourism & Hospitality Marketing, Bournemouth University

This handbook provides all the relevant information for selling and marketing small hospitality businesses in an easy-to-read and easy-to-find format.

Bob Cotton OBE, Chief Executive, British Hospitality Association

Our thanks go to the following people who have helped us so much with their support, encouragement and direction in putting this book together:

Andy Wilkes for all his input on anything design or web related (not to mention designing and building our website www.HotelSuccessHandbook.com)

Steve Emecz at MX publishing for his patience, publicity and advice www.mxpublishing.co.uk

Bob Gibson at Staunch Design for the book cover www.staunch.com

Ali Turnbull for her brilliant copy-editing, which made our words make sense www.fit-to-print.co.uk

Sally Shalam for her wonderfully written Foreword www.sallyshalam.com

Helen Stothard for last minute proof reading www.hlsbs.co.uk

Everyone who took the time to read through the book and provide us with such positive testimonials and encouraging feedback

And finally many thanks also to all our business friends and colleagues who offered their support, ideas, feedback and reality checks online, offline and face to face. Were very grateful!

By Sally Shalam, Hotel Critic, The Guardian

Every so often in the course of reviewing small, independent hotels and bed and breakfasts in Britain, I find I have discovered a newcomer which is a complete stunner, whose owners have ensured all the boxes are ticked. The sort of place which makes me want to punch the air with sheer delight, phone my Mum, then tell all my friends to come right away. Alas, as any experienced hotelier will tell you, fulfilling and exceeding guest expectation is only part of the path to long-lasting success.

For the would-be hotelier, and for the down-shifter dreaming about leaving the rat race, and setting up a B&B in the country, there is a lot to learn. Being a people person is, of course, essential, and possession of this quality is probably what attracts many to this industry in the first place. Hospitality, however, requires far more than that. It is an art. It is the art of dealing with whatever the day throws at you with charm and aplomb. It is about exceeding your guests expectations and building a fine reputation. If that were not enough, you must also understand, in a competitive world, how to price yourself right and market your business successfully to the right people, keeping up with and embracing new technology.

A mediocre outfit which has a firm grip on marketing techniques and social media is probably more likely to see a sustained healthy return than an utterly sublime hotel of which no one has ever heard. In a world where branding is crucially important, owners of small hotels, B&Bs, all manner of guest accommodation, who fail to market themselves, are leaving a lot to chance. So while youre planning how to bring your stamp, your style, your vision into the exciting arena of the modern British hotel, this book will serve as the reality check, a handbook to guide you through the marketing maze while youre realising your dream.

www.sallyshalam.com

Sally Shalam writes a weekly review in Guardian Travel, specialising in small, independently owned accommodation in Britain, has her own UK page in Cond Nast Traveller and is a judge for Enjoy Englands Awards for Excellence.

Although we have used the term hotel throughout, weve written this book for owners and managers of any small independent hotel, bed and breakfast, restaurant with rooms, guesthouse or inn. Whether you run a seaside holiday hotel, business event accommodation, an idyllic wedding venue, or simply a convenient place for an overnight stay, this book can help you. Each chapter gives practical advice and a step-by-step guide to achieving increased occupancy and sales to help you achieve greater success for your hotel.