Building Strong Relationships

During my career in hospitality, I have had the opportunity to work for several different management companies, both franchised and managed. Throughout these experiences I have seen most of them focus on the QUANTITY of sales calls, when they should be more focused on the QUALITY.

When a Director of Sales is worried about the quantity of sales calls they do not take... the time to build relationships with their accounts like they should. They are so hard pressed to meet the quota they may even be searching out “low hanging fruit” instead of going after quality pieces of business. Unfortunately I have seen this happen way too much.

In order to increasing the quality of sales calls, the first step is to build strong relationships with your accounts. This is first done by hiring the right Director of Sales. Next, do not put pressure on the number of sales calls they make in a week. The most successful Sales people take the time to get to know their accounts. This means taking them to lunch every once in a while and not always discussing business, or stopping by with the receptionist’s favorite candy, etc. Little gestures of kindness will go a long way in building strong relationships and ensuring those relationships last long into the future. As a manager in the industry I would take quality over quantity every day of the week, so let’s make sure that is where our focus is .

 

 

• Take Steps to Boost Conversions

There are many small businesses that get a lot of traffic on their website but fail to convert them into leads. Your website traffic is of little use if you cannot convert them into customers for your business. There are many ways to do this. Here are some examples:
•Use good call to action on website
•Use call to action in all other marketing material
•Make sure call to action are prominently displayed throughout your website

 

 

• Learn From Other Businesses
  
  You can learn a lot from other successful businesses in your niche. Simply looking at their website and social profiles can tell you a lot. There are also many competitive analysis tools that your business can take advantage of. Research your competition to get inspiration and learn new ways to market your business.

 

• What elements of a hotel defines it as a luxury hotel?
  
  I think most people have a different idea about luxury than I have. It is not the most expensive things that for me means luxury, the largest hotel rooms, the 1200 thread count sheets (if there is such a thing), the vast bathrooms where you can lose yourself, etc.. this is not luxury, it is only what money can buy and there are things in life... that cannot be bought with money: pristine wilderness, clean air, tranquil and quiet environment, clean food, and TIME to enjoy all of this. Time without technology, real time to connect with family, friends and new acquaintances. Time to do nothing in a beautiful environment that is real, not hyped, with no bling!, so if we think of a full service Luxury boutique hotel it should be a place that is true to its environment, very comfortable with no excess, simple, clean with a staff that works and offer services with their heart. Our society in the name of luxury offers something that has the name luxury but not what true luxury means!
  first of all, in my personal opinion the luxury is an attitude......but when we talk about hotel and tourism, the lux over the furnishing, style, position......there is the services. In fact there no price to pay.......for the courtesy, disposability......... they are the fundamental elements that excite the guest who enjoys it.
  Of course, all these factors must be complemented by all those comforts that are able to make the client feel in a condition of lifetime better than in his home.
  About to the classification ...... the stars, I firmly believe that the human resource and services are the foundations to decree the "importance" of a hotel .....
  hospitality is a passion
  
  There are certainly many good opinions and ideas. I enjoy reading them all.
  
  Here are "some" of things that I consider when I am looking for a luxury hotel property:
  
  1) Location (i.e. view, proximity to attractions and points of interests, overall surroundings)
  2) Cleanliness
  3) Overall amenities and services
  4) Comfort
  5) Size of room

 

 

• Look after the customers you have , repeat bookings are testament to you getting it right in the first place and award in your till !

 

• Success factors

Competent advisory staff who communicate well with partners and work with them and encourage them to achieve; and other staff who are honest, do their job and help out with others, produce accurate information, and who communicate with the team,
Financial systems that are transparent, provide good historical and planning information, can be produced on time, and are distributed... to people who need it.
A perceived need for the changes by the recipient.

Failure factors
Poor project designs or expectations that are not practical, realistic or sustainable.
Poor leadership in the areas of communication, reporting, transparency, competence, self promotion, personality - not having a sense of humor.
Inadequate internal controls and project set up that encourages corruption and poor processes

 

• Lobby Bar
  
  Incorporating professional baristas for daytime/afternoons and bartender for evenings. These individuals should be the stars of the Lobby Bar and enrich the overall quality of atmosphere with both their personality and professionalism with beverages. A focus on creative and signature drinks and specialty coffees to add a sense of exclusivity and ambiance to the Lobby Bar is advised.

 

• Control of social space in hotels

makes customers want to return to your establishment. Employees attach new customers with greeting and personal touches to customers and anticipation of their guest needs. Recognition is the nicest complement that server can offer to customers. Customers love to have the services of good food value, free Wi-Fi, and assortment beverages. Servers that are always ant...icipating customer’s needs and employees will create trust and respect of the customers. The servers by personalizing customer recognition will make customers feel appreciated and cared for. The duty of care is legal and personable when it comes to create a valued customer service. The constant training of employees helps to create a friendly and committed server. Attracting guests requires servers to understand that customer habits create a feeling of understanding for customer wants while providing his needs. Your employees by developing and controlling customer wants threw trust by not allowing unreasonable expectations. Service by your employees is something that can make you and your employee’s money and always can be improved and relearned. Serving people is an act of caring, understanding, and responsibility to society. Employees have to understand the customer’s wants to have educated skills to provide their needs. .Employees that digests customer behaviors can transfer needed information to managers. Time is the most important aspect of problem situation control in being transferred to immediately managers. Remember control in establishments is established by employee interaction with customer, then forwarding info to managers, then to owners that then set policy to control the opportunity of that behavior. The controls of your environment make customer want to return to your establishment

 

• Going Green – A New Perspective

With all the hype of green initiatives and energy management, it made me wonder how efficiently I run my hotel, and my company.

To illustrate my point, let’s examine the evolution of light bulbs. The common incandescent light bulbs are so called because they produce light using incandescence, which is the heating of an object to the point where it glows. Thus thes...e bulbs use large amount of energy, most of which is wasted as heat rather than light.

Through science and effort we now have CFL bulbs, or Compact Fluorescent Lamps which produce the same amount of light as incandescent bulbs, only they use much less energy; because they create light with less energy wasted as heat. They use energy more efficiently.

Using the example of the light bulbs, how much energy are you inputting versus the output you are producing? Are you wasting energy by producing heat instead of light? I propose that managers can work smarter and work shorter hours and produce the same results as managers who work twice as long but do so inefficiently.

Working efficiently is the key. Managers and owners alike must realize that the days of working long hours are over. We have the technology and brain capacity to accomplish a lot more, in a lesser amount of time. Utilize the assets, resources and technological advances we have to make the most of each minute and hour of the day. Do not waste energy producing heat instead of light when you can efficiently illuminate your success by embracing new methods and work habits.

 

• Combating energy wastage in your hotel.
  approximately 50% of energy is used on lighting in premises of this kind
  * room lights to work, you had to insert your key card into a switch. Pretty effective way to make sure that no lights are left on in your room when you are gone......
  * After installing it in the hotel I managed, energy cost reduce significantly. The saving can be used to pay off the... investment of led lamps in less then 6 month
  * It is important that the Room key cannot be detached from the fob? Assuming if electronic keys are in use & the room has 2 or more occupants they could leave lights or aircon on when leaving rooms with only one of the keys: This where house-keeping play their part by ensuring keys are removed after Servicing?
  There are many other methods of reducing Energy Costs; such as low energy bulbs, LED lighting, Radiator Thermostats, Double/Triple Glazing even Solar Power? Green is Great!
  * It's not just the lighting though. Air con is a big energy sapper, and guests often leave it on while they are out. card-key systems are expensive to install. Retro-fitting is easiest with wireless systems. Not sure about prices, but probably $100+ per room.
  lighting represents roughly 20% of the energy consumption with Air Conditioning representing over 50% which should be the main focus for energy managers in trying to reduce their consumption. With regards to your question regarding retro fits or complete replacement, the trend here is that if you are just looking to change to lower energy lighting you would choose a lamp that you could simply replace the existing fitting with however if you are doing a refurbishment then you would generally replace the entire fitting with drivers etc, if needed. Whilst LED prices are dropping they still entail a major investment which some building owners would rather allocate as an operational cost however the operator would prefer them to be capital costs so we sometimes find ourselves as engineers in the middle trying to do the right thing for energy conservation. Some of the other points raised in the discussion particularly the problem with guests leaving the AC running 24/7, there are some great products available now that you can install that will take control of the AC system when the room is either Vacant or when the guest is out of the room and I am not talking about the old key card system at the door entrance which is so easy to overcome with a second card or even a piece of cardboard.

 

• Simple Property Improvements

It is important that both your guests and employees see that you are aware and concerned with the condition of your property. Major renovations that may include new carpet, paint, bedding, appliances, and furniture can be very costly, however this should be budgeted within your capital expense to take place every 5-10 years if possible. In the mean time there are many... affordable ways you can improve your property’s condition.
Cleaning Quality
Take the time to review your room cleaning procedures to be sure that the programs you have put in place are being followed. Also be sure that during slower periods you are implementing a deep cleaning schedule. It will be an additional labor cost but will pay off in the long run by preserving the life of your property.
Preventative Maintenance Program
This program should be on-going, however at the very least it should be scheduled for slower periods as well. Proper use of this program will help reduce guest complaints, help you maximize ADR, and extend the life of your equipment and appliances.
Take a daily walk around your property, interior and exterior, and look for ways to improve the look. Instead of painting the exterior, have it power-washed. Be sure your maintenance or landscaping crew is properly maintaining the grounds. Look into having your parking lot resurfaced or at least having the lines re-painted. Be sure your inside and outside mats are in good condition and that you have your hallway and room carpets steam cleaned twice a year. Time and money doesn’t usually allow for all needed improvements to take place at the same time, however if you are aware and concerned with the condition of your property, you will always be able to present your guests with the best property possible.

 

 

• What do Hotel Stars Really Mean

1. One Star (Tourist)

All rooms have shower/toilet, daily room cleaning, color-TV, table and chair, soap, reception service, publicly available telephone for guests

2. Two Stars (Standard)

In addition to one star hotels: reading lamp next to your bed, shower gel or bath essence, bath towels, sanitary products .
...
3. Three Stars (Comfort)

In addition to two star hotels: 14-hour reception, luggage service, beverage offer in your room, telephone in your room, Internet (in room or public area), heating in the bathroom, hair dryer, cleaning tissue, place to put luggage in your room, dressing mirror, utensils, extra pillow or blanket on demand

4. Four Stars (First Class)

In addition to three star hotels: 18-hour reception, lobby with seats, hotel bar, minibar or room-service, couch or armchair in room, bath robe and slippers on demand, cosmetic products (shower cape, cotton swabs etc.), vanity mirror, a la carte restaurant.

5. Five Stars (Luxury)

In addition to the 4 star hotels: 24-hour reception, multilingual staff, doorman or valet parking, concierge, personalized greeting in your room with fresh flowers and little gift, Internet-pc in room, safe, ironing service, shoeshine service, turn down service in the evening

The more things you have in your room the more your star rating goes up !!

 

 

 

• What Makes a 5-Star Resort
   

• Top 10 Things to Look For

-- Arriving guests are greeted and assisted curbside within 60 seconds of arriving.
-- Wake-up calls are delivered within two minutes of the requested time.
-- Refills at restaurants are offered within 30 seconds of the guest's beverage being empty.
-- No telephone call is left on hold longer than 30 seconds without being offered a call back.
...
Today, a "5-star hotel" does not necessarily mean it's been graded by a particular hotel rating organization but more likely refers to its overall reputation as a luxury hotel.

Five-Star or Luxury

5-star hotel should be outstanding physically, but even more so offer service that is essentially flawless. In fact,

"Service."

Staff is extremely well spoken, polite and clear, avoids slang and phrase-fragments, does not have hands in pockets or folded in front, uses guests surname whenever possible; informed about requirements within their department; overall service is flawless from reservation call to departure service; guests are offered an escort to their rooms unless they specifically decline.

Amenities include choice of at least two complimentary newspapers offered and distributed; welcome gift or amenity upon arrival; 24 hour room service, including hot food; during turndown service, something noteworthy and thoughtful is included in the presentation.
At least two types of premium quality snacks are automatically offered and distinctly presented during bar and lounge service; all mixed drinks are presented with modified or full club service; any work undertaken by the staff is handled with complete professionalism, and returned to guests neatly, in folders or envelopes.

Indeed, once it was pointed out, it became clear that staff at higher end hotels do not fold their arms, chit chat with other staff but are entirely focusing on you and anticipating what you need to make your stay the best it can be.

I've concluded that 5-star hotel ratings are not what they used to be and can be somewhat arbitrarily designated - even by the hotel itself

1. Attentive, Discreet and Consistent Service

Quality and consistency of service is the number one differentiator between true 5-star luxury hotels and others. The hospitality industry is a tough one, often plagued by high employee turnover, so it's no small feat for a hotel to be able to deliver consistently at a high level and to recruit and retain the people that deliver on the hotel's brand promise. Any hotel can put in an elegant lobby or maintain lush landscaping--the human component is the more challenging piece. And by excellent service, I look for attentive, anticipatory and discreet, not fawning, insincere or merely reactive.

While no one wishes for a problem, one of the best tests of the service level is when something goes wrong.

2. Personalization

Ever noticed how the best hotels consistently greet you by name, even when it's your first time staying with them? It can seem almost like magic, when it's not at check-in and it's a staff member that you've never seen before, but it really can help bridge that gap between "just another hotel stay" and feeling taken care of, particularly if the staff are genuine. By the same token, if you've had numerous stays at a given property and are not welcomed back or greeted by name, it can have just the opposite effect--to that hotel and perhaps the hotel chain in general, you really are just another number, or a head in a bed.
all guest preferences down to whether a guest prefers milk or dark chocolate, experienced that level of personalization

3. Bedding

It's been several years since most of the major chains seriously revamped their bedding for the better, and now even use it as a key marketing point. It always surprised me that it took as long as it did (and that many independent "luxury" 5-star hotels don't have particularly good beds) since, surprise, surprise--ultimately you want to be able to sleep as well or better in your hotel room than at home.

To me, the ideal bed has plenty of support but is also pillowtop and ultra plush, ideally with some memory foam, then swathed in high thread count sheets Guest rooms should be clean and inviting. Nothing worn or broken.

4. Complimentary House Car and VIP Transfer Services

as convenient as it sometimes is. The best 5-star hotels offer complimentary luxury house car services within a certain radius or area.
Even better is a complimentary transfer service that includes VIP service at the airport, to Resorts expedited VIP

5. Kids' Amenities

The way to a parent's heart is through his or her child, and the top 5-star hotels and resorts understand that well
Kids Club & Baby Sitting

6. Food and Drink Quality

While I'm not as hung up on room service as some, because I like to explore local haunts off-property, I do highly value the quality of the food and drink that is available at the hotel. While an extensive breakfast buffet can be a big attraction for some, I look for quality over quantity. For breakfast, there should be fresh squeezed orange juice, and preferably some other fresh squeezed selections as well. , there should be some organic choices, with many ingredients sourced from local producers. Pastries and bread should be excellent and preferably baked on-site.

7. In-Room Nespresso

There ideally should be an in-room coffee maker, and it should be Nespresso. And please don't offer powdered creamer--stock some small half and half containers in the mini bar.

8. Bath Amenities

For a true 5-star hotel or resort, I want to see better brand name toiletries, such as L'Occitane, Bulgari, Hermes, Aesop, Le Labo--you get the picture. Sometimes 5-star boutique hotels, such as The Champs-Elysees Plaza in Paris, which offers Hermes bath products, offer more luxurious amenities than luxury chain hotels. I immediately think less of a hotel if it has its own brand UNLESS it truly is a stellar spa product. The Mandarin Oriental China lemongrass bath amenities come to mind. I can also understand placing the bath products in reusable containers, as is done at several resorts , but again, the products themselves need to be high quality regardless.

9. Pool Service

Pool service lazing by the pool.just based on the pool service. received a couple of cool towels, several refills of ice water and a refreshing smoothie shot--.Bar staff walking around offering their service

10. Concierge Service

Since I do so much planning myself I rarely need concierge service, but when I do, I want to be able to rely on it to get me a hard to score restaurant reservation or know where I can find the best local playground.

 

 

 

 

 

• Tips for TripAdvisor

It is no secret that a lot of people who take the time to write online reviews either completed hated their stay or had a sublimely superb stay. Thus a lot of times review sites such as TripAdvisor may not project an accurate portrait of your hotel. So how do you increase the amount of reviews, especially with those guests who liked your hotel? All branded hotels, and a l...ot of independent properties have a company or program which monitors guest satisfaction via emails sent to your guests after they stay with a survey for them to complete. I hope everyone is responding to the guest surveys your property receives. This builds rapport, and is also the key to increasing your TripAdvisor reviews. We encourage you to entice those guests who give you great scores on their survey to go to TripAdvisor and write a review there as well. This can be done in two easy steps: Make it easy, and Reward them.

In a Word document you will want to carefully craft the text of an email to include: a thank you for filling out the survey and for staying with you. Politely ask if they would share their experiences with their fellow travelers on TripAdivsor. To make it easy, add a hyperlink taking them directly to the TripAdvisor page for your hotel. You will then need to come up with two or three reward options for them to choose from once they complete a review. Ask them to respond to your email once they have written a review with their choice of reward. The rewards can be anything from a certain amount of Loyalty Program points, a discount off their previous stay, or a complimentary upgrade upon their next visit.

Once the template is complete, when you respond to great surveys, copy and paste the text into the email, being sure to use the guests name of course. This will push more positive surveys into TripAdvisor which will level the playing field by upping your % Positive score and up your ranking. This will give your potential guests a more accurate portrayal of your hotel and help increase bookings.

 

 

 

• Disability Friendly Resorts / Motels
  
  TOURISM operators worldwide have begun catering for an increasing group of travelers, those with disabilities and the ageing
  
  when advertising your Resort / Motel make sure to mention it is a popular c...hoice for people with disabilities
  
  Hence each business should allocate 2-3 Disability rooms aside ( you can always rent them out to everyone if your rooms are filling up making sure to mention they are a disability room however you let them hire the room a discounted rate .
  
  while they have put in ramps grab rails Disability bathrooms & Kitchens the Resorts / Motel have forgotten about their needs outside the room :
  
  Tourism facilities for people with disabilities have improved greatly over the past decade or so, but with an ageing population it's becoming more important than ever.
  
  Some steps in the right direction resort offers roll-in access to units, accessible bathrooms,units with lever door handles concrete pathways through bush and has a pool with a hoist or Ramp or a walk in ramp with hand rail for those who use the steps. into the pool .
  A special touch "Gator'' vehicle which transports wheelchair-using guests to the beach, where wheelchair users can use , thick-wheeled wheelchairs ideal for all terrain beach wheelchairs.
  offers access to the ocean / pool water via a dedicated wheelchair ramp.
  
  Wheelchairs also need to fit on to the resort shuttle and there is a ramp leading on to it at the front of the bus. See More

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

•  Company Opportunities
  
  Whatever business you wanted to start, you need to make a bunch of research and studies on how to start and run your company. Everything is difficult in the beginning and everything big always started in small. You might have the financial resources but lack of knowledge and experience; still you cannot ensure success to your business.
  BUT
  You might not have the financ...ial resources but remember if you have land & there is nothing on it.... then why not let it earn you some $ ..why have it sitting there not earning you anything .
  Start of small even just a camp ground then let it grow into a resort once you have the resources step by step even if they are small ones . Don't forget I'm happy to advise you of ways to achieve your Dreams

 

 

 

• Business Idea
  
  Winning business ideas are not easy to achieve. It requires proper identification of the things you need to consider in order to have effective business operations.
  
  To identify fully the numerous ways in winning business ideas,
  
  Business ideas are very essential to have a good output in business operations. Without its efficient perception, business can never fulfill its mission i...n having a business.
  
  Ways in Winning Business Idea
  
  Business ideas must be properly establish to have a smooth flow of the business. There are numerous ways on how to identify the best business you must engage. It is always advised to engage in business that is commonly fit to the preferences of the people. Businessmen must consider various factors before entering to any types of business ventures. Read the information below to have concrete ideas on this matter.
  
  To enumerated, the following are the numerous ways to win business ideas. First, make sure that your business is appropriate to your town or locality. Engage in a certain business that is commonly preferred by the people. Second, see to it the business product you used to engage are in demand. Through this, your business will easily boost up. Third, product evaluations to the customers are always needed. See to it that your business can truly attract the customers.
  
  Forth, prefer business that can be of great help to the people. Product business must frequently used by the people. Fifth, make sure that the place our business is easy to reach out. Lastly, the business must have a good ambiance and facilities. People usually prefer to go to a certain place that is mainly efficient. Business ideas must be properly assess. Most of the businessmen made use project proposal in order to weigh the various cons and prons of the business establishments.
  
  Winning business ideas can never be made instantly. Aside from considering the customers, status of the economy is also necessary. It is not advisable to enter business especially when there is inflation. Business ideas that are commonly accepted and patronized by the people is said to be successful. It is said that two heads are better than one. There is nothing wrong to seek advice and help to other people to establish best business ideas. Winning business ideas may also achieve with the help of other business minded.
  
  As you observed, there are lots of business establishments that tends to bankrupt because of the inappropriate business ideas. Make sure that the factors in business making must take into consider to have a successful business. Business ideas are the fundamental aspect you need to consider before entering any business ventures

 

 

•  

Comfort Zone

It’s so frustrating.

It makes hotel marketers want to rip up all their OTA agreements.

But it wouldn’t help.

The OTAs charge you big fees. And you never feel good about how they represent you. But you can’t seem to break free. You know guests flip back and forth from their websites to yours. Yet when it comes time to book they head back to the OTA to complete the purchase.
...
Why do guests go back to the OTA to book?

Because OTAs do something that is so against every hotelier’s nature, I’m almost afraid to tell you. You will rebel against this idea. You won’t want to do it. But hear me out. This is important.

Unlike you, OTAs love making guests uncomfortable. And to compete, you must make them uncomfortable too.

Wait! I know the words “uncomfortable guest” causes a little indigestion. Of course, you want them to have comfortable stays. However, while they’re booking, they should be uncomfortable with their own indecision. That is where OTAs excel, and hoteliers often fail. When you spend your life focusing on comfort, this mind shift is difficult. You know direct booking is best for you and your guest. So, think of it as the little discomfort you cause them upfront that helps them in the end.

3 Tips to Make Guests Uncomfortable

(Bet you never thought you’d see that line on a hotel marketing blog)
1Limit their booking page options: Once a traveler reaches your initial booking page, you should start eliminating choice. Remove your menu bar from these pages. Make going through with the booking process the only option. They’ve already made their decision. Encourage them to stick to it (TravelTripper, a fast-growing CRS/hotel booking engine, does this well). Expedia uses a popup. After hitting ‘Book’, you have two options: Pay now or Pay at hotel. Orbitz gives you one option: ‘Continue booking’.
2Make it cutthroat: Travelers are doing more than booking rooms on OTAs. They compete with other guests. Booking.com tells the guest who else is looking at the room. Orbitz has a bubble that tells you ‘Two Rooms Left’. This isn’t booking. This is a battle and your hotel website is the frontline. Even if you can’t imagine inundating your guests with pop-ups and brightly colored buttons, add a line to the top of your booking page that states, “While you’re online booking travel plans, it’s likely someone else is too. Our rooms book up quickly. We’d hate for someone else to get your room. Book now to guarantee your spot.”
3Push them to checkout: You advise your guests to checkout on time, so they don’t incur a fee. Consider doing the same when they checkout of your website. Although they may pay the same wherever they book, remind them that they will enjoy more flexibility and better customer service when they book direct. Include the word, ‘Now’ on your booking page. Explain the benefits of booking immediately. Expedia warns guests to “Hurry! Prices and inventory are limited.” You may want to tone it down to match your brand. However, you need to create urgency. Remind your guests that it behooves them to book now.

Are you ready to celebrate your independence

 

 

 

 

• Staying ahead of the competition
  
  A wise man once said: “you’re only as smart as your dumbest competitor.”
  
  Hotel marketers have to keep this quote in mind everyday to monitor market conditions and set rates effectively. If one of your compset’s revenue managers is asleep at the wheel, price-conscious consumers will flock to the lowest rate, leaving you with a sudden, unexpected problem.
  
  Converse...ly, hotel marketers must also keep a careful eye on the smart things their compset peers are doing. Utilize the following six tools and you’ll have a better understanding of who is in your comp set, what they’re doing and how well they’re succeeding.
  1
  STR Report Review: An STR report will grade your performance against your current comp set, update who is in your comp set, and help you benchmark key performance indicators going forward. If you haven’t been using comp set data to its fullest, an STR report is an excellent place to start.
  2
  Social media monitoring: You can learn a lot from what your competitors post on social media. Take note of what and how often they post. Do they usually post about one aspect of their hotel, e.g. cost, meeting space, local events? Which of their posts receive the most positive and negative response?
  3
  Reader Board Services: Some think they are antiquated, but by using a reader board service, you can empower your group sales efforts. Reader board services let you know how which groups are using compset hotels… and their preferred programming. For instance, if a group uses several small breakout rooms, you know how to approach them.
  4
  Rate monitoring: Rate monitoring programs, such as Rate Tiger aggregate comp set data from hotel websites, OTAs, and Global Distribution Systems. These programs ensure your rates stay competitive now and in the future.
  5
  Local HSMAI events: Sometimes the best way to find out what your comp set is doing is to talk to them. Become active in your local HSMAI chapter and listen to what issues get others excited. What topics do they bring up? Are your competitors struggling with a topic or excited to talk about their successes?
  6
  you’re only as strong as your dumbest competitor
  
  Google Alerts: If your comp set is getting press, you need to know about it. You can create Google Alerts for every hotel in your comp set. Take note of what press releases they send out and which media reporters cover their news. When they attempt to promote something that doesn’t get much attention, you know the public isn’t going to be interested in that kind of promo. You can save yourself from making the same mistake. Contrarily, if one press release gets a competitor national attention, you know to direct your marketing in a similar way.
  
  How does watching your comp set make your marketing more efficient? Have you ever noticed a trend in your comp set that changed your marketing efforts? How did you make your discovery? And how did you modify your marketing because of it?