Brainstorm

I agree with Margaret about the website. For the first couple of years when my folks opened their cottages by the bay, they were never full. I put up a website and we advertised the URL in some annual tourist magazines and the next season the website was responsible for 35% of the new customer bookings. People from anywhere could view what they had to offer.

I also prompted them to have a box where they collected email addresses and made sure they asked customers if they would like to receive emails. This prompted some customers to return every year. There wasn't any problem keeping the cottages full after that.

Best Regards,
Steve MacLellan

I worked in the Marketing Department of Windmill Inns & Suites (small chain in AZ and OR) for just over a year. I got a pretty good look at what the properties had to do to try to make a profit, and it didn't look easy.

All of the properties had a Sales Manager to try to fill up meeting rooms, book weddings, land corporate accounts, etc... We had a meeting every week where we looked at each location and what the occupancy % was, the ADR (average daily rate) as well as various other statistics to try to find where more profit could be made. GM's would be instructed to count cars at competitor hotels to see who was drawing the most business, then try to find out why. There was a lot involved with trying to squeeze out a little bit of profit from each hotel.

If there is a room large enough to rent out for meetings, I would recommend that for sure. Maybe a local 'start up' church could use it every Sunday, weddings or receptions could be held there, package deals could be negotiated with large wedding parties, corporate accounts and such to use the meeting room at a discount with a certain number of guest room rentals.

Also, I think Ankesh is on the right track with selling advertising. I don't know how many guest rooms there are at this place, but giving local restaurants "exclusive" space on a channel guide or in a room directory could generate a little extra cash - Don Alm could tell you how to make a full time income with advertising ops there I'm sure!

Being in Branson, I'm sure there is a good market for 'souvenirs' as well. If they don't have a gift shop, they need to make some space to sell at least some t-shirts, magnets, and stuff to tourists - as well as things guests are likely to forget to pack and have to buy - toothpaste, deodorant, and the standard sodas and candy.

Making a hotel profitable on room rates alone is really tough, keep up the brainstorming!

Everyone,

You guys are really great! So much creative energy that really gets the juices flowing. My brother is coming to town for a couple days and then going back to Branson. I am putting all this information together for him to review. I hope we get a chance to discuss it face to face, but if not, at least by phone because there seem to be some great possibilities here.

Unfortunately, I don't think they have a meeting room but they may have enough room in the front desk area for souvenirs, etc. The idea of getting room rents closer to $30.00 a night could really make a difference, as could some advertising and the possibilities of increasing low season attendance could be huge.

Getting some perks to the workers might make a difference and those are some good suggestions for that.

Ideas, resources, processes, etc.--you all have given a bunch to digest.

Thank you very much,

Jerry

For too many years I travelled the highways and stayed in the lower end motels.

One of the worst things about them is getting up and there is nothing there....no coffee, tea or juice....nothing to curb the morning hunger until you can drive to find a restaurant to have breakfast.

They could easily raise their price by $5-$10 per night by adding this to their service.

Now they don't need a full blown kitchen for this....simply a call to the front office and then the ordr delivered to the room.


I stayed at a few that offered this service and it made all the difference in the world.....here's how it worked.

A small two cup coffe maker, packaged coffee, packaged tea bags, individual packs of sugar and coffe creamer.....then the best part...a call to the office and I could order a donut, or English muffin with jam or honey and it was delivered to the door with a good morning smile and greeting....also there was always a card asking if there was anything that could have made my stay with them better.

No great outlay for the continental type breakfast....English muffins can be toasted right there in the office on a plain old 4 slice toaster, and donuts purchased fresh by the dozen.

Some I stayed at set up a small table in the office where you could go in and help yourself to the coffee, tea, juice, or donuts (no English muffins on these)....this was nice but I still had to get dressed to wander down to get them...I much preferred the in room capability.

The card asking how they could improve is great too as it will give ideas that once implimented might justify a wee hike in the rates.

It sounds as though they are using a lower rate to try and stay full in competition with other low ends at the $30 dollar end....all that is required is to see what the $30 ones are offering (even if it means spending a night in each) and then offering and advertising perks that make them just a little more desireable than the others that are at $30.

Just a thought.

Cornell

They could create the own fruit cake or other famous item that could be send by direct mail customers and also have in the dinning room for guest to buy. You make it famous by calling it Joe's famous Fruit cake. Anyone can do that and have another steam of income.

My wife has made some great bread but never marketed it. She did give the reciept for a book being sold by a handicap school.