WHICH FACILITIES SHOULD BE OFFERED?

Any facilities or services offered must always be considered in terms of the type of establishment you are running and, if appropriate, staffing levels.

All-day service

In a small hotel, the extra cost of having staff on hand all day would not be justified unless (a) you open to non-residents and (b) a definite need exists.

Use of garden

If you have a pleasant, reasonably large garden, by all means allow your guests to use it, especially if it contains a swimming pool (don’t forget to assess the risks). Do, however, try to keep a secluded spot partitioned off for your own use. You will come to value your free time highly and will need to relax away from your guests.

Facilities for non-residents

Once you open to non-residents, it is in your interests to ensure it’s not to the detriment of your residents. Some guests even pick ‘their own’ parking spot when staying a week and any intrusion by ‘outsiders’ is frowned upon. If that guest then cannot get service at the bar, or has to wait while you see to non-residents, you are well on your way to losing a client.

Many hoteliers open to non-residents have a much faster turnover of guests than their ‘residents only’ counterparts, precisely for the reason mentioned above. Large hotels are, by their nature, impersonal. If your small one goes the same way, your resident guests will not be impressed.

Newspapers

Whether staying on business or for pleasure, many guests like a morning paper. It is a service you ought to offer if you already have a newspaper delivered. The mark-up on newspapers is high and if there is competition in the area, negotiate a year-round discount of, say, ten per cent.

Beverages

In small establishments, room service is a bind. It takes up far too much time for too little profit. The provision of the wherewithal to make tea and coffee when the guest wants it is of benefit to all.

Sachets of tea, coffee and sugar, and tiny jugs of milk and cream are readily available in bulk from the ‘cash and carry’. Should you, though, put in a fresh supply every day free of charge? If you do, some will put what they don’t use in their suitcase on the principle they have paid for it. A way of stopping that mean practice and helping a local charity is, after the initial supply, to sell the sachets, etc at the nearest penny above cost to you and put the proceeds in the charity tin. The scheme can be outlined in your ‘welcome’ folder. Very few guests will protest.

Disabled guests

If your hotel has ground-floor bedrooms (or a lift) you may consider taking disabled guests. The minimum requirements are listed in the Visit Britain leaflet The National Accessible Scheme for Serviced, Self-Catering, Hostel and Campus Accommodation (see Appendix).