The following is a guest post from Kevin Lane, chief marketing officer at Midland. Opinions are the author’s own.
The weather is warm and it's time for businesses to prepare for one of the busiest seasons of the year: summer.
Nearly half of Americans are planning on taking a trip this summer. Ahead of the heightened crowds, hotels must consider strategies to ensure this busy season is a successful one.
The following are three tips hoteliers can employ to keep their hotels safe, their workers successful and their guests satisfied.
Establish a communication strategy early on
Every hotel manager knows the importance of communication. Ahead of the summer season, hotel managers should take the time to reflect on their communication strategy to check for any gaps that need to be addressed.
If it’s not in the team’s current routine to hold a daily meeting before or after each shift, take initiative and schedule them to ensure necessary information and updates are communicated effectively. This will ensure staff members are on the same page regarding operations.
It’s also important to establish a communication system that enables staff to converse regularly throughout their shifts. During a busy season like summer, this will ensure team members can touch base on the go, confirm processes are running smoothly and maintain control during unexpected situations or emergencies.
Establishing a go-to communication practice early on will go a long way in helping hotel teams transition into their summer shifts and see them through with confidence.
Prepare for emergencies
Hotels have a responsibility to keep their guests safe, and it’s crucial for hoteliers to stay up to date on the news and be prepared for the worst scenarios.
Severe weather, for example, can strike at any time, impacting hotel safety and service without the right tools. When heavy storms hit, the possibility of power outages or unresponsive cell towers is high. More than 300 million people in the U.S. and Canada could experience power shortages in 2024 alone, according to the North American Electric Reliability Corporation.
If and when hotels face challenges due to severe weather, it’s important to have backup plans and tools in place to receive emergency updates for both guests and staff members.
Stocking up on battery-operated products — along with extra batteries — is a simple way to ensure functionality despite power outages. Walkie-talkies, flashlights and emergency radios are just a few tools that can come in handy during difficult times.
Many two-way radios and emergency radios are also equipped with NOAA weather alert technology, which can update users in real time with critical information around severe weather and emergencies. This way, if the power goes out or cell towers are interfered with, staff will still be able to receive important updates to keep themselves and their customers safe.
Invest in reliable technology
With larger summer crowds, it’s important to invest in reliable technology to ensure a streamlined staff and customer experience. Hotel managers should make sure products and systems are up to date and staff are fully equipped.
Something as simple as a better Wi-Fi connection can make a difference for staff and guests, enabling them to stay connected with the happenings around them. Meanwhile, should Wi-Fi become overwhelmed or go down during a storm, inexpensive backup communication tools like two-way radios will prove an important investment.
With safety being a top priority, it’s also important to reflect on the hotel’s current security measures. Keypads, swipe cards and other technology that enables access to the building or individual rooms should be assessed to increase the safety of the hotel and everyone in it.
Summer is an exciting time of the year for everyone, and hotel managers must act now to ensure a streamlined, safe and successful season for staff and guests alike.
