How a pub-hotel raises awareness of the ‘hotel’ side of the business
For many pubs that also offer accommodation, the hardest part is advertising the accommodation side of the business.
Mick Comerford is general manager of The Mercantile Hotel, Australia’s longest running Irish pub and boutique hotel, based in Sydney. Mick knew that he had to grow all parts of the business, but he found that many of his patrons didn’t know that they also offered accommodation.
While he knew that one way of getting the word out was through online booking sites that travellers use when they search for accommodation, their processes were manual. Mick knew that he needed to stop processing bookings with a notebook and a pen if he wanted to start taking full advantage of these sites.
He explains that with their manual system, “There was no integration with online channels, so it was difficult to track our inventory, there was always the risk of double-bookings, and it was hard to branch out to other OTAs (online travel agencies). If we hadn’t done anything about it, we would lose revenue and time, and people would continue to be unaware of the accommodation side of the business.”
By implementing an all-in-one business solution for small accommodation providers, Mick improved the productivity and revenue of the business.
He explains, “Now, more people know about our hotel because they’re finding us online. We’ve partnered with two OTAs, and they send us a lot of international travellers.”
By managing his online channels through the all-in-one business solution, Mick was able to dedicate more of his time to revenue-generating tasks.
Mick’s pro-tips on how to stand out against your competition:
• Rely on the authenticity of your hotel. Many pub-hotels have a rich history behind them. Find out what yours is and make sure you let your guests know all of the interesting facts.
• Know your ideal guest – the kind that understands the lively atmosphere a pub provides.
• Get an all-in-one business solution to help you manage it all.
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