Why the future of the small to mid-sized motel industry depends on collaboration
Dianne Collie reflects that when motel managers work together, the industry is strengethend and everyone benefits.
By Dianne Collie, motelsos
Professionalism isn’t measured by how much we know. It’s measured by our willingness to keep learning, to share what we learned, and to help others succeed.
This is something I have been reflecting on for some time.
Every day, I am aware that there are motel owners searching for advice, relief managers looking for opportunities, contractors trying to fill urgent shifts, suppliers promoting new solutions, and industry professionals sharing their experiences. Yet more often than not, these conversations happen in isolation.
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The small to mid-sized motel industry has, for many years, operated in silos.
Owners focus on their own property. Managers solve problems within their team. Suppliers promote their own products and services. Recruiters focus on filling vacancies. Revenue specialists improve occupancy. Technology providers develop systems.
Each plays an important role, yet we rarely stop to ask how much stronger we could be if we worked together more often.
To be fair, there are good reasons why our industry evolved this way.
Unlike many other businesses, motels are often both a business and a family home. Decisions are personal. Challenges are handled privately. Long hours leave little time to network or seek support, and many operators have simply become accustomed to working everything out for themselves.
That resilience has always been one of our industry’s greatest strengths.
But it can also become one of our greatest limitations.
It made me wonder…
What could we achieve if we spent a little less time protecting our own corner and a little more time collaborating?
Throughout the past eight years working alongside motel owners and managers across Australia, one thing has become abundantly clear: there is room for everyone in the small to mid-sized motel industry.
There are enough motels to support experienced relief and permanent managers. There are opportunities for recruiters, coaches, consultants and technology providers. There are owners seeking guidance, aspiring managers looking for a pathway into the industry, and seasoned professionals with knowledge worth sharing.
Professional success is not a finite resource.
When one motel improves its standards, it doesn’t weaken another. It strengthens the reputation of our industry. When a manager receives mentoring, they become more confident and capable. When an owner shares an idea that improves guest experiences, we all benefit because visitors leave with a better impression of regional accommodation across Australia.
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Collaboration does not mean giving away your competitive advantage. Healthy competition has an important place in every industry. It encourages innovation, lifts standards and challenges us to continually improve.
What collaboration recognises, however, is that some challenges are simply too important for any one business to solve alone. Workforce shortages, professional development, industry recognition and attracting the next generation of motel managers require a collective effort.
As industries mature, they naturally become more collaborative. Collaboration isn’t a weakness. It’s a sign that an industry has confidence to learn from itself.
Doctors work alongside specialists to achieve the best outcomes for their patients. Tourism operators form regional partnerships because they know a stronger destination attracts more visitors for everyone. Professionals in many industries understand that sharing knowledge and expertise doesn’t diminish their value, it strengthens it.
Perhaps it’s time our industry embraced that same mindset.
Imagine an industry where asking for help was viewed as professionalism rather than vulnerability.
Imagine experienced managers mentoring those just beginning their journey.
Imagine owners openly sharing ideas that help another business succeed because they understand that raising standards across the industry benefits everyone.
Imagine every part of our industry recognising that when one of us improves, we all benefit.
That is the industry I believe we can build.
As professionals, we have an opportunity to change the narrative. Instead of asking, “How do I get ahead?” perhaps we should also ask, “How do we move our industry forward?”
Every time we share an idea, mentor an emerging manager, support a colleague or encourage someone to ask for help, we strengthen more than an individual business, we strengthen the profession itself.
The small to mid-sized motel industry has always been known for its resilience. Perhaps the next chapter is to become equally well known for its willingness to collaborate, to learn from one another and to raise the standard of professionalism across our industry.
Because at the end of the day, we aren’t simply managing motels. We are custodians of an industry that supports regional communities, creates careers and welcomes millions of travellers each year.
The future of our industry won’t be shaped by the success of one motel, one manager or one business.
It will be shaped by what we achieve together.
And perhaps that is the true measure of professionalism, not how much we know, but our willingness to keep learning, to share what we have learned, and to help others succeed.
If that’s the future we choose, I believe the best days of Australia’s small to mid-sized motel industry are still ahead.
