Three Ways to Stand Out In a Competitive Hospitality Market
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowFor many business leaders in the Indianapolis area, it can be difficult to differentiate your brand from competitors. Indianapolis is booming, and we’re in an era where consumers have access to countless choices! That’s why it’s more important than ever for brands to provide consumers with compelling reasons to spend their hard-earned money on their product or services.
For those of us working in the hospitality industry, we realize how fiercely intense competition can be. Business travelers want perks such as complimentary wireless Internet and spacious conference rooms while those on staycation want spas and top of the line restaurants. If we’re unable to provide guests with an unparalleled experience, they’ll simply choose to stay elsewhere, as there are so many options in the city! For these reasons, it’s critical to be exceptional.
In order to stand out from competition in the saturated hospitality market, consider the three following recommendations to help ensure your brand is successful for many years to come.
Incorporate a unique personality
One mistake many companies make is not incorporating their own sense of personality into their brand.
Branding may seem insignificant, but it’s often at the core of a successful business in today’s age of social connectivity. Your brand must be inviting and alluring for consumers to want to do business with you.
At Ironworks Hotel Indy, we leverage our unique personality to set ourselves apart from other hotels in the area. As the first boutique hotel on Indianapolis’ north side, we feature an original theme with one-of-a-kind décor and design. Our ambiance matched with our service helps our personality shine and creates loyal guests.
Focus on quality
Instead of trying to accomplish too many tasks that may be done poorly, it bodes well for a brand to focus on implementing just a few things extraordinarily. As is true in many cases, it pays off to focus on quality over quantity.
In the hospitality industry, it’s imperative staff are able to satisfy guests beyond their expectations and focus on the quality of the customer service provided. There’s no need to have a checklist of 100 things to do for a single guest. There are multiple other guests that need to be taken care of, too. Identify the needs of your guests and go above and beyond on the most important ones to create a lasting memory.
It’s also beneficial to partner with others who excel at what they do, as this can further enhance a brand’s overall quality. For instance, at Ironworks Hotel Indy, we have partnered with retail tenants such as Cunningham Restaurant Group, Massage Heights and Blue Sushi Sake Grill to offer added value to hotel guests. These partnerships allow our retail tenants to excel at their specialties while we excel at ours.
Offer something distinctive
You can also separate your brand from others with distinctive offerings.
For hospitality specifically, incorporating a distinctive technological component into your property could be key to being different. Consider keyless entry systems and the latest smart TVs to help stand out from other hotels in your area.
Alternatively, consider offering amenities your guests won’t be able to get at any other hotel. This can range from local offerings in your minibar, pet-friendly facilities to upscale in-room dining. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something guests won’t be able to get at a lot of places.
The hospitality marketplace may always be filled with competition. By showcasing a fun personality, honing in on quality, and presenting cool benefits to lodging at your hotel, you’ll always have a competitive edge.