While some of us have to face the price hikes and overly-congested hotels typical of the summer holidays, having the luxury to take a break off-season can make for a huge saving. Ensuring that rooms are filled up in these quieter times isn’t easy though, and to maintain a constant stream of reservations, hoteliers must be creative. With some help from Cairn Collection, owners of a leading hotel in Cardiff, The Angel, let’s look at some of the tactics used to keep the check-in desk busy during the off-peak season.
Flash sales
In this day and age, customers are meticulous when it comes to getting a good deal and we are more reluctant than ever to part with our hard-earned cash. Whilst many of us turn straight to online comparison sites, the true deal hunters also look at book direct deals using the hotel’s website. Many hoteliers choose to target months like October and November with flash sales, aware of the drop-in families visiting as the school term is well underway.
Capitalize on your location
UK cities like Newcastle, Cardiff, London and Edinburgh play host to a wide range of sporting, music and other cultural events throughout the year. Tourism faces some inevitable peaks and troughs across the calendar year, so hoteliers should incorporate any relevant events which are held throughout off peak months.
The colder climate of January might put a lot of visitors off, but The Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh looks just as sublime with a coating of frost on a bright morning, and you are near enough guaranteed to encounter far fewer tourists than during the busy summer months. London is known for its constant hustle and bustle but plan a trip in January and enjoy an off-peak rate, during one of the quietest months of the year in the capital. Attractions across the UK’s major cities experience a shortfall during the first month of the year, so hotels looking to increase their occupancy during these periods should factor this into their nightly rates.
Create an experience
Some hotel owners get creative in order to help lure guests in, with more and more guests looking for an entire experience during their stay. From providing food and drink offers to offering sessions that sample the local culture, hoteliers aim to provide an immersive experience which rivals the standard overnight stay. Guests are looking more and more for ways to break from the convention on their holidays, and an off-season break can sometimes require a bit of prior planning to fill up those quieter days with activities. If a hotel can offer guests excursions to local markets and historic attractions, then they are essentially providing a further incentive for customers to book, along with the appeal of less tourist congestion.
Through these ways, hotels can enjoy consistent check-ins from travelers, all year round. Where will you be taking your holiday this year?
