In any business sector, when there is a period of expansive growth, new companies and entrepreneurs find ways to meet differentiated needs, and enhance revenue growth.
With the rise of Airbnb, which is a major driver of today’s “sharing economy,” there are new players on the scene that are offering their services to Airbnb hosts. From cleaning to key swaps to replenishing linens, these types of service providers are making it easier for people to offer their properties for rent via Airbnb.
For major hotel brands, this creates two challenges. First, these types of services will drive more home and apartment owners to offer their places via Airbnb, HomeAway and others. Second, these services help ensure a consistent and positive guest experience – minimizing guest loss due to dirty apartments and the like.
Hoteliers are experiencing additional pressure to stay one-step-ahead of the guest, which will ultimately create ongoing brand loyalty. This new level of competition will drive the development of solutions that further enhance the guest experience.
For hotel brands to effectively meet these challenges, they need to make the guest the priority – at all times. This means offering a completely personalized and customizable guest experience, which is no small task. Hoteliers need to turn data into actionable outcomes for guests, while also being very nimble in the acquisition and implementation of new technologies.
New competitors can create additional performance pressures, as well as motivate brands to take all of their efforts to the next level. Now is the time for hotels to counter these challenges by making innovation the foundation to always please the guest.