Hotel partnerships can do wonders for your hotel's bottom line. Maximizing collaborative opportunities in your local community lets you offer one-of-a-kind experiences that go well beyond guest expectations.
We'll explore what partnership marketing means for hotels and the partnership types you can leverage to drive successful marketing strategies.
What is partnership marketing for hotels?
Partnership marketing for hotels includes collaborating with local businesses to target specific guest profiles and boost your hotel's bottom line. Leveraging other brands' existing customer bases helps you engage guests and build brand awareness.
Not only can your hotel take advantage of the services or products offered by the other brand, but you can also use shared resources. After all, there's strength in numbers.
Here are some partnership ideas: create shared events, feature and sell local artwork, offer food and beverages from local producers and chefs, and promote local tour companies.
Why partnership marketing is crucial for hotel businesses
Partnership marketing is a win-win for everyone involved. It creates an invaluable network that helps increase brand exposure, visibility, and allows you to share resources to target your ideal client profile.
Tap into different niche audiences
When you carefully choose brands and companies to partner with, your hotel can benefit from new opportunities. Partnerships help you bridge the gap between potential clients that might otherwise be hard to attract. If your hotel has a solid marketing strategy, you know that niche audiences are the hardest to reach. Collaborating with brands that have already found ways to capture this niche gives you a strategic advantage.
Shared resources
You don't always have the budget to invest in marketing and promotional efforts. Partnering with other providers lets you capitalize on the shared resources and gain exposure you'd usually need to invest large sums in to reach.
Inspire emotional connection
Emotions are one of the strongest drivers in making purchasing decisions. Many times, it’s more about selling an experience than the actual product. And in a competitive industry like ours, you need to stand out from the crowd. Offering one-of-a-kind experiences that recreate that uniqueness and sense of authenticity that guests are looking for is a great way to influence their purchasing decisions.
Give guests what they’re looking for
Surpassing guest expectations is at the core of remarkable hospitality. Sometimes, your hotel lacks the resources or the expertise to offer everything guests want. In those cases, partnering with brands can ensure you consistently meet guest needs.
As guests increasingly search for unique experiences, focus on finding partners who can help you grab any opportunity to stand out.
Types of partnerships that drive success in hotel marketing
Now that you understand how hotels can benefit from partnership marketing, let’s look at the different types of collaborations that can help your hotel thrive thanks to community engagement.
Partner up with tour companies
Relying on experts helps you deliver one-of-a-kind experiences, and tour companies can make all the difference. Whether you create a package that includes a local experience or daily walking tours (free or paid), it's a fantastic way to boost guest satisfaction.
Here are some ideas: offer a nighttime tour every other day to trigger FOMO (fear of missing out) and encourage guests to stay an extra night. You may also consider themed tours for food lovers, sports enthusiasts, nature lovers, and cyclists. These can all be a part of a package deal to target these unique audiences.
Work with local artists
Tap into your local community and showcase art from local artists. It can be there for decorative purposes, or you can set up a pop-up shop that sells these pieces. Reach out to art galleries interested in curating the artwork in your spaces. You'll get free art, and the gallery's clients will visit your hotel to see the pieces.
You can also partner up with a local jazz quartet or a singer who can host happy hour sessions in your bar. These events and selling art can help boost ancillary revenue while making your hotel "the place to be."
Partner with wellness centers
Partnering up with wellness centers is a terrific way to offer extra activities to guests. You could invite a Pilates or yoga instructor to give classes on your rooftop, or the wellness center can send a massage therapist to offer massages in your hotel rooms. You might offer an exclusive discount to guests who want to work out at the gym or visit the spa. This is a wonderful way to promote health and wellness at your hotel, even if you don’t have the on-site facilities.
Work with local restaurants or cafes
If you have an on-site restaurant, you may invite a local chef to create a special tasting menu or host cooking classes. Another idea is to create a signature small plate featured on your menu.
Food is a fabulous way to connect with diverse audiences because it generates an emotional appeal that often influences guest behavior. Finding ways to partner with local restaurants, cafes, chefs, and bakers can greatly complement your offer.
Conclusion
Partnerships are crucial to a successful hotel business – they're all about building relationships that help you stand out from competitors. Remember, you can create long-lasting partnerships with local stakeholders by tapping into the shared resources. This approach drives co-creation and out-of-the-box thinking, which can transform your brand into more than just a hotel.
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