Learning from Airbnb
As the growth of Airbnb shows, the human touch can make a significant difference in the hospitality industry. Some of Hong Kong’s hotel chains are beginning to rethink their sales strategy to win over some of the tourist traffic now streaming to Airbnb-listed accommodations.
Ovolo Hotels, a chain headquartered in Hong Kong, runs five lifestyle hotels in town. The group has been trying to introduce fresh ideas to design a customized travel guide. Their Silver Egg blog is meant to help guests feel fully immersed in the Hong Kong experience.
“Airbnb has the power to force the traditional lodging industry to reevaluate its approach to hospitality, and provide Hong Kong experiences instead of just standard lodging,” said Tim Alpe, general manager for Ovolo Southside, and director of sales and revenue for the Ovolo Group.
Boutique hotels, which put design, style, and service, high on their business agenda, have long sought to provide a chic, home-away-from-home feel to lure frisky young travelers, or whoever is less loyal to the conventional hotel model. J Plus Hotel by Yoo, Hong Kong’s first boutique hotel, which targets style-conscious customers, is among them.
Having noted that millennials opt to spend more time socializing, or even working, in a shared space, than in their rooms, the hotel arranges nightly social events, with a free flow of wine served in the lobby. The idea is to provide a venue for guests to “mingle” with each other, said Vivian Chau, general manager of J Plus.
Chau also encourages the staff to interact with customers on a more casual, less rehearsed, basis. Each room is given a smartphone at no extra cost. Guests lost for directions while exploring the city, are welcome to call up the hotel and ask for tips to get around. The hotel staff at the other end responds instantly, “just like friends will do,” says Chau.
“We don’t merely provide a space,” says Chau. “There’s a heartfelt passion to create a full experience, packed with personal touches, to give our guests an experience they won’t easily forget.”