We provide consultancy services in the following areas of business.

Marketing Plans

We will engage in a review of your current marketing plan and then formulate, develop and agree a revised plan with you and your team. The marketing plan can cover either the entire business or any one sector, for example the restaurant or weddings.

Development of Sales Strategies

After a short period to analyse your current sales processes we will formulate a sales strategy for any part of or the entire business. This can include the implementation of the agreed strategy and future monitoring.

Sales representation

We can arrange to conduct sales calls to local businesses or representation to hotel booking agents either on an ad hoc or contract basis. As a previous Chairman of the Hotel Booking Agents Association (HBAA) hotel partners Robert Smith can provide a unique insight into how independent hotels can acheive the best possible working relationships with hotel booking agents.

 Internet & Global Distribution Systems (GDS)

We can review your current internet and GDS distribution strategy and highlight areas which could increase revenue or if you don't have a current strategy then we can develop, agree and implement one for you. This will include things such as rate segmentation, selling via your website, GDS marketing campaigns, review with your GDS provider etc.

Your own website should be your most effective and lowest cost distribution tool you have. We will analyse your current website, it's positioning and effectiveness & work to increase your bookings through your own website as well as reviewing your relationship with any 3rd party websites such as Laterooms.com or ActiveHotels and offer practical and effective solutions to streamline your bookings and reduce commission costs.   

Hotel Website Design and Optimisation

Experience has shown us how important a well designed, fully optimised and functional website is to any hotel. We will work with your web designers, or can recommend ones we have worked with, to ensure that not only is it well designed but that the website is optimised to market your business and produce sales. Our experience is that a good website designer working with a hotel sales & marketing expert produces a far better overall website and one from which returns are far greater.

Internet Marketing Strategy

How many websites do you pay to feature your hotel? Do you know if they produce any real business or are they just a part of your general awareness advertising? Do you refuse to advertise and then question whether or not you should have?        The sheer number of different websites offering to feature your business is mind boggling but we can help to sort the effective ones from the poor ones. We can either perform this for you on an ongoing basis or can train someone in your marketing team how to analyse websites and in a matter of minutes form an opinion as to whether or not you should consider advertising on the website.

Cost effective concept design and production of printed collateral

Not many hotels an afford graphic designers and yet we all want our print collateral to reflect our business in the best possible way. In the last few years we have managed to save many thousands of pounds on print and design by using one of a few self employed designers (no big overheads) and sourcing the print using print management companies. We can manage this service for you on an ad hoc per job basis and after discussing your brief we will present you with a full costing prior to proceeding.

Competitor analysis

How much do you know about your competitors? The services they offer, the prices, the distribution channels they use. We can conduct a full competitor analysis on all or any part fo your business and produce a full report which will help you to plan your future business strategy.

Exhibition planning and representation

If you need to exhibit at an exhibition but don't have the staff or the time to plan or arrange your stand then we can do that for you. We can even arrange to manage your stand during the exhibition and personally represent your hotel.

Operational Management Reviews

We offer comprehensive managemnt reviews where we will spend time in your business, speaking to your staff, customers, booking agents and third parties to ascertain their opinions of your hotel, review the levels of profitability and the effectiveness of the mangement team. Think of it as an MOT for your hotel. A full report will be prepared together with suggestions as to what changes could be made to help the business to grow and develop.

Cost Analysis and purchase agreement negotiation

We are very experienced at buying everything used in a hotel operation and can conduct a full cost analysis and if required will even negotiate and if acceptable to yourself set up new purchasing agrements.

The services listed above are not exhaustive and we would be delighted to discuss any business opportunities. Please contact Robert Smith at your earliest convenience for a confidential chat.