The cottage and Bed and Breakfast today
27 Sep, 2019
How to have a prosperous establishment with a guaranteed future?
If we go back 6 years, the market for gites and guest rooms was not so complex. The rise of E-tourism players such as Airbnb, Tripadvisor or Booking has multiplied the offer.
At that time the 3 key decisions to enter the market of gîtes or B&Bs were:
- Find an attractive geographical area
- Buying or owning a beautiful property
- Have a distinct and clear positioning (upscale, rural, …)
But unfortunately, although these tips are still relevant today, they alone no longer ensure the success and prosperity of an institution.
Today the point to be validated before starting are:
- Find a geographic location where you can be competitive. The main customer selection tool remains price. Don’t choose a region where prices are “soaring”. Attractiveness is no longer enough nowadays, you have to be competitive. Your location must also be easily accessible and have added value. This one can make a difference.
- Having a distinct positioning remains a must, but we must go further. Aim for a different positioning. Example: Life in a yurt. Offer them a different lifestyle, a different experience.
- Make service a major asset. You know that in the hotel business, that’s the key word. For a large number of travelers this applies today just as much to gîtes and guest rooms. You must therefore be irreproachable in the service and the experience you offer your guests.
- Have a concrete marketing and sales strategy. As with service, sales and marketing strategies are no longer terms reserved only for hotels. You have to think about the project in terms of figures, evolution and strategy. Get informed, study the competition and position yourself!
- Like all sectors that are highly competitive and constantly evolving, it is necessary to create an institution that will be able to evolve over time and be sustainable.
Validating all these points will allow you to have a quality establishment that will last, but be aware that there is a method of success but not a successful product.
So don’t worry, when asked the question: “What future for gîtes and B&Bs” or more incisively: “Do gîtes / B&Bs have a future? “The answer is YES, as these accommodations continue to meet travellers’ expectations despite strong competition. But it must therefore clearly renew and modernise itself while keeping the spirit of the “home” where the owner is the ambassador of his place and his territory, providing a real experience for his guest…
27 Sep, 2019
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