It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go, and what a busy season for the hospitality industry, with parties, family visits and early Christmas presents – not such a silent night after all! What better time to capture the festive spirit? We take a look at some ideas to get guests rockin’ around the chistmas tree. After all, we understand that you work hard to make the season special. Last Christmas you gave them your heart; with our advice, they won’t give it away.
Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Commit to your Christmas theme. Emulating South Place Hotel's remarkable Game of Thrones theme might be a big ask, but there are lots of smaller touches you can add to make things cosy and traditional. May your days be merry and bright with wood fires, carol singing, mulled wine, mince pies and rum-soaked Christmas pudding elevate a nice hotel break to a truly memorable Christmas experience. If your guests attend midnight mass, lay on transport (ideally reindeer – we love Rosewood’s modern sleigh idea!) and have a warm mug of cocoa and a mince pie ready for their return. Going out of your way to make sure your guests can enjoy a magical Christmas experience will ensure your own Christmas gifts are repeat bookings and glowing online reviews.
On the first day of Christmas, my hotel gave to me…
The internet is awash with hotels offering deals on Christmas parties, but a lot of the ones we’ve seen appear to have a limited selection of added treats. While we understand it’s helpful to keep offers simple, remember that few can resist treating themselves and loved ones at Christmas. The right extras will help you up-sell your offering while also allowing guests to tailor their own experience.
Do they know it’s Christmas?
Party-planners work hard in the run up to Christmas. Be on hand to offer advice and support, maybe even offer them a gift such as a hamper or voucher as reward. We like that Vale Hotel are bringing joy to the world with discounted rooms for party-goers. However, December is always a busy month, so follow in the snowprints of Hilton and Millenium and encourage bookers to extend the party season into the new year: party-planners may be open to laying on a post-Christmas event to banish the January blues.
I saw Mummy kissing Santa Clause
Remember not being able to sleep the night before Christmas? Christmas is magical for children and they’re likely to have the most polarised reactions. While Mum and Dad might welcome a peaceful spa day, a huge amount still hinges on children’s excitement; and seeing their faces light up will cheer all your guests. Maybe you can’t let it snow, but there are many ways to bring Christmas magic to your hotel. These can be as simple as Christmas-themed colouring, games and puzzles, small gifts and stockings, stories on Christmas Eve, gingerbread, candy canes and for the adults, mistletoe and wine. If you can throw in a husky ride, candle-lit carols in the forest, perhaps even Santa Clause coming to town, you’ll make this Christmas unforgettable.
Deck the (online) halls
The magic of Christmas day is the ideal opportunity to cast your spell on potential last-minute bookers. With this in mind, you should check out our special Christmas tease: a free month trial of our Enchantment Messaging. As your guest moves to leave your website, Enchantment Messaging tailored to your guest encourages them to stick around and complete their booking by showing off your special offers. Christmas is all about giving: our gift to you are direct bookings.
Interested in Enchantment Messaging or any of our other services? Get in touch so we can wish you a merry Christmas!
