Why Should Hotels Form Partnerships?

Partnerships can benefit businesses in all sectors and they are especially important in the hospitality sector. At Welcome Pickups, we know this all too well. We have partnered with countless hotels and offer them a service that benefits everyone—a win-win that clients and hotels can appreciate.

We’re not alone in this, either.

Hotels have been known to partner with skincare and beauty brands to provide quality products that guests can appreciate. They also partner with local tour companies, restaurants, takeaways, and other businesses that can benefit from a steady stream of visitors.

But is a partnership right for your brand and what sort of benefits can you expect?

It Could Help You Increase Occupancy

Guests want a seamless and hassle-free experience. Forming strategic partnerships with the right service providers can allow you to offer them just that. From the moment they land at the local airport, to the moment they board their flight home they can have a holistic end-to-end hospitality experience. This could start with their transfer to your hotel, the service they receive on the grounds, the tours you suggest to them, or great experiences they have going to places you recommend.

When you make life easier for your guests, they will recommend your business to their peers, or even better return themselves. 

It Will Assist With Operations

Operational efficiency is key to any successful business and hotels are no exception. By establishing a partnership with a trusted, innovative partner, you could improve your operations and see benefits in all areas of your business.

At Welcome Pickups, for instance, we provide your guests with a personalised transfer page they can use to book and pay online. We then send them notifications regarding their pickup and ensure they get to where they need to go.

We’ll give you the flight number and provide live transfer tracking, giving you real-time updates on your guest’s location, thus expediting the check-in process. 

It Can Enhance The Customer Experience

By working with innovative and synergistic partners, you can improve the overall customer experience, going beyond the traditional aspects of providing great hospitality at your hotel, including clean rooms, soft bedding, and great food.

When it comes to providing airport transfers and other specialised services, you need someone else to step in and take the stress off the guest’s mind and the operational burden off your shoulders.

You focus on doing what you do best, your partner does the same, and your customers will have an excellent experience.

You Can Boost Revenue Through Upsells

As a hotel, you can provide your guests with room upgrades, minibar items, drinks at the bar, and food at the restaurant. All of these upsells will boost your earnings, but if you find the right partner, you can add many more.

At Welcome Pickups, for instance, we deal with transfers and pickups and offer our partners a commission for all of them. Other partnerships offer various other upsells and benefits, such as a local restaurant that gives you a fixed sum for every leaflet you give to your guests or a commission for every referral you make.

What Should You Look For In A Partner?

In the business world, it’s easy to see things from the perspective of “us vs them”. But the most successful businesses form synergistic relationships, working together for the greater good, and that’s especially true in the hospitality industry.

It’s less, “us vs them” and more “us and them”.

But finding the right partner isn’t easy, so what should you be looking for in a partner?

1. A Partner That’s On Your Level

Your chosen partner should be a perfect match, one that reflects your ideologies, understands your goals, and is on the same level. Your goals need to align, and it should be clear what’s expected of you and your partnership and how it can benefit your customers.

There’s nothing wrong with affordable luxury, just as there’s nothing wrong with adding a touch of class to a discount service, but a good partnership should be so harmonious and seamless that customers barely notice they’re working with two companies.

It’s about consistency, as that’s what makes the customer comfortable and guarantees the sort of experience they seek.

2. A Partner That Adds Value

A good partner is one that adds value, whether because it fills your coffers or takes some of your burdens away.

At Welcome Pickups, for instance, we provide a pick-up service for hotel customers and make life easier for our hotel clients. But that’s not all, as our partners can also earn a commission and there are many opportunities for upselling.

The end result is increased income, more streamlined operations, and improved loyalty options. They benefit, their clients benefit, and our business keeps ticking along as well. 

It’s a win-win—just like every good partnership should be!

3. A Partner With a Good Reputation

Always check the reputation of your prospective partner and make sure they place customer satisfaction at the very top of their list of priorities. You’re in a customer-centric business, after all, so you need to put your customers’ opinions first. Their experience reflects on you, and that’s true whether they have a positive experience with you or a negative one with your partner.

To a customer, you are two sides of the same coin and will be treated accordingly. It’s important to work with a company that matches your own reputation and allows you both to grow together.

 4. Easy Integration

 How easy can you integrate your partner’s services and solutions into your business? Do you have to change everything and force that square peg into a round hole or is the process seamless? It doesn’t matter how beneficial the partnership seems, if it’s not meant to be, it’s time to look elsewhere.

 Partner With Welcome Pickups

Partnerships are give and take. You benefit your partner; they benefit you. These benefits can be felt across all areas of your business, from customer satisfaction to operations and data collection.

For a partner that helps you increase operational success, improve customer experience, and enjoy greater occupancy rates, look no further than Welcome Pickups. We have a stellar reputation, provide a dedicated service, and offer a range of benefits for our clients.

Watch a demo to learn more about the work that we do or sign up today.