Hotels typically do not run full occupancy daily. A unified strategy between the housekeeping department and the front office can stratify which guestrooms should be placed in service and assigned during slack periods. Here’s why:
Economy and efficiency. During periods of low occupancy, reducing the number of floors or wings that will house guests will cut back on heat or air conditioning use and common-area cleaning. This will also likely reduce travel between locations for room attendants, enabling them to put more rooms back into salable inventory faster.
Guest comfort. When assigning rooms for common floors and wings during lower-occupancy periods, avoid placing guests in adjacent rooms, unless requested to do so. This will help alleviate noise complaints. Skip every other room and diagonally stagger cross-hall room assignments. Do not assign guestrooms near elevators or ice and vending machines, if possible.
Delay the inevitable PIP. To remain competitive and to generate higher guest satisfaction, many hotel brands will require a franchisee to complete a property improvement plan (PIP) on a periodic basis. While these refurbishments are inevitable and expensive, the timing and extent of a PIP can often be negotiated. To place themselves in a better position to negotiate, hoteliers must keep their property in a highly serviceable condition and avoid excessive wear and tear. Implement a rotation plan when assigning hotel rooms to guests so that all guestrooms and suites are utilized to an equivalent amount. This will help delay wear patterns on carpets and the inevitable replacement of soft goods, case goods, and other guestroom furnishings. It will also help sustain guest satisfaction. In the long run, maintaining physical assets is less expensive and preferable to replacing them.
