5 tips for unlocking hotel excellence

Attracting and retaining skilled staff remains a challenge in the hospitality industry. High turnover rates impact the hospitality sector, with 79% of U.S. hotels currently struggling with staffing shortages. Here’s how hoteliers can navigate through the recruitment challenges: 

• Support operational teams with communication and collaboration 

• Engage with the local community 

• Cultivate a positive work environment 

Regarding operational team success, Mairead stated, “The more efficiently hoteliers can work, the more we can remove obstacles that hinder them from doing their jobs well, resulting in a better labor situation for everyone.” Communication and collaboration are essential for hospitality operational teams to thrive. This can be seamlessly done with the support of automation tools such as a task management system. Sabre Hospitality’s task management and guest engagement product, Nuvola, enables hospitality staff to communicate effectively between front-of-house and back-of-house departments. It is also available in multiple languages, helping to break down language barriers across the team.

Starting with the local community is a strategic approach to attracting talent. By actively participating in local events and initiatives, your hotel can create connections and build a reputation within the community. But it doesn’t stop there. Engaging with the younger generation, whether through internships, educational partnerships, or university recruiting, provides an excellent opportunity to scout and attract fresh talent.

92% of workers believe cultivating a positive work environment is essential. It begins with a deep understanding of each staff member’s role within the business. When everyone knows their part and feels valued, it contributes to a harmonious workplace. Improving communication is equally crucial. Bringing staff together, whether through regular meetings or collaborative platforms, fosters teamwork and ensures that everyone is on the same page.

And here’s how task management truly shines: hoteliers gain insights into team performance. With tangible data at their fingertips, they can identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions. This not only enhances operational excellence but also empowers ownership to understand the business at a higher level. It also gives leaders the data to recognize staff for their contributions.

Despite it being 2024, some hotels still manage on-property operations with conventional and outdated systems. But there’s a better way- task management software- something that doesn’t depend on your radio being charged or the front desk noticing the request on the sticky note. Work with a task management solution that supports communication across devices for easy updates from mobile devices while staff moves around the property. Task management tools send alerts when a new task is assigned to your team, plus they enable you to schedule and track regular activities like cleaning the bathrooms by the pool, watering the plants in the lobby, and doing preventative maintenance on AC units to ensure unit longevity. In a customer survey we conducted last year, 80% of respondents said Nuvola allows them to take action and track requests more easily than if they were written on paper.  

If a guest asks the front desk for extra pillows, the front desk can alert the housekeeping team or even assign it to a specific housekeeper who covers that floor. Other technologies like virtual keycards and touchless check-in can also elevate hotel guests’ experiences by allowing them to use their mobile devices throughout their stay conveniently and, ultimately, making their stay more secure. 

In today’s diverse workforce, generational differences impact communication styles. Gen Z, for instance, prefers texting over phone calls. So, having a task management system with a staff application may be preferable for young staff members. Once you decide to use a task management solution on property, it’s important to select one that is user-friendly and designed with the user experience in mind. You want something your staff can learn quickly and will use!

In our customer survey last year, 91% of respondents agreed that Nuvola is easy to use, saying things like “practical, useful, and nice looking” and “It is very efficient and helpful and covers a range of requests.”

Whether updating housekeeping status or addressing guest requests, this intuitive platform ensures efficient communication without disrupting workflow. When staff uses a task management system, fewer complaints arise, and the team feels empowered because they have the information they need to do their job and delight guests. Real-time updates, escalations, and reporting empower General Managers to stay informed and maintain exceptional service standards.

As guest expectations shift in the evolving market, Mairead and Tatiana stated that guests have “higher expectations.” With these expectations, guests are looking for more personalized service and guest experiences that surprise and delight. Tatiana suggested that hoteliers should empower staff to be proactive and anticipate guests’ needs before problems arise. Adding a note to the guest profile can significantly enhance the guest experience.

For instance, Tatiana highlighted that when a specific guest frequents the hotel, the expectation is that hoteliers should automatically provide an extra pillow without the guest needing to request it. Knowing your guest and their preferences, such as adding extra hotel towels, is what could set you apart from a competing franchise. As Tatiana said, “Without technology, anticipating expectations is virtually impossible.”

To maintain a competitive edge in today’s market, responding when a guest doesn’t have a great experience is important. If a guest has already completed their stay and is sharing their negative experience in an online review, it’s necessary to respond. If they approach your team with an issue during their stay, ensure they are coached on handling these interactions with sincerity and empathy. Even better than reacting to a guest issue is getting ahead of it and trying to establish processes to reduce common issues. Having a task management system can help you do that! You can track common issues and assign recurring tasks to the right to prevent those from happening. Nuvola offers a Glitch module that makes monitoring guest incidents easy and issuing room discounts, food & beverage discounts, or other compensation to make the situation right. Plus, this visibility ensures the guest doesn’t go to multiple staff members to receive separate compensation from all of them!

Unlock hotel excellence with Nuvola

• Attract and retain skilled workers to elevate your hotel
• Embrace innovative technologies with Nuvola
• Ensure the technology you select is user-friendly
• Stay prepared by anticipating guest needs
• Ease crisis management with an effective task management system
• Learn more about Nuvola and how this product can help hoteliers accomplish what their business demands

Written by Aariah Doggett