It goes without saying that, businesses today are competitive. This has never been truer than it is today in the lodging industry. In large cities, there may be as many as 20 hotels in a 1 square mile area. On Miami Beach, for example, there are so many hotels that if you walk down Collins Avenue, you are in front of a new hotel with every 60 paces you walk. On the other hand, if you’re in one small town in north western Wisconsin, there is one 2-story hotel that effectively serves a 100-mile radius. Every hotel makes the most of its budget and amenities in the hopes of pleasing their guests and maintaining or increasing their occupancy rates.
Hotels with exceptional competition go above and beyond the expected amenities and hotel supplies to please their guests and earn their repeat business. What might distinguish one hotel from another in some areas of the country may not in large, hotel heavy cities or other areas with many hotels concentrated in one area, hotels must distinguish themselves from their competition in other areas. For example, some hotels will offer more hotel supplies such as a complimentary snack bar, a laundry bag or slippers while others provide complimentary toiletries daily and glass drinking glasses. As they are competing with many hotels in a small area to earn your business and maintain their occupancy rates, offering new or different hotel supplies is one way to get ahead of the competition.
Many lodges are in a unique position in that they have little or no competition. When they’re making decisions about which hotel supplies to purchase or offer, they’re only hoping to please their guests. Generally speaking hotel chains build in the middle of nowhere, in small towns or in obscure places because there’s a need or demand. The lack of competition allows them to customize hotel supplies because they’re not forced to offer the same hotel supplies as the competition. Complimentary toiletries, absorbent bath mats and towels, heavy duty luggage racks and quality coffee pots, cups and coffee are all wonderful, appreciated hotel supplies and amenities. In the end, even if hotels have a monopoly on a geographic area, the core principle of every hotel is the same: make every guest happy.
Between hotels in super-saturated and motels in remote areas lie the rest of the inns in the country. Most of these are budget hotels and motels which offer a variety of amenities including the basics like irons, in room coffee service and information binders. In addition to the standard amenities and hotel supplies, many of these hotels offer hair dryers, bowed shower curtain rods, breathable shower curtains and, in many cases, small seating areas. Work areas, free Wi-Fi or Ethernet, microwaves and mini-refrigerators are among the extra hotel supplies many hotels include as amenities. Of course the intention with these hotels is to balance their budgetary constraints with guest needs while remaining competitive.
Hotels, motels and motor inns, regardless of where they’re located or who their guests might be, share many commonalities, guest needs and amenities among them. Members of the traveling public expect to find certain basics no matter where they stay and most hotel managers realize this so they offer extra hotel supplies in addition to basic amenities in hopes of attracting and retaining guest business. Location is irrelevant if hotel supplies are geared toward satisfying guests.
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