What Major Hotel Chains Can Learn from Hostels In Crisis

One of the businesses worst hit by the epidemic was hospitality and tourism. When Covid-19 shut down everything, hotels, aeroplanes, and tourism, in general, suffered a huge impact. As the globe slowly returns to normalcy, the hotel industry is working harder than ever to keep its company going.

Surprisingly, hostels were more prepared than most hotels for this unanticipated transition. Why? Because most hostels were already operating in the manner of hotels, they were forced to begin operating in this “new normal”.

The seismic upheaval that hotels have experienced in the last two years occurred in hostels years before. Employing a smaller, multi-functional staff, diversifying revenue streams, and emphasising the social side of travel are just a few of the tactic’s hostels have used with tremendous success for decades.

Here are a few Tactics Hotels can learn from Hostels:

Employ Multipurpose Employees:

The Hotel sector is highly fragmented, like front desk personnel often exclusively work at the front desk. While major businesses focused on simplifying their personnel, hostels focused on developing a team that could do numerous duties.

Hostels are well-known for having personnel that work across many departments. Everyone at the front of the house is multi-trained and capable of doing all tasks. Increased flexibility at the front and back of the house helps satisfy demand without adding additional workers.

Being Customer-Centric:

Before Covid-19, consumers were frequently dissatisfied with hotels and airlines. Because the services were critical, visitors and travellers were held captive to the most rigid and harsh regulations of the major hotel brands.

As the epidemic altered the travel scene, many companies were obliged to soften their policies. With standards and procedures, most hostels are quite customer-centric. As hotels learn what it’s like to work for every client, they’re realising that flexibility is now a must, something hostels have always known.

Make a Social Ambience:

Hostels have always been about “experience”. Hostels have done a fantastic job of developing communal and social areas where tourists from all over the world may congregate.

Creating a social environment is critical for hostels, and hotels should do the same. To cultivate a more social vibe, some hotels have added coffee shops or self-service bars to their lobbies; others have established welcoming shared living areas. While this strategy isn’t for everyone, it does appeal to young travellers.

Create a staff that is engaged and welcoming:

Hiring employees who understand the idea of customer service is a no-brainer, as the epidemic has highlighted this is a problem in major hotel chains daily. Customers want to be welcomed by engaging and cheerful faces, and their tolerance for rude or disrespectful service is dwindling. Hostels are noted for having family-like culture, which begins with the workers.