A successful Valentine’s day experience

Many elements can be considered, such as creating packages and special offers marketed for couples, offering welcome gifts in your rooms upon arrival and/or putting together a special romantic dinner menu. All these ideas will help you market your hotel and allow your clients to remember their stay as a magical and memorable moment, and for your hotel to become their ultimate romantic destination.

Couples packages

When the atmosphere of Valentine’s day starts to take over, it is time for you to upload all your Valentine’s day special offers and display your couples packages. 

As this is a celebration of love, take this opportunity to be loved by your clients by offering them special packages such as ones with a complimentary breakfast in their room or a complimentary spa treatment. This is also the opportunity to include in your packages some of your own outdoor activities or to establish a partnership with local businesses offering activities which highlight the area. These all-inclusive packages are usually very much appreciated by couples, as they then have nothing to plan themselves. They can thus enjoy their stay and relax without worrying about what to do.

You may also want to establish a discount theme which relies on the number two, to emphasize couples, such as a discount on the second night rate, on the second bottle of wine, on the second spa treatment, etc… It is especially important on Valentine’s day to make the whole booking process accessible and pleasant. You need to consider the fact that many couples will want to book their Valentine’s day getaway together. You therefore need your offers to be clear and attractive and for your booking platforms to be working efficiently. A booking platform connected to your PMS System will be vital for this period of the year. There will be very few no-shows during this period, and this period also comes with a high risk of overbooking considering the significant number of people wanting a romantic getaway. The packages you are offering must be available to book online directly from your website. The couples need to be able to easily see which rooms are available, the offered rate and additional offers you have for you to be in their final choice. If you do not do so, you will then mostly rely on last minute bookings, as all your competition will already be fully booked. The people who still want to celebrate Valentine’s day will then turn to you and when they do, you can use your yield management module to lower your rates to guarantee at least a few bookings.

This day of celebration is also the time where people tend to spoil themselves and spend more. Make sure that you have an efficient upgrade policy, whether using your booking platform or offering upgrades upon your client’s arrival, when you still have some superior rooms available. It is also the time to highlight all the services your hotel offers: have an upsell strategy which will allow you to maximize your revenue by increasing your REVPAR. Your restaurant, your spa and the activities you offer must be promoted during this period. You must also mention that they can request a bottle of wine or cocktails, gourmet meals or a basket full of candles and massage oils to be brought to their room. These are some examples amongst others which can help boost your REVPAR. Keep in mind that your clients are at your hotel to connect with each other and make unforgettable memories together. By having efficient strategies, you will be able to see a significant improvement in your REVPAR on your PMS System and thus notice a progression compared to the previous year.

Personalized experience and welcome packages upon arrival

To show your clients that they can count on you and that they mean more to you than just a booking number, have a look at the data collected by your PMS System. The distribution of this data with your staff eases communication and coordination of tasks in order for your clients to get the best possible service. For example, if your client had called you to book and mentioned he would be staying with his wife celebrating their 15th Valentine’s day together, you could put this data into your PMS System and upon their arrival and give them a chocolate wishing them a happy 15th Valentine’s day. These little details matter and show your client you really care about the quality of the service you offer them.

This data inputted into your PMS system can allow you to stand out from your competition and ensure you client feels at ease and special.

Another way to boost your client’s satisfaction and your name in general is by offering gifts in the rooms booked via your special Valentine’s day packages. These little touches are always pleasant and help your clients to remember their stay with you as a magical getaway. It does not need to be complicated: bring a fruit platter with some chocolate to their room, offer a small discount when they order a wine bottle or simply offer them a rose upon their arrival.

Special Valentine’s day menu

Your hotel has a restaurant? It might be worth creating a special menu celebrating Valentine’s day. You can set up a table d’hôte menu available exclusively on this night or serve a chocolate dessert which is not usually on the menu. If you have high occupancy but limited space in your restaurant, you could offer your clients to bring a dessert to their room so they can enjoy their evening peacefully and deliciously. They will definitely enjoy this offer and you will be able to free some table very quickly. This will allow you to welcome other clients and maximize your revenue while leaving your clientele satisfied. 

Another way to personalize your restaurant’s menu on Valentine’s day is to include a complementary drink in the menu in order to encourage your clients to order another drink or a whole bottle. By promoting these packages and add-ons on your website, you allow your clients to pick you over your competition when they realize that you have everything they could wish for.

Do not forget to pay special attention when it comes to your restaurant’s ambiance on this special day. You might want to play some soft and romantic music, dim the lights for the evening, light some candles on the tables… This is because, as you are certainly aware, the atmosphere plays a role just as important as the meal itself when it comes to these special celebrations. If your restaurant offers lunch or brunch, you could slightly modify your presentation by highlighting this celebration of love by cutting strawberries in heart shapes for example. It is a simple gesture but it goes a long way and will definitely be picked up by your clients.

Valentine’s day represents a time of enormous spending during a short period. It is then key to maximize your revenue from each client as this period is prone to being very busy and will trigger a lot of spending.  It is time for you to establish good upgrade, upsell and yield management strategies in order for all your performance indicators to improve compared to your previous years.