With the culture of discount deals, coupons and special offers, sometimes it can be difficult to find a unique angle or offer something special without hacking great chunks out of your weekly rate. But there are ways to offer added value without making great concessions on your price. We’ve compiled our Top 5
1. No hidden extras: In light of the consumer backlash against low-cost airlines, transparent pricing is essential and we’re finding more guests prefer a simple, complete price. Can you build any cleaning or linen fees into your weekly price? This also gives you a selling point to advertise in the form of “no hidden extras”.
2. “Free meal with every full week booking”: Could you do a deal with a local restaurant or eatery for some meal vouchers? You may be able to negotiate a discounted rate with them for their quieter weeknights (Mon-Thurs) and could build this cost into your weekly rate. Guests will love having one less meal to think about (or pay for!) as expenses for their holiday mount up.
3. “Free peace and quiet with every booking”: Yes, this is a bit of an advertising line – but it’s well known that consumers love the word “Free”. A large part of their holiday planning is about aspirations – space, peace and quiet, and fresh air all feature strongly on most people’s wants list for a holiday break. If you are in the business of offering city breaks then obviously, an alternative like “Free city buzz”.
4. “Book 6 nights, get the 7th Free”: Many self-caterers charge the same rate for 6 nights as for a full week – this is a great chance to offer something “free” without hurting your bottom line. A marketing spin simply highlights the saving they are making.
5. Welcome Pack: It’s almost a given that you will include some kind of welcome pack, hopefully with lots of nice local touches. But can you put some value added element into that too? If you are able to secure bulk discounts with local attractions you could include discount vouchers. Add up the total saving for your typical guest party size and use this as a marketing tool. “Welcome pack includes vouchers for local attractions worth £250 to a family of four” – this can really help reduce the cost of the overall holiday for families who may be on a budget and may be enough to swing the booking in your favour.
So, those are our Top 5 ways to add value… what are yours?
