The undisputed leaders among premises in which it is possible to organize a mini-hotel remain private houses. Many owners of suburban real estate and residential premises located in the private sectors of cities see prospects in organizing their small business in the service sector.
But before opening a mini-hotel in a private house, it is necessary to fulfill several legal requirements, the first of which is to register an individual entrepreneurship (if the business owner is one person) or an LLC (if the hotel is managed by several partners).
It should be noted that full-fledged management of the hotel business without the appropriate status is impossible - it will not be a hotel, but the rental of rooms, so legal registration of the business is necessary.
Why is a private house better than an apartment in a high-rise building?
There are several very important nuances, testifying in favor of a mini-hotel located in a private house:
- The presence of a garden area where you can arrange gazebos, a swimming pool, a children's playground, parking, and additional premises.
- The absence of neighbors below who can make claims to the owner of the newly created hotel (according to legal requirements, organize mini-hotels in apartment buildings possible only on the ground floor or above non-residential premises - shops, offices, etc.).
- The opportunity to turn into a hotel not only a building specially designed for this purpose, but also the house in which the owners currently live.
Having several free rooms is already a great start for realizing the idea of your own mini-hotel.
Categories of guests for a hotel in a private house
When thinking about how to open a mini-hotel in a private house, the owner should first decide what category of clients will be interested in it, and what level of comfort of the rooms needs to be created.
If the house is located in an area of historical value, you should expect tourist guests for whom the comfort of the rooms is not so much important as the possibility of convenient transportation.
If this is an area with a well-developed business infrastructure, then the guests will be participants in various seminars and businessmen. The rooms for these two categories of guests are slightly different:
- in the first case, one-room economy class rooms with standard set furniture;
- in the second there are two-room deluxe rooms.
It is necessary to provide rooms with different levels comfort, as well as designed for stay married couples with children, newlyweds and single people.
Next door to the owners
A hotel in a private house provides accommodation for the owners, which is called behind the wall. To ensure that the neighborhood does not cause discomfort for either the hotel owner or his guests, it is necessary to isolate the residential part of the house from the hotel part.
Separating zones in a one-story house will be somewhat problematic, but if desired, this can be done if you involve an experienced architect and competently organize the redevelopment.
A three-story building is ideal for accommodating a certain number of guests and hosts. If there are several floors, the question: how to open a mini-hotel in a private house, the answer is immediately found - the first and second levels will be occupied by the reception, lobby, kitchen with dining room and living area, and the third - by hotel rooms.
To divide a one-story house, you can use a system of separate entrances from different sides of the building.
It is quite possible to arrange up to 20 hotel rooms in a three-story building, and from 5 to 7 in a one-story building.
Catering
An important point in organizing a hotel business in a private home remains the organization of meals for guests: both a full three meals a day and provision of light snacks for guests have the right to exist.
With a full-fledged food system, the hotel owner must take care of the availability of professional kitchen equipment and the presence of a qualified chef. In addition, the project must necessarily provide for the arrangement of pantries and food preparation workshops, the purchase of refrigeration and freezer compartments.
It is much easier for hotel owners who offer guests only snacks. Food storage is provided by ordinary household refrigerators, and technological processes their preparations are kept to a minimum.
However, the owners of hotels in private houses are such friendly and hospitable people that they often pamper their guests with homemade cakes or original home-cooked dishes.
It must be admitted that development tourism sector entails a number of positive consequences, one of which is the need for temporary housing. And in this trend lies hidden opportunities for active entrepreneurs. The question of how to open a hotel from scratch is distinguished by its apparent simplicity: we have all stayed in establishments of this kind at least once in our lives, and therefore we are sure that we understand the essence of the idea. But few people suspect that there are more pitfalls here than in any other line of business.
Legal aspect
Opening a hotel in our country does not involve obtaining a license, but you will still have to comply with some formalities. Licensing of activities will be required only if the hotel is planned to sell alcoholic beverages.
Business registration may have . If we have to talk about on a large scale, then it’s still better to immediately think about LLC.
Coordination of activities in the presence of ready-made premises will have to be carried out with the following authorities:
- Fire Service;
- Rospotrebnadzor (if shops and catering outlets open in the hotel).
In this case, the size of the establishment does not matter. To expand the circle of clients, it is recommended to undergo certification of certain types of services that will additionally be provided at the hotel.
Choosing a format
At the planning stage, the main thing is to decide on the format of the establishment. A mini-hotel will be the most suitable option for beginners in business. These hotels include those whose number of beds does not exceed 50.
Among them:
- apartment-type hotels - no more than 10 rooms not removed from the housing stock;
- mini-hotels – 10-20 rooms;
- small hotels in separate buildings - 50 rooms.
- low-budget student hostel;
- economy class hotel;
- comfortable business hotel;
- apart-hotel.
More and more often lately you can find the so-called apartment type of hotel. However, it can easily be classified as a “gray” business, since proper registration this type does not receive entrepreneurship.
The process goes like this:
- Several neighboring apartments are being purchased.
- Repairs are being made, furniture is being purchased.
- Visitors are moving in.
Such apartments are usually rented on a daily basis. But despite all the apparent simplicity, this form of business organization has more disadvantages than advantages. The main one is the desire of city guests to behave differently than at home. That is, noisy, on a grand scale, without taking into account the interests of the neighbors. The latter, in turn, do not skimp on complaints to the relevant authorities, which threatens the businessman with nothing but problems.
In addition, you always have to search for clients on your own, since there is a chance to meet with tax representatives if you post. And such a segment as business travelers immediately disappears, since they need checks for reporting.
Selecting a room
So, the question of where to open a mini-hotel remains the most difficult for an entrepreneur. The best option There will be premises in business districts of the city, in historical centers. If you have no plans to reach the luxury level, then optimal choice There will be buildings near train stations, metro stations, transport interchanges, and along highways.
An additional advantage will be beautiful landscape outside the window and a separate entrance. The latter is especially important if your establishment is not located in a separate building.
There can be three options for owning the premises:
- rent;
- build;
- redeem.
It is at this stage that many are scared off by this direction, since the question of serious capital investment arises. Renting rooms is not the best option, since the owner can always change and decide to use the building for other purposes. Then your business will simply end up on the street.
Construction may take more than one year, since you will have to deal with registration permitting documentation, coordination of projects, land issues. From this we can conclude that it is most profitable to purchase the premises, or still rent them, but only for long term and with the right of subsequent redemption.
Interior and staff
Having completed all the preparatory issues, you can move on to creating the concept of your establishment, creating the interior and exterior design. Don’t forget that if you have reconstruction or redevelopment ahead, sometimes it costs half the cost of the property itself, so realistically evaluate your capabilities. In addition, these procedures will also require certain approvals.
Even if you have to decide such a question as how to open a hotel in a private house, you should always remember that it must be recognizable. An excellent option would be to build a separate building, in the design of which you yourself will include all the necessary premises and interior features - columns, pools, attics.
Important: it will be necessary to invite the SES and the fire service exactly when the main stage of construction alterations is completed and all communications are connected.
Room decoration
Of course, there is no single approach to interior design. It all depends on the personal preferences of the owner. Only one point remains important - quality. The rooms may not be particularly luxurious, but they should be cozy, clean, tidy and kept in perfect cleanliness.
What you shouldn't save on:
- plumbing;
- furniture;
- bed sheets;
- curtains.
The last two points are the hotel's calling card. Cheap washed towels in a room trimmed with gold will not earn a good reputation.
Staff selection
The next important issue is personnel. They need to be taken care of long before the opening, since by this memorable day all hotel employees must be properly registered and trained. As for their quantity, here you need to adhere to general rule– the total number of staff (administrators, maids, receptionists) must be equal to the number of rooms.
The tourism industry is currently one of the most promising in Russia. Since the beginning of the 2000s, the number of people traveling around the world and domestically has been growing at an unprecedented pace. And even the economic crisis in the country only affected travel to other countries, while domestic tourism is only gaining momentum. Therefore, investments in hotel business today is a thought that excites the minds of entrepreneurs and people who want to join their number. In this article we will talk about how to open a hotel from scratch what is needed for this and how to avoid common mistakes.
How to open a hotel from scratch - budget
Before you start thinking about how to open a hotel business from scratch, you need to assess the amount of feasible investment. It doesn't matter whether you focus on own funds, or are going to take out a loan from a bank, you need to know the size of the budget as accurately as possible. As “experienced” people note, with a competent approach, a hotel can begin to pay for itself within a couple of years - and this is a very attractive indicator.
Of course, the amount of investment depends on many factors, ranging from the city in which it is planned to open a hotel from scratch, and ending with the price list for rooms. But there are also some average figures that you can rely on one way or another when drawing up a business plan. A hotel with 20-30 rooms will require, according to rough estimates, from 5 million rubles.
How to open a hotel business from scratch - where to start
- Foundation of a legal entity. First you need to decide on the choice of organizational and legal form. If you are planning to open a hotel with up to 50 rooms, registering as an individual entrepreneur will be enough. To open a large hotel business, LLC preference is given.
- Taxes. On starting stage hotel business owners choose a simplified taxation system or a single tax form (it is calculated based on the area of the premises). In any case, consultation with an accountant is required, with whom it is necessary to evaluate the individually compiled ready business-plan. Based on the planned profit, the form of tax calculation is selected.
- Permitting documentation. The hotel business in the Russian Federation is not subject to mandatory certification. However, there are a number of related services that require licensing. For example, if you plan to sell alcoholic beverages, you need a special license. The same goes for dry cleaning, hairdressing, etc. Getting them is not an extremely difficult task, but be sure to study the requirements for businesses before making a financial plan.
What documents are needed to open a hotel business?
You can develop your own hotel concept, which will provide exclusive services, or open a mini-hotel with standard services. The composition of the title documents will be approximately the same:
- Documents for the premises, land plot, indicating the right to dispose of them (lease agreement or certificate of ownership).
- Certificate of registration of legal entity. persons and registration with the tax authorities.
- Licenses for a number of services (sale of alcoholic beverages, dry cleaning, etc.)
- Permitting documentation confirming compliance with the prescribed standards, agreed with the fire inspectorate, SES, etc.
- Certificate of "stardom". This document is not mandatory, but if you want to open a mini-hotel or a large hotel with stars (from 1 to 5) on the facade, you can go through this procedure. Today, most tourists focus on the number of stars, so it is advisable to obtain a certificate of conformity.
- Permission to place advertisements. Even to place banners on your own fence, you are required by law to obtain permission. On average, 1 banner requires, in addition to a package of documents, a state duty of 5 thousand rubles. (the figure is current for 2016).
- A number of internal documents, such as a cleaning schedule, registration cash registers etc.
- Documentation confirming the conclusion of contracts with third-party organizations organizing waste removal, security measures, disinfection, etc.
To summarize the above: to open your hotel from scratch, you need an impressive package of documents, the receipt of which for an unprepared person can take many months. According to the experience of hoteliers, having a competent lawyer on staff, who should begin work long before opening a business, is necessary.
Where to start
You need to start by choosing a city. And here there are two options: the city in which you live (easy business control); a city where there is still inexpensive real estate or land.
Sometimes I will allow myself to insert some sensible comments into the texts of articles. Don't miss it. Here is the first of them - “There is no hotel that cannot be promoted, you just need to find “your” client for it.” For example, I will take St. Petersburg. Why, you ask, not Moscow or Sochi, which became fashionable just before? Why promote something that is already popular and where people go. Although the same hotels in Sochi or Anapa, packed in summer, are deserted in winter, in autumn and spring. I am interested in working with such objects that will fruitfully gather people all 12 months, and not just in season. We will write a separate chapter about hotels in the south, and a little later we will also touch on the features of the guest business of the capital.
Center or outskirts
Make as many identical numbers as possible, do not allow a difference in the selling price of more than 7-10% (otherwise you will have different classes of people).
I would like to make a small correction: everything I wrote about, and will write further, is aimed at hotels that want to make good money all year round (especially in winter). If you have prepared and planned everything correctly in the winter, then in the summer you can hardly work.
The client does not like it when his room is made in light colors and resembles a hospital. Dark color creates coziness. You shouldn’t skimp on the floor; a lot of people walk on it and carry heavy suitcases.”
Sanitary unit arrangement:
- shower cabin;
- hanger for 8 towels (two large, medium and small and two under feet);
- terry white robe;
- bath in light colors;
- blue or green tiled floor;
- shelf for accessories;
- glass for toothbrushes;
- liquid soap;
- in the shower there should be another shelf with shampoo, soap and a hair cap;
- the color of soap and water in the toilet should be either green or blue and should not be out of sync with the overall style;
- towels must be white, as well as linen in all rooms (not cheap!!!);
- linen is changed every three days or after each departure;
- Each bathroom must have good waterproofing.
How to build a hotel
Where to start
Before you open your own hotel, you must clearly answer yourself - why do I need all this? We do not consider such judgments as “Your own hotel is cool, fashionable and prestigious.” Our company works and helps serious people eager to earn tangible profits. If your motive is precisely “to make money,” then we are on the same path.
You need to start by choosing a city. And here there are two options:
- the city in which you live (easy business control);
- a city where there is still inexpensive real estate or land.
Sometimes I will allow myself to insert some sensible comments into the texts of articles. Don't miss it. Here is the first of them - “There is no hotel that cannot be promoted, you just need to find “your” client for it.”
For example, I will take St. Petersburg. Why, you ask, not Moscow or Sochi, which became fashionable just before? Why promote something that is already popular and where people go. Although the same hotels in Sochi or Anapa, packed in summer, are deserted in winter, in autumn and spring. I am interested in working with objects that will fruitfully bring people together throughout the 12 months, and not just during the season.
We will write a separate chapter about hotels in the south; we will also touch upon the features of the capital’s guest business a little later.
Center or outskirts
Let's say that you have decided on a city. Now you need to design the location of the further profit object. There is no hotel that cannot be occupied, but there are hotels that do not correspond to their price.
Let's consider both options: center and outskirts. If you are building a hotel not in the center, then you need to understand who will go there. Let’s take for example a hotel near the Avtovo metro station (and we have encountered worse options), not very wealthy people will go there to live, in a word, not tourists. You always need to remember who your client is.
If you are building a hotel for tourists, you must understand that the center is important for them. But if you manage to fill your hotel only during the white nights, and the rest of the time it will be empty, it will be a disaster! The hotel should ideally be able to accommodate both tourists and ordinary mortals who come to the city for work or to visit relatives. Of course, a small part of tourists come to see St. Petersburg in winter, so give them the opportunity to stay in your hotel.
Do as many identical numbers as possible, do not allow a difference of 7-10% (otherwise you will have different classes of people).
Don't make your room prices too high.
Study the market and find out how much a hotel room costs from competitors. Make your price 10% less in the first year of hotel operation. Enter into agreements with travel agencies and booking agencies. Don't skimp on their commission %. The only true friends in your business are travel agencies.
Find all the enterprises in your area and enter into corporate agreements with them, under which you also offer a % of the commission and discounts.
Do not offend those who send people to you: this is your money and your stability.
Try to fill your hotel as much as possible. low prices, than half - on high.
Those who run hotels on the outskirts must remember that their client is, first of all, a business traveler.
There is no point in making 4 and 5 star hotels on the outskirts of the city. You will not be able to compete with the hotels in the center (especially in winter).
I would like to make a small correction: everything I wrote about, and will write further, is aimed at hotels that want to make good money all year round (especially in winter). If you have prepared and planned everything correctly in the winter, then in the summer you can hardly work.
What is a standard number...
On average, the room area should be 25 m2: 20 m2 is the room itself, the rest is utility rooms and part of the corridor. If you have 1000 m2, then it is optimal to place 40 rooms on them. “Amenities” in the room - shower and toilet - should occupy about 4 m2. Each room must be able to accommodate a shared double bed (double room) or two separate beds (single room). For every six standard rooms, make one suite and one junior suite.
By international standards, a junior suite is a room with a larger area than all other rooms (except the suite), with an improved design, with one large double bed, a fold-out sofa, a deep bathtub (but not a jacuzzi - for hygiene reasons), a large-diagonal TV with LCD monitor, telephone and refrigerator.
By international standards, a luxury suite is a two-room suite, but in Russia it is often just a large one-room suite, with high-quality renovation, designer know-how, a shower, a toilet with a bidet, a small meeting room with soft armchairs, a good TV and a sofa .
A standard hotel room consists of two beds that can stand together or separately (minimum width - 140 cm), the floor, as in the entire hotel, is dark, in the room itself there is a dark carpet, pleasant to the touch, a minibar is possible - as extra income for a hotel. Each room has a wardrobe for outerwear, a mirror at the entrance, a bedside table for suitcases and a hanger. In the room itself there is a telephone, TV, wardrobe, 2 table lamps, 2 chairs or armchairs, two bedside tables for small items.
“The client doesn’t like it when his room is made in light colors and resembles a hospital. Dark color creates coziness. You shouldn’t skimp on the floor; a lot of people walk on it, and also carry heavy suitcases.”
Sanitary unit arrangement:
shower cabin;
hanger for 8 towels (two large, medium and small and two under feet);
terry white robe;
bath in light colors;
blue or green tiled floor;
shelf for accessories;
glass for toothbrushes;
liquid soap;
in the shower there should be another shelf with shampoo, soap and a hair cap;
the color of soap and water in the toilet should be either green or blue and should not be out of sync with the overall style;
towels should be white, like linen in all rooms (not cheap!!!);
linen is changed every three days or after each departure;
Each bathroom must have good waterproofing.
Place suitcase barriers in the corridors to prevent hand luggage from damaging your walls. Make a reception next to the entrance, place a scanner, printer and fax there, if desired, a banknote counter and a banknote detector, and be sure to have a computer with the Internet. Provide free WiFi throughout the hotel.
Designate a special unit for cooking and household needs. If you offer nutritious food, don’t skimp on a good chef. For simple reheating, use the microwave. The kitchen should also have a refrigerator, an egg boiler, a coffee maker and a mini-storage area. In the utility block, place a boiler with hot water, leave some space for the maid. Remember, the utility unit must be invisible.
Equip special places for smoking, do not allow smoke in the rooms.
HOW TO “PROTOCATE” A HOTEL SO THAT IT MAKES EARNINGS?
How many rooms do you want to “promote” the hotel? For 10 numbers or 100? It’s possible for 1000, the essence of the working methods will not change. You can trade both oil and pies, but remember that legal business is hard money, but those who are afraid of doing business should not even try. It’s best to be born the “son of an oligarch” and not worry about anything...
But if you are not so lucky, then you will probably be interested in learning about the principles and features of our method of “promotion” of the hotel business. This method is suitable for both large hotels and mini-hotels.
“A hotel’s earnings directly depend on its occupancy. Increase not the price per room, but the number of clients in the hotel.”
Yours, Alexey Arsenyev.
Focus on partners. Who are they?
Travel agencies;
Corporate clients (partners of any enterprise who stay at your hotel);
Regular customers (not the most significant part. Because they do not stop more than 1-2 times a year).
If the hotel has a good occupancy rate (from 100 rooms), then bars, taxis and other related services in your hotel automatically begin to generate significant income.
The disadvantage of good occupancy is the increase in costs for laundry, cleaning and staff. Your task is to find a middle ground.
“There is no hotel that cannot be 100% occupied; there is bad management and inadequate prices.”
Search for partners among travel agencies (love them).
How to search for travel agencies? Any travel agency will agree to work with you if it sees a benefit for itself (the opportunity to earn money with minimal effort). We need to help travel agencies.
Example:
Travel agency: I will fill your hotel in full, and you will pay me 40% commission.
Hotel: I don’t agree with these conditions.
Why not, you say? If the travel agency fulfills its condition, you will have excellent occupancy rates. And if not, you will no longer cooperate with her.
Take any travel agency directory, call all organizations involved in inbound tourism, and offer them your services.
Attention: this process should only be organized by a professional who can offer mutually beneficial discounts and joint promotions.
Look for partners in other regions and in other countries who will send you tourists. Explore the system of on-line booking and Internet orders.
Search corporate clients. High-quality PR must be present inside the hotel itself. Tourists should turn into regular customers and bring new clients (their friends) to you. For this purpose, a survey is conducted in hotels. Offer to conclude contracts directly at the hotel. Corporate clients are also interested in a discount (5-40%: determined by the season and their own greed).
It is best to look for corporate clients working in the area where your hotel is located. In addition, the requests of a corporate client, if possible, should correspond to the level of your hotel. If you have a hostel, do not invite banks to your place.
“The most effective way to promote a hotel is to work under the wing of a management company.”
HOTEL STAFF
Your successful “face” is good staff.
When hiring an administrator, remember that he is the first person in your hotel. What is important in him is charm and a friendly smile, pleasant manners and the absence of the habit of smoking (you must admit that a person who smokes smells bad, and this can scare away guests). For a mini-hotel, it is better to hire a girl for the vacancy of an administrator; for a large hotel, it is possible to hire a young man. The standard dress code for administrators should not be neglected: white top, black bottom (no! - provocative clothing that can compromise the female gender).
Staff training:
The female administrator must be competent in all matters. Knowledge of foreign languages is desirable if you have a specialized hotel or it is located in the city center where there are many foreign tourists.
“Staff salaries should be adequate, pay a little higher than average city prices! Don’t underestimate rates, otherwise there will be a craving for overtime.”
The minimum working time without a break is 24 hours. The optimal schedule is every three days. Don't let your administrator work often. Its appearance and freshness after two days of continuous operation leave much to be desired. Try to keep the administrator busy with work, if he has free time - let him sell corporate contracts or conduct surveys. It is necessary to control the work of the administrator. In a small hotel, he should not be embarrassed to be present and help clean the rooms. Before hiring a person, explain to him that he cooperates with people. IN conflict situation The administrator must listen to the client to the end, and not enter into an argument with him. If your employee does not want to deal with people, let him go to the factory.
“Turnover of hotel administrators should become the norm. Because “administrator” is not a profession for life.”
Tips from Alexey Arsenyev:
Fire old administrators quickly, but take a long time to find new ones.
The future of your hotel depends on the work of the administrator.
Contact management company, which will offer you already well-trained personnel or will be able to quickly and efficiently train yours.
Remember, if you rent out your business, the staff is not your concern at all.
The maid is the first person in your hotel. A guest encounters the results of a maid's work 10 times more often than an administrator. A poorly cleaned toilet or garbage in the center of the room can ruin your relationship with the hotel once and for all!
The administrator must supervise the maid's work. It is advisable to have a “replacement set” of maids - one who works on weekdays, the other on weekends. Optimal working day: from 10.00 to 18.00. Recommendations for the selection of administrators and maids work for both large hotels and mini hotels.
Maid responsibilities:
room cleaning;
change of linen;
monitoring the health of household systems;
reheating breakfast if the hotel does not have a restaurant.
Administrator responsibilities:
client support;
communication with the guest;
issuance of all necessary documentation business travelers;
work with reservation systems and internal systems hotel;
acceptance of payment;
filling out reporting documentation;
participation in preparing breakfast;
cleaning the room in the absence of the maid.
Rules for administrators
All bad moods and personal problems remain behind the hotel doors.
Always have a clean and tidy appearance.
The client must be greeted standing and with a smile.
Be polite and always express interest in everything the client tells you.
Know clearly the advantages and disadvantages of each number.
Try to immediately calculate what problems may arise with this client and options for resolving them.
Know the set of the most frequently made complaints and your behavior pattern in each of them.
If a guest has any complaints, there is no need to explain to him at length and in detail why this happened. It is better to quickly correct the situation (if it is in your power).
Before you say “no” to a client, try your best to make it “yes”.
Even if you initially know that you can’t help, pretend to be proactive in solving the problem.
Not a single client comment should be left unattended.
In any situation, remain calm and equanimous and do not raise your voice.
There are no unsolvable problems.
Before calling the office, try to solve the problem yourself.
Try to remember and recognize the guests.
It’s good if, when addressing a guest, you call him by his first name and patronymic.
Be aware of events taking place in the city so that you can always help your guest organize his leisure time.
If you know that you do not have sufficient information about the city, then be able to quickly find it.
The client standing in front of you is always more important than the potential client calling on the phone. If a client is standing in front of you and the phone is ringing, do not be distracted by the call until you have finished speaking with the guest. If he has time to wait, he will offer to pick up the phone.
Never speak ill of management or the reservations department in front of guests.
Be polite.
If the client is nervous and raises his voice, there is no need to argue with him. Calmly and silently listen to him until he speaks out. After that, promise him that you will try to solve the problem and inform him of the result.
When a guest leaves, wish him a safe journey.
If you know how to improve the activities of the hotel and administrators in particular, report this to management.
These rules must be strictly followed.
HOTEL MANAGEMENT
Your hotel must be managed by a specially hired and well-trained manager (like a captain on a ship). Everything depends on him, although it is difficult to outline clear boundaries of his work. His duties range from supervising the maid to washing the clothes himself. Any hotel needs a manager, as they usually screw up on little things. The manager is responsible for organizing all internal processes of the hotel.
A collective portrait of an exemplary manager: a woman or a man, with high responsibility. Punctual, meticulous, persistent, skillfully communicates with all hotel staff (rarely encounters clients), able to accept non-standard solutions, must have a higher education (non-core education is possible).
If you have a mini-hotel (7-10 rooms) there is no point in having your own manager, the management company will offer you good specialist on a part-time basis. Thus, you will save on your costs and will not lose quality.
The average age of a manager is 25-35 years old, when the brain has not yet become ossified and is capable of generating ideas. It is necessary that the manager’s position in work is shared by the people around him.
“Remember, the manager is the person who eliminates customer complaints and helps the hotel avoid losing customers. A good manager saves you money.”
The hotel occupancy rate, on which your personal income depends, also partially depends on the manager.
Occupancy is the percentage of the maximum number of days that a hotel can operate in one specific month. For example, let's take a hotel with one room. There are 30 days in a month. Let's say that the room was open for 20 days, it turns out that the occupancy rate is 60%. Let's take a hotel with 20 rooms and a month with 31 days. 100% occupancy: 20 multiplied by 30 = 629 days. On average, each number worked only 17 days, from here we get: 20 multiplied by 17 = 340 days. Divide 340 by 620 and multiply by 100, we get 54% occupancy.
Attention, do not let yourself be deceived by another management company - calculate the % of occupancy.
Our management company guarantees 85% occupancy per year (at average market prices).
If the occupancy rate is good, you will receive additional services (minibar, taxi, etc.). If you have a good occupancy rate and low prices, do not rush to raise them - make money on additional services. Don’t forget again - personnel is everything. Contact the management company, and you will have a stable occupancy rate. Independently operating hotels reach a maximum of only 69% of occupancy. There is time to think!
What to choose: rent or management?
The best way to generate regular income is to rent out or manage your hotel. At the same time, both the entire object and its part (parts) can be rented out.
Rent - renting out a certain number of rooms for a certain price, which is agreed upon in advance.
Management - housekeeping in a hotel for a certain fee (%).
Pros of renting:
Monthly payment schedule.
All expenses are borne by the management company.
The owner receives money a month in advance.
The owner does not spend money on management, taxes and advertising.
Management benefits:
Management costs, housekeeping and taxes are borne by the hotel owner, but the management company optimizes them.
Advertising and development costs are borne by the management company.
The management company gives a good percentage of the hotel's occupancy.
Advantages of the Management Company (us):
It has a network of hotels, which means it provides a wide choice for the end consumer.
Saves the client from searching independently.
Provides highly qualified managers who communicate between the hotel and the client.
Optimizes taxes.
Earns you money from the first day of work.
Management is 30-40% of a hotel's income.
“You shouldn’t quarrel with the management company, since it is they who share their clients with the hotels. You can lose both clients and the management company at the same time.”
Is 40% payment for the management company’s services a lot?
We count:
Your maximum customer occupancy rate at independent work equal to 70% (80% in summer, 60% in winter).
Your minimum expenses for advertising and commission to travel agencies are 20%.
Staffing and hotel management costs are 10%.
Taxes - 6%.
Total - even though everything is debugged - you get 36%
The output is 70% - 36% = 34% - this is your net profit.
If you contact the management company, the hotel’s occupancy increases to 82.5% per year.
You give 35% to the management company.
Total: 82.5% - 35% = 47.5%.
Tax expenses on your part are 3%.
The output: 44.5% is your net profit, and this is 10.5% higher than you could earn on your own.
“Objectively, it turns out that working with a management company is the most effective way to grow your funds.”
MANAGEMENT PART OF THE HOTEL
Hotel technical support
Any hotel is subject to depreciation. The key to successful and long-term operation of the facility is the high-quality construction of the building itself and its interior decoration. Simple, beautiful and reliable - the success of your hotel business directly depends on this.
The two main problems that every hotel faces at one time or another are electricity and water. Someone must definitely monitor the serviceability of the bathrooms and boilers in the hotel. (Girl administrators are not for you technical specialists). For these purposes, you need a special person who would know the hotel for a long time and prevent water leakage, leading to leakage of the money itself from your pocket.
It is advisable to have your own permanent technician if you have more than 30 numbers. By hiring a specialist from the management company on a part-time basis, you will significantly save your money (if there are up to 30 rooms).
The technician's responsibilities include daily inspection of bathrooms and pipes. A hotel is like a submarine: a small leak can lead to disaster. Remember when good repair pipes rarely leak. Attention, the technician must be able to go to the site at any time in case of emergency. Be sure to specify this point when applying for a job.
A hotel in poor condition will be difficult to sell to both investors and ordinary clients. Count: in summer time the room costs about $100. If there is a “flood”, you will not only not earn this money, but you will also spend additional money on repairing equipment in the hotel.
"High-quality repairs are not always expensive. Don't be fooled!"
It can always be done efficiently, reliably and relatively inexpensively. We can organize all repairs at the lowest prices in the city or create an optimal estimate. But then, you will look for the performers (on your own).
Our repair times are standard to avoid any reduction in quality.
With us you always optimize your costs!
ADDITIONAL HOTEL SERVICES
Remember, with good occupancy, additional services (minibar, taxi, etc.) will be activated.
You can organize breakfasts, lunches and dinners, or just breakfasts at the hotel. If you don’t have a cook on your staff, negotiate with a food delivery service and work with it at %. You can increase the price of food in your hotel by 20% of its original cost.
The minibar can also become your assistant. Small refrigerators with sweets and soft drinks can be equipped in each hotel room. In summer, juices, lemonades, beer and other low-alcohol drinks are especially popular. Highly alcoholic drinks are sold only under a license, which can be obtained, but it will take time and money. Therefore, only large hotel complexes offer this service.
We recommend including breakfast in the room rate. It must be complete, capable of feeding any man or woman of reproductive age. If you do not have your own cook, for breakfast you can use instant cereals, slices for sandwiches, serve juices, coffee or tea, feed yoghurts or eggs. The main thing is not only to feed the client, but also to present it beautifully. Your hotel should become an aesthetic center for him, a museum, and not a hospital, where everything is done only for practical purposes: to eat so as not to die.
Another important one additional service hotels - tourism. It is appropriate to open your own travel company if your hotel has more than 100 rooms. In other cases, it is better to enter into an agreement with a third party travel company and receive your percentage (usually 20%). You can organize sightseeing tours around the city or suburbs, as well as special tours of individual objects.
A taxi can also act as an additional hotel service. The easiest way to transport clients is to negotiate with a large taxi company. For example, ours.
The hotel must have Internet: landline or WiFi. It will be easier and more accessible to install WiFi.
The hotel also sells personal hygiene products, slippers and bathrobes.
We recommend making some (at least half) of the above services free for the client, slightly increasing the cost of the room itself. It is appropriate to voice an additional free service in commercials.
Remember: most clients do not like the “robbery” and “price-wrestling” on the part of hotels.
"Don't forget about the nice free candies at the reception. To a good client You can give a towel or slippers as a gift."
"Greed ruined the fratern, or the stingy one pays twice." This is not about you!
Legends and myths of the hotel business
In the hotel business, as in any other, there are many myths that are believed not only by beginners, but sometimes even by gurus. Here are the most important ones:
- Hotel business - profitable business. But any idea can be ruined without competent management. Now the most effective way use of the property - for a hotel. This is more profitable than building and maintaining business centers or shopping centers, if you organize the hotel correctly.
- “I will do business myself and earn money more money than with the help of a management company.”
- Maybe someday you will come to this... But if you do not have experience and flow, managing on your own will only waste time and money.
- “I’ll hire a person for a salary of 2,000 euros, and he’ll fill the entire hotel for me.” If there were such specialists, they would have opened their own hotels long ago. Although filling a hotel is not difficult, see the point above.
- “I will advertise on the Internet and highly qualified personnel will come to me.” If only it were that simple recruiting agencies would have suffered losses long ago. Remember - personnel decides everything, but there are no irreplaceable people.
- If you think that the design and quality of repairs do not matter, the hotel business is not for you.
- “I can always sell the hotel as a ready-made business.” You are right, but only if it really works and makes a profit. We often witnessed how people sold a hotel of 7-8 rooms in the city center: empty, without clients and as a ready-made business. At the same time, it’s a shame to name the price out loud; when translated into numbers, the payback period for this hotel is over 20 years. Such hotels are sold for years until the owners reduce prices to adequate levels. You can sell a hotel if you write your offer wisely. The client must recoup it within a maximum of 7 years.
- “Winning a victory is more difficult than winning it.” When everything is in order, people relax and lose control. Don't stop there. Don't forget about your friends: it is very difficult to restore connections.
Weaknesses and common mistakes
“Where it’s thin is where it breaks.” Every hotel business (as well as any other) has its weakest point - customers. There are never too many of them. And the basis of any marketing is not only to attract customers, but also to retain them.
Errors:
Client
- If a client comes to you once, he will return again. If a travel agency has referred a client to you, it will do so constantly. This will not become a permanent phenomenon unless you have a hand in it.
- The most erroneous opinion: “I’d rather make money in the summer and be empty in the winter.” The hotel must be open all year round. In the hotel business, summer is 5 months and winter is 7 months. If you work only in the summer, you lose more than six months. That client who came to you in the summer may not come next summer. And finding a new one will cost you three times more than keeping the old one.
- You shouldn't have a class division. Try to ensure that your clients have the same income.
- If you are actively busy with travel agencies and corporate clients, respect them - prepare them reporting documents for the accounting department, this is very important for them.
Promotional
- You start advertising based on the results. Rule: “Advertising should be based on clear customer market research.” We do not recommend advertising in non-specialized printed publications(in collections of all companies). The likelihood that you will be found there is low. Do not place advertisements in glossy magazines if these advertisements are non-image.
- When starting an advertising campaign, think about who exactly you can offer your services to. Today there are more than 450 hotels in St. Petersburg. If you want to offer yours as 451 - come up with favorable conditions on your part, otherwise you will end up in a long line of people waiting.
Hotel
- Calculate the number of personnel correctly. (The main thing is that the number of staff does not exceed the number of hotel rooms). Calculate how many rooms your maids and administrators can serve. According to our calculations, one maid can service at least eight rooms per shift, and an administrator can service ten.
- Feel free to lower the price because your main indicator wealth - hotel occupancy.
- Feel free to increase your price on peak dates such as New Year's. Try to respond adequately to the flow of people.
- Avoid double booking. Don't be greedy and don't take on more clients than you can serve. This will kill your reputation.
- Don't forget that the weakest points in the hotel are electricity and water. Monetary losses in the event of an accident are not commensurate with the savings on high-quality plumbing and electrical equipment.
- Don't skimp on staff. If you are not happy with your employees, contact the management company, they will solve your problems.
- Don't follow the lead junior staff. There will always be a replacement for them.
- Try to keep your occupancy percentage as high as possible if 70% of rooms are booked by high prices, let the remaining 30% be at average prices. Don’t forget how to make money from occupancy.
The hotel business in Russia is developing rapidly. This is due to constant increase economic activity, both in capitals and regions, the development of tourism throughout the country, as a result of which the demand for places to accommodate tourists, businessmen, and business travelers is growing. There is a particularly significant shortage of economy class and mid-price rooms. When the question “how to open a hotel” arises, an option from this segment is most often considered.
If the niche of servicing corporate clients, representatives big business and other business circles have long been firmly occupied by luxury chain hotels, travelers are increasingly choosing to stay in more budget hotels. Good choice for them are private mini-hotels that differ from the luxury “giants” not only in size, but also in a different concept of activity. Such a hotel does not have a dozen restaurants for every taste, conference rooms and swimming pools, but each guest can count on an individual approach and a cozy home environment. This accommodation format has long earned the love and popularity of clients in many European countries.
Which hotel format to choose?
It is the opening of a mini-hotel that should be considered as an option for private investment in the hotel business. However, the prefix “mini” should not mislead anyone. Even the smallest hotel requires significant investment and a fairly long wait for payback. Your own funds may not be enough, then you will have to take out loans or attract private investors.
In the general sense, a small hotel is considered to be a hotel with no more than 50 rooms. Among them, separate subcategories can be distinguished:
- private apartment-type hotels, with 7-10 rooms in residential buildings;
- mini-hotels with 10-25 rooms;
- a full-fledged small hotel, located in a separate building, with a capacity of up to 50 rooms.
Depending on what level of services will be provided in the hotel, you need to choose the format of the future hotel and its price category: budget student hostel, economy class hotel, business hotel or apartment hotel, which can be either mid-level or luxury .
Separately, it is necessary to dwell on the “apartment hotel” option, which is currently widespread among entrepreneurs. Most often, such a business is conducted according to a “gray scheme” and does not require such high costs like other mini-hotels. For a novice businessman, opening a private hotel is very simple: purchase one or several neighboring apartments in a residential building, make remodeling and repairs, organize the furnishings and find clients for daily rent.
However, certain difficulties immediately arise: it is impossible to redevelop premises without the appropriate approvals, in residential apartments the possibility of moving and creating new kitchen and sanitary facilities is limited, and the neighbors will not be delighted with the large-scale renovation and the “passage yard” created by the “underground” businessman .
Needless to say, most often such activities are carried out without any justification, which imposes high risks on the entrepreneur. Such a business without state registration, payment of taxes and fees is considered illegal business and may entail administrative, tax and, in some cases, even criminal liability. And from the point of view of organizing work, problems arise: the search for guests is limited to our own resources, from among potential clients excluded legal entities, it is impossible to officially place advertising, since formally this type of activity is not a hotel.
On the other hand, the advantages of such a private hotel are obvious to the entrepreneur: reduced costs associated with the absence of costs for all kinds of official permits and registration, for the payment of taxes and other mandatory payments, price competitive advantage in front of other mini-hotels. Accordingly, such a hotel pays for itself quite quickly - within 2-3 years.
How much this benefit justifies the increased risks - everyone decides for themselves, but it is still better to do business on legally, having completed everything necessary documents. First you need or.
Where can I find suitable premises?
Selecting premises for a hotel is one of the most important and difficult tasks. It is best to open a mini hotel in the business or historical part of the city, with good transport accessibility and a high level of security. This must be a building high up passable place, a separate entrance is desirable. There should be cafes, restaurants, shops nearby.
Renting premises for a hotel is impractical, because large amounts of money will be invested in them. Long-term lease for a period of more than 10 years with the possibility of further purchase is acceptable.
If possible, invest big capital, you can start constructing a hotel building, but you should remember that purchasing a plot of land, preparing permits and project documentation, directly construction work may take more than one year.
The best option is to purchase space as your own: purchase of non-residential premises or several residential apartments (communal apartments) with an area of at least 300 sq.m. Apartments will need to be transferred to non-residential stock; the transfer procedure usually lasts at least a year and significantly increases costs.
The next stage is the creation of a hotel project, redevelopment and renovation of the premises. Coordination of the redevelopment project, receiving all permitting documents sometimes it takes more time than it takes directly renovation work. The costs of reconstruction and its documentation are approximately half the cost of the property.
At the stage of completion of redevelopment and beginning interior decoration It is already possible to conclude agreements with utility providers (electricity networks, water utilities) and submit documents for approval from various authorities (fire department, sanitary and epidemiological station).
Designing hotel interiors is very important, and there are no uniform rules here. Much depends on the price category and concept of the hotel. Whether it is practical minimalism or “rich” furnishings, standard room design or individual design of each room, the main thing is that the renovation is of high quality, the layout is comfortable, and the premises look clean and tidy. It is important that the hotel design has its own corporate identity, which should be visible even in the smallest details. Furniture, furnishings, and plumbing fixtures must be of good quality.
If the hotel will open in a residential building, you must also take care of appearance The entire entrance will most likely have to be spent on replacing windows and doors and cosmetic repairs.
How many staff does a mini-hotel need?
Staff must be selected several months before the hotel opens. By this time, he must be registered, trained and ready to begin his duties. You should consider what services will be provided at the hotel and, based on this, decide on the number of staff. For example, will guests be provided with food? Then you need at least two cooks. In general, the number of service personnel (administrators, receptionists, maids) is usually approximately equal to the number of rooms in the hotel.
In small hotels, it is common practice for staff to combine various positions, for example, an administrator can serve as a reservation manager, a maid can work in the laundry or help in the kitchen (having issued a health certificate). This helps the hotel owner to optimize staff costs (not to keep “extra” employees, to increase the workload of workers, since in mini-hotels it is usually insufficient), and for employees to earn a decent salary.
Staff are required to know foreign languages. Vocational training and professional development must be carried out systematically.
What services need to be provided?
Guests always pay attention to the cleanliness of the room. Daily cleaning, clean linen and towels are a strict operating condition of any hotel. If it is not possible to create your own mini-laundry, you must enter into an agreement with a third-party organization.
Any hotel, even one that does not have its own restaurant, can provide a light breakfast in the form of tea, coffee and cookies. If you are planning your own cafe, you need to prepare for additional expenses:
- equipment of a special room that meets fire and sanitary requirements;
- approvals from the relevant authorities;
- hiring cooks and waiters;
- acquisition of a license to sell alcohol.
A hotel restaurant needs to attract a sufficient number of outside customers, otherwise it will not pay for itself. Therefore, many mini-hotels solve the issue of feeding their guests differently. It’s easier to negotiate with a nearby cafe about discounted customer service or food delivery to your room.
Using the same principle, you can organize work with a fitness room, sauna, and car rental.
If necessary, clients must be provided with a safe, parking, telephony, internet, and temporary registration.
The duty of the hotel is to ensure complete safety for its clients: have an agreement with security company, panic button, video surveillance, fire alarm, emergency exit, guarded parking and other security features.
It will not be superfluous to take care of clients with children (availability of cots and high chairs) and disabled people (ramps, spacious elevator).
A few months before the hotel opens to visitors, you can gradually place advertising: a banner on the building about the imminent opening, booklets for nearby cafes, business centers, negotiate with travel agencies about accommodating their clients, and launch online advertising. In the future, excellent service, optimal price-quality ratio will allow the hotel to create its own client base and use the most effective advertising channel - word of mouth.
How much does it cost to open a small hotel?
It is quite difficult for an entrepreneur who has no experience in the hotel business to carry out independent calculations.
To do this you need:
- assess the demand for the service (city population, level of industrial development and infrastructure, the state of the tourism sector, city development plans, holding major cultural and sporting events);
- conduct marketing research (quantity and quality of hotels, pricing and advertising policies, occupancy levels of existing hotels, the influence of seasonality);
- conduct a preliminary analysis of the cost of real estate, labor, construction work;
- develop a concept for the future hotel: target audience, level of service, number of rooms, composition of services provided.
It is definitely impossible to answer the question of how much it costs to open a mini-hotel. Too many nuances need to be taken into account when making calculations. The difference in costs between the capital and the regions can exceed 10 times.
A small hotel with 10-15 rooms in a small regional town can cost 6 – 15 million rubles. A hotel converted from a dislocated communal apartment or several united apartments in St. Petersburg or Moscow will require costs of about 45 million rubles.
If it is necessary to construct a separate building, including the acquisition of a land plot, the cost increases to 150 million rubles.
Approximate cost structure:
- 50% - acquisition or construction of premises;
- 25% - redevelopment, including administrative costs;
- 15% - laying communications, purchasing equipment, furniture, interior renovation
- 10% - other expenses (personnel, advertising, consumables).
The payback period for a hotel is 5-7 years in the capital, 6-8 in cities with a population of over a million, 9-12 in less developed regions.
Drawing up a detailed business plan for such a complex and expensive project as opening a hotel is best left to professionals.
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