The principle of operation of a hotel soft brand Do you know what is so magical? let me tell you

Original: Li Sheng

Today's seasoned hotel inspectors, following major brands when choosing hotels, can no longer cater to niche and individual needs

If you want to live in a place where you can sleep well and take pictures, secret to choosing a hotel in accordance with hotel alliance

For example, SLH (Small Luxury Hotels of World), a global luxury boutique hotel, opened Dunhuang Biyue Hotel, Hangzhou Qiushui Villa and Hangzhou Vallie Hotel this year

Four Chinese hotels have joined brand, including Kunming Yulong Bay Lakeview Hotel. Currently

SLH already has 20 member hotels in Greater China (15 in mainland China), and number of member hotels ranks first in Asia Pacific

The concept of SLH Dunhuang Biyue's first boutique hotel in Northwest China has become very popular in China in recent years, with even many high-end families seeking to approach boutique hotels

Insurmountable barriers exist for independent hotels in terms of brands, distribution channels, and customer sources, especially for small, beautiful boutique hotels that want to reduce their reliance on OTAs.

In order to increase popularity of one store, joining a hotel alliance is choice to increase quality

I stand for benefits of hotels located at top of "pyramid"

Derived from:

The boutique hotel appeared in 1980s, and its name is "Boutique Hotel"

.

Opened by Ian Schrager on Madison Avenue in New York in 1984, Morgans Boutique Hotel is generally considered to be forefather of boutique hotels

Before advent of boutique hotels, hotel market has always been occupied by star hotels and chain hotels, direction of its development is standardization and normalization. Gradually

Only "cost-effective" or standardized services cannot meet needs of market. It was changes in market demand that gave rise to boutique hotel industry. Boutique hotels are often located in central urban areas

Historical and cultural areas or popular locations usually have fewer than 100 rooms. In terms of design, although there are not many rooms, there are different types of suites. In some hotels it is even possible to achieve "one room, one style". The small scale is also a guarantee of quality service.

Services in boutique hotels are often more "subtle", with attention to every detail and desire to adapt to needs of guests. This service model is derived from "personal butler service" in UK. Be it target customer characteristics, service level, design or location

"A rare treat" is one of their advantages. Within China's hotel industry, there has also been a shift from "the higher better, more rooms better" to direction of "personalization". In context of gradual rise of “experience economy” in recent years

Boutique hotels stand out in hospitality industry with personalized, high-quality products and service standards, winning favor of an increasing number of consumers, especially middle- and high-income people and young people

Since Commune at foot of Great Wall in 2000, due to a number of international major events such as Beijing Olympic Games and Shanghai World Expo, development of boutique hotels in China has undergone significant changes. small climax wave

Example:

Fuchun Mountain Resort, opened in 2004

For example;

Like naked Stable Valley in Moganshan, it opened in 2011. However, due to high requirements for construction, management and operation of boutique hotels, long investment and return cycle, and positioning of consumers in middle and high income class

Boutique hotels occupy a small share of total hotel market, and their position is undoubtedly at top of pyramid

Why do you say:

From loneliness to brand effect?

After most hotel operators have stabilized brand's core customer base to leverage more customer sources

The solution is to create brands of different categories and styles. The hotel group's game is to create more than a dozen high, mid and low price brands and a loyalty program.

On contrary, these independent hotels often cannot get traffic on their own, so various brand alliances are created.

The boutique hotel soft brand model can be roughly divided into three categories, one of which is independent development of a boutique hotel soft brand

For example, domestic brand Huajiantang; second is a boutique hotel brand that is part of a large hotel group, such as Marriott's Luxury Collection (Luxury Collection), Accor's MGallery by Sofitel

The third category is Representation company of soft brand Alliance boutique hotel, which itself does not deal with any hotels, but only with loyalty programs and markets

The "Little Leagues" formed by them in form of a membership or franchise system will set some franchise standards and have a sound audit system as a guarantee of quality. Independent Hotels Join Soft Brand Alliance

You can save hotel name and brand positioning. While maintaining its own characteristics, it can also access global sales network of large hotel chains, global reservation systems and participate in loyalty programs.

Get strong technical support, reduce dependency on third-party distribution channels, leverage brand vendors, revenue management systems, marketing plans, and more so that individual stores also have an impact on brand

As SLH mentioned at beginning of article, this form of marketing alliance has worked well in global hospitality industry

There is also a precedent

Example:

SLH was founded in UK in 1991 and now has over 520 independent brand small luxury hotels in over 90 countries and regions around world.

Each hotel is unique, there are no networks. If you want to use one word to describe SLH, it must be "independent"

Under SLH banner, you won't find unmemorable or insipid members. Most of them are exquisite small hotels with mediumIt has 50 rooms, which can provide guests with a more intimate stay.

Enough to keep original intent to travel. SLH receives applications from more than 1,000 hotels around world every year, and pass rate is only 5%.

Example:

Hotel Eclat

Autumn water villa

Do business that "looks nice"

For customers, hard brands are predictable, while soft brands are unexpected.

The essence of program brand collection work is to improve operational efficiency, service efficiency and revenue level of individual hotels through brand management, operation, maintenance and flow. This business looks beautiful

However, a fully mature and valuable local brand alliance has not yet been formed in China, so it can be seen that it is not easy to create a good brand alliance. The premise of soft brand development is that hotel alliance must have strong hard power

Brand endorsement effect, technology, marketing network and other advantages are indispensable. Preferred Hotel Association founded in 1968.

It has become world's largest independent hotel brand, spanning over 750 top hotels, resorts, apartments and unique hotel groups in 85 countries and regions around world.

The brand understands different needs of guests on every journey. Preferred Hotels & Resorts divides its hotels into five categories so guests can search more intuitively according to different types featured in each series

Compare and book hotels. The most famous of his famous hotels for local guests is Swire The House Collective

Example:

Average house

House opposite

A soft brand is not an OEM chain, key to soft brand development is a flexible understanding of standards

For example, Leading Hotel of World, founded in 1928, directs and maintains many high-end luxury independent hotels.

More than 400 member hotels distributed in more than 80 countries around world. Leading World includes not only independent hotels, but also accepts group-branded hotels. Hotels should not be linked by brand standards or a single identification system< /p>

Products for hotels that retain character and charm. But this does not mean that there are no hardware standards. Often, soft brands will give target a blueprint that matches brand's invitation, and it is necessary to join hotel in order to perform an adaptive transformation according to this requirement as a premise< /p>

Baolaika

Puri

For hotels in soft brand alliances, food and beverage is a key driver of their financial performance

For example, international alliance of boutique hotels Relais & Châteaux, founded in France in 1954.

The biggest feature is food. The alliance currently has over 500 members in 64 countries and has earned 380 Michelin stars in over 500 top hotels.

Relais & Châteaux has stepped up its catering concept and operational support and made food hallmark of alliance hotel

Example:

Village by lake

Jingyun Villa

Boutique hotels work differently. In 2020, No. 12, Luxury Collection Hotel, Shanghai Hengshan Road and Nanjing Shenghe Mansion, Luxury Collection Hotel

The first one decided to join HUALUXE brand, while second hotel name has not changed yet, but it no longer belongs to Luxury Collection brand. There are now only 5 Luxury Collection hotels in China

It can be seen that when hotel owner lacks management experience, they will join a rigid brand, but when owner has rich management experience or direction is more mature, they may leave brand and choose independent management.