DALLAS, Texas—Small accommodation businesses globally spend more time managing daily operations than attracting guests, according to new research from SiteMinder.
SiteMinder’s study, which uncovers challenges in the small accommodation sector, shows that nearly half (49 percent) of small accommodation providers prioritize property management tasks over guest acquisition, while only 16 percent dedicate more time to growing their bookings.
More Findings
Despite these pressures, 53 percent of small hoteliers say they would prefer to focus on guest acquisition. However, 40 percent cite ‘lack of knowledge’ as the biggest barrier to adopting technology that could help attract more guests, while 29 percent maintain static room pricing, either never changing their rates or adjusting them only once annually.
These findings come as SiteMinder debuts the next generation of Little Hotelier, a platform for small accommodation businesses. With this upgrade, Little Hotelier offers advanced distribution and revenue tools previously available only to larger properties.
“Our conversations with accommodation providers have made it clear that while managing daily operations such as guest check-ins and coordinating housekeeping remains essential, it shouldn’t come at the expense of growing their bookings,” says Leah Rankin, SiteMinder’s chief product officer. “Running a successful accommodation business today means giving these hoteliers the tools that let them work smarter, not harder—tools that help them continue delivering excellent guest experiences while simplifying the path to attracting new bookings. We designed an all-new Little Hotelier to do just that: bringing world-class distribution technology and pricing intelligence into a property management solution small accommodation providers already feel comfortable with. It’s about meeting them where they are, at the heart of day-to-day operations, and giving them greater control over their bookings in a centralised platform.”
