BOUTIQUE HOTEL MANAGEMENT

B L O G

Charity begins at home

In all of our three properties, we offer a bar service on the honesty-bar model where guests are free to pick their favourite drink or snack against a nominal donation. This has been an integral part of our guest services and all proceeds from the honesty bar are committed towards supporting charities that help children.

A few days ago we paid a visit to the Congregation of the Ursuline Sisters of St. Angela Merici in Zabbar and presented the Madre with a €1200 donation on behalf of our guests. The Ursuline Sisters were founded in Malta in 1887 to take care of poor and abandoned babies and children. The congregation has nine homes in Malta, one in London, three others in Noto and another one in Catania. Nowadays, the Apostolate is exercised also in Kindergarten Schools, Catechesis and other fields both in Malta and abroad.

Heartfelt thanks to all our guests for contributing to this donation.

BOCO Boutique
Lemon Tree Bed and Breakfast
Pjazza Suites Boutique Hotel

TGEC launches third boutique accommodation property

On Sunday 14th April 2018, The Guest Experience Company welcomed the general public to the opening of their third boutique accommodation property.

It has been two years to date that the company kicked off its endeavours with BOCO Boutique in Cospicua, followed shortly by Lemon Tree Bed & Breakfast in Zabbar.

This third property – Pjazza Suites Boutique Hotel – situated in the quaint village of Siggiewi, very close to Mdina and the Neolithic Temples.

The event attracted hundreds of visitors who were given a tour of the holiday accommodation facilities.

Catering was prepared by Chef Karl Mallia from Cooking out of the box.

OPEN DAY Pjazza Suites 14th April

Join us on Sunday 14th April to celebrate with us the beginning of an exciting journey ahead. We will be welcoming the general public between 9:30am and 1:00pm and offering to tour the 5-suite boutique hotel just before welcoming the first guests.

Malta amongst TripAdvisor’s Top 25 Destinations for 2019

The list is out! TripAdvisor’s most sought-after list showcasing the most desired destinations by travellers for the year has just been released.

The review website awards the Travellers Choice Top Destination winners by continent and an overall winner for the year. London, UK has made it to the top of the list and has not only claimed the winning post as World most desired destinations, but also topped the European list.

Malta has also made it to the list by placing in the 19th position.

More information: https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/TravelersChoice-Destinations-cTop-g4-a_Mode.expanded

Presentation in Estonia

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Birgit Oidram, Operations Director, was recently invited by her former school to give a presentation on The Guest Experience Company to a group of students.

Ms Oidram illustrated her journey in life from Estonia to Malta and how she co-founded the company that today has three boutique hotels in it’s growing portfolio.

Students were particularly interested in life in Malta and the challenges of starting your own business overseas.

Ms Marju Retsja, headmistress of the Märjamaa Gymnasium presented Ms Oidram with a token after a tour of the new facilities.

Busy Days for 2018

As the peak season for 2018 comes to a close, we take a look back at our work. It has been a really busy 2018 for BOCO Boutique hotel (Cospicua) and Lemon Tree Bed & Breakfast (Zabbar).

In June we marked the first anniversary for both properties and by that time we were already in full swing; welcoming more guests that the previous year. In fact during the first 12 months of operations we have hosted over 1000 guests spending over 2500 bed nights in one of our rooms.

From the looks of it, the second year will exceed our own targets and expectations and as we prepare to open our 3rd property – Pjazza Suites Boutique Hotel – we thank our committed staff and trustworthy partners for their focus and dedication.


Do you own a property that you wish to convert into a boutique hotel? Do you need someone to manage your guesthouse? Give us a call on 00356 79470791 (Anson) for a quick chat on the potential returns on your investment.

BOCO Boutique launches over Easter

Some 300 visitors have been welcomed at BOCO Boutique in Cospicua over Easter weekend. During this open-house we invited guests to tour the house and take a sneak preview of the rooms that as of 1st May 2017 will be hosting travellers and tourists.

The Guest Experience Company has been working with the owner and the artistic director for the last 12 months in an effort to open a unique lifestyle accommodation with stunning views of the Grand Harbour, Valletta and the 3 Cities.

More photos are available on Facebook and Pinterest whilst direct bookings are now open on BOCOboutique.com

Owner Anthony Busuttil (L) flanked by Artistic Director Karl Mallia and Anson David from The Guest Experience Company

Owner Anthony Busuttil (L) flanked by Artistic Director Karl Mallia and Anson David from The Guest Experience Company

Lemon Tree Bed and Breakfast – a sneak preview

After 9 months of hard work, the almost derelict village home in Zabbar has been transformed into a welcoming Mediterranean Bed & Breakfast surrounding a sun-kissed court yard.

Today we want to share with you a sneak preview as we start setting up the rooms.

Managing Guest Expectations

A recent infographic published by Red Lion Hotels Corporation undertook the difficult task to analyse the shift in mindset of a modern traveller.

As they admit,

In recent years, hotel guests’ expectations have shifted. As generations begin traveling, their preferences become more defined and they want more options.This modern mindset seeks out convenience, innovation and personalization.

However, addressing only this shift would mean that your hospitality is focused only on Millennials, risking to loose out on business from anyone over 35 years of age!

These new expectations are challenging the hospitality industry to rethink the entire guest journey, including pre-stay and post-stay, amenities, services and experiences.

Rethinking might not be enough! What is perhaps more effective is a holistic approach to guest expectations’ management. Now that we “know” what each age group predominantly expects, we can tailor our service to meet such expectations.

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The chart above indicates, according to RLHC, what each age group expects out of a hospitality establishment for each part of their stay. The column on the left refers to Baby Boomers (aged 52+), the middle column refers to Generation X guests (aged between 36 and 51) and the right-most column lists the expectations of Millenials (18-35 year olds).

Therefore, unless you are operating an establishment exclusively targeted at one of these age groups, you need to find a great compromise between these expectations.

This will become your Guest Expectations Strategy.

Top Travel Trends for 2016

TripAdvisor recently polled more than 44,000 travelers and hoteliers about their plans for 2016.Why will people travel in 2016? How will these travelers decide what to do and where to stay? Will they spend more or less than they did in 2015? And what impact are their choices having on the travel industry as a whole?

Trend #1 – Seeking new experiences

In the coming year, travelers of all ages will seek out things they haven’t tried before, from cruises to solo travel and more.

  • Globally, 69% of travelers plan to try something new in 2016.
  • 1 in 5 global travelers said they would try a cruise for the first time next year.
  • 17% will try solo travel for the first time in 2016; 15% will try adventure travel for the first time.

Trend #2 – Spending more because it’s “worth it”

Worldwide, travelers are open to spending more in 2016 than they have in the past—and not just because of rising costs.

  • 1 in 3 travelers (33%) are planning to spend more on travel in 2016 than they did the previous year.
  • Among those who plan to increase their travel budget, 49% said they will do so because “because I or my family deserve it.”
  • 31% said they would spend more on travel because “it’s important for my health and well-being.”

Trend #3 – Choosing destinations based on culture, special offers

Today’s travelers choose destinations for a number of reasons, including special offers from accommodations.

  • Globally, 47% of travelers say they have visited a destination because of the culture and people of the specific country.
  • 1 in 5 travelers (21%) have chosen a destination because a hotel had a special offer or package.
  • “TV tourism” is on the rise: 1 in 5 global travelers have visited a destination because they saw it on a TV show.

Trend #4 – Staying cool and connected

Among the amenities that travelers will look for when they book an accommodation in 2016, air conditioning and WiFi stand out.

  • Globally, 63% of travelers said air conditioning is a must-have when choosing a place to stay. That makes it more of a deal-breaker than breakfast (40%) or a swimming pool (26%).
  • 46% said free in-room WiFi is a must-have amenity—meaning that, if an accommodation did not provide it, they would look elsewhere.
  • 26% of travelers said that they require an accommodation that has super-fast WiFi; 11% are willing to pay extra for this service.

Trend #5 – Rising room rates (and optimism)

Many accommodations plan to raise their room rates next year, while the majority of hoteliers say they’re optimistic about profitability in 2016.

  • Nearly half of hoteliers globally plan to increase room rates in 2016 (47%).
  • Most accommodations are increasing rates to compensate for increased overhead costs (65%), although more than a third are increasing rates because of recently completed renovations (37%) or because of increased demand (35%).
  • 3 in 4 business owners are optimistic about profitability in 2016. The majority of those who are optimistic say it’s because of local events and conferences taking place in their markets next year (65%).
  • 91% of hoteliers see increasing direct bookings as key for the future of their business.

Trend #6 – Managing reputations online

Online presence remains important: In 2016, businesses will be keeping a close eye on what people are saying about them on the web.

  • 93% of hoteliers said that online traveler reviews are important for the future of their business.
  • Online reputation management is still the biggest area of investment for accommodation owners in 2016, with 59% investing more in this area than they did the previous year.

Conducted on behalf of TripAdvisor by independent research firm Ipsos, TripBarometer is the world’s largest traveler and accommodation survey, analyzing more than 44,000 responses from travelers and hoteliers around the globe. Download the full report here.