Beyond The Lobby – Edition 10

^{BIG IDEA FOR THE WEEK}
Positioning For Hoteliers

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"Every battle is won before it’s ever fought." — Sun Tzu

Some hotels run smoothly even on their busiest nights. Others crack under pressure on an average Wednesday.

It’s not luck.
It’s not magic.
It’s positioning.

Strong positions aren’t accidents, and weak positions aren’t just bad luck. They are built—brick by brick, decision by decision, over time.

Imagine two restaurants, side by side. One is slammed on a Friday night but runs like clockwork. The other is in chaos: orders delayed, staff scrambling, guests getting impatient.

It’s easy to assume one just has a better manager or better staff. But the real difference?

One made the right choices long before the dinner rush.

They hired an extra line cook before they needed one. They trained staff to handle a full house before it was packed. They prepped the kitchen with the small, mundane, everyday systems that make a busy night feel like just another shift.

The other restaurant waited until they had a problem to start fixing it.

A bad-run hotel or restaurant suffers death by a thousand paper cuts because their team is always reacting.

Meanwhile, strong hotels are built on decisions guests never see.

Just like a healthy person isn’t healthy because they ate one salad, a well-run hotel isn’t running well because of one good day.

It’s the result of a thousand small choices made consistently, day after day, long before it ever becomes urgent.

^{OPERATIONAL INSIGHT}
Guardrails Over SOPs

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Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are great—until they’re not.

When a guest asks for something that isn't covered in your SOP manual, what happens next? Usually, the team freezes, escalates, or just says no.

But hospitality is unpredictable. Your guests didn't read your SOP manual, and honestly, they don’t care about your rules.

Instead of strict SOPs, try setting 'guardrails.'

Guardrails aren’t rigid rules, they’re clear boundaries that let your team decide what makes sense in the moment. It’s giving them room to think, to improvise, and to do what's genuinely helpful without having to call a manager every time.

Think of it like budgeting: You trust your team with an allowance for solving guest problems. Under $50? Solve it right away, no questions asked. Between $50 and $100? Check quickly, but you have discretion. Over $100? Then escalate.

Suddenly, you have a team who doesn’t freeze when asked for something off-script. They can respond quickly, humanly, naturally. Your guests get faster solutions, and your team feels respected and empowered.

The real secret: Hotels that thrive in unpredictability aren’t the ones with thicker manuals. They're the ones with clearer guardrails and teams trusted to operate within them.

^{CRISIS PLAYBOOK}
When the Hot Water Turns Cold (And Other Plumbing Nightmares)

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You know the call. A guest turns on the shower expecting a relaxing stream of hot water, but all they get is a shock of cold reality.

Nothing makes a guest feel less cared-for than basic comforts gone wrong. Hot water isn't a luxury—it's table stakes.

So here’s your game plan when plumbing goes sideways:

1. First, acknowledge fast. “We’re on it,” beats “Let me see what I can do.” Guests want reassurance more than explanations.

2. Next, mobilize a solution – even if temporary. Keep portable water heaters or backup rooms ready. An immediate fix says you care about comfort, not just convenience.

3. Then, communicate clearly. Not just to the affected guest, but also front desk, housekeeping, everyone. If staff knows what’s going on, guests sense competence—not chaos.

4. Finally, close the loop personally. “Your hot water’s back. Let us know if there's anything else that you might need help with.” Epathy-lead follow-ups convert frustration into gratitude.

Every hotel faces plumbing nightmares, but the difference between minor inconvenience and major meltdown isn't pipes. It's process.

Handle it right, and guests will remember your effort more than the cold water.

^{WHAT I FOUND INTERESTING}
What Happens in Vegas… Glows in Vegas

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Hotels are predictable on purpose. Same layouts. Same towels. Same neutral paint.

But sometimes, people have other plans.

Like when Mr. Markins checked into his Vegas room, expecting a typical stay. Instead, he got glowing green words on his wall at night: "I’m watching you."

Not exactly the Vegas jackpot he wanted.

Turns out, the previous guest had written it in invisible ink, visible only in the dark. Hotel staff tried cleaning it. Didn’t work. They scrubbed harder. Still there.

Eventually, the only fix was repainting the entire room and relocating Markins to another suite.

Hotels spend a fortune crafting controlled experiences. But a $5 marker just shattered it.

It’s a great reminder: hospitality is predictable, until humans show up. And humans love to leave their mark.

Sometimes literally.

^{SHOWER THOUGHT}
💡 If you live to be 70 years old, you will spend ten years of your life on Mondays.

^{SPONSORED BY HAVEN}
How I Contribute To The Hospitality Industry.

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If you don’t know about me –

I come from a strong tech background – built resilient software for banking, automotive and QSR sectors.

But I finally found true love in hospitality. It’s so full of life and it’s where caring for others is the breadwinner.

However, as a traveller I have gone through a fair share of displeasures and what’s unfortunate is that even the worst experiences had sincere people putting in their best.

But with a lack of data and systems, the staff is usually just overwhelmed.

That’s why my team and I are building Haven. To help hoteliers and hospitality professionals get ahead of guest frustrations and avoid the most basic pitfalls that destroy guest experience.

Hotels that use Haven –

1. Catch service delays before guests complain.
2. Upsell without being pushy.
3. Fix guest issues before they check out.

If you are curious to learn how Haven can help – simply respond to this email and I’d be happy to tell you more over a call.