Hotel goals: Examples and objectives

What are hotel goals?

Like all businesses, hotels have goals – or at least, they should. For successful hotels, a goal is much more than just an aspiration: they’re beacons, guiding every aspect of your operation, from guest satisfaction to financial growth. Understanding the essence of hotel goals and their pivotal role in your business’s evolution is the first step towards transformative success. 

By definition a goal is an aim or desired result, or also the destination of a journey. However, for businesses it goes far beyond that and goals are a crucial part of any business plan.

When defining your hotel business goals, a few simple questions need to be answered: Where? When? How? Who?

• Where do you want your business to be? For example, you may want to increase direct bookings by 20%.
• When do you want to have this objective achieved? Be realistic and give yourself a timeframe for the hotel goal completion, you may work with short, mid and long-term ranges.
• How are you getting there? Which tool can you use to achieve this hotel goal? Using the same example, you may want to invest in online content creation, search engine optimisation, paid advertising and more.
• Who are you trying to impact? Define your target segment, perhaps your audience is mainly backpackers, or even flashpackers. This will help you define the tone of voice of your communication.

Answering these questions will assist you moving forward to stay focused. Here is why you need clear hotel goals – now!

How to get started with hotel goals

Every great hotel’s story starts with a vision and a plan. Below, we help you lay the groundwork for you to create a blueprint for success, guiding you through the initial stages of setting practical and ambitious hotel goals.

1. Begin with the end in mind

The mental process described in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey, suggests that when having the clear image of what you want to achieve in your mind, you’ll be able to put every action and decision into perspective to focus only on the final objective.

This change of focus will provoke a mindset change, which will help you and your team to overcome procrastination, since the focus is now on the means of goal pursuit or on the individual task outcome in relation to the overall goal.

2. Say NO to distractions

Referring back to our example, if you want to increase your direct bookings by 20% in six months, any investment of money and/or time that will not contribute to the goal is a distraction.

If you know the backpacker audience you’re targeting requires an informal, fast and friendly communication, you won’t waste time with long and formal content production. Filter everything diverting you from your path and discard what you don’t need.

3. Keep the team engaged

Once the finish line is defined, the entire team will work together towards the same result. Analyse the relevant metrics and reports along the way and make adjustments when necessary.

If two months after releasing the campaigns to increase your booking conversions you notice paid advertising is bringing more revenue than other tools, talk to your team and adapt your plan to better achieve the goal.

By running periodic reviews you can keep everyone aligned and motivated to continue making progress.

4. Be S.M.A.R.T and track your performance

The S.M.A.R.T. criteria – Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound – offer a structured and efficient approach to setting goals. In the hotel industry, where the pace is fast and the competition is fierce, having clear and attainable objectives is crucial.

• Specific: Your goal should be clear and specific, so you know exactly what you’re working towards. For instance, rather than saying “increase bookings,” specify “increase direct online bookings by 15%.”
• Measurable: Quantify your goal to track progress. Using our example, you can measure the increase in online bookings through your booking system.
• Achievable: Your goal needs to be realistic and attainable. Ensure that a 15% increase is feasible considering your current resources and market conditions.
• Relevant: The goal must align with broader business objectives. Increasing direct online bookings can reduce dependency on third-party booking platforms, aligning with the goal of enhancing direct revenue channels.
• Time-bound: Set a deadline. For instance, aim to achieve this 15% increase in direct online bookings within the next six months.

Here’s how you can implement a S.M.A.R.T goal in your hotel management strategy:

Example of a Hotel Smart Goal: “Increase direct online bookings by 15% within the next six months, leveraging targeted digital marketing campaigns and improving the user experience of our booking platform.”

By defining a S.M.A.R.T goal like this, you provide your team with a clear, focused target. It also allows for regular tracking of your progress, ensuring you remain on the right path and make adjustments as necessary. This systematic approach can significantly enhance your team’s motivation and the overall effectiveness of your hotel management strategies.

Working towards a nonexistent or intangible goal can be very frustrating for you and your team, as it is hard to measure how effective it is. Regardless of the model you decide to use, stay away from vague objectives.

Hotel goals and objectives examples

Setting well-defined goals and objectives is pivotal for the success of any hotel. Here are some practical examples that can guide your strategic planning:

Revenue growth

Goal: Achieve 10% year-over-year revenue growth

Objective:  Implement dynamic pricing strategies, expand service offerings like spa and dining experiences, and promote loyalty programs to encourage repeat visits.

Increase occupancy rate

Goal: Increase hotel occupancy rates by 20% within the next year.

Objective: Launch targeted marketing campaigns focusing on off-peak seasons, establish partnerships with travel agencies, and offer special packages for weekends and holidays.

Improve guest satisfaction

Goal: Elevate guest satisfaction scores (e.g. Net Promoter Score) by 15% over the next 12 months.

Objective: Enhance customer service training for staff, upgrade room amenities, and streamline the check-in/check-out process for a smoother guest experience.

Boost direct bookings

Goal: Increase direct bookings through the hotel’s website by 25% in the next six months.

Objective: Optimise the hotel website for user experience, implement an effective SEO strategy, and utilise social media marketing to drive traffic to the website.

Sustainability initiatives

Goal: Reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint by 30% in two years.

Objective: Implement energy-efficient systems, reduce water waste, and adopt sustainable sourcing practices for food and materials.

Improve online presence

Goal: Grow the total number of website visitors by 25% within a year.

Objective: Develop a content marketing strategy, engage actively on social media platforms, and encourage guests to leave reviews on online travel forums.