Amin Deroui - Roles & Responsibilities of a Marketing Manager in the Hotel Industry

A marketing manager in the hotel industry is responsible for maximizing a hotel's revenues. The manager accomplishes this by developing programs to increase occupancy and make profitable use of its accommodation, meeting and leisure facilities. Amin Deroui says a hotel marketing manager must maintain awareness of the factors that influence the hotel industry and gain a deep understanding of the needs and attitudes of a hotel’s customers. The marketing manager is also responsible for coordinating marketing and promotional activities to meet guests' needs, working closely with other hotel staff to ensure guests are satisfied with the facilities and their time there.

Conduct Marketing Research

Customers may choose a hotel on the basis of many different factors, such as its location; its access to road, rail or air travel; its meeting facilities; its reputation for hospitality; or its price. As a marketing manager, you must identify the factors that shape your hotel’s appeal to customers.

Monitor customer reviews on your own website or on hotel booking sites to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your hotel. Speak to guests in person or in followup calls. Review travel industry research to identify trends that could affect your hotel, such as increasing demand for low-cost family accommodations, or fuel prices, or better facilities for business travelers, for example.

Maximize Customer Awareness

As marketing manager, you must make it easy for customers to find out about your hotel. This is no small task when you consider all the options a traveler has, like hotels, motels, inns, B&Bs or peer-to-peer home shares. Your website should be appealing and include up-to-date guest information on hotel facilities and rates, travel and location with detailed information on meeting facilities for event organizers.

Post hotel details on destination websites and online booking sites to increase reach to your target audience. Collaborating with other meeting venues to offer their delegates accommodations or meeting space can give you access to other potential customers.

Promoting Your Facilities

Developing promotions is an essential part of hotel marketing. You need to increase occupancy during times of the year when bookings are low. Amin Deroui says Running special events such as gourmet weekends, or offering incentives such as one night’s extra accommodation when booking for a period, can help to attract more guests. If your hotel has conference rooms, you need to fill them when events are not taking place. Consider offering meeting rooms to local businesses for short-term use.

Build Customer Relationships

To build a stable revenue base and ensure high levels of repeat business, you need to develop strong customer relationships. A customer loyalty program that rewards customers who book regularly will benefit your hotel and your customers. Keep it simple so that customers know how to accumulate points and use them for rewards. Target the program at individual guests or at corporate customers who require regular meeting facilities or accommodation for large numbers of traveling staff or visiting customers.

Liaison with Staff and Managers

As marketing manager you will work closely with other members of the hotel management team to identify marketing priorities. Review future booking levels to plan dates for promotions to increase occupancy rates. Work with the event management team to schedule marketing to attract additional conferences and events. Share the results of customer satisfaction surveys and customer reviews with the customer service team to enhance standards of customer care.