Pro tips for hosting private parties in your hotel

No matter their reason for celebrating, guests who rent space for a private party may require some extra care and attention. From the time of booking until cleanup is finished, your entire staff needs to be working towards the common goal of hosting the best possible party for your guests. While many factors outside of your power contribute to the perfect party, you should work to create the best possible setting for your guests.

Follow these pro tips to ensure the next private party you host at your property is the best one:

Tailor your offerings to the type of party – A business gathering will have a much different feel from a wedding reception or birthday bash. Hyatt has launched a special “HyaTTeen Suite 16,” which offers the ultimate Sweet 16 slumber party experience. Many of this package’s features, however, would not appeal to guests of a different demographic.

Work with the party planner – If there is a party planner on the job, be sure that a meeting is scheduled prior to the event. This will allow you both to go over the plan and approve or reject any points together. Make sure the meeting is held in advance in case there needs to be a backup plan.

Have a “break it; buy it” policy – If there is a rowdy group renting out your party space, inform them of this policy. If there is any damage to the room or party space, the guest’s credit card can be charged to replace or fix the damage.

Keep all items stocked – Whether it is in the party room or guest room, keep everything stocked and presentable. Many people choose to throw a party at a hotel for this very reason, so it is important to meet their expectations.

Monitor guests – Another important factor is ensuring that only invited guests have access to the party room. You don’t want any party crashers ruining the fun.

How to make your hotel a party destination?

Rake in more revenues by turning your hotel into a party destination for guests. Independent hoteliers can make use of various free marketing tools to promote their brand instead of investing on advertisements or third party sites.

Here is how it works:

Word of mouth: Before you start worrying about building new guest database, take a look at your existing guests. These are the people who have stayed at your hotel, know enough about your hotel and services. Send them mails informing about your interest in hosting parties. You can also request them to refer someone from their family or friends. In the bargain, you can offer them discounts. Half of your battle is won!

Go social: Use this free yet most powerful tool to attract guests. You can list your interest in hosting parties through posts or put up pictures of your party hall that will attract people. Indulge in conversations by replying to the queries on social media. Once you have connected well with the guests, you can enable a booking button on your Facebook page in order to drive in additional traffic to your website. Social media is a big platform for business and is not just for college students or youngsters.

Get listed: Hit the iron when it’s hot: Probe your guests to leave reviews about your hotel on the famous review sites. These review sites will list your hotel under the ‘party hotels’ section which will make it easier for guests to find your hotel easily. (Also read: Know how small hotels can acquire maximum reviews)

Signboards: Hang signboards/posters in your property so that the guests who visit know that your hotel is open to corporate/private parties.

Use hotel receipts/business cards: You can get a printed message on the back of the hotel receipt or business card.

Flyers in shopping bags: Drop flyers in the bags of the guests when they visit your hotel’s restaurant/bar/spa.

Cross promotion: Partner with rental car companies, credit card companies or restaurants and run a cross-promotional marketing campaign that will get your brand name out to many.