How to Be One Step Ahead of Valentine’s Day in Your Hospitality Business
Valentine’s Day is probably one of the biggest events of the year for the global hospitality industry. From couples in the honeymoon phase, to those trying to spark romance in a long-term relationship, and singletons wanting to get in on the holiday, there are plenty of opportunities to capitalize on the date.
For hotels, restaurants, bars, and event venues, this is a big time of year and it’s crucial that you get your message out early and to the right people. There is going to be a lot of competition from others in the industry, so you need to make sure that you have a plan to stand out from the crowd.
Let’s take a look at some steps you can take to get ahead:
Start Early With Your Planning
If you want to be one step ahead of the competition, you need to start your planning as early as possible. Ideally, you should start brainstorming ideas for the big day from the beginning of January so that you have a plan in place for marketing come mid-month. If you only start your promotions in February, people are likely to have already made their plans for Valentine’s Day.
It's important to look at what day the 14th falls on. In 2022, Valentine’s Day is a Monday. This means a lot of people will celebrate the weekend before because of work commitments on Monday. You might want to consider having a Valentine’s weekend special, or even something that runs from the 11th all the way through to the 19th so people have more options.
Give Your Venue A Little Something Special For The Day
To stand out from the crowd, you need to give your customers a great reason for joining you for Valentine’s Day. You want them to come to you and not another business. It’s important to look honestly at your venue and what you could do a little differently from your normal service to make it that a bit more exciting or enticing on such a big day.
- Restaurants—Consider live entertainment. A singer with a small stage in the corner might take out a few tables, but it’ll give you a chance to boost the prices for the night and sell actual tickets.
- Hotels—If you have a conference room, you could turn it into a cinema that screens romantic movies. Guests can book tickets as part of their package when they book a room.
Think About The Food And Drinks You Offer
Valentine’s Day is a chance to change the menu and the bar list a bit. The idea is to create a unique experience that can only be found at your venue and only on Valentine’s Day. Having a few fun cocktails that send the right message of love and romance can add some spice to the day for your customers. Just be sure to pitch the names and the drinks themselves at the right level for your customers.
With food, there are certain ingredients that have specific meanings attached to them. Oregano represents joy and happiness, which is ideal for a couple’s meal on Valentine’s Day. Have some fun researching this and create a once-off menu for your Valentine’s special. This will help you create a buzz around why people should pick your establishment.
Get The Décor Right For Your Clientele
The temptation is often to go crazy with balloons and red roses and hearts when it comes to Valentine’s décor. Instead, do some market research into what your customers are thinking around Valentine’s and see how you can use that to inspire your décor. Sometimes, the more understated approach is better for a romantic mood.
Changing out napkins to ones that have hearts on them or folding your regular napkins into the shape of a heart is a nice little touch. Adding a few more candles to the room and dimming the lights is another beautiful touch.
It’s also important to keep in mind your marketing for the event. A lot of people consider the atmosphere when making their choice for a venue for their Valentine’s celebrations. Do a trial run of your Valentine’s setup and take professional photographs of it to use in your marketing.
A Little Gift Goes A Long Way
People love freebies, no matter what they are. By supplying a small Valentine’s gift at the end of their meal at your restaurant or when they check-in for their getaway, you’ll be building a lot of goodwill towards your business. It’s also great if you can make it pretty so that people will be inclined to take photos and post them on social media. Positive user-generated content like that can boost your business’s profile in a big way.
Look For Partners You Can Work With
To enhance your Valentine’s offering and to give your marketing efforts a boost, you should consider finding some businesses to partner up with for the occasion. You can create a package that is truly unique by combining the strengths of your partners and your own business, giving you a definite edge over the competition.
As online daters rate movies and restaurants high on their list of interests, a restaurant could team up with a local cinema for a classic “dinner and movie” date night package. A small hotel could pair up with a spa to offer guests a romantic couple's massage as part of their Valentine’s getaway. You could hire a professional photographer to take photos and offer that as part of the package for your customers. There are so many ways to build packages when you’re strategic about the partners you find in your area.
Love Is The Reason
Whether you’re offering a table for two or a honeymoon suite, capitalizing on Valentine’s Day just makes sense. Ensure you kickstart your marketing well ahead of time and offer something unique that stands out from the crowd. This day (or month) of love can prove to be hugely lucrative for hospitality businesses that have the right marketing strategy in place.
Author: Ellen Klein
