Why do fancy pants hotels put baths in the middle of bedrooms?
Not in the bathroom.
Not even next to the bathroom.
Right there. In the middle of bedroom. Sitting on its own. Looking very pleased with itself.
And does anyone actually use it?
I’m sure someone does. Maybe it’s you! (let me know in the comments).
Perhaps the moment you check-in you’re thinking, ‘Lovely. I’ve been looking forward to having a bath three feet from the minibar all day.’
I don’t get it. And with my job, I’ve stayed in enough hotel rooms to know it’s now becoming a thing.
My whirring brain asks:
How much did that reproduction Victorian bath cost? Not just to buy. To install. Plumb. Maintain. To clean.
And what else could the hotel have done with the money?
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never checked out of a hotel and said, ‘The service was terrible, reception rude, breakfast took 45 minutes. But WOW! That centrally placed bathtub in the bedroom! Woo hoo, take me to TripAdvisor.’
Some hospitality businesses love splashing the cash in things customers can see. Extravagant receptions. Clever technology (NO MORE QR CODES - PLEASE!). New branding. Statement baths.
But what if they invested the same enthusiasm (and dosh) in their people?
Better recruitment. More training. Giving staff the authority to fix a problem. Making it easier for them to deliver brilliant service.
None of those things look particularly impressive in a photograph.
But you notice them when you’re a customer.
Let’s spare a thought for the heroes and heroines of hospitality… housekeeping and maintenance.
Every clever idea dreamed up in a design meeting (or, heaven forbid, marketing 🙄) eventually becomes somebody else’s job.
Yes, someone must clean that Instagrammable mid room reservoir.
Someone must clean around that bath.
And someone must discover why it won’t drain and repair what the previous guests decided to do in that tacky tub 😳.
(There are some things no amount of staff training can prepare you for).
Every design decision creates an operational consequence.
With that in mind:
I’d invest in the welcome before the wow.
I’d teach teams to make emotional deposits before stocking more £5 a bag snacks in the mini bar.
I’d give gratuities to housekeepers before automatically adding 15% to the bar bill.
Yes, you might have guessed where I’m coming from.
Invest in the person before the thing.
Be Brilliant!
Michael
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