What does your leisure club say about your hotel?

Too often, a hotel’s leisure club tells a different story from the rooms or public areas. There aren’t many hotels that don’t have high standards of cleanliness, a luxurious finish, modern decor and a sense of corporate belonging within the main body of the hotel, however move down the hall to the leisure club and prepare to be disappointed.

I have witnessed many poorly decorated clubs, replete with a variety of clip art inspired posters plastered to the walls, doors, equipment (in fact, anything that doesn’t move) and an eclectic array of aging fitness equipment. A look at the changing rooms will often confirm my worst fear, the moldy shower stalls and the pool area looks like it could get a horrible foot infection.

Finally on my hit list, the leisure club staff; Do they work for the same hotel as the smart and attentive receptionists, stuck behind the desk with superglue, and will they ever offer to help me while I struggle to schedule the treadmill?

I’m sure you agree that the above description paints a poor picture, and some may say it’s extreme, but when was the last time you took a hard look at your leisure club with a detailed eye? Don’t let leisure in your hotel get neglected and neglected, make leisure an area that pays dividends for you with more leisure guests and a strong source of secondary income from paying members.

So what does your leisure club say to its guests?

A rundown leisure club tells its guests that it has no eye for detail and does not drive high standards throughout its hotel (they may well think “if the showers are dirty here where I can walk in, how dirty are the kitchens? “)

A bad experience will discourage guests from rebooking your hotel, if they want a leisure club as part of their experience, they will look for a high quality one next time, probably one of your competitors.

External members (local residents and corporate members) using your leisure club will assume this is the standard in the rest of the hotel, so they are unlikely to book events, restaurant reservations or recommend the hotel to their friends/family . away from your business?

Mystery shoppers may include your leisure club experience in your overall report, lowering your hotel’s score and potentially jeopardizing your ratings.

Just one bad staff experience will reflect negatively on your entire hotel staff, guests will remember the bad experience long after they have forgotten the nine positive experiences they received.

So it’s time to get down to business, take a hard look at your leisure club and see what you can change to improve your operating standards and bring back the enthusiasm of your leisure club, and yes, you can become a profit center itself. if it works effectively.