Small hotels are prioritising operations over guest acquisition

Small accommodation businesses globally spend more time managing daily operations than attracting guests, according to new research from hotel guest acquisition and revenue platform SiteMinder.

The study found that nearly half (49%) of small accommodation providers prioritise property management tasks over guest acquisition, while only 16% dedicate more time to growing their bookings.

Despite these pressures, 53% of small hoteliers say they would prefer to focus on guest acquisition. However, 40% cite ‘lack of knowledge’ as the biggest barrier to adopting technology that could help attract more guests, while 29% maintain static room pricing, either never changing their rates or adjusting them only once annually.

“Our conversations with accommodation providers have made it clear that while managing daily operations such as guest check-ins and coordinating housekeeping remains essential, it shouldn’t come at the expense of growing their bookings,” says Leah Rankin, SiteMinder’s chief product officer.

“Running a successful accommodation business today means giving these hoteliers the tools that let them work smarter, not harder – tools that help them continue delivering excellent guest experiences while simplifying the path to attracting new bookings.”

These findings come as SiteMinder unveils the next generation of Little Hotelier, a platform for small accommodation businesses. The upgrade offers advanced distribution and revenue tools previously available only to larger properties.