As someone who works in the hospitality industry, you know that selling extra services is a great way to boost your revenue. Guests will spend more if you can provide them with an extra service that makes their stay more comfortable. But hold on! The benefits don’t stop there. Extras are a great way to add value to your business and entice customers away from your competitors. We sampled 6,000 of our eviivo UK customers to find out what were the top 5 earners.
1. Charge for meal packages
Quelle surprise! Meals have come out on top as the highest earner for our eviivo hosts. After a long road trip, with little but a packet of crisps in their bellies, guests want to know there are food options available upon arrival. Breakfast came out on top with a 22% increase in revenue on top of the room price. This was followed by dinner which increased revenue by 9% and evening meals accounted for an uplift of 4%. On average, guests spent £19.71 on meals resulting in a 35% increase in takings.
Hey, just for you, here’s a sneaky tip: Hosts who can create a unique menu, or put an original spin on a classic dish are more likely to receive orders. Read our tips on creating the perfect menu.
2. Pet-friendly Extra services
Pets are part of the family so it’s no wonder that guests want to take them on their travels. For our eviivo customers, providing pet extras increased their revenue by 20%. Pinterest recently revealed that searches for dog-friendly holidays are up 146% on the social media platform so providing pet-friendly amenities such as a large garden, or complimentary food, makes you the cat’s pyjamas in comparison to your competition. In fact, simply charging for pet stays is be a big income booster.
We’re feeling generous today so here’s another tip: The most sought after pet-friendly extra services sold by eviivo customers include dog beds, water and food bowls, and treats.
3. Offer alcohol packages
Selling booze increased revenue by 6% on top of the initial booking. Surprisingly, beer wasn’t even in the top three highest-selling drinks – that honour went to champagne, prosecco and wine respectively, showing that you don’t need be on tap to tap into a lucrative extra.
We love giving you valuable information so here’s something else to consider: You still need a licence to serve complimentary alcohol. Authorities consider ‘free’ alcohol to be included in the price of the room.
4. Perk them up with parking
With an estimated 57% of Brits taking their holidays within the UK last year, it makes perfect sense for parking to be a lucrative extra service. People pay for convenience and if a guest can take as few steps as possible to get to your front door, you’ll be quids in. For eviivo customers, parking accounted a 4% increase in their revenue.
We’re spoiling you now, but here’s another tip: Ensure your parking facilities are located near your property. It may sound simple, but it’s often overlooked. No one wants to walk across a busy road to get to their accommodation.
5. Charge for chocolates
Who can think of a better addition to a romantic getaway than a deliciously decadent box of chocolates? Whether you’re dipping strawberries into a fondant on a hot summer’s day, or cosying up to a winter fire, chocolate is a guaranteed winner. For eviivo B&B owners, selling chocolates accounted for 1% of the revenue when sold on top of the room-only price. The average chocolate bundle cost £29.20.
Final tip: There are many varieties of chocolate you can buy to cater to your standard guest such as diabetic, vegan and gluten-free options.
So there you have it! The top five extras sold by our eviivo customers. As you can see, providing extras isn’t just a great money maker, it’s also a way of showing your customers that you value their comfort. And just for giggles, here’s a few eviivo customers that really went the extra mile for their guests.
The quirkiest extra services sold in 2019:
- 22 chocolate fountains – these were all sold by one property. A great example of a niche extra sold to the right audience.
- Karaoke stay promotion – we imagine that went down well with the guests!
- Whisky and chocolate tasting with stories (we were unable to calculate the average cost of a story).