We don't operate hotel restaurants, we create unique dining concepts that happen to be located inside hotels! There's a difference.

Many hotels still treat their restaurants and bars as extensions of their lodging. Because they prioritize rooms first, the dining experience naturally becomes an afterthought. And that doesn't make a great foundation for creating a memorable dining experience or a successful restaurant.

We concept and create our restaurants from the guest's perspective. For instance, if there is a speakeasy in the hotel, does the guest think of it as just a hotel bar or do they see it as a unique entity? Can that outlet stand on its own? Do guests see it as equal to or better than other dining experiences in the area?

Those are the sorts of conversations we have at the onset.

We don't want the restaurant or bar to be just an extension of the guest experience; we want it to be a wholly new experience.

To do that, we start by giving each restaurant, bar, or outlet a name, a logo, and a brand identity. Then, each outlet gets a website, a social media presence, and a dedicated email database. And that's just on the marketing side.

In the physical space, we also create a unique first impression with a dedicated restaurant entrance, separate from the hotel. These aren't just physical doors, but also metaphorical doors. When you walk through that door, you enter a distinct business or concept that's completely separate from the hotel, an experience in and of itself.

When you're successful in differentiating your hotel restaurants, the results speak for themselves. Oak Steakhouse in Highlands, NC, part of our Skyline Lodge concept, has benefitted greatly from the success of being known as a local favorite as well as a traveler’s destination restaurant.

This approach also makes it much easier to attract and retain talent who are excited to work on unique projects.

It's easy to get caught up in the big picture, especially when dealing with multiple businesses in the same building. The temptation to cut costs and cross-utilize staff and marketing efforts is hard to resist.

But by understanding that each business unit is its own concept, you can tailor marketing strategies to meet specific customer needs.

This article first appeared at Tambourine

Sam Trotter
Head of Digital Marketing,
The Indigo Road Hospitality Group

www.theindigoroad.com