As a B&B operator, it’s easy to get caught up in the process of creating intimate, comfortable and welcoming rooms.

Ultimately, most of your guests are booking a room at your property in order to enjoy an authentic, personalized experience, and the room is the highlight of their stay.

However, the overall guest experience plays an important role in your brand reputation. You also should strive to create a warm and friendly reception area, where guests can interact with one another.

Ultimately, this improves the guest experience and allows you to form a connection that encourages guest loyalty.

How Can You Foster Social Interaction at Your B&B?

  • Design a casual and cozy reception area

You should create group seating areas where guests can interact with one another, but still feel like it is an intimate atmosphere. Depending on the location of your B&B, you also may want to design an outdoor gathering space such as a patio, garden with a fountain or a pool. These spaces will draw guests out of their rooms and will provide them with an opportunity to connect with other travelers who are staying at your small hotel.

  • Include accent lighting that adds charm and comfort to the space

Ambient lighting is likely your top priority in your guest rooms, as you want to make sure the rooms feel comfortable, natural and warm. However, in your reception, you also should emphasize the need for accent lighting. Lamps and candlelight can significantly improve the general atmosphere of a lobby space by making it a home-like environment. By creating a comfortable lobby with soft lighting, guests will feel like the lobby is a space where they can gather and relax. It will remind them of the same comfort that they feel in their own homes.

  • Provide guests with a reason to linger and stay – such as food, drinks or events

Rather than making your reception a space where guests can relax while they finalize the check-in process, you should make it a destination at your small hotel. Offer food and drinks to guests who are staying at your property. Schedule events, such as local musicians or comedians, so that guests can enjoy entertainment without having to leave the comfort of your small hotel. Your guests will appreciate the all-inclusive nature of the reception, and they will be compelled to check in frequently in order to see if anything is going on. They are bound to socialize with other guests and forge a new type of connection with your hotel brand.

You will notice that your guest acquisition rates are directly related to the general atmosphere and overall experience that you provide at your small hotel.

By investing in the guest experience, you will find that you are able to develop a positive brand reputation and also generate better feedback on the premier online review sites.

By Dean Elphick

Dean is the Senior Content Marketing Specialist of Little Hotelier, the all-in-one software solution purpose-built to make the lives of small accommodation providers easier. Dean has made writing and creating content his passion for the entirety of his professional life, which includes more than six years at Little Hotelier. Through content, Dean aims to provide education, inspiration, assistance, and, ultimately, value for small accommodation businesses looking to improve the way they run their operations (and live their life).