How best to combine value and luxury - Business Works
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How best to combine value and luxury

by Charlie Wileman, Digital Marketing Executive, Generator Setting up a new business is a difficult task, but setting up a new chain which focuses on delivering high-value, luxury-quality at budget prices is even more challenging. That was the hurdle we had to overcome, in making hostels more appealing to the mass market, but providing high-quality accommodation at budget rates says Charlie Wileman, digital marketing executive at Generator.

So, how do you combine value and luxury in the same product? Traditionally, hostels have been long-associated with young groups of students looking for fun and lone backpackers hot-footing it around the globe on a shoestring budget.

First of all, it’s very important to consider the needs of the customer. As a relatively new business looking to revolutionise the perception of hostels, it’s important to be smart when it comes to consumer feedback.

For any business in the travel accommodation industry, monitoring a visitor’s behaviour and feedback is essential to providing them with an experience they remember and share with friends and family. Operate with open ears, listen to what visitors enjoyed and did not enjoy so much.

In the case of Generator, we knew that travellers wanted convenience and safety, but also the opportunity to socialise with like-minded people and make new friends along the way. Traditionally, hostels have only offered dormitory accommodation, where some travellers – particularly lone travellers – may have felt uncomfortable about sharing with a host of strangers, both male and female.

That’s why we’ve reached out to our consumer base by providing a range of private bedrooms, complete with en-suite bathrooms. This way, those who want to enjoy the full-on travelling experience can stay in one of our dormitories and those wanting their own private retreat can have a room to call their own.

adding value to your customer

It’s all about adding value to your customer with little touches that leave a lasting reminder of their stay. For instance, we offer luxury female-only dorms with additional features such as dressing tables with hairdryers, private reading lights, full-length mirrors and more to help them feel at ease.

A strong online presence is also essential to get your business heard in today’s crowded marketplace. An online brand which resonates with your consumer base may seem like a daunting task, but there are some simple things you can do to gain the online exposure a travel brand needs to be successful.

It’s a good idea to try and replicate the look and feel of your accommodation through the user experience and design of your website. Users tend to place a lot of value on attractive design. Another great way to boost traffic to your website and catch the eye of budding travellers and tourists is to create highly-engaging blog content.

We try very hard to keep our users up-to-date with our social and cultural events that we hold at each of our hostels such as Generator Live, showcasing fantastic underground music talent, and Berlin Evolution and Kitsune club night – our unique and atmospheric opening nights for our Berlin Mitte and Venice hostels.

Our use of imagery on-site is integral to setting the tone of our hostels and our overarching brand. We endeavour to upload photos of each hostel and event as well as attempt to get into artistic, creative magazines that get across our ethos as a style-conscious, sociable place to stay and sample the local atmosphere.

Ultimately, innovation is one of the key factors in whether your business outgrows its humble beginnings. If you can keep abreast of current trends and do something better or differently the chances are you will grab that vital edge over your competitors.



For more information, please visit: www.generatorhostels.com



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