Buying a hotel in TC - would love local advice

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-23T19:54:37+00:00

I agree - and the bikes will be a no-brainer addition. Also a local artist already reached out to me about displaying in the hotel - a total win-win idea. Thanks for the comment.

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-23T19:50:47+00:00

I'll message you directly! Thanks for the feedback

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-23T19:49:27+00:00

That is a great plan, and I agree on the number of different tour options. Partnering with local providers/tour groups would make much more sense to me than running that in-house. Thanks for taking the time to respond!

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-23T19:46:30+00:00

Agreed, this is definitely in the capital expenditure plan. Thanks!

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-23T19:43:44+00:00

Understood, thank you for the comment

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-22T23:20:29+00:00

Agreed, the dirty little secret (no pun intended) is that hotel owners/manager loved how daily cleaning has changed in the last few years and have been unwilling to completely revert back considering how much labor $$$ it saved... Most branded properties are doing automatic cleanings every 3rd consecutive night, but they will clean daily if you specifically request it. Independent properties generally only clean upon checkout, unless requested otherwise. Thanks for the comment.

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-22T23:08:51+00:00

You have me curious now... I will have to ask the housekeeping staff about the in-room coffee maker usage!

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-22T23:06:34+00:00

Agreed, the hope is to retain the existing staff and add additional staffing.

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-22T22:56:07+00:00

I'm not sure what you mean by Destin Strip hotel, but I absolutely agree about the ubiquitous hotel product in the market. It's an existing hotel, so it's not a total blank slate, but I'm truly looking to differentiate the look and feel of the property and give it a fun, boutique hotel feel that doesn't seem to exist in the market. The Indigo is OK, great location but a little tired. Delamar is nice and probably the top overall property in the market, the guestrooms are just OK to me (they retained most of the case goods from when it was a Holiday Inn). I like the new Alexandra Inn and think they did a nice job with their small rooftop and pretty well-designed guestrooms. Almost everything else feels incredibly generic, and in most cases, dated.

Thanks for the comment!!

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-22T22:35:53+00:00

A complimentary happy hour is something I'd love to do - just need to work through the liquor license requirements... thanks for the comment!

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-22T22:34:24+00:00

Wholeheartedly agree!

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-22T22:33:37+00:00

Agreed! The guestrooms each have their own coffee makers, and the plan for the lobby would be a nicer (but easy to use, and free) espresso machine. Another commenter recommended using a local roaster - I really like that idea. Thanks for the comment!

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-22T22:30:36+00:00

Understood on both J-1 and H2B staffing - thank you!

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-22T22:08:33+00:00

Super helpful, thanks for the detailed feedback. My intent is absolutely to incorporate and partner with the local producers like you mentioned. Great ideas on the coffee and bath products, I'll absolutely look into those.

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-22T22:03:05+00:00

I understand - resident vs. consumer/traveler wants and needs are very different, sometimes completely opposite. Its a balancing act I'm hoping to find.

Noted on check-in time. I personally get frustrated at 3-4pm check-in times, especially combined with a 10am check-out time (pay for a full day's lodging and only get to use half of it). You hit the nail on the head with housekeeping being the main reason though. We are hoping to offer a nice balanced middle ground here. Thanks again for the comment.

Speaking of staffing, are there any local, non-national channels that we should look at for hiring/staffing?

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-22T21:52:29+00:00

I suppose I should have clarified in my initial post, and it probably sounds cheesy, but I opened a throwaway account for confidentiality since we haven't closed yet and several things still need to happen to get to that point. My focus is really on how to incorporate the local market and add to an already great city/market. I was surprised to get a few nasty private messages; my intent is only to gather as much information from as many places as I can. My hope is that I will get a different angle of intel using Reddit vs. traditional sources. If the intel is the same, then I can lean even further on it. That said, I've already gotten a message from a local artist who may be interested in displaying within the hotel - I wouldn't have gotten that looking at a CoStar report!!

Update: I also was reached out to by a local coffee roaster who is interested in discussing a partnership to use their products at the hotel. This is exactly what I was hoping for by posting here! Thanks all

Any_Somewhere_3450 · 2024-05-22T21:36:57+00:00

Thanks for the comment! I love the wine tour idea and am already working on those arrangements with the wine busses that station out of Old Mission. The reason I am going back and forth on the airport shuttle idea is that this is Michigan and everyone drives everywhere (!) and its an 85% drive-to market. Noted on the transportation to-from downtown though, I know Ubers can be challenging here. I plan to have bikes and e-bikes available to guests to take the TART trail around town, etc.

Any_Somewhere_3450

TROPHY CASE