Running a successful hotel is a huge challenge. It is important that hotel managers do everything they can to create an amazing experience for guests. However, there are some factors that simply are not under the control of even the best hotel managers. 

It is important to understand these uncontrollable factors in order to track them, plan to mitigate them and deal with them when they occur. If hotel managers do not pay attention to these factors, then they will not be prepared when something bad happens. Here are a few of the factors that are uncontrollable:

The Economy

The global and national economy are factors that hotel managers must respond to. The hospitality industry is particularly sensitive to economic factors because, for most people, travel and vacation are discretionary. People will not spend money on leisure activities in a bad economy. So, if the economy is strong, hotel managers must have plans to take advantage of that fact. But, if the economy is slowing down, hotel managers must be able to deal with the decline in demand for rooms.

Another economic issue is the relative value of different currencies. If a hotel is going to attract international visitors, managers must pay attention to the strength of different foreign currencies to attract the right visitors. For example, if the Euro is strong against the Dollar, American hotel managers should be looking to attract European visitors.

The Legal Environment

Laws and regulations can affect the operation of hotels. For example, taxes on fuel make people less likely to travel. Increased security at airports also makes people reluctant to travel great distances to visit tourist destinations. An increase in the minimum wage will increase the cost of labor. Hotel managers must be familiar with the different ways that laws and regulations will affect their hotel's operation. They must be aware of possible changes and make plans to deal with them.

Technological Advances

New developments in technology will require hotel managers to respond to these changes. A manager may not want to upgrade to a new property management system, but if the new technology creates efficiencies and cuts costs, such an upgrade may be required even if there is an initial expense. The manager cannot let his hotel get left behind by using older and less efficient technology.

Communications technology has constantly been advancing in recent decades. This has completely changed the way people make travel arrangements and book hotels. If a hotel manager is not up to speed with these developments, his hotel will lose business.

In addition, businesses are using technology like videoconferencing to reduce the need for people to travel for meetings. Hotel managers must be aware of this development and deal with the consequent reduction in booking for business meetings.

Competition

Good hotel managers keep tabs on their competition. They know what kind of experience other hotels are providing their guests and work hard to be the best. In addition, managers should be aware of new hotels in their area.

Contingency Planning

Hotel managers must think about and develop contingency plans to deal with these variables. This is where a good property management system like Frontdesk Anywhere comes in. With this system, hotels can manage booking rooms across many online platforms. More rooms will be booked at the optimal rate. Managers can deal with the ups and downs of the economic environment knowing that a system is in place to maximize revenue at all times.