A guest house is a type of accommodation where travellers stay in a property hosted by a local resident.
Guest houses can take the form of standalone homes or apartments, offering a range of sleeping options, from single beds to multi-room private units. Guest houses are particularly appealing to travellers seeking a relaxed and comfortable environment.
What to Consider When Starting a Guest House
Okay, so you’ve decided to start a guest house. There’s more than one way to start a guest house, of course.
If you’re going to start from scratch, you can design your property around your own ideas.
Buying an Existing Guest House
Buying an existing guest house also has its advantages. You can quickly ease into life as a guest house owner by buying one that’s already up and running.
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Do your homework, though, to fully understand the current cash flow and daily operating costs. Also run your eyes carefully over the systems and suppliers that exist, and think about whether any renovations or modifications will be needed.
Another option is to use your current property, or buy one, and transform it into a guest house.
Key Considerations
- Location: Do you like the location?
- Seasonality: Does this location draw most visitors during one particular season?
- Size: Is the size suitable for a guest house? How many guests do you plan to host at any one time? As we covered above, the term ‘guest house’ can mean a lot of different things, and one definition is a freestanding private cottage.
- Regulations and red tape: Do local regulations allow guest houses in your area?
It sounds a bit on the tedious side, but preparing a comprehensive business plan will provide the foundation to get your business up and running and guide you towards a profitable future.
A business plan brings together all the relevant information on how to start a guest house business. Do a little research to better understand your competitors and the people you’ll welcome at your guest house.
Getting a clearer picture here will also help you come up with your unique selling point (USP)? What is the point of difference that would persuade people to choose you over your competition?
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List all the services and amenities you’ll offer at your guest house. Not sure where to start?
Policies, processes, checklists and forms will help you operate each day with the least amount of stress. Another key point to cover here is how you’ll sell and manage your rooms.
For guest house owners, digital marketing is an affordable and effective way to launch and grow.
At the end of the day, you need to have enough money to get started and then make money, or at least break even, as you move forward. To do that, you simply need to do your sums.
Financial Planning
Financial plan: Develop a financial forecast that tracks revenues and expenditures, profit and loss over the next 2-3 years.
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Build anticipation as you prepare for opening day so your guests share your excitement about the launch of your guest house.
There will, of course, be so many little jobs to action before you can finally welcome your guests. Make sure you don’t miss anything by creating an action list based on your business plan.
Once you’re up and running, the learning curve will continue.
4 Big Mistakes in Running Your Bed and Breakfast, Guest House, Or Inn and How to Avoid Them
Running a Guest House Successfully
1. At the heart of everything is your guests. They are the reason your guest house exists and getting to know them better will help you improve the way you manage and market your guest house.
2. Many problems and issues can be traced back to poor communication.
3. More than 8 out of 10 guests say they will always or frequently read a review before booking a place to stay. More than half say they would never book a hotel with no reviews.
4. Treat feedback like the useful and valuable information it is. Positive feedback reinforces what you’re doing well. How can you expand on that?
5. Many guests will be using your guest house as a launching pad to explore the local area.
6. A room that isn’t clean is an absolute turn-off for visitors and a red flag when mentioned in online reviews.
7. As a small operator, you’re doing your own thing day in and day out. However, it’s important to stay connected.
You can’t do everything on your wish list when you’re running a guest house. There are a number of options available to sell your rooms, and you need to find the most effective and profitable way to do this.
If you have a small number of rooms and a large social media following, this may be the only option you need to meet your goals. However, if you want to increase your chances of a steady occupancy rate, connecting with an online travel agent might be a good strategy.
Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
1. Back in the planning stages, you came up with your USP. What is it that makes your property different from the rest? Why would that influence guests to stay with you?
2. Have the most amazing view?
3. Revenue management is all about getting your prices right to achieve the highest amount of revenue. However, with the right strategy you can hit that pricing and revenue sweet spot.
Examples of Guest Houses in Nigeria
Bible Guest House Abuja
It is our esteemed pleasure to introduce to you the Bible Guest House, located at 23, Ndola Crescent, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja, Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, Abuja.
The Guest House is located at the centre of Abuja Business District. Accommodation is comprised of tastefully furnished guest rooms designed to cater for individuals, corporate bodies, etc. who desire quality services in a decent and homely Christian environment.
Our environment is secured, with a team of dedicated workers who are warm, friendly and eager to serve, making the Guest House an ideal place for honeymoon, personal and corporate retreats and training/workshops. The halls are also available for other social events.
The wellbeing of our guests is of paramount importance to us therefore, Alcoholic drink or smoking is NOT allowed within the premises. Meals and non-alcoholic drinks are however served on request.
Check out time is 12pm. Check out after 12pm will attract 50% of the room rate and full payment after 6pm.
Cancellation of reservation must be done at least 48hours before the time of checking in for individual bookings and at least 7days (one week) before the time of checking in for group bookings.
For your reservation, please call 08159094101, 0813850019.
Bible Guest House Lagos
It is our esteemed pleasure to introduce to you the Bible Guest House, located at 4, Commonwealth Avenue, Palmgrove Estate, Ilupeju, Lagos.
The Guest House is a beautiful, quiet, and serene environment in the commercial capital of Nigeria. It is about 15 minutes’ drive from the International Airport. designed to cater for individuals, corporate bodies, etc. who desire quality services in a decent and homely Christian environment.
to serve, making the Guest House an ideal place for honeymoon, personal and corporate retreats and training/workshops. The halls are also available for other social events.
The wellbeing of our guests is of paramount importance to us therefore, Alcoholic drink or smoking is NOT allowed within the premises. Meals and non-alcoholic drinks are however served on request.
Check out time is 12pm. Check out after 12pm will attract 50% of the room rate and full payment after 6pm.
Cancellation of reservation must be done at least 48hours before the time of checking in for individual bookings and at least 7days (one week) before the time of checking in for group bookings.
For your reservations, please call 07065385890 or 08159094202.
Gregory University Guest House Lagos
Featuring Wi-Fi throughout the property, Gregory University Guest House Lagos sits around a 15-minute ride from Kalakuta Republic Museum. The hotel also includes a car park.
Gregory University Guest House features 21 air-conditioned rooms, some of which comprise a balcony and a dining place. A separate toilet and a shower, along with bath sheets and slippers, are provided.
Residents can have breakfast in the restaurant. You'll need 5-minute drive to Murtala Muhammed International airport.
This 3-star hotel is about a 15-minute drive from The Synagogue Church of all Nations and relatively near Jhalobia Recreation Park and Gardens. The bus stop Junction is located 10 minutes' walk from the accommodation.
Room Amenities
- Sitting area
- Dining table
- Free toiletries
- Flat-screen TV
- AM/FM alarm clock
- Safe deposit box
Important information
- Check-in: from 07:00 until 12:00
- Check-out: until 12:00
Location
Gregory University Guest House Current location Local attractions
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