Review
‘Covering all aspects of the process, from the initial set-up, to daily running and even marketing your hotel.’
Review
‘This book really is essential reading for anyone considering buying and running a hotel. This is a very well organised book and an excellent guide.’
Book Description
A step-by-step guide to the purchasing process and day-to-day running of a hotel, by an author who learned his lessons the hard way!
From the Author
I hope that my book will give you an insight into what it takes to buy and run your own hotel.I have covered pretty much everything that happened to me and my family from when I first decided to change careers through to looking for the perfect property, buying it and moving in.
Running a small hotel requires dedication and determination. Customer service is the single most important aspect and will determine whether you are successful in your new venture.
I set out to write a book that I wished had been available to me when I first started to think about hotel ownership. I wanted someone to tell me what it would be like to run a hotel and what happened on a daily basis.
If you have decided you would like to buy and run a small hotel then do not let anything detract you from turning your dream into reality. I didn’t and the move has proved to be life changing. (for the better)
From the Inside Flap
At the age of 45 I had worked tirelessly for other people for long enough. I had become tired of dealing with the attitude of people I worked for, most much younger than myself and in many cases with no practical experience whatsoever. I found myself becoming more and more disenchanted and dreaming of a different future!
This book is dedicated to all of the people that thought and probably still think that we are mad in making such a drastic change to our lives. More importantly it is dedicated to all of you out there who are thinking of a similar venture. To some of you such a change will just be just a pipe dream, to others it will be more than that, much more in fact.
There is no doubt that you will be desperate to change your routine and to work for yourselves. You will be spending progressively more of your time searching commercial property agency sites on the Internet for that holy grail of hotels.
Once we had decided to make the change we began to look in earnest for a suitable property, in a suitable location. When we found exactly what we were looking for, and had an offer accepted, we started to tell close friends and family of our decision.
With just one or two exceptions we received the same response, `are you mad? – – running a hotel is extremely hard work’. We now realise that our reaction to this was completely defensive – `how would they know? – what experience do they have? – I can’t work any harder than I do now – how hard could it be?’
I would explain how I felt communicating this by simplifying what I thought would be involved – “guests book, they arrive and check-in, they go to bed, have breakfast in the morning, pay and then leave.” How is that difficult in any shape or form?
We are now 18 months into our new `way of life’ and often look back at the time before we arrived and examine our progress. We frequently discuss our experiences and how our lives have changed.
At the time of the decision to bail out of our normal life I had searched the Internet and local bookshops for any literature that could ease our passage, and assist in running a totally new business. I was largely disappointed. I could not find anything that described what we were letting ourselves in for. I did discover a couple of excellent publications; these were text books giving hints and tips on what we needed to consider, however these just didn’t go far enough.
What I was really looking for was someone who could tell me what to expect based on his or her experience of running a hotel, something that was anecdotal, but that also gave solid and practical advice. This would give an insight into the daily routine of a hotel owner and would explain in detail what was in store for us. Nothing can prepare you for this way of life more than being in a position to tap into the knowledge of someone who has actually done the job.
I hope that our experience of the last 18 months, from when we first started to consider buying a hotel, through to actually running a small 10-bedroom hotel for nearly two -years, will give you the best possible start, will prepare you for your new venture and will give you a first hand account of what you can expect at every step of the way.
From the Back Cover
Authour Mark Lloyd learnt the hard way how to buy and run his own hotel. He decided to write the book he wished he had been able to find when he first did it. The lessons he has learned and the experience he has gained will inspire all those thinking of a similar venture to turn thier pipe dream into reality.
Running a hotel is a tough business, but it’s also a most rewarding a stimulating one.
This book is full or -up-to-date information for teh aspiring or novice hotelier as well as those already in business and striving to meet customer expectations.
If youa re thinking about changing career direction and think that running your own hotel might be an exciting and rewrding way of earning a living, thi step-by-step guide will prvide you with a unique insigth into the daily routine of a hotel owner so that you’ll know what;s in store for you. It covers everything you need to know about the process of buying and running a hotel and shares the rela life experiences of its hotelier owner.
About the Author
At the age of 45 Mark Lloyd, an events organizer, had had enough of working for other people. With his wife and family he moved from Watford to run his own hotel in Chipping Sodbury in Gloucestershire. He had no previous experience of the hotel industry. Eighteen months later he has a successful hotel – and no regrets.
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