When I joined the Student Accommodation sector 10 years ago, everyone told me there were so many similarities with the sector I was leaving, Hospitality.
Thinking about it now, I’m not sure there were many.
My time managing hotels were characterized by very long days (minimum 12-hour shifts), often 6 days per week, daily turnovers of guests, rooms and facilities, managing a team of over 50 people under huge cost control pressure as the margins, even at 4-star level, are tighter than you might think.
Then I took over the management of a PBSA building in Leicester, which despite having its challenges at the beginning, had a small team, all working 9 to 5, costs certainly weren’t the first consideration at the time, and you spent all year leasing up, with set rates (pre-dynamic pricing).
So, were there ANY similarities?
The main one is the same as any customer service business, if you work hard enough, you can always exceed the customer’s expectation, it doesn’t matter what went on before, or how things are normally done. We went all in on open days, student events and got to know every single resident really well.
The other similarity is that hotel guests and students are as unpredictable as each other, particularly after a few drinks…
(Picture is me at one of many staff parties in the hotels that I can’t quite remember)
#hotels #hospitality #pbsa #studenthousing #studentaccommodation #leadership #motivation #change #transformation
Insomniac
5moWhat a fantastic opportunity to take a peek behind the curtain.