THE CURIOUS HOTELIERSIMON TEMPLE-BENNETT FRSA
SIMON TEMPLE-BENNETT FRSA
Blog Post
Keeping it simple is anything but
- By Simon Bennett
- •
- 25 Jan, 2019
Augill Castle - a historic place with a finger on the pulse
Augill Castle, the hotel I started and have run with my wife for twenty-one years made the cut for five years running to appear in The Sunday Times Ultimate 100 British Hotels list. It's no mean feat for a hotel run by a couple with limited resources who started with the philosophy of wanting to bring their children up in a big house in the country and open a few guest rooms to help pay for the roof repairs.
That was in 1997 and since then the place has grown, we've acquired the rest of the estate which had been in other hands and put it all back together as a fifteen bedroom hotel. Except that it's not a hotel. It's a place to stay where guests find a sense of belonging, in many ways the very antithesis of a hotel. That initial philosophy of opening the doors of our home to share with guests remains as central to what we do now as ever.
So it is heartening and deeply satisfying the read The Sunday Times' write up of their hotel of the year in 2016, The Painswick in The Cotswolds. That it sounds such an idyllic place is because the words could have been written about Augill:
'It [the hotel] does not feature groundbreaking ideas in hospitality'
'It's simply a beautiful place, run with enthusiasm, care and a touch of humour'
'The building is immensely satisfying, with thick, thick walls and a pleasing patina of age'
'Somewhere as lovely as this didn't need messing about with... remodelled it with simplicity and style'
'The beds are big, the duvets fluffy, the towels even fluffier'
'The common areas are full of of good vibes and neat touches... fires and fall-asleep-comfy sofas... actually relaxed enough to do just that'
'There are games - proper ones like Cluedo and Scrabble'
'A place with history, warmth and immense charm'
Our own write-up wasn't bad either, focussing on our let-them-be-children attitude to younger visitors.
But let me return to the first sentence of that year's Ultimate 100 hotel list: 'First, an apology. The Sunday Times Hotel of the Year 2016 is not innovative.'
On the contrary, The Painswick, and by association all those of us who have been doing things this way for years, are at the cutting edge of innovation, constantly re-inventing ourselves and devising ever more simple ideas to satisfy our customers' demands for, well, put simply, simplicity.
To give The Sunday Times the last word: 'Simple things done well - and when you do lots and lots of those they add up to something special'
And it is those things that guests old and new need to hear about and buy into when they read about any hotel.
That was in 1997 and since then the place has grown, we've acquired the rest of the estate which had been in other hands and put it all back together as a fifteen bedroom hotel. Except that it's not a hotel. It's a place to stay where guests find a sense of belonging, in many ways the very antithesis of a hotel. That initial philosophy of opening the doors of our home to share with guests remains as central to what we do now as ever.
So it is heartening and deeply satisfying the read The Sunday Times' write up of their hotel of the year in 2016, The Painswick in The Cotswolds. That it sounds such an idyllic place is because the words could have been written about Augill:
'It [the hotel] does not feature groundbreaking ideas in hospitality'
'It's simply a beautiful place, run with enthusiasm, care and a touch of humour'
'The building is immensely satisfying, with thick, thick walls and a pleasing patina of age'
'Somewhere as lovely as this didn't need messing about with... remodelled it with simplicity and style'
'The beds are big, the duvets fluffy, the towels even fluffier'
'The common areas are full of of good vibes and neat touches... fires and fall-asleep-comfy sofas... actually relaxed enough to do just that'
'There are games - proper ones like Cluedo and Scrabble'
'A place with history, warmth and immense charm'
Our own write-up wasn't bad either, focussing on our let-them-be-children attitude to younger visitors.
But let me return to the first sentence of that year's Ultimate 100 hotel list: 'First, an apology. The Sunday Times Hotel of the Year 2016 is not innovative.'
On the contrary, The Painswick, and by association all those of us who have been doing things this way for years, are at the cutting edge of innovation, constantly re-inventing ourselves and devising ever more simple ideas to satisfy our customers' demands for, well, put simply, simplicity.
To give The Sunday Times the last word: 'Simple things done well - and when you do lots and lots of those they add up to something special'
And it is those things that guests old and new need to hear about and buy into when they read about any hotel.
Airbnb - disruptor or moderniser? Friend or foe? It depends on which side of the apartment door you're sitting.
At the Independent Hotel Show this week I found myself on stage twice, talking first about what makes an independent hotel stand out from the crowd and second, how do we turn the online travel agents (OTAs) which have become so dominant in global travel from the perceived enemy to the hotelier’s friends.
In several ways the two discussions are closely related. While some say that independent hotels are such small fry they have little bargaining power so can be effectively bullied by the big OTAs their independence is also what makes them unique, interesting, innovative and therefore attractive for the OTAs to have on their books because ultimately the OTAs need engaging content to sell to their customers. Also, let’s not forget that more than half of the hotel bedrooms in the UK are still behind the doors of independent hotels, many of whom will never be swallowed up by the branded companies thanks precisely to their individuality and quirkiness.
When most hoteliers speak about OTAs, often spitting the phrase with venom, they are invariably referring to the likes of Booking.com, Expedia.com and other global brand leaders in the online travel market. But these are relatively new to the market place, having only asserted their dominance in the last ten years, stealing a march on the rest of the hospitality and travel industry which was either dozing or navel gazing in the wake of the global financial crisis. We were slow to innovate, they were not. We can’t really blame them for that. They saw a gap in the market - a big gap - and filled it very efficiently and effectively. They charge anything between 15% and 25% for their services and have been accused of adopting bullying tactics towards hotels which don’t hand over all their rooms or don’t share all their special offers online. Some hotels now sell almost all their rooms through big OTA’s, paying these eye-watering fees every time.
15% or even 25% as a one-off fee is not expensive to acquire a new customer but only if, once that customer becomes a guest - the moment they walk through the hotel’s front door to sleep in the bed, dine at the table, drink at the bar - the hotel employs every tool at their fingertips to engender loyalty and make them theirs and not the OTA’s. The hotel that allows the guest to slip through their fingers and re-book via a different channel rather than direct with thew hotel is a fool to themselves. I speak from experience because we have allowed it to happen in the past by not being on the ball. In a fast moving and competitive industry like this complacency is our greatest enemy when our independence and ability to flex, adapt and to inform and engage our guests should be our greatest strength.
Inform, engage, surprise and delight, keep in touch and make it as easy as possible for guests to use your own booking site as anyone else's were the themes that rang loud and clear this week.
And while in both talks there was much discussion about what makes independent hotels stand out, their points of difference, let’s remember that just as all hotels were not created equal, neither were online travel agents.
Long before Booking.com was roaring onto our cinema screens with their booking.yeah slogans, smaller niche operators had started the online revolution.
Two that we have used for many years, i-escape.com and celticcastles.com both also charge commission. But their point of difference, strikingly similar to our own, is their independence and their knowledge of their clients. They are paid by hotels to find the right sort of guests so they work hard to curate the traffic that reaches us through personal contact and effective, focussed marketing because we are their clients. They are, in effect dating agencies, matching the right places with the right guests so that everyone on both sides of the transaction gets the best deal and long lasting relationships can flourish.
Ironically we are, of course, also Booking.com and Expedia.com clients but that relationship seems to go unacknowledged with their entire service geared towards the guests who pay nothing to use the service and their view of hotels being just a source of room inventory. They do this at their peril. Undoubtedly, it’s a fast track to a quick buck but as the big OTAs get bigger their offer becomes more unwieldy (Booking.com now has 1,052,185 hotels and counting worldwide on its books) and customers will start looking for more sophisticated ways to sift, select and satisfy their requirements than just price and location. Travellers want experiences now, they want to be part of the story and they need travel partners who understand that and can help make it happen - something the smaller specialist operations are already getting right.
Add to that the ever growing awareness travellers have that every time they book with a global OTA up to 25% less will go back into the local economy of the place in which they want to stay (and if they enjoy, may want to return to) and a world of branded hotels and homogenous booking engines starts to become a lot less attractive and sustainable than a world of independent hoteliers offering unique experiences through travel agents who understand them and who all have increasingly slick booking engines of their own to ease the traveller’s repeat reservation.
It may be a Utopian dream but without hotel rooms to sell and with enlightened guests able to make their own decisions quickly and effortlessly directly with a hotel or niche agent who understands their needs it may become not so much booking.yeah as booking.nah.
And finally, do we use big OTAs at Augill? Of course we do - they're an important and valuable part of the marketing mix. Booking.com has enabled us to access far flung markets we could only have dreamt of on our own. But we see it as a partnership, not a master and slave relationship. Hopefully that doesn't sound too Utopian...
The Sunday Times has identified the things that hotels still get wrong - the niggles that annoy us all. May be it's the difference between independent hotels run by their owners and hotels run by boards but I think most decent places don't need to be told what irritates their guests, they already know - we certainly do because these are the things that irritate us too.
Room orientation tours - oh this is the bathroom.
Too much information but then again, being handed a key with a cursory hand wave towards the lift or stairs is pretty shitty too. At Augill everyone gets a tour of downstairs and personally shown to their bedroom by which time we’re such friends further explanation ins unnecessary.
Overcomplicated light switches - just tell us where off is, we’re tired.
That’s right. The simpler the better. Forget mood lighting or digital removed controlled lighting, you’re here for the weekend to relax not get another degree. If you’ve got all that gadgetry at home it’ll be something to look forward to when you get back.
Too short kettle cords - nobody should have to kneel down on the carpet to make a brew.
We think nobody should have to fiddle around making tea in their bedroom, you don’t do it at home, so we give you a proper kitchen instead.
Tiny teacups.
No, proper mugs (Emma Bridgewater, no less) and unlimited tea, proper coffee and homemade bickies.
UHT milk- just no.
Never. Real milk in a fridge (not a flask which is just a quick way to make yoghurt for the breakfast).
Klepto-proof clothes hangers - is that really how little you trust us?
We give you proper wooden hangers, many of which have found new homes in guests’ wardrobes but it’s still worth it not to have those horrible captive hangers which are just mean.
Bad art.
Ours is the real deal and everything tells a story.
Gauzy white curtains.
In a castle the curtains need to keep the light out and the warmth in.
Asthmatic wall-mounted hairdryers.
Ours have such mph they sometimes go the way of the clothes hangers but hey-ho!
Wet rooms - nobody wants to brush their teeth standing in a puddle.
The one time someone tried to create their own wet room it brought down the celling downstairs. Our baths are deep enough, long enough to get wet enough. and anyway, rooms that are never dry are, well, wet.
Arty sinks.
What? If it's not big enough to bathe a cat in, it's not a sink. And anyway, bathrooms have basins, kitchens have sinks. Just saying.
Sewing kits and shoe polishers - why?
There’s needle and thread and someone to do it for you. And a wooden box with shoe polish and brushes. But you’re on holiday. Why bother?
Toothpaste. Why not?
If you can’t manage to pack your toothpaste and toothbrush maybe you should have stayed at home.
Freezing air con - can’t we just have windows that open more than an inch?
Air con? In a castle? In Cumbria? Fling open our windows and breathe in the country air, that’s what you came for isn’t it?
Pillow mountains.
Our pillows are our pride and joy but two each in enough plus a big square for sitting up. As for pillow menus? Remember we’re trying to keep things simple.
Minibar prices - the racket continues.
Here the only racket is the one you’ll use on the tennis court before a drink at The Great British Bar.
Premium wi-fi - don’t we all deserve the (free) fast stuff?
Free, yes. fast, no. Reading a book instead - we’ve got a whole library full of them - or a conversation with other guests might take you much further than a Google search ever will.
Breakfast that stops at 8am - it’s the weekend and we’re on holiday.
8am? Don’t be ridiculous. Ours doesn’t start ‘till nine.
No baked beans.
We tried that and there was mutiny. Even worse are the pretentious places who think they can do their own. Some things just can’t be bettered.
Augill Castle appears in The Sunday Times Ultimate 100 British Hotels list published 16 October 2016 for the fourth consecutive year.
Room orientation tours - oh this is the bathroom.
Too much information but then again, being handed a key with a cursory hand wave towards the lift or stairs is pretty shitty too. At Augill everyone gets a tour of downstairs and personally shown to their bedroom by which time we’re such friends further explanation ins unnecessary.
Overcomplicated light switches - just tell us where off is, we’re tired.
That’s right. The simpler the better. Forget mood lighting or digital removed controlled lighting, you’re here for the weekend to relax not get another degree. If you’ve got all that gadgetry at home it’ll be something to look forward to when you get back.
Too short kettle cords - nobody should have to kneel down on the carpet to make a brew.
We think nobody should have to fiddle around making tea in their bedroom, you don’t do it at home, so we give you a proper kitchen instead.
Tiny teacups.
No, proper mugs (Emma Bridgewater, no less) and unlimited tea, proper coffee and homemade bickies.
UHT milk- just no.
Never. Real milk in a fridge (not a flask which is just a quick way to make yoghurt for the breakfast).
Klepto-proof clothes hangers - is that really how little you trust us?
We give you proper wooden hangers, many of which have found new homes in guests’ wardrobes but it’s still worth it not to have those horrible captive hangers which are just mean.
Bad art.
Ours is the real deal and everything tells a story.
Gauzy white curtains.
In a castle the curtains need to keep the light out and the warmth in.
Asthmatic wall-mounted hairdryers.
Ours have such mph they sometimes go the way of the clothes hangers but hey-ho!
Wet rooms - nobody wants to brush their teeth standing in a puddle.
The one time someone tried to create their own wet room it brought down the celling downstairs. Our baths are deep enough, long enough to get wet enough. and anyway, rooms that are never dry are, well, wet.
Arty sinks.
What? If it's not big enough to bathe a cat in, it's not a sink. And anyway, bathrooms have basins, kitchens have sinks. Just saying.
Sewing kits and shoe polishers - why?
There’s needle and thread and someone to do it for you. And a wooden box with shoe polish and brushes. But you’re on holiday. Why bother?
Toothpaste. Why not?
If you can’t manage to pack your toothpaste and toothbrush maybe you should have stayed at home.
Freezing air con - can’t we just have windows that open more than an inch?
Air con? In a castle? In Cumbria? Fling open our windows and breathe in the country air, that’s what you came for isn’t it?
Pillow mountains.
Our pillows are our pride and joy but two each in enough plus a big square for sitting up. As for pillow menus? Remember we’re trying to keep things simple.
Minibar prices - the racket continues.
Here the only racket is the one you’ll use on the tennis court before a drink at The Great British Bar.
Premium wi-fi - don’t we all deserve the (free) fast stuff?
Free, yes. fast, no. Reading a book instead - we’ve got a whole library full of them - or a conversation with other guests might take you much further than a Google search ever will.
Breakfast that stops at 8am - it’s the weekend and we’re on holiday.
8am? Don’t be ridiculous. Ours doesn’t start ‘till nine.
No baked beans.
We tried that and there was mutiny. Even worse are the pretentious places who think they can do their own. Some things just can’t be bettered.
Augill Castle appears in The Sunday Times Ultimate 100 British Hotels list published 16 October 2016 for the fourth consecutive year.
