Company Q&A – Silver Hopkins Hotel Management

What is the company? Silver Hopkins Hotel Management have been managing small to medium size budget and independent hotels since our first guest house in the summer of 2014, and enjoying regular expansion. During this venture we came to realise that there is a gap in the market to cater for owners of these types of hotels who may be struggling with the many demanding aspects of running hotels and eventually putting the property on sale. We understand very well the challenges of keeping on top of staff productivity, managing expenses, driving direct bookings, working with online and offline travel agents, keeping diligent eyes on pricing and promotions, spending appropriately on modern technology to optimise operations, choosing and allocating sales and marketing budgets.... the list goes on and on! We are here to take the stress and burdens away with an experienced team at the head office who focus on each of these aspects of the business in order to succeed amongst competitors. How does your management service work? It is a unique solution for property asset managers and owners looking to retire or take a well earned career break. Why sell when you can retain ownership and enjoy regular sizeable income every month, with zero effort? We always look to exceed targets in our most important goals to increase the asset value of your business by optimising all areas of operations. Contract terms are negotiable, and we do offer varying types of contracts - a fixed monthly lease rental, or a management fee structure on sales. What is the structure of your company? We have a team of individuals at the head office to manage - Customer Relations, Regulation Compliance, Staff Selection and Training, Cost Budgeting, Sales and Revenue, Marketing and Promotions, Use of Information Technology Systems. Along with that wealth of knowledge, we employ an experienced group of cluster managers who review daily ongoings to ensure smooth operations, while tracking sales. Then, of course, we have general and assistant managers at each hotel site along with front of house staff who are responsible for maintenance, housekeeping, providing excellent customer service and other on-site operations. How can you add value to my business/property? For a business or property asset owner we are an ideal option as we keep up to date with developments and trends in the hotel sector to improve and maintain the following key areas: achieving monthly sales targets, bringing expenses down to a minimum, managing customer satisfaction and reputation through reviews and surveys in-house and online, driving up commission free direct bookings, taking diligent care of maintenance, motivating staff members, ultimately returning the best yield of regular sales. So how much will this ultimately cost me? We take pride in being able to return a high yield of revenue, in the best case scenario our management fees typically are covered by the increase in revenue achieved from our resources, while allowing you to step back and enjoy the things that you've always wanted to do but never found the time. Alternatively, you can enjoy a negotiated guaranteed income on a long lease option of up to 20 years. Who are your clients? We manage portfolios of properties for a number of independent landlords as well as two UK based property developers. So whether you are looking to grow a chain of hotels or simply looking for an option other than a sale it is definitely worth having a discussion with us! Management services are not for me, but I still would like some guidance! This is where many of you may find yourself with nowhere to look for support. We are happy to provide a consultation service on key areas of the business to help you improve and manage more efficiently. For example tasks such as - choosing a PMS software to take the headache out of old paper based diary bookings, managing risk and fire regulation or managing customer reputation - best practices in key areas of business. We can facilitate appropriate and cost effective solutions, help you through sign up processes or training where necessary. Where do you see yourself in another three years time? For the foreseeable future, we are looking to increase our portfolio, increase the diversity of hotels in terms of ranges in quality and size while continuing to improve and expand our workforce so we can work on more direct relationships with new landlords and developers. Umair Alam, managing director