Key Takeaways for Hoteliers Inspired by Atomic Habits

As a digital marketing specialist and lifelong learner from a family of hoteliers, I’ve always had a deep passion for reading.

I enjoy exploring all kinds of books, from fiction to non-fiction, constantly seeking new ideas and inspiration.

What I find fascinating is that the concepts I encounter in business, sales, marketing, or strategy books can often be effectively applied to the world of hospitality—a field I know intimately.

Over the years, I’ve realized that many of the lessons from these books can have a direct and positive impact on hotel management, whether it's improving guest experience, optimizing operations, or boosting team productivity.

It’s not just about reading hospitality-specific books, but rather about how innovative ideas from different fields can offer fresh perspectives and creative solutions for our industry.

In this post, I want to share the insights from Atomic Habits, a valuable resource that, while not specifically written for hoteliers, contains lessons that are incredibly useful for anyone managing a hotel.

From making small, daily improvements to designing an environment that encourages good habits, this book is packed with practical ideas that can be directly applied to the operation and growth of a hotel.

I hope these insights inspire you as much as they have inspired me, and help take your hotel business to the next level!

1. Small Habits Compound into Remarkable Results

Every small improvement in hotel management can lead to tremendous outcomes over time. Imagine improving guest satisfaction, operational efficiency, or room turnover by just 1% each day. While these changes might seem insignificant at first, they will add up, resulting in a 37x improvement over a year. For example:

• Instead of overhauling the entire guest experience at once, start by enhancing one small touchpoint each day, such as improving check-in procedures or upgrading amenities in one room category.

• Focus on consistently training staff for a few minutes each day, rather than scheduling sporadic, lengthy training sessions.

Over time, these small, consistent improvements compound to create a better guest experience, more efficient operations, and higher profitability.

2. Identity-Based Habits Are More Likely to Stick

To transform your hotel, focus on the identity you want your hotel to embody. For instance, instead of merely setting a goal to increase guest satisfaction scores, focus on becoming "a hotel that is known for exceptional customer service."

Habit formation process for hotel teams: 

1. Decide what type of hotel you want to be (e.g., a luxury retreat, eco-friendly oasis, or business travel hub).

2. Prove it with small wins, such as implementing eco-friendly practices in one department or offering personalized services to VIP guests.

3. Reinforce this identity through consistent actions, such as continuous staff training and feedback systems.

By aligning your operations with the desired identity, you naturally create habits that reinforce this vision, making it easier to achieve lasting success.

3. Make Habits Obvious, Attractive, Easy, and Satisfying

To encourage positive behavior in your hotel, make sure these actions are clear, appealing, simple, and rewarding.

Four strategies for creating lasting habits within your hotel operations: 

• Obvious: Make quality and service standards highly visible—perhaps with checklists and reminders prominently displayed in housekeeping or front desk areas.

• Attractive: Create a reward system for staff when they meet service targets, such as an "Employee of the Month" recognition program.

• Easy: Reduce obstacles by streamlining processes, such as using technology for faster check-in and check-out processes or simplifying the supply chain for room service.

• Satisfying: Ensure staff receive immediate feedback on their performance, such as guest reviews and internal praise, to reinforce their good work and build motivation.

These strategies help staff consistently meet higher standards and encourage positive behaviors, ultimately improving the overall guest experience.

4. Environment Design is Crucial for Behavior Change

• Design your hotel environment in a way that encourages good habits and discourages bad ones. For example:

• Remove distractions in workspaces to boost productivity—limit access to personal mobile phones during shifts and ensure that essential tools are always available at the point of need.

• Make positive behaviors more accessible, like positioning recycling bins in every guest room and housekeeping cart or placing welcome guides and amenities in visible areas to ensure they are consistently used by guests.

• Increase friction for negative behaviors, such as requiring multi-step log-ins to access non-work-related websites on staff computers.

By crafting an environment that supports desired behaviors, both for your team and your guests, you can enhance operational efficiency and guest satisfaction without relying solely on motivation or willpower.

5. The Two-Minute Rule Helps Build New Habits

When implementing new operational strategies, start small. Apply the Two-Minute Rule to make it easier to initiate changes.

Examples in hotel management:

• "Improve guest experience" becomes "Greet guests warmly at the front desk within two minutes of arrival."

• "Enhance sustainability efforts" becomes "Turn off lights in empty rooms after two minutes."

These small, easy-to-implement actions build momentum and can lead to broader changes, such as larger sustainability initiatives or comprehensive guest experience programs. The key is to reduce the initial effort needed to get started, making it more likely that these actions will become consistent habits over time.

6. Habit Stacking Leverages Existing Behaviors

Use habit stacking to introduce new behaviors into your daily hotel operations by building them onto routines your staff or guests already perform.

Habit stacking formula: After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT].

Examples for hoteliers:

• After staff complete a room cleaning, they will check the minibar for restocking.

• After the guest service agent checks in a guest, they will offer a complimentary welcome drink.

• After the nightly shift change, supervisors will review performance metrics for five minutes with staff.

By linking new actions to established routines, it becomes easier to implement new procedures and ensure they are consistently followed.

7. Immediate Rewards Reinforce Habit Formation

To ensure new habits stick, provide immediate rewards. This could be something as simple as a small bonus or public recognition for staff who excel at their tasks.

Examples of adding immediate rewards in a hotel:

• After completing a guest satisfaction survey, offer guests a small discount on their next stay.

• After a successful room inspection, reward housekeeping staff with praise or incentives like extra time off or team lunches.

These small, immediate rewards help create a positive association with the behavior, making it more likely that staff will continue to perform at their best.

8. Habit Tracking Provides Visual Proof of Progress

Tracking habits in hotel operations is an effective way to ensure consistency and improve performance.

Use visual tracking tools like performance dashboards to monitor metrics such as guest satisfaction, housekeeping efficiency, or energy savings.

Benefits of tracking:

• Motivates staff to maintain high performance

• Highlights areas for improvement

• Provides tangible evidence of progress towards larger goals

For example, keep a visual chart in staff areas showing key metrics, like the number of rooms cleaned per shift or guest feedback scores, to keep everyone engaged and accountable.

9. Never Miss Twice to Maintain Momentum

In hotel management, it’s natural to experience setbacks, such as an unsatisfied guest or a missed deadline. However, the key is to avoid letting these slips turn into patterns.

• If service quality drops for one guest, ensure the next interaction exceeds expectations.

• If a new initiative doesn’t work as planned, reassess and try again the next day.

By focusing on quick recovery, you maintain momentum and prevent small setbacks from derailing your long-term goals.

10. Talent is Overrated; Focus on Your Unique Strengths

While skills and experience are valuable, the key to running a successful hotel is leveraging the unique strengths of your team and property.

• Identify what makes your hotel stand out—whether it’s your exceptional location, personalized service, or unique amenities—and focus on optimizing those strengths.

• Encourage staff to play to their strengths as well—whether that’s delivering excellent customer service, excelling in operations, or driving sales and marketing initiatives.

Consistent improvement in these areas, rather than trying to excel in every aspect, will help your hotel carve out its niche in a competitive market.

By applying these habit-forming principles to hotel management, you can foster a culture of continuous improvement, enhance guest satisfaction, and boost overall productivity in a sustainable and effective way.

Want to Be Part of Mentor Hotelier? Here Are Ways You Can Help:

• Join the Mentor Hotelier Community: Subscribe to our newsletter and join a vibrant community where you’ll learn innovative strategies and discover the latest digital tools to improve your hotel’s productivity and streamline the workflow of your entire team.

• Every Successful Hotel Has a Story to Tell: I understand the challenges of managing a hotel—I come from a family of hoteliers. So every week, I interview hoteliers and managers, from boutique hotels to large chains, to share their stories and insights with our community. Would you be open to a quick chat to share your experience?

• Group Consultations with Fellow Hoteliers: Join our group consultation sessions, where we gather periodically as a community of hoteliers. These private, small-group consultations allow us to share challenges, insights, and strategies, working together to find tailored solutions for your hotel.

• Collaborative Team Training and Implementation: As part of the Mentor Hotelier community, we work together to create resources that help train your teams and implement the latest tools. Whether it's for improving operations or enhancing guest experiences, our collective efforts ensure everyone benefits from shared knowledge and support.