Management of hotel pre-openings
& openings
The administrative and operational set-up required to open a hotel
The pre-opening period is key to the successful launch of a hotel. In this challenging endurance test, we apply the methodology implemented by the Honotel Group for over 20 years for its own assets as well as those of its investor and operator partners.
Our pre-opening and opening hotel management offering examines all the administrative and operational tasks that are essential for a good start. We will support you in performing these tasks in coordination with all your stakeholders.
From the outset of the opening process, Honotel MDO can assist its clients in the choice of their hotel operator by helping them to analyse the adequacy of the various business plans proposed with their own objectives. We also provide our expertise as a hotelier in negotiating the management contract, defining the operator’s obligations and setting up performance tests to assess the quality of its management.
Similarly, we work alongside our clients, the owners of hospitality assets, to steer a potential brand choice.
In the administrative pre-opening phase, Honotel MDO then focuses on two fundamental steps:
1. Support for administrative procedures
2. Management of the opening retroplanning
Administrative pre-opening of a hotel
• the operating declaration
• any potential classification or reclassification process: advice on the hotel's classification potential, creating an Atout France account, constructing a pre-diagnosis thanks to our control matrices, ordering an inspection visit from an accredited organisation, organising the visit...
• the hotel's declarations to the Etablissement Public de Coopération Intercommunale (EPCI) for the tourist tax, and to organisations such as Sacem, SPRE, CNIL...
• setting up various social declarations: Urssaf, a mutual insurance company..
• purchase/transfer of the “licence IV” [alcohol licence]: starting procedures with the relevant authorities
• price displays.
Operational pre-opening of a hotel
• drawing up the operational budget with financial projections adapted to its market and client segments in terms of turnover, fixed costs, variable costs and results
• defining its competitive sphere, the CompSet, adapted to projections and to assets in terms of positioning
• creating a dynamic and coherent pricing architecture across all its markets.
• the structuring of teamsbr> • the range of tasks and staff distribution
• the recruitment process
• the training of the hotel manager and the teams
• support for the operational implementation of pre-opening processes.
• assistance with choosing the operating software (PMS), the revenue management system (RMS), the accounting suite, reporting to headquarters and the channel manager
• consulting and contracting with service providers
• assistance in setting up appropriate digital tools.
• developing an optimal distribution model
• selecting service providers for the hotel's website and its referencing
• choosing a strategic panel of Online Travel Agencies (OTA): Booking, Expedia..
• implementing new distribution methods (Staycation, Voyage Privé, etc.) to increase the hotel's visibility and the capture rate of local clients
• diversifying distribution partners.
• launching the hotel's official opening: event, press release, creating the location’s identify through storytelling consulting...
• running an advertising campaign: photoshoots, choice of media...
• building a network of influencers.
Case study: pre-opening of a 4-star lifestyle hotel in Paris
Honotel MDO assisted the owner of a property in Paris, which was restructured into a 4-star lifestyle hotel by a renowned architect, for its pre-opening under a major international brand.
State of play & projects accomplished
For this project, carried out in close collaboration with a global hotel operator, we were responsible for:
• monitoring the construction of the operating budget
• managing the administrative procedures and documentation: operating declaration, obtaining the alcohol licence, etc.
• coordinating between project management support and the hotel operator
• supporting the commercial pre-opening: opening budget, competitive sales, etc
• managing recruitment with a strong focus on the key positions: the Hotel Manager, the Technical Director and the Chef
• optimising the recruitment schedule.
The hotel will open in 2021.
We use our expertise to help investors maximise their performance. Through Honotel’s dual expertise in investment and hotel management, we can assist investors with a wide range of business issues, such as opening a hotel or bringing a public establishment (ERP) into compliance.
