I got sign up with Southern Hospitality for 4 hotels. Salesman told me I would be in the directory books of every room in that 4 hotel. I actually signed up with them when I was in the construction of my store and didn’t realize that this salesman signed me up to be on: Directory books + concierges.
So after several months passed away I went to check to see my directory books in the those hotels, and I found out Marriot didn’t allow any advertisings to be in their rooms. Of course I called the company and they said that; I signed up for concierges, that is to be in the concierges of front desk for that 2 hotels and they said I would be in directory of every room in other 2 hotels Embassy suites and Homewood, then I went there to check it and I found out I was not in the directory book of Embassy suites. However I was in the in the directory book of Homewood but with another pizzeria, although my contract said I “only pizza place in the bookâ€
I didn’t know anything about concierges until couple days ago. It is useless advertising for the money spent. It is a place where guest can check local restaurants…etc. Manager of the Fairfield in by Marriat told me it is useless, nobody looks at those directories.
After calling the company 20 times leaving 5 messages to owner of the company I hear nothing back. I am sure I am not the only one who got rip-of from these companies.
So what I am saying is don’t make the same mistake I make. Read the fine line between “directory books on every room & Concierges†don’t believe the words of salesman.
More and more hotels taking out advertising out from their hotels so check with hotel manager before you sign up.
IF you do sing up go to hotels and check the room and make sure have exclusive on the directories to be only pizza place.
Please don’t work with this company : It is a shame.
“southern Hospitality†at: 5220 Shad Road. Bldg #206 Jacksonville, Florida 32257 904 292 15 71
I wonder how many of you go to hotels and checks make sure that you are in the directories.
Thanks for heads up. I prefer to make the contact and agreement myself with the hotel people in my area. We are small and have only about a dozen anywhere near us.
I do look in those directories when we travel in hopes of finding unique local dining places. Hmmmm. I guess I know why they’re so slim in variety. Here is the website, I believe, of the business you reference http://shospitality.com/
I managed to get 2 other hotels myself to do "TV Guide Stand " I paid $3.60 each with no contract with the company who makes them for me.
It works better than Directory. Besided that I found out best way to get recomended from front desk is giving them 45% discount every time they order. Around my area is too much new houses filled with house poors so I have to give special attention to hotels.
Nick you managed to create your own directory with hotels? I tried that too but almost all of them told me it has to get approved from corporate office.
I have a couple clients that use a modification of a magnetic memo board…They do a channel guide and part of their menu on the front and leave the back blank…They order them without the pen and pen holder and they are placed on the front of the mini fridges in the rooms…Some also use some of the space for other hotel/motel information…
We pitch putting our menu into their directory, not creating the directory. We have contacts in our Chamber of Commerce who are aggressive about connecting inter-county businesses, and see having our menus as an added value. Our market is likely different than most of them, as the places we work with are local franchisees who make the decisions like that assertively and locally. We pitch them to local family reunions, festivals and church functions, and we get a page in their notebooks. Very cooperative marketing mentality when we can get it working that way.
We have found the best form of advertising in our hotels is to feed the front desk.
You can tell when one of our well fed front desk clerk’s are working, we get several orders in one night. If the room says they heard about us from the front desk we call and see if she is hungry and send her a free pizza or sub when we make the delivery.
I found alot of “corporate bull” when I went cold calling to these hotels…so if you get an order, hook up the front desk, that will get your foot in the door. The next time bring a stack of menus and a piece of cheesecake and thank them even if they didn’t refer the customer. In due time your relationship will grow.
pizza tony,
I had the same problem, I kept running in to the corporate issue, one day I was delivering to Quality inn.
Very busy day we had menus slid under the door…we made a deal that we would feed house cleaning on monday if they allowed us to slide them under the door on saturday when corperate isnt around.
At the front desk was a lady in distress complaining that her refridgerator had went out and all her food had spoiled…besides apologizing there wasnt much that the front desk could do…So I told the lady I knew the manager and that she would want to replace it with dinner tonight so PLEASE call me and i would get her and the kids pizza tonight,…she did and I did. Didnt think so much after that but I got a call from the manager about 2 weeks later. Turns out the lady wrote a letter to corporate about her experience and mentioned how grateful she was ever since then we have been on great terms, I now have in place in each of the front desk (emergence cards) if they have a guest they need to please. they give us a call and comp there meal, also one other thing is everyone gives front desk half off…with us we tracked hotels that had a certain amount of sales and we called them thanked them and told them we were so pleased to offer front desk eats for free.
now they can order an individual pizza or sub for FREE! while they are working I have tracked it and yes we give alot away BUT the return has been phenomenal.
good luck and remember the hotels are a true captive audiance