Description:
Benefit Inn is a start-up provider of employee travel benefits offered exclusively to independent hotels and resorts. For a nominal membership fee (which is waived for pre-launch customers), hotels can be part of a global network of other independent properties. As a member, the hotel’s employees (and their family and friends) can stay at other hotels in the network at employee rates. Member hotels also gain a new revenue channel through which they can offer distressed inventory (rooms that would otherwise go unsold) to employees of other hotels. There is no program like Benefit Inn in the industry. The company is in the pre-launch phase and the initial response among a test group of hotels has been extremely positive.
Benefit Inn addresses two key business needs in the independent hotel industry:
Employee Satisfaction
Keeping good employees is one of the most challenging aspects of the hospitality business. Offering employees and their family and friends discounted rooms at other Benefit Inn member hotels is a benefit that helps independent hotels level the playing field with large chain hotels. The large chains typically offer their employees 50%+ discounts on available rooms around the world.
Independent hotels are especially hard hit by employee attrition, with employees enticed by the perks offered by the big chains. With the cost of losing an employee at least equal to their annual salary, hotels spend thousands every year recruiting and training new hires to replace seasoned, departing employees. The pressure is on HR to build a strong package of employment benefits - enabling the independent hotel to compete for talent with the major chains. Among employees of large chains, one of the most valued employment benefits is discounted travel, especially among management staff. Access to employee room rates at properties around the world - and being able to offer those rates to family and friends - is often the cited as a reason employees stay with a big chain vs. taking a position at an independent or small chain hotel.
Revenue Generation
A hotel attracts guests and generates revenue in a variety of ways, be it through advertising, online travel agents or word of mouth. Employee room rate discount programs offered to employees of the big chain hotels account for up to seven percent of their annual revenues. Today, independent hotels do not have access to this revenue stream.
Increased revenue, along with higher employee job satisfaction, has prompted the big chains to offer room rate discounts as part of their standard benefits package for many years. Employees of independent and boutique hotels, however, have been left out in the cold. As a standalone property or part of a small chain, the number of destinations (if any) to choose from has been limited at best. Now, with Benefit Inn, independent hotels can increase their revenue through an innovative, employee focused, revenue channel - a network that's growing every day.
Minimum Requirements:
Benefit Inn seeks a summer intern to assist with its business launch in the hospitality industry. Duties will be heavily focused on marketing and sales, these will include such activities as:
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Researching the target market and developing prospect lists
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Creating marketing materials
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Developing and distributing direct mail pieces, email blasts and other outreach activities
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Contacting target hotels to explain the program benefits and solicit new members
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Planning and marketing webinars for prospective members
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Writing and editing materials for new members
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Member outreach including the design and development of a member newsletter
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Assisting with the design and documentation of marketing and customer communications processes
Benefit Inn is looking for a self-motivated intern who is looking to make an impact in a start-up environment. Work location and hours are flexible.
The intern will work with the Benefit Inn partners to establish goals for the summer internship and will work toward achieving those goals throughout the employment period.