Having started in the industry training to be a hotel receptionist, Clare Bushby now runs one of the most successful hotel marketing businesses in the UK. We sat down with her to chat industry changes and to get some recs for wonderful hotels across the country.
From new builds in London to historic beauties in Edinburgh and forest retreats in the Lake District, the best boutique hotels in the UK offer glimpses into the diversity of the country. And Clare Bushby, has carved a hugely successful career in the hospitality industry, from her early years training as a hotel receptionist to now being the Founder of Clockwork Marketing–a company helping hotels to learn more about their clients and get found by the right people. In this interview, she sits down with us to discuss the way things have evolved in the world of hotels and even shares some secret tips for travellers and hoteliers alike.
Nearly 40 years ago, I trained to be a hotel receptionist. I’m not sure that training to be a receptionist is even a thing nowadays! My first jobs were working as a waitress, chambermaid, and general assistant. At the time, I was considered too young to be given the responsibility to be a hotel receptionist.
My early experiences were working in family owned/resort hotels where there were set times for dinner, ‘jacket and tie’ dress codes, and other formalities. You could book a room with an en-suite or without. Hotels boasted tea- and coffee-making facilities and colour televisions. One hotel had 140 rooms over three floors and one colour television on each floor that guests could book. It was wheeled daily between rooms – can you imagine?
My last job before starting Clockwork Marketing was at the Blunsdon House Hotel, Swindon. The hotel is a member of Best Western and my role had progressed to marketing. I then realised there was a gap in the sector to provide marketing services to independent hotels. Properties used to say to me: what we need is someone like you, but just one day a week. And that was where things started. I am proud to say that Blunsdon House is a client of Clockwork’s today.
Back then there were a lot of manual booking systems, huge charts, pencils and rubbers – and it wasn’t long before the early property management systems were in use. I used to find it surprising how many properties didn’t really know what they had, or how to make the most of the data the new systems provided. The hotels would often end up changing their system to something else but never getting to grips with its potential.
The biggest asset a business has, beyond the property, is its customers (and its staff too). The foundation of our work back then was understanding who the customers were, their profiles, how to build a greater relationship with them, and identify new customers. The foundations of these insights came from the guest data held in their booking systems. Not only could we target their existing customers, but also undertake some pretty clever work to target look alike customers.
The principles are still the same today, however the speed of change in marketing has been exceptional and a massive disruptor – we now have more marketing channels to communicate with customers than ever before.
We help hotels to shine brighter and to boost their bookings through marketing strategy, building effective websites focused on increasing bookings, using the latest digital marketing techniques. Over 10 years ago, we built a gift voucher platform to enable properties to sell vouchers online, offering an additional, year round revenue stream.
Working with the number of hotels we do, we have built up a robust set of data to give us benchmarking insights on direct booking conversion. We share with our clients the good, the bad, and the ugly and help them to understand how their existing website and booking engine are performing, and importantly, how it compares to similar properties.
The impact of these insights are huge, as are the opportunities for growth. For one property, as an example, our recommendations for change resulted in an increase of £500,000 worth of direct bookings over a 5-month period.
Properties have needed to adjust; we all have. Many hotels have reduced their menus, or their opening hours or days or both.
Then there are the more dramatic changes in lifestyles that have come about as everyone has evaluated their lives. Hoteliers are selling up, wanting to enjoy more of the time they have recently been exposed to, and then those coming into the industry, swapping their jobs, and even some hoteliers coming out of retirement, ready for the next challenge!
One of the biggest issues affecting hotels post-Covid has been the staffing crisis and how it’s affected all aspects of hotel businesses – from the services they can offer to whether they can open or not. Building a strong brand profile to attract new customers and staff is more important than ever.
In the same way some hotel employees have taken a step back to consider their life priorities, hotels should take a long look at what they offer employees in terms of working environment. Zero hour contracts and poor wages won’t wash if you want to attract the best talent.
Equally the younger customer demographic will look at the business they are visiting or spending money in and want to know that it is a responsible employer. To build a strong brand, hotels will need to practice what they preach or they will be exposed.
The relationships we have built up with our clients over the years. Being in the privileged position to work with and visit some fantastic properties in the UK. I am eternally grateful that I didn’t choose to go into manufacturing or engineering all those years ago, as I am delighted to have visited so many of the tremendous hotels this country has on offer.
I can honestly say that the coast and countryside of the UK is tremendous. I relish visiting Scotland, the delights of Wales down to the Isles of Scilly – and so many places in between. I had a strong appreciation of this before covid due to all our travel, and I am delighted that the staycation has had such an overwhelming impact on our internal tourism and perception.
Some of the hotels I have seen continue to evolve and go from strength to strength that I recommend are:
Kilcamb Lodge – a tremendous hotel on the West Coast of Scotland
Ye Olde Bell Hotel – a warm and welcoming hotel, near Retford, with a fantastic Spa
Luttrell Arms – a charming hotel in the town of Dunster, Somerset
The pool for sure.
I definitely prefer the atmosphere and drama of a great restaurant. I love the opportunity of an exciting shared dining experience rather than room service.
If you can’t see that the hotel ‘cares’ when looking at their website, then they probably don’t.
If you are a hotelier it is important to look at your online presence – the images and words you use are critical. Visitors want to look at a website and imagine enjoying themselves in your hotel, feel its presence and be stirred emotionally.
The quality of your photography or video on your website can make or break your online presence. Invest in professional photography to put your best foot forward and sell the travel dream.
Find out more about Clare and the team at Clockwork Marketing
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