Private hotel business. How to open a hotel from scratch: nuances and features. How to open a mini-hotel in Sochi

Recently, the President of Russia signed a law according to which holders of 2018 World Cup fan passports can visit Russia visa-free until the end of the year, and their relatives have the right to obtain visas in a simplified regime. This means that the HoReCa (leisure industry) segment is lucky and it’s not too late to think about opening a hotel. How to open hotel business from scratch? What documents are needed and how profitable is it? Let's find out in our article.

Is it worth opening a hotel in 2018?

At the beginning of the year, there were more than 21 thousand hotels in Russia. Many of them were built specifically for the FIFA World Cup. During the World Cup, 3 million tourists visited the country. But this does not mean that the hotel stock is redundant. For example, some of the top ten most popular cities among tourists did not host championship matches - Vladivostok, Astrakhan, Sergiev Posad and Suzdal. Crimea is actively developing, this is facilitated by the opening Crimean bridge. Krasnodar region remains a popular holiday option.

Thus, it makes sense to open a hotel in megacities, popular tourist spots and resort towns. Naturally, seasonality must be taken into account.

The best places to locate a hotel:

  • Near transport hubs(railway stations, bus stations, metro stations);
  • close to the city center;
  • in the business part of the city;
  • close to popular attractions;
  • on coastline 1-5;
  • on highways near gas stations.

How to open a hotel: step-by-step instructions

Step 1. Calculate costs - how much to invest

The first stage of calculation is the premises. A Moscow company specializing in comprehensive equipment for HoReCa establishments provides the following data on hotels:

The data concerns commercial real estate without finishing. Self-development will require more significant costs. Costs for initial design start from 500,000 rubles, detailed design will cost 1000-4000 rubles/m², and equipment - from 250,000 to 2 million rubles per room.

Construction and purchase of land for commercial development is a separate issue, prices vary depending on the region, you should expect an amount of 10 million rubles.

The next stage of calculation is the wage fund for personnel. For small hotels it will be enough to have up to 10 employees; the cost of their salaries starts from 200,000 rubles per month.

The last stage is associated expenses: taxes (from 12,600 ₽/month according to UTII for a hotel with an area of ​​170 m²), utilities (from 20,000 ₽/month), consumables (from 12,000 ₽/month) and unforeseen expenses (recommended pledge at least 10% of the total estimate).

In total, in a self-built hotel with 5 rooms with an area of ​​170 m², you will initially have to invest at least 20 million rubles. For a hotel on rented property with a similar area and number of rooms, the first investment will be from 12 million.

Step 2. Permits to open a hotel

The following documents are required:

  • certificate of registration of LLC or individual entrepreneur;
  • certificate of registration with the tax service;
  • title documents for real estate;
  • documents confirming the compliance of the premises with safety standards (fire, technical, sanitary, environmental);
  • a document confirming the registration of the cash register with the Federal Tax Service;
  • approval of external signage;
  • a package of contracts for the provision of services by contractors (cleaning, accounting and legal services, security, food delivery, technical maintenance, and so on).

If necessary or desired, you can also obtain an additional certificate of conformity according to the star system, a building or redevelopment permit and a license to sell alcohol.

Step 3. Recruitment

The main hotel staff are administrators and maids. A security guard is also required.

If you are planning to open a mini-hotel, it is permissible to outsource accounting and legal nuances. There are dozens of reliable companies on the market. Which will help with accounting, for example.

Having a restaurant in a hotel involves hiring cooks and, possibly, waiters and bartenders.

The goal of the hotel is to leave the maximum number of guests satisfied; the profitability of the business directly depends on this. Therefore, when selecting employees, you should pay attention to such qualities as friendliness and communication skills; spoken English is desirable.

A significant part of a hotel's success is marketing, so a full-time marketer will be required. When recruiting staff, it is important to consider seasonality tourism business: have a minimum staff, and hire temporary employees during high seasons.

Step 4. Selecting a room

When choosing a room, consider several important factors:

  • The rooms must have an area of ​​at least 6 m² per person or 4 m² per bed in the case of a hostel;
  • The building must have electrical, water supply, sewerage, ventilation and waste collection systems designed for uninterrupted operation;
  • The building must have administrative premises that do not overlap with residential premises.

Any hotel is suitable commercial real estate, meeting safety standards, however, let’s consider the most successful options for premises:

  • First 2 floors of residential buildings

It would be better if it was a new building. In already built houses, the transfer of residential premises to non-residential premises, according to Art. 23 Housing Code of the Russian Federation is associated with the resettlement of current residents - this takes a lot of time.

  • Former communal apartments or dormitories

This option is convenient because redevelopment and refurbishment are most often not required.

  • Private houses (cottages, townhouses, mansions)

In this case, redevelopment is also necessary in accordance with Article 23 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, but since the ownership of such real estate has from 1 to 3 persons, this is faster and more convenient. A stand-alone hotel looks more attractive, but this option is usually more expensive than the first two.

Step 5. Hotel advertising

Today you cannot limit yourself to only 1-2 types of advertising; use the entire available range of marketing measures to the maximum. These methods are well suited for hotel promotion:

  • Outdoor advertising

Be visible: install a bright sign, buy billboards on highways, and billboards at train stations and airports.

  • Maintaining a website and pages on social networks

Post on the website detailed description of your services, take high-quality photographs, explain how to get to your hotel. Publish interesting thematic content on social networks: what to take with you on vacation, what attractions are in the area, what specialties your region is famous for, and so on.

  • SEO optimization and contextual advertising

Study search queries by keywords using Google Ads and “Word Selection” from Yandex, create a semantic core and promote your pages in search engine results.

  • Targeted advertising

Create a complete portrait of your target audience and hit the target. For example, hostels will be of interest to students.

  • Booking services

Add your hotel to the most popular booking services in your region and increase its rating. To do this, services require a description of the hotel, tags for easier searching, and high-quality photographs. The rating is also affected by the size of the commission that you pay to the service: the higher the commission, the higher the rating.

Read more about independently promoting your business on the Internet in our article.

Hotel business formats

Let's consider hotel formats that are relevant for Russia:

  • Resort hotels

Hotels in resort regions with additional recreational services on site: restaurant, gym, swimming pool, sauna and others. There are even hotels with their own tennis courts and water parks.

  • Mini-hotels

Small standard hotels with up to 50 rooms. Breakfast may be included in the room rate. Usually on the territory of such a hotel there is nothing except a reception desk, a cafe and the guest rooms themselves.

  • Hostels

Essentially, these are dormitories - there are several bunk beds in one room, a kitchen and a bathroom are shared on the entire floor. The most economical hotel option for both the traveler and the owner. You can view a business plan for opening a hostel.

  • Motels

Low-rise roadside hotels with an ascetic environment.

  • Guesthouses

Small hotels with a homely atmosphere. The owner and his family live near the guests, and his family members are usually hotel employees.

  • Business hotels

Aimed at people who come for negotiations and business trips, they are equipped accordingly: the rooms have the necessary office equipment, and special meeting rooms are provided.

  • Boarding houses and sanatoriums

Hotels and health resorts in picturesque, environmentally friendly places. The cost of accommodation includes meals and a range of medical services.

Profitability of the hotel business

The hotel business is considered profitable, but not a quick return on investment. Its EBITDA margin (earnings before taxes, credits, depreciation and amortization) is 20-30%.

Depending on the amount of expenses, the hotel will pay for itself in a couple of years at best, the average period is 5-6 years. This is influenced by the format (opening a hostel is much cheaper than resort hotel) and what areas will work on (own or rented).

Hotel - no the best choice for an entrepreneur without experience, since it requires taking into account big number nuances. But if you already have experience in business and start-up capital, this is an excellent investment.

Three months of accounting, HR and legal support FREE. Hurry up, offer is limited.

The tourism industry is currently one of the most promising in Russia. Since the beginning of the 2000s, the number of people traveling around the world and within the country has been growing at an unprecedented pace. And even the economic crisis in the country only affected travel to other countries, while domestic tourism is only gaining momentum. Therefore, investing in the hotel business today is a thought that excites the minds of entrepreneurs and people who want to join their number. In this article we will talk about how to open a hotel from scratch what is needed for this and how to avoid common mistakes.

How to open a hotel from scratch - budget

Before you start thinking about how to open a hotel business from scratch, you need to assess the amount of feasible investment. It doesn’t matter whether you rely on your own funds or are going to take out a loan from a bank, you need to know the size of your budget as accurately as possible. As “experienced” people note, with a competent approach, a hotel can begin to pay for itself within a couple of years - and this is a very attractive indicator.

Of course, the amount of investment depends on many factors, ranging from the city in which it is planned to open a hotel from scratch, and ending with the price of rooms. But there are also some average figures that you can rely on one way or another when drawing up a business plan. A hotel with 20-30 rooms will require, according to rough estimates, from 5 million rubles.

How to open a hotel business from scratch - where to start

  • Base legal entity. First you need to decide on the choice of organizational and legal form. If you are planning to open a hotel with up to 50 rooms, registering as an individual entrepreneur will be enough. To open a large hotel business, LLC preference is given.
  • Taxes. At the initial stage, hotel owners choose a simplified taxation system or a single tax form (it is calculated based on the area of ​​the premises). In any case, consultation with an accountant is required, with whom it is necessary to evaluate the individually prepared business plan. Based on the planned profit, the form of tax calculation is selected.
  • Permitting documentation. The hotel business in the Russian Federation is not subject to mandatory certification. However, there are a number of related services that require licensing. For example, if you plan to sell alcoholic beverages, you need a special license. The same goes for dry cleaning, hairdressing services, etc. Obtaining them is not extremely difficult, but be sure to study the requirements for businesses before making a financial plan.

What documents are needed to open a hotel business?

You can develop your own hotel concept, which will provide exclusive services, or open a mini-hotel with standard services. The composition of the title documents will be approximately the same:

  • Documents for the premises, land plot, indicating the right to dispose of them (lease agreement or certificate of ownership).
  • Certificate of registration of legal entity. persons and registration with the tax authorities.
  • Licenses for a number of services (sale of alcoholic beverages, dry cleaning, etc.)
  • Permitting documentation confirming compliance with the prescribed standards, agreed with the fire inspectorate, SES, etc.
  • Certificate of "stardom". This document is not mandatory, but if you want to open a mini-hotel or large hotel, on the facade of which there will be stars (from 1 to 5), you can go through this procedure. Today, most tourists focus on the number of stars, so it is advisable to obtain a certificate of conformity.
  • Permission to place advertisements. Even to place banners on your own fence, you are required by law to obtain permission. On average, 1 banner requires, in addition to a package of documents, a state duty of 5 thousand rubles. (the figure is current for 2016).
  • A number of internal documents, such as a cleaning schedule, registration of cash registers, etc.
  • Documentation confirming the conclusion of contracts with third-party organizations organizing waste removal, security measures, disinfection, etc.

To summarize the above: to open your hotel from scratch, you need an impressive package of documents, the receipt of which for an unprepared person can take many months. According to the experience of hoteliers, having a competent lawyer on staff, who should begin work long before opening a business, is necessary.

Not only serious and large investors think about how to organize a hotel business. Private entrepreneurs are also interested in this issue. It would seem that this niche has been occupied for a long time, and there is no place for newcomers in it.

However, this opinion is wrong. With the right approach and minimal risks, in a couple of years you can not only recoup the costs, but also start receiving income, and a stable one at that. We will tell you how to organize a hotel business.

Hotel or still a hotel?

Today these concepts are considered synonymous. Of course, there is a lot in common. But there are also differences. The word “hotel” itself comes from the Russian “guest”. Simple houses were built for travelers passing through, where they could spend the night. The amenities there were minimal (only everything you needed).

The word “hotel” is interpreted similarly, only the origin here is no longer Russian, but Latin. The original “hospes” (guest) changed, thanks to the French, into the more harmonious “hotel” (hotel).

Actually, there are no significant differences in the dictionaries. However, it is believed that a hotel, unlike a hotel, is more comfortable and has an expanded range of services. However, these differences do not affect Russia. In the classification of hotels in the Russian Federation, the concept “hotel” is not used at all. However, GOST requires the presence of at least ten rooms in premises for temporary residence. The characteristics and completeness of services are reflected by the number of “stars” (minimum one, maximum five).

Mini-hotels

The opportunity to buy an already promoted business is not available to everyone. And the purchase of land along with construction will cost millions. In search of a way out, many will inevitably ask the question: “Is it possible to equip your own apartment as a hotel?”

Here, as in every coin (or, if you prefer, medal), there are two sides. It turns out that approximately half of the hotel business is made up of unofficial (unregistered and not properly registered) private mini-hotels. People are forced to go into the shadows due to bureaucratic problems that arise during legal registration.

The root of the “gray” scheme lies in the official rental of the apartment. The owner of the premises saves a certain sum on legal registration and thereby reduces taxation costs. That's a plus. Now about the minus. Responsibility to the tax authorities has not been canceled. Therefore, if fact(s) of tax evasion are revealed, you will have to answer.

And these are penalties (at a minimum). In addition, if you own a gray hotel, you will not be able to advertise. We are not talking about assigning “class” (“stardom”) at all. The client base, as a rule, consists of regular visitors or guests recommended by them.

The reason for the popularity of small hotels

So why, being in the shadows, small hotel so popular? Why do some entrepreneurs, even before organizing a hotel business, try to look for roundabout ways?

It turns out that the whole point is the imperfection of the law, according to which it is not prohibited to equip an apartment as a hotel. That is why law enforcement agencies are quite loyal to such businesses.

And judicial practice confirms this. As an example, consider the claim of a citizen who demanded compensation for damage caused by severe flooding of her apartment.

The culprit was the owner of the “apartment-hotel”. At the same time, a complaint was filed with the prosecutor's office. It would seem that illegal activity has been proven. However, after the hotel owner compensated for the damage, the proceedings were immediately stopped. The complaint sent to the prosecutor's office was not satisfied, since “a commercial rental agreement was concluded” and “there were no violations of the law.”

What kind of apartment can become a mini-hotel?

Here it is worth turning to the Housing Code of the Russian Federation. According to the letter of the Law, an apartment that is planned to be equipped as a hotel should be located only on the first floor (or on the second, if there are non-residential premises underneath). A separate entrance is required.

It is worth remembering the requirements established for mini-hotels, enshrined in the SNP and GOSTs, in particular GOST 51185-98. As you understand, there are many pitfalls. That is why there are so many mini-hotels that appear in advertisements as “apartments for daily rent”, nothing more. Some people will be quite happy with this option. But legalization will provide more advantages, including the opportunity to openly advertise services and attract the attention of a large number of potential clients.

Organization

Based on the above, we conclude: it is better to have a transparent business, the hotel must be officially registered! Where to begin? Let's say you have a room that meets all GOST requirements. Now we need to think about redevelopment, transfer to non-residential premises, the need to register an individual entrepreneur. We provide an explanation of these concepts and a detailed description of further actions below.

Redevelopment

Among the first issues that will have to be faced will be redevelopment with official registration. The apartment will have to be transferred to non-residential use. They will require approval for changes to the façade, reconstruction of premises, and installation of separate entrances.

It will be possible to obtain permission to carry out work if you have a package of documents, including a copy of floor plans (issued by the BTI), property documents, permission to make changes (copies). Redevelopment can only be carried out by those companies that can guarantee the approval of absolutely all work. They will subsequently make changes to the plan and sign the act.

What will be required to convert residential premises into non-residential ones? Here you need to rely on the guidance of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation. The list of documents that will be needed in the local administration department is as follows: house plan (floor-by-floor), redevelopment project, title documents and the application itself. The procedure can be divided into stages:

  • decision of the interdepartmental commission;
  • determining the cost of transferring premises to non-residential stock;
  • registration of property rights (issued by Companies House).

Sublease business

On the one hand, this option deserves attention. And at the same time, a sublease transaction is a risk of putting the property into the hands of a person who is not bound by any obligations with the lessor. How to organize a hotel business and not get into trouble? You can get around the pitfalls. First, you need to conclude the contract correctly. Here it is worth worrying about an additional agreement, the purpose of which is to mark (fix) the sublease agreement and stipulate additional important conditions. Of course, it is difficult to foresee all the nuances.

If they really want to, both the subtenant and the landlord can find a loophole that could harm the company. Therefore, indicate in the contract, in addition to the name of the subtenant, the specific terms of the relationship (the building is rented in full or only part of it; sublease or re-rent), the purpose (hotel, inn) and clear deadlines. The presence of the last item allows you to cancel, if necessary, all actions performed outside the allotted time.

Be sure to discuss the financial issue regarding improvements (for example, repairs, landscaping of surrounding areas, etc.) of the rented property. Decide who will pay for the work - the actual subtenant or the lessor.

Hotel taxation

According to Art. 381 of the Tax Code of the Russian Federation, tax rates in this case cannot exceed 2.3% (for the calendar year). The calculation procedure does not depend on the will of the payers. Delaying state registration of rights will be considered deliberate tax evasion. Accrual is made from the date of commencement of operation of the facility.

Good afternoon. My name is Vladimir Vinogradov, I am from the Tver region. Five years ago I decided to open a hotel that is successfully operating to this day:

  • initial investment – ​​from 5 million rubles;
  • 20 rooms: five of them are 3 rooms, six rooms are 2 rooms, nine rooms are one room. There are three study rooms, a chic hallway, a small cafe, a sauna and a swimming pool;
  • each room has a TV, refrigerator, shower and toilet;
  • number of staff – 10 people. Labor costs – from 200 thousand rubles;
  • the average room rate is 1,500 rubles per day;
  • monthly income – from 400 thousand rubles.

What is good about a hotel as a business?

Before starting such a business, you must understand its essence. A hotel is a place for accommodating people in rooms with the provision of additional services.

At the same time, you must immediately decide on the finances and scale of the business. You can open a small hostel or a luxury hotel. It all depends on the capital you have on hand.

It was not for nothing that I preferred this type of income - it is really promising. If you wisely draw up a hotel business plan and implement it step by step, you can actually recoup the costs within 1-2 years.

If your city is popular with tourists, is a business center, or has many educational institutions, then there will be no problems with customers.

The advantages of business include low competition in this area (unless, of course, the hotel is located on the seashore or near a popular tourist site) and disposability of investments.

That is, you invest money in equipping the building once and start earning money. This is especially true for small establishments such as a hostel. All that is required is to maintain the given level, and, if possible, develop the business further.

Provide a short business plan for a hotel or inn.

To open your own business, follow a few simple steps:

1. First, decide on the building (this is very important). Try to find a place with beautiful scenery and open space.

A former hostel is perfect for setting up a hotel or hotel business. A good option is to use several floors of a residential building. Recently, it has become popular to buy communal apartments and turn them into small hotels.

But here problems with BTI may arise. If you don’t want problems, it’s better to choose regular housing.

Of two options (purchase or lease) the best option– purchase, budget – rent. If you decide to rent, then immediately enter into an agreement with the condition of future redemption.

Please note that apartments are often transferred from hand to hand, so moving can be a major problem.

In such a situation, there is no need to talk about income and stability.

The optimal location of the hotel is in a non-residential building.

At the same time, it must comply with the requirements of the SES and fire inspection.

An important point is carrying out cosmetic work, restoring sewerage, electrical and water supply.

Costs for renting premises - from 100 thousand rubles per month, cosmetic repairs - from 600 thousand rubles.

If you decide to build a hotel, then the costs will be many times higher - from 5-7 million rubles and more.

2. The second stage is business registration. You can register as an LLC or individual entrepreneur. The first option is more preferable if you are going to develop in the future. Of course, you will have to tinker with collecting documents, but it’s worth it.

3. Be sure to complete the documents. Conclude an agreement with the sanitary and epidemiological inspection. To work in the service sector, you can’t do without it.

But if there is a cafeteria or small bar on its territory that sells alcohol, then a license is required. When providing additional services, a certificate is required, as well as installation of a cash register.

If the business is located in a residential building, then it is important to comply with all repair, construction, sanitary and fire safety standards. Without this, you will not be able to obtain permission to start work.

How to open a mini-hotel?


A special issue is taxation. Here you can choose a simplified option. At the same time, it wouldn’t hurt to cheat and register the hotel in the documents as a minor emergency.

The total cost of registration, as a rule, is from 20 thousand rubles. Here, a lot depends on the quality of the repair and compliance with all standards.

4. Purchase equipment. This expense item depends on the number of rooms and the size of your business. Please note that each room must have a bed with a good mattress, a toilet, a shower, a table, two chairs, a chandelier, a mirror, a TV and a refrigerator.

It would not be superfluous to install the Internet, which will be distributed from several points.

For the kitchen it is worth buying a coffee maker, a refrigerator, a microwave oven, a washing machine, and a kitchen set. If you have a small cafe, you will need tables, chairs, an additional refrigerator for drinks, a device for dispensing beer, a bar counter and other equipment.

The total costs for furnishing 30-40 rooms can range from 6 million rubles and more.

5. Staff is the face of your business. It is advisable to hire people who are professionals and take a responsible approach to their work.

You will need one administrator who will receive guests and place them in rooms. In addition, his tasks will include receiving calls and monitoring the condition of all premises.

You will also need a maid to clean all rooms (two people), an accountant (1 person), a bartender and a cook (if there is a cafeteria), a manager, a technician and a security guard.

Employee salaries start from 200 thousand rubles monthly.

Russia and Ukraine - this is the first step towards the beginning successful business with an easy and simple start.

When making a decision to purchase a franchise, you need to consult the professional recommendations in this section:

About the most latest news and trends in business with a franchise can be read

6. An important point is business promotion. The first thing you need to do is create a high-quality website in several languages. Please note that today it is very fashionable to book rooms via the Internet, so contact numbers must be indicated to contact the administrator.

It’s a good idea to install group photo hotel, as well as photographs of each room. A person must receive all the information about the institution where he will live. At the same time, enter the cost of the room and meals (if any).

Promote your establishment using contextual advertising, specialized services for booking rooms, creating high-quality business cards and submitting advertisements to free newspapers.

If you take the issue of promotion seriously, get ready to shell out 30 thousand rubles at once, and then 20 thousand rubles monthly for maintaining and promoting the site, as well as for paying for contextual advertising.

How to open a mini-hotel?

Today, mini-hotels are becoming increasingly popular. Their difference from a regular hotel is the minimum number of rooms (up to 15). The advantage of such an establishment is the possibility of registering as an individual entrepreneur, choosing a small building for organizing a business and saving on personnel.

Naturally, other costs – equipment, repairs and advertising – are also reduced.

This is an excellent option for people who do not have a large amount of money behind them, but want to open something serious. If you don’t spend a lot, then when organizing a business you can invest in the amount of 3 million rubles.

As for organizational issues, the differences from the arrangement of a regular hotel are insignificant.

Table: Hotels and similar accommodation

How to open a hostel-type hotel?

If money is very tight, then you can open an even more “compact” business - a hostel. At its core, this is a hostel increased comfort with shower room, kitchen and sitting area.

The advantage of such a “hotel” is a quick payback. As a rule, you can recoup costs 6-8 months after opening.

The documents will require a license, permission from the SES and the fire service. In addition, as in previous cases, you will have to register with the tax office.

You can choose any residential building with corridors and a foyer as a hostel premises. Often communal apartments are converted into hostels.

When choosing a room, it is important to take into account that there should be at least five square meters of space per person. The bed size should be standard - 190*80, and the distance between the beds should not be less than 70-75 cm.

Please note that one shower is per 15 people, and one toilet is per twelve (no more).

You don't need a lot of staff - two administrators (will work in shifts) and one cleaner are enough.

The total cost of starting a business is from 300 thousand rubles.

Table: Number of persons accommodated in hotels

How long will it take to open a mini-hotel from scratch?

Most of the time is spent on finding premises, arranging them and obtaining permits. This takes from 1-2 months to a year. If there is a lack of funds for equipment or problems with obtaining permits, the opening may even be delayed.

To avoid surprises in the future, be sure to draw up a business plan and take into account all expenses. This will avoid delays in opening due to lack of funds.

It's no secret that many of our compatriots dream own business. This gives a certain independence, increases self-esteem and can, if successful, bring a good regular income.

    • Where to start a hotel business
    • Market research
    • Preparation of a business plan
    • How to find a room
    • Additional points and beginner mistakes: what to avoid

Choosing the right investment direction is another important step on the path to wealth. As practice shows, even those who did not imagine such a scenario yesterday can start a hotel business from scratch.

Where to start a hotel business

The first question that should interest a novice businessman is: correct hotel location. It is optimal if he is a resident resort village or cities.

It’s good when the location is not too far away - after all, starting a hotel business from scratch means spending the whole day in it for the first time. In the future, you can attract an experienced manager and move away from direct management.

But even those who do not live in resort or southern regions have nothing to despair of. Any locality has its own passenger flow of visitors: these include ordinary tourists, business travelers, and other categories of visitors.

There are a large number of situations in which people have a need for such a service as “hotel business”. Sometimes you need to spend the night in an unfamiliar town or even rest for several hours while waiting for a train or plane.

It is necessary to evaluate the capabilities of the city in which you plan to open a hotel from scratch. If it's not about resort area, then the location should be one that attracts sufficient passenger traffic.

For example, locality provides green tourism services or hosts festivals and other public events. Well, for residents of megacities the hotel business is always relevant.

It makes sense to start such a business even in towns with a population of 100 thousand and above. Surely competitors have already opened several hotel establishments there. But you can easily win your market share by providing more low prices, free Additional services or delighting visitors with quality service.

Market research

Therefore, before making your own investments, you need to conduct a thorough market analysis. In the course of such a study, it is necessary to obtain answers to the following questions:

  • number of existing hotels, hostels;
  • what customer segment should you count on;
  • number of guests during the season and during the “dead” period;
  • availability of nearby attractions and more.

For those who are just planning to open a hotel business from scratch and cannot boast of experience in this segment, it makes sense to start with small investments. Taking into account the crisis phenomena in the global and domestic economy, it is possible to do choosing small hostels (dormitories). People are increasingly trying to minimize travel costs, which makes the issue of cost of living more important to them than ever.


At first glance, it may seem that such establishments lose in prestige. But they may turn out to be cost-effective. In addition, it all depends on what level of service will be provided by the administration and what category of visitors to expect.

And you can increase profits by increasing the number of guests. Moreover, you need to evaluate the market hotel services in accordance with the city of residence, as well as the contingent of visitors.

Preparation of a business plan

The best solution after this would be to draw up a business plan - this is relevant for those who want to open a hotel business from scratch.

It is optimal to order its preparation from professional companies with experience in such services.

Once it is prepared, it must be followed steadily. If you plan to deviate from the drawn up plan, then it would be useful to get a separate consultation on this matter. After all, a business plan is drawn up so that the development of a commercial venture in specific conditions is as successful as possible.


A particularly important factor that will directly affect the profitability of the project is the location of the hotel. As you know, the most visited areas of any city are the train station, airport or city center. Of interest may be the territories in which they are located. famous monuments or large entertainment and shopping centers.

How to find a room

The next stage for those who expect to create a hotel business from scratch is searching for a suitable building. The amount of investment required, as well as the payback period, will depend on this.

Ideally, build a building yourself or buy an existing one with further refurbishment. There is a risk that such investments will not pay off soon, and therefore you can start with the option long term rental(for example, with the possibility of final redemption).

When purchasing an existing hotel business, the future owner should take the time to study the reasons why it is being sold. Perhaps the area for the hotel was chosen poorly. Who would sell a project that regularly brings good money and which is clearly not worth giving up?

Additional points and beginner mistakes: what to avoid

It will also be required registration as a legal entity. You can create it from scratch, or you can buy a ready-made company, without debts and problems with regulatory authorities. Such services are offered on the market all over the place.

To run a hotel business, you do not need to purchase any special licenses. But, if the hotel operates a restaurant or bar, you will need to obtain license to sell alcohol. Sphere Catering will require obtaining permission from sanitary control authorities. If the hotel is not located in separate building, and in the housing stock, it is imperative to take into account fire safety rules.

Tax benefits do not apply to the provision of hotel services. But for small hotels and hostels it is advisable to register as a small enterprise - this will reduce paperwork and accounting.

For a small hotel with 10-15 rooms, you need to select a staff of at least several people. An administrator will be required (possibly combined with the position of manager), a maid and, of course, a technical worker who will maintain the functionality of the furniture and other equipment.

Key mistakes, which beginner entrepreneurs who decide to open a hotel business from scratch are guilty of:

  • biased assessment of the market or one’s own financial capabilities;
  • lack of a clear and competent business plan;
  • lack of understanding of the category of “your client” or an illiterate marketing strategy;
  • incorrect building layout;
  • savings on the work of a professional designer who can create a real miracle from a hotel with great competitive advantages;
  • selection of unqualified personnel - such a mistake can scare away many regular customers.

And finally: opening your own hotel requires significant investments, which can range from several tens of thousands of dollars to several millions, depending on the region and location. But a properly organized project can generate up to 30-40% profit.

 

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