While customers might initially choose a hotel for its location, rooms and amenities, your staff will make the biggest impression on visitors, who often base their subsequent decisions about where to stay on past customer service experiences. The more you can motivate your staff to take extraordinary care of your guests, the more successful you are likely be.

Recognize Greatness

Employees appreciate being recognized, especially when they go above and beyond the scope of their everyday duties to satisfy a guest. Ritz-Carlton is a worldwide hotel chain that prides itself on attention to details. You can incorporate one of their techniques for recognizing employees. Each day, staff members at all the chain's hotels gather for a teleconference, during which they share extraordinary stories of how they managed to meet guest expectations. Employees are proud to be recognized in front of their peers, and strive to make it into the presentation as a result.

Model Enthusiasm

The motivation levels of a staff at any organization often follow the example of the company’s leaders. If you are a hotel manger or owner, the enthusiasm for your work and the opportunities it affords should start with you. Let employees see you smile as you walk through the lobby, and greet each staff member by name. Leave your office regularly throughout the day and interact with guests. Pitch in to help employees when you see they need a hand. You will instill respect and loyalty when you demonstrate those qualities to your employees, who then will be motivated to provide the best possible service and be a part of the hotel’s success.

Empower Employees

When employees feel empowered to make decisions and have all the tools they need to properly perform their duties, they are more motivated and tend to stick with their jobs longer than staff members who don’t feel they have management support. Turnover rates tend to range between 78.3 and 95.4 percent in the hospitality industry, according to the Incentive Performance Center. To keep your rates at the lower end of the range, keep your employees motivated and happy by listening to their concerns and taking action to help them perform their jobs. That increases customer satisfaction and productivity, and also saves you money you’d have to spend hiring and training a constant stream of new employees.

Provide Incentives

While money may not be the only reason a hotel employee stays or leaves a certain job, it does play a significant role in job satisfaction. Set up a bonus structure in which all staff members can participate, and recognize excellent performance with regular raises and promotions. Set up a profit-sharing program that is directly impacted by employee productivity and customer service. Find creative ways to reward outstanding performance, such as offering the use of a sports car for a weekend, extended stays in the hotel for employees and their families, trips, and gift cards. Ask guests for feedback on the service they’ve received during their stay, and reward employees who consistently get high ratings from customers.