School’s out and hotels across the country are rallying to get the ‘house in order’ to welcome the droves of holidaymakers making the most of their time off and the last rays of summer. Guests expect and want the best, and hotels, especially over the holiday season, really need to step up to the plate in terms of their service offering, food and beverage and amenities.
As with any resort-type facility like BON Hotel Shelley Point, where the focus is on the conference and leisure experience, the expectation is that your every whim and need will be taken care of, service will be excellent and that your children will be entertained and have plenty to do. Holiday Programmes can be predictable and incur the wrath of many a frustrated little one, especially the “I’m bored” teens, and mom! “Whilst we always incorporate the more traditional activities in our Holiday Programmes, the challenge is including new and exciting options, particularly for the teenagers,” says Charl van Wyk, Group Operations Director at BON Hotels. He adds that you almost have to put yourself in their shoes and think about what you would find fun, or not, and over and above the fun, to include educational elements, creativity, play and exercise, both indoors and outdoors.
Taking advantage of the facilities the hotel already has to offer is one method of incorporating fun stuff into the programme, bringing in outside adventure specialists and students can also add a twist to the activities. Charl says, “A separate check-in for the youngsters goes down a treat – they get to feel important – they receive a small gift and can help themselves to some pop-corn.” This also means that the hotel can get the parent details for each child so that should anything happen during the day, a staff member can get hold of mom or dad to come and dry some tears or kiss a scratched knee better.
Running things on a timetable is also imperative so that the kids (and mom and dad) can plan their days and the hotel can be entirely prepared – this way you are providing something to do throughout the day and into the evening. Typically the programmes run from 09h30 until 20h00 each day, overseen by dedicated staff members whose sole job it is to make sure fun, laughter and delight are the order of the day. Charl adds, “So, kids can look forward to a jam-packed holiday programme that includes frizzbee fun, mini-masterchef, movie nights, sand caslte creations and much more.”
