How to implement a Guest Entertain Program and get wicked reviews.

Introduction:

I've seen a couple posts here, Albeit they're a year or so old, asking how to bring people together.

This is pretty core aspect of a Hostel's Goals, After all; A hostel is by definition a place where accommodation and amenities are shared for the purpose of being social and meeting people.

It's also the field where I started my Tourism and Hospitality Career: I was once the Hostels professional "Fun Guy". And to this day I think it's the hardest position in a Hostel; This can be quite a daunting task at first, You don't want to be the hostel that has the reputation of "Mandatory Fun" And you have to switch it up now and then for the sake of your own sanity: People know when you're faking fun.

I also see there's a serious lack of guides on how to set up an Entertainment program for guests. So without further ado; here we go:

Step 1: Recognize that having an entertainment program is important for your hostel. 

The main OTA for Hostels in my area is Hostel world which has a rating for Atmosphere. With this guide you'll score constant 10's and get reviews like this: 

"Booked 2 nights and stayed 5 in total......... Everyday different interesting activities in the hostel, no matter you come with friends, with family or on your own, you won't feel lonely or bored........""

This is especially important if your target customer is a person who wants to socialize and have fun. Which it should be. Reviews like this attract guests to your Hostel.

Step 2: Hire an Entertainment Guy or Girl.

Look at your guests, Who's the person that's bringing everyone together for a game of cards or a late night drinking game? They're your person.
Someone who doesn't just stick to their own group, and tries to get everyone involved.

Step 3: Compile a list of potential Passive and Active entertainment options.

Passive Entertainment options are things like Board games, Cards, Volleyball, Billards table etc. things that you can set up and the customers can use themselves.

Active Entertainment options are things that require your Entertainment guy or girl to be active in, and occur at a set time. Egsamples: Pub Quiz, Bar Crawl, Poker Tournament, Volleyball Competition, Drinking Games.

Step 4: Implement Entertainment Options.

Passive entertainment is easy. Set up your volleyball net, Buy your billiards table, Lay out your Board games.

Active Entertainment needs to be scheduled, Advertised, and promoted. It's a good idea to create an Entertainment Policy and procedure. Here's a snippet of two Entertainment night options that I created: The text is from the Entertainment Policy and Procedure.

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Monday:

Costa Rician Pool:

“A drinking game disguised as a Pool Tournament”

AM: change the 'What's on Today' Sign

Check Ins: Draw Notice to the What's on Today Sign and explain the Game.

Prepare the Sign up sheet and leave on the Reception.

5Pm: Entertainment Manager goes around the Hostel, explains the rules and encourages guests to sign up.

6Pm: PA System Announcement.

7Pm: Go around Once more and encourage guests to sign up.

7:30pm Order the Shot Jugs

7:45pm. Make the random teams.

- If uneven teams, You may have to play. Don't pick the Pool Pro to play with, Pick someone bad so you get out first round.

 

8pm. Pa Announcement gathering the contestants, Go Over the Rules.

 

RULES:

1. Teams of Two. Random Teams. Make some Friends.

2. You sink a ball, You drink a shot. Includes the White Ball and Balls of the opponent’s Team.

3. If you fowl or Fault; Hit an opponents ball, Sink the opponents ball, or pocket the white; The other team gets Ball in Hand, the Ball can be placed anywhere, and they can take one shot at the ball.

 

4. If you knock a shot off the table, Your team has to drink the Table. If your team knocks over the Shots three times: You're out.

5. If the other team Fowls when you're on the black, You don't get ball in hand, The white ball is placed in the middle of the table on the opposite site from the black.

6. The Losing team drinks the table. The winning team moves to the next round.

As enjoyable as this game is, I'd recommend Entertainment Staff refrain from 'Winning' these games, as the amount of alcohol involved in winning is substantial.

Potential Problems|Solutions:

Guests become too intoxicated: Switch Shot Jugs to one with low alcohol. Explain at the beginning that you have the right to cut people off. Or disqualify a team.

 

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Thursday: Pub Quiz

Test your trivia with a Pub Quiz! Team with the most brain cells gets a bottle of Vodka, In the hopes of dumbing them down to our level.

Pre Preparation:
Make more quizzes. Varied Questions. Keep the answer forms and change questions with a consistent below 40% correct answer rate. You want the average team to get between 6 and 8 questions correct on each category.

Materials:

Microphone
Quiz
Pens and paper: Don't forget to collect the pens back.
Clipboard

AM:
Change the Sign

7pm: Pa Announcement.

7:30pm. Tell any guests in the square that the quiz will be there, and if they're not going to participate they may want to move.

Test Microphone.

8pm. Grab the microphone and gather everyone together for the quiz.

Split everyone up evenly by numbering everyone, and instructing everyone to get into their number groups.

Tell each group to come up with their own team name, and that the best team name gets three extra points.

Go through the categories, Tell teams to select one category as Double Points. And that they write the category next to their team name.

Commence quiz.

Mark each round, You'll need an assistant for this.
Make sure your math is correct!

Get an assistant to Sign off a bottle of Hanoi Vodka for the winning team during the second to last category.

Give to winning team! Hurrah.

Potential Problems|Solutions:

Guests using phones: Announce “The Game of Phones” Rule: lose two points for offenders, Gain one point for spotting someone using their phone.

===========================================================================

We know the Importance of having systems in place to make everything run smooth. So having even the Fun Entertainment activities well doccumented is a good idea.

It's also a good idea to train some customer service staff to assist with Entertainment Events where needed.

My Full week schedule was the following:

Monday: Costa Rician Pool
Tuesday: Poker Tournament
Wednesday: Movie Night
Thursday: Pub Quiz
Friday: Sand Castle Competition
Saturday: Pub Crawl
Sunday: Group Bonfire on the beach.

This was a perfect rotation, there was enough drinking nights to keep guests from checking out the next day, and enough 'Easy' options like Movie night and Bonfire's on the beach to keep the Entertainment Manager from becoming overwhelmed.

The reviews we got speak for themselves:

“the hostel has different activities every night. i had great movie night, pub quiz night and sand castle battle night there.”

“When to stay two nights, stayed a week. This hostel was amazing! Awesome people, great staff, and nice and relaxing. Highly recommend. “

“booked 2 nights. Stayed 9! The volunteer staff are amazing and do a great job with the themed nights.”

“Very nice place - loved the outdoor dorm & the social activities are a lot of fun!”

“Wish I could have spent weeks here. The open setting of the hangout space was so inviting and atmospheric. We played a Costa Rican pool tournament the first night and poker the next- both activities making it so easy to make friends! There wasn't hot water for the showers but personally I didn't mind. Stay as long as you can here!!”