Three young hospitality professionals have launched an online service for the hotels of Manchester to use to recommend quality restaurants to guests visiting the city. Sean Walsh 24 with the help of Jack Appleton 25 & Tom Ansbro 23, all from Manchester, created the site HotShepherd.com after working for top hotel brands such as The Landis Ritz Taipei, Hilton Worldwide and Rocco Forte’s The Lowry Hotel.
Real, local restaurants
“Have you ever been in a new city on holiday or on a business trip and wanted a real, local meal somewhere new and special? When you ask for a recommendation at the front desk you don’t want a restaurant that’s part of a chain – you can get that anywhere, you want somewhere different and memorable, somewhere that’s unique to where you are” says Founder and Managing Director Sean Walsh, “|Not all team members have the same knowledge of the local area, so a site that offers this information for free to hotels is extremely valuable”.
Sales and Marketing Director Jack Appleton elaborates, “We want to help improve both the quality and efficiency of the customer service journey provided by hotel team members when they’re asked about the local area they serve, we want to give the team the confidence and tools to make a guest’s experience as memorable as possible”.
Online directory tailored to each hotel’s location
The service is an online directory tailored to the hotel’s location, suggesting nearby quality restaurants for them to send guests to. They log the booking in the system and once the restaurant accepts, commission is paid directly to the hotel for them to save up and spend at any of the restaurants listed on the site.
“We want to give back to the little guy behind the desk delivering amazing customer service, so cash towards a team member night out or Christmas party is our way of doing that,” explains Account Manager Tom Ansbro, “We’re aware that the industry is moving towards ‘self-service’ directories and mobile apps, but that destroys the customer service relationship of physically talking to a helpful receptionist or concierge, and we want to preserve that by providing this information that any hotel team member can use.”
10% of profits to charity
Hot Shepherd gives back to the hospitality industry in another way, by donating 10% of all profits to hospitality related charities. This year the site is supporting the Springboard UK Charity helping young people get a start in the industry. “Even with a good degree, I had to move to Taiwan to get a good start in hospitality, so helping Springboard create employment opportunities for people less fortunate was always top priority,” explains Sean Walsh.
Free for hotels
The site is free to use for all of the hotels in Manchester and restaurants pay a fixed fee to be listed with all commission covered by Hot Shepherd themselves. The service will soon branch into attractions and other services that hotels recommend, as well as more cities, but for now the team are focussed on highlighting the hidden gem restaurants that Manchester has in abundance.
For more information click here or email Manchester@hotshepherd.com.
The team received funding from Business Finance Solutions Manchester through the government’s start up loan scheme, encouraging local entrepreneurs to start their own businesses with flexible business loans. “We’re proud to be local guys doing something we love to help the city of Manchester” – founder Sean Walsh.
For more information about Start Up Loans click here