A very early morning start to attend a breakfast meeting is not something which is often welcomed but anticipation and a sense of enthusiasm are certainly present when the venue for the breakfast meeting is Prestonfield House in Edinburgh.
Classical marketing theory – in its simplest format – states that the success of a hotel is dependent on the correct combination of the physical Product (or service) attributes, the Price, the way it is Promoted and its Location. Of course we all remember Conrad Hilton’s comment that the only thing that was important in a hotel’s success was three things – location, location, location. It’s not so simple now.
The following article appeared in the 14 May 2010 addition of ehotelier.com. It’s a fascinating opinion on the future success factors for independent and boutique style hotels. It reveals how the independent hotel sector is well placed to compete against the global branded hotel chains. Continue reading
Located on the arid hot plain below the Atlas mountains of Morocco is the red city of Marrakech. It’s called the Red City because of the natural red ochre pigment in the stonework of its walls and buildings. It’s history may originate in the nomadic, African influences of trading and caravan journeys across the desert, but the city’s journey end today is as a capital of chic and sophistication. The performers and traders in Jemaa el Fna, or the main square, front the narrow alleys of the souk. Compare this with the French influences since the 1920s in the stylish Ville Novelle and you have a city of vivid contrasts.
Due to the explosion of low cost air routues, Marrakech may now be a hot (literally!) destination for European travellers, all eager to find that unkown and inexpensive riad (guest house), but it has always offered an oasis of calm to the discerning traveller. The pinnacle of that oasis of calm is the palatial surroundings of La Mamounia, a hotel which the Tatler Travel Awards rated No1 in the world in 2010.
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The growth of branding in the hotel industry through either franchising or the application of a global brand identity to independent hotels gathers pace year by year. It’s accepted that a brand gives you the advantage of a strong international identity and sales, marketing and distribution scale which is unachievable to a single, independent hotel. However, the adoption of a brand by owners requires the discipline of applying brand standards to the hotel’s operation and design and with that comes the risk of losing the hotel’s individual identity. There is a paradox here because it’s the independent hotel’s individual identity and personality which is its main proposition however a brand’s sales, marketing and distribution services cannot be achieved by independent hotels. Continue reading
