Question

Marketing assignment

The Inn at Prescott Ranch is a small, boutique hotel located in Prescott, Arizona. It opened in 1998. The Inn has identified the main competition as the Prescott Resort, owned and operated by the Yavapai Nation, and the Hassayampa Inn, a historic hotel in downtown Prescott, adjacent to Whiskey Row.

The Inn has 65 rooms on two floors—each with a private balcony. The nightly room rates are the highest in Prescott. The Inn offers a full array of amenities—both in the public areas and in the rooms. The Inn offers complimentary van service to the Gateway Mall, Bucky’s Casino, and Whiskey Row; and valet parking services with covered parking. There is nightly entertainment in the lobby. In-room amenities include high-thread-count linens; terry robes; organic soaps and toiletries; flat-screen TVs with DVD players; and Bose® stereo systems.

The Inn maintains a full bar and has an agreement with Wildflower Bakery to provide daily continental breakfast for an additional charge to nightly rates or included in the Bed & Breakfast Special. Boxed lunches may also be pre-ordered from Wildflower Bakery. The Inn is not “flagged” or branded. The management is highly involved in local organizations. There is an existing contract with Yavapai College for sponsorship of its performing arts series with Paramount Studies for a project being filmed in the Prescott area. In addition, the Inn at Prescott Ranch has been featured on Arizona Highways TV, Arizona Highways magazine, and in the Arizona Republic travel section. The Inn also participates in the local chamber of commerce and tourism promotional efforts for the Prescott area.

Management is looking for a marketing plan for 2011.

Questions:

1. If you were preparing a marketing plan for this hotel, how would you describe the company, its positioning strategy, and its value proposition?

2. What do you want to know about the market—demographics and psychographics?

3. Describe each of the 4Ps.

4. Without doing further research, who is the perceived target market?

5. Does the hotel have a brand image? If so, define.

Answer 1

1. The company can be described as the one committed to give great leisure experience to its customers through best services and amenities in the region.It positions itself at premium level of the market by providing best amenities to the guests in comparison to the competitors. The value proposition is the highest quality experience to the guests through best in class services and products.

2. To make the services more value adding, we need to know the people in terms of

(a) Demographics - Their age, profession, education level, purpose of travel, income level, rural / urban background.

(b) Psychographics - Their tastes, choices, lifestyles, things appreciated by them, value systems, attitudes etc.

3. Product - Premium accomodation with best in class services and amenities to ensure good experience for guests.

Price - Premium price for the high quality experience.

Place - Competitive marketplace with other players competing for the share of pie. Tourism potential of the place adding to the value proposition

Promotion - Creating visibility through working with local bodies and organisations. Promoting the place through fairs and activities to promote the region as atourist destination.

4. Perceived target market are the upscale customers who have the panchant for good things in life, who appreciate quality and willing to pay a premium for good experience.

5. The brand image of the hotel is that of a premium property offering best quality to its guests. It also has an image of philanthropically inclined organisation that works with local communities for development and promotion of the region for betterment of all.