An evaluation of marketing strategies in 5-star boutique hotels: A case study, Dylan hotel
Authors
Pereira, Eduardo
Issue Date
2017
Degree
MA of Business Administration
Publisher
Dublin Business School
Rights holder
Rights
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Abstract
The hospitality industry in Ireland is growing, and boutique hotels are becoming increasingly popular. Boutique hotels are characteristically different to mainstream hotels, and therefore research specifically about boutique hotel marketing is essential. Marketing strategy is one of the most influential concepts in the hospitality industry, declaring its relevance as a topic of research. This research study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing strategies of Dylan, a 5-star boutique hotel in Dublin, Ireland. This was a single-case study designed to gain qualitative information regarding marketing strategies in Dylan hotel by carrying out semi-structured interviews with the marketing manager. Data collected was analysed, categorised, and discussed in relation to the published literature. The findings of this study were that Dylan has a well-developed marketing strategy focused on personalised promotional methods. The aim of their marketing strategies is to achieve revenue-based goals. The measures of effectiveness of marketing strategies used by Dylan are exclusively financially based, and this is in contradiction with the recommended customer-focused metrics published in hospitality marketing literature. Overall, the marketing strategies of Dylan are effective according to the interviewee, but the researcher concluded that the current strategic plan lacks suitable measures of strategic effectiveness, and therefore has the potential to result in inefficient marketing budget, ineffective marketing strategies, and delayed recognition of deteriorating brand identity in the future. In summary, Dylan has a well-structured marketing strategy based on the elements of the marketing mix, but they do not measure the effectiveness of these strategies in a systematic, customer-orientated way.