Describe the characteristics of Hotel Monaco. What is its target market? How does Hotel Monaco Chicago differentiate itself in that market?
The particular area in which Hotel Monaco tries to excel is impeccable customer service. There are three key characteristics that define the hotel and help the staff provide services of the highest quality: the tasks to be done, the treatment of the customers, and tangibles including the core, design, and comfort of the hotel. The staff supports the personal needs of the hotel’s customers and pays special attention to their comfort. Hotel Monaco is a 4-star hotel that provides personalized services for business travelers; therefore, business travelers are the hotel’s target market. Another important characteristic of the hotel is that it is located near shopping and entertainment areas. With this location, the administration of the hotel is able to please not only business but leisure travelers as well. Nonetheless, the most significant feature of Hotel Monaco is the service design as it is the most effective instrument used by the hotel to differentiate itself in the market.
How does Hotel Monaco’s small size support its strategy? Could a larger hotel do the same thing?
The small size of the hotel fully supports its strategy. One of the ways it supports the strategy is the use of a custom-developed application that informs the front desk about customer arrivals. The key feature of this application is that it also informs staff about returning guests and lists their preferences (if there are any). The hotel’s strategy is to captivate clients and exceed their expectations, a great representation of how the strategy of the hotel is in full compliance with its small size. Hotel Monaco does everything to satisfy customer needs and offers numerous extras to its visitors. Indeed, it is safe to say that a larger hotel would not be able to replicate the success of Hotel Monaco because the services at this hotel are incredibly personalized and aimed at returning customers. Larger hotels would not be able to provide the same level of personalized service due to the resources required to support this strategy.
What has Hotel Monaco Chicago done to meet business travelers’ needs? How does Hotel Monaco differentiate its treatment of weekend travelers from its treatment of business travelers?
To meet the needs of business travelers, Hotel Monaco Chicago goes beyond their expectations. The hotel staff members do little things to satisfy their customers and show that they appreciate the personality of each of their clients. The hotel provides excellent room service and maintains a high level of responsiveness. The key characteristic that differentiates weekend leisure travelers from business travelers is the price. In other words, the rates schedule varies depending on the type of customer and the purpose of their visit. Business travelers have access to discounts that are only available to companies, while leisure travelers are offered discounts that allow them and their families to stay at Hotel Monaco for a fair price.
Given any business’s desire to minimize non-value-adding activities, which of the activities of Hotel Monaco would you evaluate for possibly not adding value?
I consider the desire to provide irregular small services to be an activity that does not add value to the hotel. This would be a reasonable activity for a single hotel, but the chain of Kimpton hotels is growing. Trying to provide too many different services to different types of clients will result in a loss of resources. The competitive nature of the hotel business presupposes that the services that a hotel offers are somewhat standard. Hotel Monaco, on the other hand, relies on returning customers. It signifies their awareness of the importance of providing exquisite services to their regular customers but does not apply to the new customers of the hotel.