Introduction
The marketing mix for St. Regis, Abu Dhabi was analyzed using the 6Ps approach. 6 Ps helps to answer key marketing strategy questions by analyzing product, price, place, promotion, people, and presentation. These six components are core decision making variables. The aim of the analysis is to define the optimal mix of factors for a given market segment at a given point in time and determine the differences between the current and the desired state.
Product
The hotel provides 283 rooms of different comfort levels. The central feature of the hotel is the sky bridge between the two towers, which provides a 360 degree view. The guests are offered a long list of 21 basic services, that includes booty services, foreign exchange, florists, 24-hour room service, car rental, book store, grab-and-go breakfast, and others. The hotel provides 24-hout dining services in the main restaurant and seven thematic restaurants. Additionally, guests can use fitness and a wide variety of spa services on demand. The hotel also organizes weddings and business meetings in designated conference halls.
Price
St. Regis uses the premium pricing strategy, which implies that charges high for its services. The primary reason for that is to exercise the common belief that high price means high quality. The primary purpose of the pricing strategy is to maintain the premium brand image. However, competitions and the COVID-19 pandemic had an effect on the hotel’s pricing strategy. The company also offers several deals and discounts regularly that allow its visitors to save big on their stay, which allows the hotel attract and retain customers. The examples of these delas include discounts on longer stay, romantic indulgence packages, and discounts for the second room.
Place
The hotel is located in the vibrant heart of Abu Dhabi, which makes it very close to local attractions. For instance, the hotel is physically connected to the National Galleria Mall; family park is only in two miles distance, and the hotel is very close to award-winning golf. The sales are conducted through online booking platforms, such as booking.com and tripadvisor.com. Guests can also book rooms by phone or using the corporate website.
Promotion
St. Regis relies on strong brand recognition as the primary marketing strategy. The hotel works under the Marriott brand name, which is famous all over the world for high-quality customer service. St. Regis uses online marketing actively through promotions in social media, search engines, and advertisements on booking websites. St. Regis also offers some promotion packages, which were mentioned earlier. Finally, St. Regis uses co-branding to promote its services, such as the Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card and JP Morgan Chase credit card.
People
St. Regis and Marriott brand in general successfully implemented the people-first approach. The core of this approach is providing holistic experience consistent in all channels both online and offline. For instance, the hotel created an online chat room where guests can talk directly to hotel employees about the questions that concern them. It is one of the keys to the success of the hotel and the brand in general, as customer focus is crucial in services marketing mix.
As for the employees, the hotel is considered one of the best employers in the country and Marriott company is seen as one of the top employers in the world. Thus, the company offers the best compensation and benefits plans as well as an excellent work culture.
Presentation
The hotel presents itself as a luxury destination. The customer see the hotel as a symbol of wealth and comfort. The hotel provides high-quality services at premium prices. At the same time, the hotel diversifies its message for different customer segments. For instance, the hotel offers discounts for longer business stays, romantic packages and weddings for couples, and discounts for the second room for families with children.
Recommendations
There are three recommendation that can be made concerning the company’s marketing mix. While the people, place, price, and product seem appropriate for the present tie period, there are several modifications that can be made to presentation and promotion.
First, the hotel needs to make explicit the measures it takes and concern it gives to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to recent research, fear and uncertainty can affect the customers’ purchasing decisions in the hotel industry (Jian et al., 2020). Thus, helping the customers to overcome the fear may be helpful to increase sales.
Second, the hotel needs to demonstrate concern about environmental problems and dedication to environmental sustainability. Research demonstrates that dedication to environmental sustainability has a significant influence on purchasing decision.
Finally, the hotel may include a virtual tour through the hotel. This is expected to attract new customers.
References
Jaekel, B. (2017). How Marriott delivers seamless, consumer-first experiences. Web.
Jaiswal, D., & Kant, R. (2018). Green purchasing behaviour: A conceptual framework and empirical investigation of Indian consumers. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 41, 60-69.
Jian, Y., Yu, I. Y., Yang, M. X., & Zeng, K. J. (2020). The impacts of fear and uncertainty of COVID-19 on environmental concerns, brand trust, and behavioral intentions toward green hotels. Sustainability, 12(20), 8688.
Marriot. (n.d.).St. Regis Hotel Details.
Pratap, A. (2020). Marriott International Marketing Mix. Notesmatic.
Wilson, A., Zeithaml, V.A., Bitner, M.J., Gremler, D.D. (2016). Services Marketing: Integrating Customer Focus Across the Firm (3rd ed.). McGraw Hill.