The state of Delaware attracts many tourists each year. All of them expect to have an excellent experience regarding every element of their trip. The hotel choice is probably one of the most important steps in planning a holiday. Delaware has a wide range of different options for it. The Hotel duPont and the Marriott Courtyard are the examples of luxury hotels. Although they offer the same services, they differ in the core business organization processes.
Hotel duPont
The Hotel duPont was built at the beginning of the past century. The hotel belongs to the duPont group, which specializes mainly in chemical research and production. According to its website, this place in Wilmington is “one of the country’s grandest hotels” (Hotel du Pont, 2016, par. 1). The building is chic, and the interior is rich with Renaissance details. The suites are designed to underline the luxury segment the hotel presents. Its prices start from $439 per night, which is not cheap compared to the average market price. Thus, the target market primarily consists of wealthy tourists who value comfort and can afford to pay for it.
The Hotel duPont features 206 guest rooms along with 11 suites. It also offers package sales, which include sightseeing and dining options. Visitors can order services 24 hours a day, including the room service. The hotel offers seven options for dining, including the famous Green Room restaurant. Breakfast comes for the additional price. There are several spacious rooms for venues like office meetings or weddings. The booking service on the website shows that there are plenty unoccupied rooms even during holidays. It may be explained by the high prices, which do not seem affordable especially during a recession.
Marriott Courtyard
The Marriott Courtyard is a part of the Marriott hotel network, which operates in the whole word. It is situated near the University of Delaware, which is convenient for students’ family members when they visit them. It is also a luxury hotel. It targets domestic and international travelers who know about the network’s reputation and are willing to pay for it. The room rates start from $156 per night. The Marriott Courtyard is designed in a modern way. There are sixty-three queen beds in most of the rooms and four suites. It also pays a lot of attention to the healthy values. The hotel has a swimming pool and a fitness center. There is also an option of keeping pets, which comes for an additional price of $75. This option has to be discussed beforehand as there is a limited number of rooms supporting it. The parking is free for all guests. The Marriott Courtyard offers breakfasts and food delivery from the local restaurant. The local Bistro has healthy meal choices (Marriott Courtyard, 2016). All places are smoke-free. There are spaces for conducting business meetings and wedding ceremonies.
Tour Reflection
I did not look forward to the tour at the beginning. I thought that all hotels are the same and vary only in price and design. However, it appears that these hotels are different from the ones I have visited before. I liked the Hotel duPont very much. It has a very beautiful classic design. Besides, I enjoyed the student classroom. This was definitely a rare element, which is not common to most hotels. The tour has also given the better understanding of the back-end hospitality processes.
We met with the general manager at the Marriott Courtyard and with the chef in the Hotel duPont. They gave us the very interesting information about the hotels in general and about the work they do. In the Hotel duPont, we went to the kitchen, the suit room at the top floor, the fitness gym and the principal hall, which is used for weddings. In the Marriot Courtyard, we visited the rooms, the fitness gym, and the student classroom. The front desk, the rooms, and the kitchen were the main locations we have visited and researched.
Both hotels have the similar infrastructure. Apart from the rooms, both places have the halls for venues, restaurants, and fitness gyms. However, there are some differences. Firstly, the prices are very different. The Marriott Courtyard is much cheaper. Secondly, the Marriott Courtyard is located in Newark, while the Hotel duPont is in Wilmington, which is close to the university. Finally, the Hotel duPont does not have the option to host pets, and there is no free parking.
The trip was very useful for understanding how the hospitality industry works. It was interesting to see the theoretical materials learned in class to be applied in a real working business. Moreover, I have learned that different strategies may work in different models. For example, the Hotel duPont decided to keep the classic design it was famous for in the past, and the Marriott Courtyard conducted a renovation recently to ensure all of its rooms and halls are modern and appealing. Both hotels seem to keep their target audience on the same level.
References
Hotel du Pont. (2016). About. Web.
Marriott Courtyard. (2016). Our hotel. Web.