About Rafayel Hotel
Rafayel is a 17 storey five-star hotel situated at 34 Lombard road next to river Thames. The hotel is very unique because its structure is made up of steel, wood and glass. This hotel was designed by James Burland. Rafayel looks pleasant both from the inside and on the outside as opposed to many hotels that are just pleasant from the outside (Rafayel Hotel, 2009). The building has four curved blue cladded towers that are shared by its occupants. Each apartment includes a terrace that creates more living space and shields its occupants from Heliport which is not far from Rafayel. Rafayel inhabits four floors of falcon wharf and is made up of 65 bedrooms, seminar resources, spa, gym, and many other hotel facilities. Rafayel integrates the latest technologies that have no or very little impact on environment. This is done by ensuring that all the lighting uses LED (Light Emitting Diodes) bulbs and also harvesting rain water (Trip Advisor, 2010).
Business Oriented Strategies
Rafayel has employed the new technology of LED lighting from Philips with the aim of reducing its expenses on electricity. According to a report by Philips (2010) the average carbon footprint has been reduced to 17kg in each room which is very commendable. Actually Rafayel has set the stage for other members in the hotel industry to adopt this technology. The success of this pilot project was entirely dependent on cooperation of Philips, the hotel’s developer, and Latis the architect who designed the hotel towards implementing the new technology. The main objective of this project was to ensure that visitors who checked in Rafayel felt the benefits of the environment friendly hotel and hence stayed longer. Although the initial cost of installing this technology is very high the hotel will recapture the funds by increase in the number of its guests. Schubert (2003) found that LED technology is very effective depending on the temperatures of the area that is being used on. This is due to the fact that LEDs are non toxic and also last longer than bulbs and tubes. The initial cost of installing LEDs has been a major hindrance in adopting this technology in the hotel because it also involves the installation of other complicated systems such as power supplies.
People who are affected by traveling from one time zone to another have little to worry because at Rafayel there is a technology that diagnoses these effects that is controlled by TV interface. This is further enhanced by the availability of seven executive suites that are directly opposite the river to enable customers to recharge their batteries using light therapy which helps to avoid drowsiness which helps to improve alertness which is very crucial for business executives. Another business strategy implemented by the hotel is online booking. Customers can visit the hotel’s web site and gain information about the various things offered. This form of electronic business enables businesses to have a wide customer base and consequently drive conversations (Feng Li, 2006).
Rafayel is very keen to ensure the new technology is satisfactory to its customers. This done by giving its customers a room to air their suggestions, complains and compliments which in return are used in to make the customers stick to the hotel as much as possible. According to Mullins (2004) business goals are determined by focusing on customer requirements, thus providing a set of principles which govern the overall conduct of the organization’s operations. Through ensuring the comfort of customers, Rafayel is set to realize its goals in the hotel industry.
Rafayel has also made it possible for its guests to manipulate the mood of their bedrooms by fitting the bedrooms with air conditioning and lighting systems that are very easy to use because they use remote controls similar to the ones that are used in television sets (Rafayel Hotel, 2009). This was done to avoid recurrence of a situation that was reported in the recent past where customers found it difficult to use the air conditioning and the lighting system. Rafayel has enhanced the management of cable TVs and cleanliness in the guest rooms by installing full length windows that run from the ceiling to the floor (Trip Advisor, 2010).
Recommendations
Rafayel is highly recognized as a land mark in London. This has been achieved because of the role it has played in preserving the environment.Thus the activities of the hotel do not interfere with the lives of its neighbors by avoiding the emissions which result from light pollution which further contribute to global warming. However, the hotel is required to heighten its marketing activities through promotions and direct marketing strategies in order to have customer loyalty. The management should also focus on public social responsibility programs in order to strengthen its business strategies. As described in the case, the hotel only focuses on internal operations without paying much attention to the interests of the public; going public through supporting community activities like sanitation and health programs can greatly improve the image of Rafayel.
References
Feng Li, (2006). What is e-business?: how the internet transforms organizations. New Jersey, Wiley-Blackwell.
Mullins, L. (2004). Management and Organisational Behavior. London, Pitman Publishing.
Philips. (2010). Case Study: Rafayel Hotel. Philips Lighting. Web.
Rafayel Hotel. (2009). Hotels London Day Spa Best River Thames 5 Star Luxury Hotel Bars Conference Venue. Web.
Schubert, E.F. (2003). Light Emitting Diodes. New York, Cambridge University Press.
Trip Advisor. (2010). Rafayel on the Left Bank.Web.
Appendix
Rafayel Gallery
