Sales & Marketing Services - Success Stories

HVS Assembles a Sales Action Plan for Stylish Downtown LA Hotel - 2003

Situation
Hotels AB owns and manages hip hotel destinations in Los Angeles including the Standard in Downtown LA and the Standard in West Hollywood. In downtown Los Angeles, this hotel successfully created a new weekend market for the area, but it remained slightly weaker than its comp set in corporate transient. Hotels AB asked HVS Sales & Marketing Services to assess the downtown market, identify key accounts and prospects and other demand generators to help build a Sunday through Thursday occupancy. Additionally, Hotels AB asked HVS to review the hotel's marketing plan as well as make suggestions for ideal sales and marketing staffing levels.

Approach
HVS Sales & Marketing Services embarked on this assignment by answering the question: What do we need to do to open a hotel in downtown Los Angeles? HVS visited the Downtown LA area to shop the competitive set and meet with industry decision makers in order to truly understand the customer who patronizes this neighborhood of LA. It was important to understand their demographics, needs and desired rates.

Results
HVS also identified cross marketing opportunities for the two Standard hotels, and addressed the issue of data base management. Suggestions were also made for cooperative marketing opportunities such as third party direct mail and internet presence. Finally, the sales and marketing assessment included commentary on the management of the sales effort with suggestions for staffing levels and structuring incentives for performance. We created a 6-12 month specific sales action plan directed at generating business from the corporate market. The plan was delivered to Hotels AB's Vice President of Operation to forward and implement at the property level.