Sales & Marketing Services - Success Stories

HVS Prepares A Pre-Opening Sales Strategy for Times Square Boutique Hotel - 2004

Situation
Hotels AB returned to the services of HVS Sales & Marketing Services to provide a thorough and comprehensive pre-opening sales action plan for its brand new stylish limited service hotel, the Hotel QT. Located in the heart of Times Square, the hotel's competitors were established brands and this hotel also offered unique room types and a very "hip" lobby and bar. Hotels AB needed a turnkey sales action plan because it also wanted to wait to hire a director of sales, and this way, the DOS had a plan to implement right away.

Approach
HVS conducted a thorough study of the competition, the prospective clients, the mix of leisure and business travelers to the area, the neighborhood's price points, feeder market cities, and amenities that the hotel should offer. We also wanted to identify potential cross marketing opportunities with the Hotels AB properties around the country.

Results
HVS Sales & Marketing Services shopped the competitive set and met with NYC-based companies within a mile of the hotel to identify key accounts and prospects. A very specific sales action calendar and plan was delivered to Hotels AB even indicating accounts to call upon, with suggested rate ranges. In addition to Hotels AB's own strong public relations effort, this plan enabled Hotels AB to open the hotel with its DOS on board only 3 months prior to opening. Within its first year, the hotel attained their revenue goals, and they are still operating extremely successfully today.