Reference no: EM134034985 , Length: Word Count:2000

Contemporary Accommodation Management

Assessment - Research Report

Overview of this Assignment

For this individual report, students are required to critically analyse the customer experience of a luxury resort with reference to how industry KPI data influences resort management. The lecturer/tutor will assign the luxury resort to individual students. Students must write 2000 words (plus/minus 10%) report for this assessment. Students seeking additional assignment help should ensure their work remains supported by appropriate academic research and institutional requirements.

Purpose of this Assignment

The purpose of this Individual Case Study Analysis Report is to develop students' ability to critically analyse key accommodation management problems and propose integrated, research-based solutions. Students will evaluate how marketing management, revenue management, and front office management work together to improve guest demand, profitability, and the overall guest experience.

Recommendations must be justified using relevant academic concepts and literature, enhancing students' analytical, problem-solving, and professional report-writing skills for managerial roles in hospitality management.

Demonstrate Achievement of these Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcome 1: Identify hotel and resort relevant regulatory bodies, their accreditation guidelines and star ratings as they are applied in varied environments;

Learning Outcome 2: Critically analyse a range of industry KPI data to determine how these influence management functions and decision-making;

Task Description:

Individual Assessment: Problem-Based Research Report

Focus Area:

Marketing Management
Revenue Management
Front Office Management

The assessment requires students to critically analyse accommodation management problems and propose an integrated accommodation management solution. Students must demonstrate how marketing management, revenue management, and front office management work together to improve the guest demand, profitability, and guest experience. Students must choose one from the three available case studies. And then, individually, students must develop a research-based report supported by academic concepts and literature. Students will receive 0 (zero) marks if they choose outside the case studies.

Before writing the individual research report, the students must identify and critically analyse the core problems faced by the accommodation business. And then, students are required to propose integrated solutions addressing marketing management, revenue management, and front office management. Furthermore, it is expected that the students justify all recommendations using relevant concepts taught in class with academic sources. Students may strengthen the marketing section by referring to marketing research concepts where appropriate. Report format must also be adhered to.

Case Studies (Choose One)

Case Study 1: The Remington Orange

The Remington Orange is an upscale regional hotel with 82 rooms located in Orange, NSW. Its current target markets include business travellers, visitors to the nearby health precinct and leisure travellers visiting Orange's wineries, restaurants and regional attractions. The hotel performs well during major events, wine festivals and peak weekend periods; however, for this case study, it experiences a significant decline in occupancy, falling below 50% during quieter off-peak weekdays. The hotel also relies heavily on Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) to attract leisure travellers, resulting in high commission expenses and limited direct relationships with guests. Guest reviews are mixed. On the positive side, guests frequently describe the rooms as spacious, clean, modern and comfortable. On the negative side, some guests consider the hotel's location inconvenient because it is outside the centre of Orange, while others believe that the restaurant prices are relatively high. Several problems have therefore been identified: seasonal fluctuations in demand, overdependence on OTAs, limited differentiation from other modern regional hotels, insufficient packaging with local tourism operators and concerns regarding the value offered by the hotel's food and beverage services.

Case Study 2: Pacific Bay Resort Coffs Harbour

Pacific Bay Resort is a four-star coastal resort located in Coffs Harbour, NSW. It targets families, couples, leisure travellers and conference guests. Its marketing successfully attracts first-time visitors by promoting its beachfront location, pools, gardens and recreational facilities.

However, guest reviews mention difficulty locating rooms, inconsistent room quality and limited pre-arrival information about parking and resort facilities. These concerns may reduce guest satisfaction and repeat bookings. Four key issues have been identified: low repeat visitation, weak pre-arrival communication, a mismatch between marketing promises and the actual guest experience, and inconsistent accommodation and service quality.

Case Study 3: The Lucky Hotel Newcastle

The Lucky Hotel is a boutique pub-style hotel with approximately 30 rooms located in Newcastle, NSW. Its primary target markets include young professionals, couples, business travellers and leisure visitors seeking centrally located accommodation. The hotel's marketing campaigns appear successful in attracting first-time guests, particularly during weekends, major events and peak tourism periods. However, online reviews repeatedly mention noise from the downstairs pub and surrounding entertainment areas. Other comments highlight inconsistent service quality, limited communication before arrival and delays during the check-in process. These concerns may reduce guest satisfaction and contribute to a low number of repeat bookings. Four key issues have been identified: a loss of long-term customer value due to limited repeat visitation, weak post-booking and pre-arrival guest engagement, a mismatch between the hotel's marketing promises and the actual guest experience, and inefficient front office operations. Concepts related to customer relationship management may also be relevant when evaluating repeat visitation and guest engagement strategies.

To complete this assessment, students are required to include:

SCI Cover Page
Report title
Student name & ID
Course code & name
Lecturer/tutor's name
Submission date

Introduction (200-300 words)
Objectives of the report
Briefly introduce the case study, including the hotel, positioning and the target market for the hotel.
Students should use real data from sources such as the hotel's official website, Google Reviews, or other customer review platforms, including ratings and feedback.

Identification of the Problems (350-400 words)
In-depth discussion of the key operational and managerial issues based on the evidence from the case.
Students can use real data from sources such as the hotel's official website, Google Reviews, or other customer review platforms, including ratings and feedback.

Management Strategies

Marketing Management Proposal (350-400 words)
Proposed marketing mix strategies
Proposed distribution channels (e.g., direct bookings vs travel agents)

Revenue Management Proposal (350-400 words)
Targeted revenue KPIs (ADR, occupancy, RevPar)
Current demand patterns and pricing strategies (e.g., dynamic pricing, seasonal pricing, and value-based pricing)
Proposed yield management and upselling strategies

4.3 Front Office Management Proposal (350-400 words)
Proposed guest experience (students may propose service design here)
Proposed communication before, during, and after the stay
Proposed strategies to handle guest complaints and feedback

Conclusion (200-300 words)
Summarise key findings.
Provide recommendations for improving customer experience based on KPI analysis.

7. References (Not included in word count)
References are mainly important when proposing strategies in Section 4.

Word Count

Length: 2000 words (excluding the reference list) (± 10%)
A 10% penalty will be applied for assignments exceeding or falling below the recommended word limit.

Citation and Referencing (APA 7)

The assignment should show evidence of research, with references from relevant academic journals. You should have at least SIX (6) different academic articles and use them as the foundation for each part of your report. Do not use Wikipedia as a reference source.