To stay or not to stay: How to convince the very first guest of a resort property

Abstract

Hotel openings in resort destinations have several challenges to overcome and manage, such as: (i) the completion of the hotel project; (ii) preparation of hotel operations for the customer experience; (iii) pre-opening tasks and procedures to test the technical and functional performance of all the service units; and (iv) organization of site visits to marketing and sales partners. The conflicts between the hotel operation and project teams and the delays in openings due to planning defects or unexpected problems may prolong this period with multiple issues for managing executives to deal with. This case addresses the possible challenges of such a period and helps learners comprehend and analyse the situational aspects to seek the best possible solutions to overcome these challenges.