Post Pandemic Hospitality Industry Strategy

Recovery for Branded Hotels

Q1. Based on the information provided on rebranding of the hotels in this article, please provide the SWOT Table (one from each category is enough)

Strengths: One of the great strengths of branded hotels is that they have a preexisting reputation for cleanliness and high-quality service that predated the pandemic.

Weaknesses: Branded hotels may have fewer local relationships with restaurants and locally-specific knowledge to generate interest in potential visitors.

Opportunities: Post-pandemic, more travelers may be looking to travel to comfortable locations and use brands they trust.

Threats: Branded hotels that once depended on loyalty from business travelers may now be threatened with the popularity of videoconferencing and staycations from once-loyal tourists.

Q2. How important is marketing/branding efforts for a hotel (compared to some other industries)? Do you think this importance has decreased or increased with the pandemic?

Marketing is essential for hotels, given the crowded marketplace. It is essential to stand out and to offer value, either financially or through specific amenities. Convincing people it is safe and pleasant to travel again, creating a trusted brand image with a distinct face and voice, and winning over people’s trust are all core aspects of marketing, particularly for branded hotels which can appear rather generic in the public’s imagination. Hotels must maintain a connection with travelers to present attractive, desirable images of traveling to increase motivation for using hotels. It is also a way to positively distinguish hotels from other options, such as renting residences.