Westward expansion and the Hilton hotel chain

Westward Hilton

The previous managers of the Westward Hilton modeled their belief statement after the credo of another hotel, the Ritz-Carlton. Unfortunately, that credo did not work well for the Westward Hilton, and was not a good fit. One company is not the same as another, even though they may provide the same basic services (Belch & Belch, 2006). The Ritz-Carlton has brand name recognition, for example, where the Westward Hilton did not have the popularity and reputation. Because of that, the Westward Hilton struggled to portray itself in the same way that the Ritz-Carlton portrays itself, and that portrayal fell flat. It was also believed by Green that the credo that was adopted by the Westward Hilton was unoriginal and that it lacked a sense of genuineness that would have been seen had the hotel come up with its own credo. Of course, at that time the hotel has been operating at a loss for nearly five years, and the management and employees were frustrated. They were no longer really interested in truly doing things right and providing the customer with a great experience. The management had assumed that "more stuff" meant that the customer would be happy and feel that the hotel was upscale, but the management was not taking the time to ask the customer if more amenities were what was really desired, or if personalized service would be a better choice.

When Green took over as General Manager of the Westward Hilton, he made some value changes. This was done in an effort to get the hotel back on track, and in the hope that it would bring customers around and cause them to see that the hotel management and staff actually did care about them and what they needed, instead of making assumptions as to what guests would want. The changes that Green made deeply affected the Westward Hilton in a couple of ways. First, customers were appreciative of the personalized, caring, and compassionate service that they received from the management and staff when they stayed at the hotel. Second, the management and staff began to see the long-term, larger picture of what they could offer to the hotel guests and how they could work as a team in a way that would make their work much more enjoyable but that would also ensure that they got the job done properly each and every time. It is not always necessary to overload a guest or customer of a company with "perks" and "freebies" in order to make that person feel welcome or appreciated (Allison & Kaye, 2005; Bradford & Duncan, 2000; Heuser, 2010). Instead, caring service from people who actually want to help is often much more desirable than "things" that they really do not need when they stay at a hotel. By taking over as General Manager and opening up the lines of communication between guests, staff, and management, it was easier for the people who operated the Westward Hilton to determine what guests really needed and what they wanted to experience when they chose to stay at that particular hotel property.

Before Green took over as General Manager, and before the Westward Hilton was purchased by Hiller, the hotel had been losing money for five years in a row. Naturally, that spells disaster for any company that is trying to make a profit and be successful in business. However, the management of the Westward Hilton had largely given up trying to change anything because they did not know which direction to take or what they could do differently in order to be more effective. They were afraid to make a bold move and go out of their way to do something that would catapult the hotel into the spotlight in a positive way. One of Green's biggest challenges was to determine what the hotel wanted to be. It could not sustain itself as a "knock-off" of the Ritz-Carlton, and it desperately needed to form its own identity that would be separate and distinct but that would still showcase quality - because the hotel was a quality property that could once again be a comfortable place to stay. The Westward Hilton became more in demand after Green took over as GM, and the data reflects that a new direction was taken when it comes to strategy. The capital improvement put into the hotel each year had been declining, but was raised again. However, there was more than capital at stake. Green also focused on raising the awareness of management and staff as it pertained to the customers the hotel served and wanted to serve in the future. As more customers realized they had a voice, and as more management and staff members realized the same, the strategic direction Green took with the Westward Hilton translated into happier customers, happier employees, and a better experience for all.