When Staying in Arlington VA Many Choices Are Offered

Westin Arlington Gateway Situational Analysis of Westin Arlington Gateway The customers that patronize the Westin Arlington Gateway cannot be easily stereotyped or generalized, even though this is an expensive hotel. Typically the guests at the hotel include: a) the business traveler in his mid-fifties; b) the science instructor visiting the National Science Foundation nearby; c) the family visiting Washington D.C. (and the famous sites) with two children; and d) and the recent college graduate applying for an internship at the Smithsonian.

For the recent graduate, Arlington is ranked #1 for the Best Places for Recent Grads to Find Jobs, according to the Arlington Economic Development website. Arlington is also ranked #6 among the top 10 healthiest cities, and this appeals to the person or family that care about clean air, public transportation and efficient services.

As for the family with two children (who also have a gentle dog that the family idolizes) who came to the Westin hotel because the hotel's website offered a dog-friendly "oasis of calm," so this family took the hotel up on it. They brought their dog, and even though they forgot to ask the concierge about the "Heavenly Dog Bed" the marketing literature offered, there was a knock on their hotel room door and a housekeeping staffer brought the bed and a pair of bowls for the dogs.

Everything else seemed to be perfect except one showerhead leaked, and "the toilet screeched like a banshee when flushed" and they were situated in a room directly across from a loud construction site (Kyrstal, 2010). Customer Issues / Complaints Clearly not everyone that stays at the Westin Arlington Gateway is fully satisfied, nor are everyone's needs fulfilled. The "Guest Reviews" reveal problems and negative issues. On March 10, of this year a customer vowed never to come back. The room he was in smelled of stale cigarette smoke.

The handle on the shower came off in his hand. The hallways smelled of chlorine, and after notifying the front desk, "nothing was ever done." Another guest (March 12, 2016) also complained of cigarette smoke, in rooms and on the elevator.

After complaints, "The staff didn't seem to care and offered nothing in return for the inconvenience." A guest on March 6, 2016, said the "service was mediocre," the check in process was "slow" (a long line of guests waiting to check in were not assisted), and the water in the shower "was tepid rather than hot." On January 28, 2016, a guest claimed he was overcharged for his room (he found out when he got his credit card statement).

On January 13 a guest complained that the ice machine was not working, the room was noisy, and dirty clothes from another guest were found under the bed. Also, no utensils were delivered with the room service food. On January 12, there was no soap in the room and the restaurant and bar was "badly understaffed," a guest wrote. A lot of noise kept guests awake when pipes were knocking.

On August 3 another problem with the restaurant was raised; a party of 12 waited over an hour for their food and one meal that was supposed to be with shrimp had no shrimp. On June 18, 2015, a guest mentioned noisy pipes again. And the air conditioning did not cool off the room. (Guest Reviews). Company: There are approximately 200 Westin Hotels and Resorts, and the company overall has a good reputation.

The "Well-Being Movement" is a very positive marketing tool but judging from some of the complaints from customers Westin has some work to do to improve services. As to company ownership, a Chinese consortium is "challenging Marriott International's $12 billion takeover of Starwood Hotels, operator of upscale hotel brands including Westin" (Gara, 2016). That consortium is offering $76 a share for Starwood, but Marriott is due a $400 million breakup fee if Starwood accepts the Chinese offer (Gara, p. 6). Competition: A number of hotels are located in the Ballston region of Arlington.

The traveler has a wide choice in terms of price and location. The Econo Lodge Metro (for the budget traveler) is a few blocks from the Westin (from $135 a night; free parking; no pets). The Hilton Hotel Arlington & Towers starts at $218 a night, is about 6 blocks from the Westin, has 209 rooms, and is next to the Ballston Metro Station (no pets allowed). The Comfort Inn (from $225 a night) has 126 rooms (no pets; free parking) and is right on the busy Memorial Parkway leading into Washington, D.C.

(10 blocks from the Westin). The Holiday Inn at Ballston (from $299; no pets; parking $14 per night) offers 221 rooms and is the closest competitor to the Westin. And the Westin Arlington Gateway has 336 rooms (pet friendly; $26 per night for parking) and starts at $324 per night (HotelGuides.com). Collaborators: The Westin Arlington Gateway collaborates with vendors like the American Hotel Register -- they supply linens, paper products, towels, pens, paper, and other supplies -- and Keany Produce for fresh food used in the restaurants.

The Westin buys seafood from Metro Seafood, and the electronics used in the hotel (digital technologies in rooms, including WiFi and television) are provided by the corporate owner, Starwood. Context (Climate): The Westin Arlington Gateway is in a physical position close to Washington, D.C., so it will always be a place for visitors and businessmen to visit. Context / Politics: Moreover, since Washington D.C. is the political capitol of the United States, Arlington's hotels and business centers are often linked to political events in the nearby U.S. capitol.

Washington D.C. is a hotbed of struggles between conservatives and progressives and the polarization of the American society is manifest throughout the region. Context / Social: Part of visiting Washington D.C. -- whether for business or vacation -- involves taking part in social events, like dining, sight-seeing, attending conventions and participating in cocktail hours and important meetings. Context / Technology: Arlington is ranked #1 among best cities for Black Entrepreneurs and #1 on the list of best cities for Young Entrepreneurs (Arlington Economic Development).

It also ranks high with Highly Educated Millennials, and when you have educated people and entrepreneurs, technology is always part of what drives these groups. Context / Economics: The Arlington Economic Development group reports that "gross wages" for workers in Arlington is $1,545 per week; the unemployment rate is 2.5%; in 2015 there was a 6.4% growth in new listings; in 2015 the occupancy rate in Arlington hotels was 75.9%; and in 2015 there was a 1.1% increase in retail sales.

SWOT / TOWS Matrix Strengths Westin is a big hotel with a good name and is located near the nation's capitol. It offers many services and has access to museums, many restaurants and entertainment It is very close to public transportation (Metro) Weaknesses Guests complain of poor service when there are problems. Check-in is often sluggish.

The restaurant does not always satisfy customers Finding local / interesting tourist-related venues is not always easy Opportunities The Westin is located in a great spot and has a reputation for opening doors to nonprofit community groups. It could enhance its image. It could provide a daily board of activities currently available in Washington, D.C.

-- and which Metro train to take to get there SO Strategies The "Westin Well-Being" campaign is smart, if the hotel can truly live up to the hype; The Westin name needs to be more fully utilized in marketing campaigns WO Strategies Instead of just expecting visitors to the nation's capitol to be guests, Westin could reach out to middle class families by offering special rates for weekday stays for families Threats Another terrorist attack could hurt the Westin; another recession could also hurt the Westin.

ST Strategies Becoming more involved in the local nonprofit community could produce an image of corporate social caring WT Strategies A new marketing campaign could be launched featuring half-price admission to Washington D.C.'s most popular venues (the Smithsonian, for example). Porter's Five Forces Threat of Substitutes: The nearby hotels mentioned under "competition" could undercut Westin by lowering their room prices and offering more services for families and business guests. Moreover, because there is a Metro Station nearby, a group of homeless people are drawn to the station.

But some homeless people come inside the Westin lobby to get warm, and some sleep in the lobby and around the hotel presenting an ugly scene. Also the neighboring bars are a problem because drunken behaviors often occur and create a poor image for the Westin.

Threat of New Entrants: If Starwood sells its hotels or merges with a big Chinese corporation, the new company must pay close attention to its competition, because newer and perhaps less expensive hotels (with greater customer service) could come into the Arlington area and steal the spotlight (and customers) from Westin. Intensity of Competitive Rivalry: The competition is very stiff in Arlington due to the nation's capitol being right next door.

Every hospitality company wants to assure that its rooms are sold as many nights as possible, so Westin can be smart, look ahead, and plan to have a better plan than any new rival coming into the market. Bargaining Power of Customers: It is easy to see that customers / guests have so many other choices when it comes to lodging in the Arlington area, they can use that as leverage and try to get better rates from the Westin.

Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Most suppliers would like to raise the price of their services and goods from time to time, as their costs go up; but the Westin and other hotels have many choices among supplies in this vast urban Washington D.C. / Virginia region, so the suppliers have to walk a fine line before trying to raise their prices.

Identification of Alternatives When it comes to a better system for the handling of lost and found for Westin -- a subject that has not received adequate attention from management -- there are better strategies for returning lost items to customers. Doug Kennedy writes in the publication 4hoteliers.com that he often leaves items in hotels but rarely gets satisfaction when trying to retrieve the items.

Kennedy suggests hotels: a) train housekeepers to "differentiate between trash and treasures"; b) call or email when they find the item; c) express "empathy" when callers say they left an item; d) promise to search for the item; e) call the guest even if the item isn't found; and f) "promptly return found items"; mail it the cheap way and don't charge (Kennedy, 2007, 4hoteliers.com).

The hotel could place a well-edited reminder on the back of the door of each room suggesting people take one additional close look around for belongings. Suggest guests keep valuables in the safe at the registration desk. Strategic Recommendations Two strategies come to mind immediately when it comes to helping hotels handle lost and found items more effectively. Number One: Employees of a hotel must be trained to bring any items to lost and found, and record those items in a register.

There must be a safe room identified as the place for all lost items. Items should be put in a plastic bag noting the serial number that was logged into the register, along with the "place found, date, the name of the person who found the item" (setupmyhotel.com). Valuables (laptops, jewelry, iPads, etc.) must be stored in a locked locker or safe. Email or call the guest to notify the guest that the item was found.

Never transfer a guest that is calling about a lost item to a voicemail; that is rude, and unacceptable.

A staff person on board must be designated to take those calls Number Two: A very good system for hotels to institute is called "Chargerback.com." This is a free service; it generates "update emails to both your staff and the guest"; it makes pre-paid shipping labels to return item to guest; it becomes easy for guests to "self-report lost items"; and staff can match those reports from guests to items turned in (chargerback.com).

How I Evaluate Strategies and my Tactics I am solidly convinced that both strategies on this page can be workable, but I especially stand behind chargerback.com. About 60,000 phones are lost annually and 46,000 items are left in hotels annually. Sadly, only about 10% of lost items in hotels are actually returned to guests. I evaluate a hotel on how well it serves customers, and since so many items are left in hotels each year, a dependable system like chargerback.com is essential.

Overview of Westin Arlington Gateway The company being researched is the Westin Arlington Gateway, located at 801 North Glebe Road in Arlington, Virginia.

The Westin Arlington Gateway is one of more than 200 hotels and resorts located worldwide owned by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, and the company boasts in its corporate website that "everything we do is designed to help you feel your best." In fact, in 2016 the company has launched the "Westin Well-Being Movement," a smart marketing strategy for guests weary from the stress of traveling in a world where social and political conflicts are very real.

The well-being movement pitches this to travelers that they will "Sleep Well, Eat Well, Move Well, Feel Well, Work Well, and Play Well" (Westin). The Westin Arlington Gateway is just a few minutes from Washington, D.C., and access to the nation's capitol is available by train at the Ballston Metro Station (just a short walk from the hotel). Also nearby are the Arlington National Cemetery, the Artisphere, East Potomac Park and the Kettler Capitals Iceplex where the NHL Washington Capitals play hockey.

An important fact about the Westin Arlington Gateway is that it is not only close to the nation's capitol, but this upscale facility is in the midst of the epicenter of Arlington; the Ballston area is exploding with companies that conduct research, with high-rise buildings offering office space for thousands of small and medium size businesses. There are green spaces and pedestrian-friendly walkways and neighborhoods surrounding the hotel.

For the business guest, the Westin Arlington Gateway has 10,000 square feet of meeting space, 17 meeting rooms, a flexible 7,000 square foot ballroom, audiovisual services and a 24-hour business center. The hotel offers an indoor pool and whirlpool, in-room spa treatments, a "Westin Kids Club" and a workout / fitness center. Pets are welcome and there is complimentary WiFi but only for SPG Members. The parking is valet only and is $29 per night.

The hotel also features easily accessible outlets on the desk of each room, which allows the guest to power digital devices; the hotel also has a "beta-testing technology check-in option" and offers "Tangent," which is a high-tech meeting room designed for " .. quick, last-minute meeting" that can be rented by the hour (prweb.com). The business guest and the guest on vacation -- and others staying at the Westin Arlington Gateway -- have the option of getting out of their rooms and enjoying "The variety and diversity of local activity choices ..

giving them much to do after a long day" in meetings or other activities (prweb.com). For guests that enjoy coffee drinks, the hotel recently underwent a multimillion dollar renovation, which provided an upgrade for the lobby, guest rooms and included a Starbucks Cafe located adjacent to the lobby. The Starbucks features over-sized comfortable chairs with "cluster seating" for chats and family moments (prweb.com). As an important part of the new upgrade the Westin Arlington Gateway features the Pinzimini Restaurant & Lounge, that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Particulars and Positives for the Westin Arlington Gateway hotel The Westin Arlington Gateway turned ten years old on March 20, 2016, according to www.prweb.com. While it carries the name Westin, and is part of the family of Westin hotels and resorts, this facility is actually managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, which operates a hundred hotels in North America, including 15 in the Washington, D.C. area (prweb.com).

When the Westin Arlington Gateway opened ten years ago it gave a pleasant shock to some of the first attendees to the opening ceremony. The smell of white tea was everywhere in the air, because "hidden vaporizers" were producing the pleasant aroma. Several dozen business people and politicians were there, and two women appeared from behind a stage " .. and covered themselves in two white drapes hanging from the ceiling ..

the music came on and the women climbed the drapes and performed several soothing -- yet daunting -- acrobatic feats" (washingtonpost.com). When their acrobatics were finished, the women held up a long, light-green fabric and a few men in tuxedoes brought scissors," cut the ribbon, and the opening was official. In fact the hotel was supposed to be built in 2001, not 2015, but when the hijacked jetliners smashed into the World Trade Center, the travel industry "collapsed" and the "project hit the shelves" (washingtonpost.com).

The past ten years since its launch as a luxury hotel have seen the facility open its doors and pitch in to become involved in a number of community and charitable organizations. For example, the Westin Arlington Gateway has sponsored the "Toys for Tots" program for underserved children at Christmas time. Hotel manager Michael Broadhurst said that "Being in the service industry, it is our nature to give back to our community, especially when we can make an impact in our neighborhood" (prweb.com).

Another special event that the Westin Arlington Gateway helped sponsor on its premises was the "Brides.