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Note that in this case study the location of the fictitious hotel is identified as Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the UK. As this is an actual place there is plenty of information available online for you to complete the exercises based on this location. However, if you wish, you can give the hotel another location anywhere in the world.

 The Hotel Pillowmint

The Hotel Pillowmint is a brand new hotel being developed in the City of Newcastle–upon–Tyne, close to the famous Tyne Bridge. It will open for business within six months. The hotel is owned privately by a consortium of local business people. The group has no other hotels in its portfolio, but it has extensive marketing experience and expertise and its other ventures are all members are market oriented.

The boutique hotel will have 30 luxurious rooms, half of them suites. In addition it will have a restaurant (with top class chef), bar, indoor swimming pool and health spa – all of which will all be open to non-residents. There are also conference facilities for up to 100 people. An underground car park offers free secure parking for guests. The Hotel Pillowmint will be classed as five star – its pricing policy will reflect this status.

Research suggests that the hotel will be used predominantly by business people Monday to Thursday, with Friday to Sunday seeing more ‘leisure’ visitors.

No formal marketing has been undertaken to date, though the extensive building work being completed has generated a fair amount of press coverage in the region. A new marketing manager and team will take up their posts three months before the projected opening date. That online bookings have been identified as being essential for the hotel is reflected in the fact that the recently employed marketing manager has extensive 'digital' experience and the team will include a dedicated digital marketer. The hotel's website will have its own online booking facility that is linked directly to the main booking software, so ensuring real–time inventory management.