How Como Hotels And Resorts Differ Tourism Essay

What makes COMO hotels and fall back different from other hotels and resorts? How COMO hotels and resorts uses the alteration in engineering to increase its fight in the cordial reception industry? This study is designed to give in deepness reply to this inquiry.

An Asiatic lady-Mrs Ong, the proprietor of the COMO group, dedicated and funny concern adult female who traveled a batch around the universe was non truly satisfied with the London ‘s most popular hotels. By 1991 Mrs Ong had already had good established manner concern because of which she traveled rather frequently to London. In 1991, in one of her visits to London she discovers that a edifice in Central London with perfect location is on sale. Immediately she decides to purchase this edifice and turns into antic hotel and this Halkin Hotel accordingly becomes an entree for the COMO hotels and Resorts ( Group Handbook, 2009 ) . Therefore get downing her concern to fulfill her outlooks on her visits to London she builds a new concern which fulfils the demands of higher outlooks.

Harmonizing to COMO statistics of 2010 COMO hotels and resorts consists of three hotels ( and 18 aprtments in Metropolitan Hotel ) , two resorts, two Uma and one shambala estate. Two of the hotels are located in London and one in Bangkok. Parrot Cay ( Turks & A ; Caicos ) and Coco Irelands ( The Maldives ) are really alone resorts of COMO. But the chief discriminator of COMO from any other hotels and resorts is its Umas ( Uma Ubud ( Bali ) and Uma Paro ( Bhutan ) ) and COMO Shambala Estate at Bagawan Giri ( Bali ) ( Market portion statistics 2010 ) . With its distinguishing concern attack COMO hotel & A ; resorts has been able to accomplish singularity among its rivals over the past few old ages.

Three hotels which are located in busy metropoliss are developed to pull guest who travel to large metropoliss for concerns. Because of this Gross saless and Marketing section of COMO hotels and resorts is located in London and analogous office in Bangkok. These three five star hotels which are located in Hart of the busy metropoliss is the manner how COMO attracts its clients. The chief scheme of COMO is to construct Resorts in the most rural, wild and unusual topographic points of the universe ( COMO hotels and resorts, 2010 ) .

Focused distinction schemes in Hotel industry seeks to supply high perceived service benefits warranting a significant monetary value premium merchandise and are normally to a great extent branded and offer benefits different from those of its rivals and that are widely valued by purchasers ( Gerry et al, 2006 ) . Implying this fact, because of its alone scheme and attack to its clients COMO can be named as a discriminator in Hotel and resort industry.

Each COMO hotel and resort is really different, but it is non hard to place the most common facet. As an proprietor of the group Mrs Ong pays a immense attending to the well being and wellness, every bit good as manner. For case in Vital statistics of COMO hotels and resorts ( 2010 ) , Shambhala described as a wellness construct that has been built as centres of wellbeing at all estates. These include COMO ‘s metropolis hotel watering place, known as COMO Shambhala Urban Escapes, every bit good as COMO Shambhala Retreats at the company ‘s private islands and Uma resorts. Shambhala Yoga Centre in Singapore trains yoga instructors and healers in order to make personalized, holistic solutions for the specific demands of different invitees. It is a advisory instead than normative attack, leting advisers to react to clients on a one-by-one, daily footing. They demonstrate the best of ancient Asiatic traditions and, where it is appropriate, older techniques are combined with Western sweetenings. Bodywork is besides another indispensable component of the COMO Shambhala experience. At all belongingss, yoga installations are available. In add-on, COMO Shambhala maintains ongoing relationships with cardinal wellness professionals, including dieticians. COMO Shambhala culinary art, available at about all belongingss, focal points on stimulating and organic merchandises. The difference of these merchandises is the accent paid on natural ingredients ( more easy digested every bit good as richer in vitamins and sea minerals ) is combined with old Asiatic influences. COMO Shambhala besides generates a scope of tegument and organic structure attention merchandises, which is made from all-natural ingredients ( available in-room at every belongings ) , together with an Active Life vesture aggregation ( COMO hotels and resorts Vital statistics, 2010 ) .

COMO Hotels and Resorts is developed by a alone Asiatic spirit: a peaceable committedness to serving clients in order to guarantee their interruption with pleasance. In contrary to many hotels COMO tries non to do a hotel like their place, alternatively it strives to convey the civilization, along with all the facets of the state to do certain that invitees will retrieve the Lodge as unforgettable. This facet, passion and dependability makes each stay sole by specifying non merely the service norms but the Hart of each belongings. All of this described by the kernel of the finish which can be found in nutrient, architecture, and the manner COMO helps invitees to research and see the rubber-necking ‘s of the topographic point. Because of these facts whether it ‘s a private island in the ocean or a hotel at the bosom of UK, COMO Hotels and Resorts -A an award winning, a private company -A knows how to do memories of the invitees last everlastingly ( COMO hotels and resorts, 2010 ) .

Internal and External analysis

Chart 1:

Beginning: Gerry J, Kevan S, Richard W, “ Researching Corporate Strategy ” , texts and instances, ( 2006 ) , pp. 64.

The Chart 1 gives a clear position of models for understanding the environment of COMO hotels and resorts with the purpose of helping to place the cardinal issues and ways of get the better ofing the rivals and complications. There are a batch of factors which influence COMO hotels and resorts, but chiefly for the right premises and good analysis it is necessary to analyse those facets by spliting them into internal and external factors. External- in other words environmental and competitory analysis-aim to place chances and menaces which affects the company. On the other manus internal analyses seek to place strengths and weaknesses a COMO is confronting in current competitory and disputing concern environment.

Environmental ( PESTEL ) Analysis.

COMO Hotels and Resorts is viing in the cordial reception industry, which has been effected tremendously by the impact of war, terrorist act onslaughts, political instability and visa ordinances every bit good as economic crisis like 2009th recognition crunch. It is besides affected by technological inventions and globalisation every bit good as environment.

By utilizing PESTEL model COMO Hotels and Resorts can categorise environmental influences into six chief signifiers: political, economical, societal, technological, environmental and legal. PESTEL provides a comprehensive list of influences on the possible success or failure of the scheme of COMO Hotels and resorts. Many of these factors are linked together which is why it is important to place the key drivers for alteration. And these cardinal drivers for alteration are the high-impact factors likely to impact significantly the success or failure of scheme ( Gerry et al, 2006 ) .

COMO Hotels and Resorts attack considers the impact on the economic systems, civilizations, environment and communities of each finish in which it operates. Promise to sustainability is embedded in the cardinal COMO committedness to passion, creativeness and manner. Making unforgettable journey experiences for invitees go together with honoring employees to maximise their prospective, targeted stewardship and lending to the local economic system ( COMO hotels and resorts, 2010 ) .

Political/Legal Factors

As a Global Industry COMO is enormously affected by political factors of the state where it operates. It is comprehendible that visa ordinances consequence dramatically on COMO ‘s gross revenues. For illustration it is more hard to obtain visa to Bali which makes Uma less attractive for its invitees. Nowadays people do non truly desire to make full excess paperwork and delay for consequences. All the Resorts and Umas every bit good as estate is located either in higher mountains or in islands which narrows its client cleavage to a luxury vacation and leisure seeking invitees. For illustration to go Coco Irelands where one of the celebrated resorts is located a invitee will necessitate to experience excess paperwork proposed by the authoritiess which affects the guest determination to see the resort. As COMO operates in different states it is really of import to put into the governmentally stable state. Another ground for that is the cost of closing of the concern ; this is due to dearly-won assets. Tax is another facet of consideration for any planetary company. Harmonizing to the experiences of some invitees, some ailment that they were charged higher revenue enhancement on their 3rd visit to Uma Ubud, but this is due to the governmental revenue enhancement policies which does non needfully impact COMO but discourages the trust of the clients ( Trip Advisor, 2009 ) .

Economic

Last twelvemonth has been particularly hard for the touristry, cordial reception and travel industry. War in Iraq, the rise of oil monetary values, the eruption of different grippe viruses because of which going was limited or unsafe to some finishs has had a annihilating consequence on the planetary cordial reception industry. Those factors combined with the domestic state of affairs in the UK, such as recognition crunch, a decline in consumer disbursement, the weak occupation and closing of many concerns made the last twelvemonth really disputing for concerns.

As the economic downswing is somewhat picking up, the cordial reception and travel industry additions from increased concern travels. And outlooks for a more favourable cordial reception and travel industries are in sight and are proclaimed by assorted beginnings for the 2010.

Harmonizing to the Net income and Loss statement of COMO Hotels and Resorts for 2009 RevPAR has by and large declined for 2.3 % but predicted Net income and Loss statement for 2010 looks much healthier than last twelvemonth with 1,2 % addition in RevPAR.

Merrill Lynch analysts ( 10/30/2009 ) believe that the hotel industry has hit the lowest figures of present lodging rhythm and is disillusioned for a immense recoil due to increasing demand, as a consequence of a strengthen economic system, together with really low supply growing over the following a few old ages. These consequences accordingly should interpret into strong RevPAR. And followed by the betterment of RevPAR, RC ( return on capital ) , ROCE and overall hotel rating is frequently followed.

Harmonizing to the Ghassan Aidi, President of International Hotels & A ; Restaurant Association, notes on U.N. World Tourism Organization Resilience Committee meeting in Berlin on September 2008, about in parallel with stock market convulsion, tenancy at luxury hotels start to travel down 6 % so 14 % in October. Furthermore he mentioned RevPAR in 2009 fell by 17 % for luxury market while as it was mentioned above COMO Hotels and Resorts was able to maintain its concern in -2.3 % .

Furthermore Mr Ghassan Aidi ( 2009 ) concludes his address mentioning that in general 2009 and early portion of 2010 will be disputing for hotel industry, but he besides believes that cordial reception industry as a whole needs to go positive and explore limitless chances. “ Please retrieve that our industry is the largest employer in the history and employ more than 950 million of workers and we are the last barrier and the major combatant against planetary poorness ” says Mr Ghassan Aidi on his study.

Social and Environmental

COMO has been puting and paying immense attending to the environmental factors such as planetary heating, poorness and favoritism.

For illustration COMO foundation is specially designed plan to back up non-profit-making organisations that tries to better lives of adult females and misss. Without any geographical restrictions to the foundation portfolio COMO was able to allow undertakings such as health care, accomplishment development and instruction ( COMO hotels and resorts, 2010 ) .

COMO has implemented different recycling undertakings in its hotels and resorts. Metropolitan Hotel in London was awarded as the best environmental caring hotel of 2009 ( Employee enchiridion, 2010 ) .

Technological Factors

To obtain bigger market portion and to increase client satisfaction, hotels and resorts are continuously seeking to offer hi-tech engineering. In the past few old ages have shown immense effects on telephone grosss and an increased demand for high velocity Internet entree throughout hotels and resorts ( Phillip et.al, 20/11/2003 ) .

The overall alteration in client engagement forms was affected by the manner clients are seeking, reexamining and taking hotels and resorts. Travel agents such as Travelodge have increased their big market portion and are go oning to alter the current position of the market. It is non hard to detect how travel agents who offer vocational bundles which include adjustment, airfare and transit are turning over the past few old ages, but at the same clip this affected negatively on grosss in the cordial reception. Furthermore Internet reexamine web-sites such as mutualist hotel reappraisal web pages like www.cntraveller.com has impacted on client ‘s pick and determinations. Online engagement is quickly increasing because of the clients behavioural alterations.

Furthermore economical alterations persuaded Hotels and Resorts to implement cost cutting techniques. On the 2nd portion of this study technological alterations which are set uping COMO hotels and resorts will be discussed more briefly.

SWOT analysis

The cardinal ‘strategic messages ‘ from concern environment and strategic capableness can be summarized in the signifier of SWOT analysis. Harmonizing to Mintzberg ( 1998, p.406 ) SWOT analysis summarizes the cardinal issues from the concern environment and the strategic capableness of an organisation that are most likely to impact on scheme development. The purpose of these analyses is to place the extent to which the current strengths and failings are applicable to, and capable of, at the same time covering with the menaces and capitalising on the chances in the cordial reception industry. COMO concern construction and development as SWOT analysis of import strengths and failings within the industry and illustrates valuable chances and threats the hotel is confronting presently:

StrengthsA

COMO has derive a good repute from its bing clients

There is changeless upgrading of COMO direction

Perfect and alone hotel locations

Distinguishing installations

Great hotel service and high client value

Cultural staff/personnel dealingss with invitees

Very popular eating houses located in each hotels and resorts

COMO shambala wellness interventions

Small concatenation which means better and easier direction

COMO Foundation

A

Failings

Lack of net income maximization from other beginnings like for illustration, conferences and marrying locales grosss

Low employment operating expense gross

Lack of distinction of response from other hotels

Troubles to make mark clients

Tough visa ordinances in some locations of the resorts

Lack of ego owned on-line gross revenues channels

A Opportunities

A The presence of adequate basic installations to better quality

Technological invention

A Refresh of hotel operators

A The addition in gross revenues due to client trueness

A The ability to be efficient as cognition curve is altering

A Customer Growth

Enhancement of Brand Name

A

Menaces

Presence of better market placement by hotel challengers

Constantly raising and tough competition because all the Hotels are located in large metropoliss

Economic lag that may blockade hotel development

Execution of newer engineering tools by other hotels

Unsuitable environment for maintaining loyal clients

Change in Technology

Changes happen all over the universe, every individual minute there is something invented or improved and this lead to the fact that nowadays life can non be imagined without engineering. Some companies use engineering in some portion of the production process, while others consist whole from engineering and enormously depend on it. One of the hugely dependent on engineering and alterations within technological industry is hospitality industry. Get downing from making and doing reserves for invitees, all the manner till doing the clients loyal requires engineering. The undermentioned paragraphs of this study highlight most of import inventions and installings of engineering in the COMO hotels and resorts.

Technological influences on policies and determination devising

Get downing from 1980s, scheme direction bookmans began to acknowledge engineering as an of import component of concern definition and competitory scheme. ( Robert Burgelman, 2004 ) . For illustration Porter observes that engineering is among the most outstanding factors that determine the regulations of competition. But harmonizing to one normative school of scheme is that general directors need non hold backgrounds in scientific discipline or IT, but they do need to put important attempt in larning to understand the engineerings of import to their concern. But the most of import fact for CEOs in todays invariably altering technological universe is their ability to border the cardinal strategic inquiries in relation to engineering ( Robert Burgelman, 2004 ) . The nexus between generic competitory schemes and technological schemes is described in inside informations below in Chart 1.

Chart 1

Technological Policies and Generic Competitive Strategy

Generic Strategy

Product technological alteration

Overall cost leading

Overall

distinction

Focus section

Cost leading

Focus section

distinction

Technological Policies

COMO ‘s new merchandise offer to cut down product/service cost by take downing stuffs content.

COMO ‘s merchandise development to heighten merchandise quality

COMO ‘s merchandise development to plan adequate public presentation for the section ‘s demands

COMO ‘s new merchandise offer to run into precisely the demands of the peculiar concern section application.

Process technological

alteration

COMO ‘s procedure development to heighten economic systems of graduated table

COMO ‘s procedure development to back up greater quality control, faster response

COMO ‘s procedure development to tune production to section demands in order to lower cost

COMO ‘s procedure development to tune the production to section demands in order to better public presentation.

Beginning: Burgelman R. , Christensen C. , Wheelwright S. , 2004, “ Strategic direction of engineering and invention ”

Bing planetary means a batch of communicating and speedy respond to the alterations. Having belongingss in different parts of the universe is really hard to pull off without standardised belongings runing systems. The finance section in all of the belongingss of COMO uses the same system which in its bend enables head office to better command the finance of the company. All COMO hotels and resort ‘s bank minutess transcending 10.000 lbs are being processed by caput office in UK. Due to engineering this process is reached high results, as a consequence of the handiness of the cyberspace any resorts or Umas at any clip can scan the transcript of the bill and send to the caput office. After this caput office analyses the bill and processes payment to the donee on behalf of the resort or hotel.

Effectiveness of COMO ‘s response to alter in engineering

COMO is invariably endeavoring to be the first of new technological progresss in the industry. Harmonizing to Mr Orchard-regional general manager-a company ‘s strength and competitory advantage is its ability to invariably update and maintain up with engineering. Mr orchared says: “ We were able to distinguish ourselves because of our passion, creativeness and manner. But the key behind this theory is our ability to be foremost in presenting new technological alterations to our invitees ” .

COMO hotels and resorts have implemented different technological progresss and those are being explored to increase its installations within the Lodge. For illustration, Metropolitan was the first hotel in London who offered free radio cyberspace within the hotel. Furthermore it is the first hotel in London who installed 42 ” and 32 ” level screen Television in all its sleeping rooms. Besides it offers vary merchandises such as iPod docking station, electronic do non upset button in all its sleeping rooms. Due to alter in engineering COMO is able to offers more services to its clients than of all time before, for illustration:

IT Butler

Limousines

Foreign exchange

Business Centre with high velocity broadband cyberspace service

Secretarial service

Laundry, dry cleansing and pressure services

Express check-out

Mobile phone lease

Flat screen Television with 67 channels

Extensive on demand music nickelodeon and film choice

WiFi and high velocity cyberspace entree

iPod docking station ( in Studios and Suites )

Cadmium and DVD participant

Double line, direct dial telephone with voice mail

Air conditioning

Electronic ‘do non upset ‘ mark

Private facsimile machine with designated figure

UK and US modem points

Video recording equipments, nomadic phones and pressmans ( on petition )

Sony widescreen Television

Wall mounted plasma screen

DVD participant

Hairdryer

Iron and pressing board

Mini saloon

In recent old ages the emerging of the cyberspace as a new channel of distribution has presented some challenges to the housing industry. In respond to this COMO partnered with e-commerce company which enabled better on-line reserve systems. With the installing of these new systems COMO was able to offer international clients use the local linguistic communication to do a reserve.

Of class cyberspace is a great tool to make clients globally but purpose of the COMO is to orient that distribution method to accommodate to each invitee. And this late developed e-commerce has and will further enable COMO to cut down the distribution costs, while advancing the trade name name around the universe. The chief aim behind this is to do COMO ‘s web site and on-line gross revenues channels to make more clients and to advance the trade name name ( Employee enchiridion, 2009 ) .

Areas for betterment as a response to the alteration in engineering

COMO is invariably looking and look intoing for new technological betterments and promotions to fulfill the demands of its invitees. But as it can be seen in any concern because of the rapid alteration in engineering it is excessively hard to maintain up with alterations in engineering all the clip. There is ever a spread or ignored portion of the concern which can be improved to turn failings and menaces in chances and strengths.

For illustration to better the distribution and increase client trueness COMO uses on-line gross revenues channels. But in order to better compete, to hold a better and stronger trade name COMO needs to hold its ain on-line gross revenues channels.

COMO Hotels and Resorts needs to see all its clients to acquire the best value by accessing the different distribution channels available.

As an advertizer of COMO hotels and resorts it co-operates with Design Hotels Inc, this sort of companies advertise 100s hotels and resorts. As some of its rivals are already cognizant and became in front COMO by planing their ain advertisement web browser, COMO needs to maintain up with this every bit good.

Biometric clock in and time out system allowed organisations to automatize paysheet processing, extinguish unauthorised overtime and accurately studies employee time/ attending to HR. Right now COMO is implementing a clip card which needs to be swiped to enter the attending. But biometric attending recording equipment can assist to extinguish early clout Immigration and Naturalization Services and hours of paysheet computation. It helps and eliminates the attempt and clip required by the HR to supervise the time-clock activity and reduces the manual engagement of paysheet accordingly taking to a cost nest eggs and improved productiveness.

COMO hotels and resorts is really narrowly targeted to a really rich invitees, but is non COMO distancing itself from other invitee demographics? The attempt to maintain up with altering engineering is working, but can COMO remain in line with farther alterations of engineering and competition?

Decision

COMO hotels and resorts seems to be really good positioned and has made important accomplishments and was able to use really rapidly by incorporating of its trade name name by carry throughing its strategic tendency in such disruptive economic state of affairs. Its civilization, trade name and planetary scheme are the cardinal portion of their success. While there are still immense chances, such as technological invention, reinvigoration of hotel operators, the addition in gross revenues due to client trueness, client growing and sweetening of trade name name these chances are besides accessible over the period of clip.

However, COMO has been able to carry through immense success in less than 20 old ages by fostering a civilization and repute based on manner, creativeness and passion to voyage though ambitious markets and comfortable times. Thus the strength of COMO became a equivalent word of luxury.