MARKETING OF HOTEL SERVICES IN ENUGU METROPOLIS (A CASE STUDY OF MAC – DAVOS HOTEL ENUGU)

MARKETING OF HOTEL SERVICES IN ENUGU METROPOLIS (A CASE STUDY OF MAC – DAVOS HOTEL ENUGU)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1    OVER VIEW OF THE STUDY

Hotels provide meals, drinks, attractions, accommodation etc., to the general public or persons in transit especially people traveling to places where they have neither their own homes nor any relation to cater for their needs. Such persons will like to know few things about the hotels in their transitory area. In other words, they may like to know about available hotels, the categories of such hotels, the room and suit fares, and the type of food served, the necessary comfort customers are accorded – with, the game that is both indoor and outdoor games available and perhaps and other special feature that make such hotels appealing to the sojourners in transit.

These characteristics of hotels are boosted by marketing services of various types in so many countries of the world. In Nigeria, major hotels live like Sheraton, Eko Hotels, Federal Palace Hotels, NICON NUGA, to mention just a few of them, have made impressionable image both nationally and internationally and the praises go to marketing that have heralded their various characteristics, class placement status to the public generally. Without marketing, the image of their hotels and their excellent services would not be so diffused to the public. For instance recently in Enugu, some hotels have come up with incentive – type promotions to attract new terriers, to reward loyal customers and to increase the patronage rates of occasional users. One of such hotels is Home Pride Guest House situated at number 16 Chime Avenue, New Haven in Enugu, promoted its hotel as (10%) Ten percent discount awaits customers that patronizes its hotel superbly built, and lavishly furnished with ultra-modern guest houses, with about sixteen (16) air conditioned rooms each with its exclusive toilets, cold/hot shower, stand-by water storage tanks to ensure uninterrupted water supply; a lounge with well stocked bar and assorted types of edibles including Chinese foods available; a well cemented car park adorned with beautiful flowers, and powerful stand-by generators to ensure uninterrupted power supply.

1.2    STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

The study is aimed at finding the importance as well of marketing  problems experienced in hospitality industries. This is an organization that the principal objective is to make profit. To realize this objective, the business concern must be prepared to uphold the marketing concept of the supremacy of the consumer. Marketing promotion contributes a great deal in upholding the supremacy of the customers which involves identification and satisfaction of specified needs. Hospitality industry like hotel-ling is a competitive business and must endeavour to identify and satisfy customers’ needs to be able to stay in business.

There are some marketing problems in hospitality industry business in Enugu State. The problems are the factors that hinder marketing of hotel services.

One of such factor is income. The income level of both customers and proprietors will hinder the work of marketing promotion on hotels. Low income earners, for example may find it difficult to cope with high prices of hotel services which happened as a result of marketing carried out which invariably attracted high prices on them.

There are also several classes of people in society. We have high class individual and low class people as well. Those in the high classes are usually enlightened while those in the lower class are mainly illiterates.

For instance, some advertising messages are produced by professional for high class people while non-professional produced the type we call below the line advertising for low class people. Culture consider some advetisement as taboo, while some people in a special class, like corporation may find it not necessary advertising their hotel, hence it is only for members.

MARKETING OF HOTEL SERVICES IN ENUGU METROPOLIS (A CASE STUDY OF MAC – DAVOS HOTEL ENUGU)