Rosewood Hotels and Resorts L.L.C. is faced with a marketing dilemma; they want to increase multi-property guest stays with out diminishing the current brand images of their existing properties. In order to increase awareness of the other properties to those who are currently loyal to particular estates, Rosewood has considered adding a corporate brand title to all of its properties. The problem lies in whether or not this will “cheapen” the experience for those who feel as though they are getting away from the “cookie-cutter norm” of other corporate luxury hotel chains.
Conclusion
Rosewood should not add its name to existing properties until it has developed its brand image into being synonymous with a unique luxury experience.
Reason
The thing that has set Rosewood’s estates apart from places like The Ritz and Four Seasons is that the people who stay at the Rosewood properties enjoy them because of the uniqueness of each individual property, and the lack of the feeling that corporate involvement tends to bring with it, whether they know that there is a corporation behind it or not. The name Rosewood does not mean anything to most of the customers, so for this reason, even though Rosewood is respected within the industry, a lot of the travel agents do not seem to really push the name Rosewood.
Evidence
Exhibit 7 offers selected quotes from the Strategic Marketing Solutions Report on Rosewood’s Branding. All of the information provided in Exhibit 7 points to the fact that most of the people who stay at Rosewood’s hotels do not know or care about the name Rosewood. Some of the quotes are as follows. Travel Agent: “Perhaps 25% know the name Rosewood. They know the hotel name better.”
Travel Agent: “Not much. I book the hotel, not Rosewood,” when asked what Rosewood meant to the agent or his clients.
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