The Spa at Chewton Glen Hotel and Country Club - Case Study Example

Chewton Glen Hotel, Spa and Country Club Case Analysis Presented by: Student's Name: Course Name and Number: Instructor's Name: Date Submitted: Executive summary This paper presents a case analysis of the Spa at Chewton Glen Hotel and Country Club. Specifically, it seeks to answer several questions derived from the case study. In the process of answering these questions, the paper indicates that the Spa at Chewton Glen Hotel and Country Club operates in a spa industry sector, which is segment hospitality, travel and tourism industry. As indicated in the paper, the strength of this Spa emanates from its charming history, highly trained fitness instructors and therapists and high-tech spa facilities. The Spa services provided at Chewton Glen compete with services that are offered by club spa, cruise-ship spa, day spa, destination spa, medical spa, cosmetic beauty spa and mineral spring spa. To become more competitive in the future, Chewton Glen needs to consider investing in unavailable spa services and to expand its spa services to towns and cities. The Chewton Glen Hotel Spa and Country Club satisfy various needs contained in all the five categories of needs described by Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, namely, physiological, safety, social, esteem and self actualization needs. Among other consumer segments, Chewton Glen is targeting people seeking to enhance their health and well being, the aging population, individuals or families on holiday, individuals seeking to acquire physical training and high-income earning individuals taking a break from regular work. 1. Discuss how you would classify the industry sector that the Spa at Chewton Glen Hotel and Country Club operates in. The Spa at Chewton Glen Hotel and Country Club operates in a spa industry. ‘Spa’ is a Latin word meaning “health or relaxation through water” (Hoffman, 2009, p. 420). Spas provide therapeutic treatment services to guests to improve their health and wellbeing. According to Lee & Johnson (2012, p. 95), the spa industry is a segment of hospitality, travel and tourism industry. Prior to the beginning of 21at century, Chewton Glen used to operate primarily as a hotel and hardly engaged in health and wellbeing activities. However, Chewton Glen has made a major overhaul of its facilities over the last one decade and has invested heavily in the spa facilities. As well, this hotel has hired well trained therapists and fitness instructors to provide spa services to guests. As a result, the spa service has become a major service that pulls guests to Chewton Glen (Hoffman, 2009, p. 418). In short, the Spa at Chewton Glen Hotel and Country Club provides professionally administered spa services in fitness and wellness, beauty treatments and therapeutic healing. Thus, the Spa at Chewton Glen Hotel and Country Club should be categorized under spa industry sector, which is segment hospitality, travel and tourism industry. 2. What are the key strength’s of Chewton Glen Hotel, Spa and Country Club? What types of service compete with it? Chewton Glen has highly-trained fitness instructors and therapists who use both traditional and modern techniques to enhance guests’ relaxation and invigoration. Secondly, this Spa has high-tech health-enhancing facilities including Life Fitness CV equipment, ozone-treated swimming pool, relaxation room, 10 treatment rooms, crystal steam rooms and aromatherapy saunas, hydrotherapy spa pool with high-tech therapy options, cold-drench showers, Molton Brown Body Treatments, Linda Meredith skin care, state-of-art gymnasium offering personal training, Spa Grooming Lounge for Jessana Manicures and pedicures, a studio with daily program exercise and relaxation classes and pool bar and lounge offering food with health habits (Hoffman, 2009, p. 418). The presence of these facilities resonates with the needs of the increasing number of consumers who are changing lifestyles in order to improve their health and wellbeing and avoid obesity and ill health. Also, the history of Chewton Glen since 1837 as a country house owned by George Marryat makes it attractive to guests. There are various types of spas that compete with Chewton Glen. One of these is the club spa whose primary purpose is to provide professionally administered fitness services to guests mainly from the surrounding community. The second competitor is the cruise-ship spa that provides professionally administered spa services (such as wellness and fitness) to guests (Hoffman, 2009, p. 420). The third competitor is a day spa which is primarily involved in providing pampering and beauty treatments (such as facials, nail bars) and other professionally administered spa treatments. The fourth competitor is the destination spa where guests visit for several days to learn and develop health habits. Guests learn about lifestyle, healthy eating and fitness or are taken through programs regarding healthy lifestyle, wellness education, stress management and fitness and diet. Chewton Glen also faces competition from services offered by medical spa. A medical spa is operated and supervised by a licensed healthcare professional, and its main purpose is to provide wellness and medical care to visitors. According to Hoffman, (2009, p. 420), a medical spa integrates both traditional and modern methods of treatments in enhancing the wellbeing of visitors. Hotel spa services also compete with the services that are provided by cosmetic beauty spa. A cosmetic beauty spa is operated by professionally trained nursing staff and surgeons and offers services such as dentistry and cosmetic surgery (Hoffman, 2009, p. 420). Lastly, Chewton Glen face competition from the mineral spring spa which offers thermal or seawater used in hydrotherapy and onsite source of natural mineral treatments (Hoffman, 2009, p. 420). 3. What brand extensions would Chewton Glen Hotel, Spa and Country Club consider in its portfolio? To become more competitive, Chewton Glen may consider adding thermal or seawater used in hydrotherapy and onsite source of natural mineral treatments in its portfolio. Secondly, Chewton Glen may hire professionally trained surgeons and nursing staff and extend spa services to include cosmetic surgery and dentistry (Hoffman, 2009, p. 420). After-care services in the spa’s relaxing rooms may also be added to this pack. Chewton Glen Hotel, Spa and Country Club, may also extend its portfolio to include guest massages. Unavailable beauty and pampering treatments such as nail bars and facials may also be added. In order to retain competitiveness in the future, the spa at Chewton Glen Hotel and Country Club may also extend its services to include a detoxification program. With increased men grooming sales in the spa industry over the last few years, it would be essential for the Chewton Glen to explore possibilities of adding spa services targeting men such as electrolysis and traditional wet-shave. Finally, Chewton Glen should consider expanding its spa services in towns and cities. 4. Which of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs does Chewton Glen Hotel, Spa and Country Club satisfy? How does the Chewton Glen Hotel Spa and Country Club satisfy those needs and for whom? Maslow’s hierarchy of needs describes five categories of human needs, namely, physiological needs (such as food, water and shelter), safety needs (such as health security, financial protection, family security and security from animals), social needs (including the need for love, care, friendship, belongingness and affection), esteem needs, (such as freedom, respect, competence, achievement, confidence, admiration, recognition, status and attention) and need for self actualization (Management Study Guide, 2012). (See appendix for more information about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs). To start with, Chewton Glen satisfies physiological needs of food, water and shelter. As indicated in the case study, Chewton Glen achieves this by providing customers with edible, great-tasting food, clean water and comfortable sleeping facilities (bedrooms) (Hoffman, 2009, p. 417, 418). Secondly, meeting consumer’s safety need for health security is of paramount importance to Chewton Glen. To achieve this, Chewton Glen hires well trained fitness and therapists instructors who use both traditional and modern techniques to enhance relaxation of guests’ bodies and minds (Hoffman, 2009, p. 418). As well, this Spa has installed high-tech exercising facilities such as Life Fitness CV equipment and for guests. On top of this, Chewton Glen has extensive health enhancing facilities including treatment rooms, relaxation room, hydrotherapy Spa pool, swimming pool, gymnasium with personal training available and a studio with a daily program of exercises and relaxation classes (Hoffman, 2009, p. 418). Further, Chewton Glen satisfies consumer social need for love, care and friendship, belongingness. By installing facilities that enhance consumer health and wellbeing, Chewton Glen seeks to show love, care and friendship for guests (Hoffman, 2009, p. 418). According to the case study, Chewton Glen’s workers acknowledge the needs of guests and respond to requests quickly and in a sympathetic manner. This kind of treatment makes guests feel as if they are being respected and hence, they develop a sense of belonging to the Spa. Chewton Glen also satisfies esteem need for respect, admiration, recognition, status and attention. By hiring highly skilled staff and installing high-tech health care facilities, Chewton Glen makes guests feel as if they are valued and appreciated. Finally, Chewton Glen satisfies the need for actualization by providing exercise and relaxation classes and personal training at organization’s state-of-the-art gymnasium (Hoffman, 2009, p. 418). 5. Segmentation, targeting and planning are key elements for all businesses. Which segments do you think Chewton Glen Hotel, Spa and Country Club is targeting and why? Market Segmentation is a marketing strategy that involves dividing the target market population into subsets based on difference needs and wants of consumers as well as their differences in the use of products and services (Pride & Ferrell 2010, p. 92). The purpose of this strategy is to enable a marketer to develop a marketing mix that matches the needs of consumers more in the target market. Chewton Glen is targeting the segment of the population that is seeking to change life style in order to enhance their health and wellbeing and avoid poor eating habits. The spa has highly invested weight control and health enhancing facilities and has hired highly trained staff to engage guests in fitness activities (Hoffman, 2009, p. 418). This Spa is also targeting the aging population who are actively involved in enhancing their personal wellbeing and health. On top of fitness facilities, Chewton Glen has invested in healthy foods served at its pool bar and lounge as well as Linda Meredith skin care facility, all of which are suitable for the ageing population (Hoffman, 2009, p. 418). In addition, Chewton Glen is targeting high-income earners seeking for quality hotel spa services. This spa provides luxurious, quality services that are highly priced in comparison with most competitors in the hospitality, travel and tourism industry. Chewton Glen also targets individuals who wish to acquire physical training in various fields. The spa has a state-of-art gymnasium in which physical training is provided. Finally, Chewton Glen is targeting individuals from the working class taking a break from regular work or on holiday. The spa has a studio with programs of relaxation and exercise classes which are suitable for this consumer group (Hoffman, 2009, p. 418). References Hoffman, K., Bateson, J., Wood, E & Kenyon, A. 2009. Services Marketing UK edition. London: Cengage Learning, EMEA. Lee, M & Johnson, C. 2012. Principles of Advertising: A Global Perspective. Ed: 2. New York: Routledge. Management Study Guide. 2012. “Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory”. Viewed 23 January 2013 < http://www.managementstudyguide.com/maslows-hierarchy-needs-theory.htm> Pride, W .M & Ferrell, O. C .2010. Foundations of Marketing. London: Cengage Learning. Appendix: Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory The hierarchy of needs theory was developed by Abraham Maslow in 1943, and it describes human motivation as a function of five categories of needs, namely, physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, esteem needs and need for self-actualization (Management Study Guide, 201). Maslow placed these needs in a hierarchy based on the urgency of each as shown in figure 1. Figure 1: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Source: Management Study Guide (2012) Physiological needs are basic needs or needs that are essential for human survival such as food, water, air, clothing and shelter. Safety needs are human needs for a secure emotional and physical environmental, and they include health security, financial protection, family security, job security and security from animals. Social needs include the need for love, care, friendship, belongingness and affection (Management Study Guide, 2012). Esteem needs can be categorized into internal and external esteem needs. Examples of internal esteem needs are freedom, respect, competence, achievement and confidence. Examples external esteem needs are admiration, recognition, status and attention. Finally, self actualization need is a need to develop one’s potential to the fullest. This need is driven by the need to achieve the best that one can, to accomplish everything that one can and to become the most that one can. According to Management Study Guide (2012), physiological, safety, social and external esteem needs are known as deficiency needs and are satisfied externally. On the other hand, internal esteem and self actualization needs are known as growth needs and are satisfied internally. According to Maslow, human beings start by satisfying needs that are lowest in the hierarchy (physiological needs) followed by other needs that rank higher in a consecutive manner. Read More