An evaluation of marketing strategies in 5-star boutique hotels: A case study, Dylan hotel Dissertation submitted in part fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration At Dublin Business School Eduardo Gonçalves Pereira Master of Business Administration 2017 Declaration I, Eduardo Gonçalves Pereira, declare that this research is my original work and that it has never been presented to any institution or university for the award of Degree or Diploma. In addition, I have referenced correctly all literature and sources used in this work and this work is fully compliant with the Dublin Business School’s academic honesty policy. Acknowledgements The completion of this dissertation and the MBA course as a whole is a great academic and personal achievement for me. The process has been challenging but incredibly rewarding, and would not have been possible without the help and support of many people. I would like to acknowledge and thank the following: To my dissertation supervisor, John Staunton, for his tireless work, interest and support, and his useful and insightful assistance throughout the study, always delivered in a compassionate and constructive way. To Dylan hotel, for their invaluable input into this study, and their allowance of me to carry out my research there. A special thanks to the interviewee, who offered her time and insights for the success of my study. To my family, I will always be thankful. They have provided me with unwavering support from my home in Brazil with constant phone calls and video chats. They have pushed me and encouraged me to always improve during this long process. To the Eves family, for their innumerable dinners, gifts, and words of affirmation and motivation. They have been my ‘Irish family’, and have eased the difficulty of completing this dissertation far from home. To my extraordinary girlfriend Doireann, for her patience and unconditional assistance during this MBA and dissertation completion. For supporting my choices and believing in me always, I will be forever grateful. Abstract The hospitality industry in Ireland is growing, and boutique hotels are becoming increasingly popular. Boutique hotels are characteristically different to mainstream hotels, and therefore research specifically about boutique hotel marketing is essential. Marketing strategy is one of the most influential concepts in the hospitality industry, declaring its relevance as a topic of research. This research study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the marketing strategies of Dylan, a 5-star boutique hotel in Dublin, Ireland. This was a single-case study designed to gain qualitative information regarding marketing strategies in Dylan hotel by carrying out semi-structured interviews with the marketing manager. Data collected was analysed, categorised, and discussed in relation to the published literature. The findings of this study were that Dylan has a well-developed marketing strategy focused on personalised promotional methods. The aim of their marketing strategies is to achieve revenue-based goals. The measures of effectiveness of marketing strategies used by Dylan are exclusively financially based, and this is in contradiction with the recommended customer-focused metrics published in hospitality marketing literature. Overall, the marketing strategies of Dylan are effective according to the interviewee, but the researcher concluded that the current strategic plan lacks suitable measures of strategic effectiveness, and therefore has the potential to result in inefficient marketing budget, ineffective marketing strategies, and delayed recognition of deteriorating brand identity in the future. In summary, Dylan has a well-structured marketing strategy based on the elements of the marketing mix, but they do not measure the effectiveness of these strategies in a systematic, customer-orientated way. Table of contents Acknowledgements ................................................................ 3 Abstract .................................................................................... 4 1. Introduction ......................................................................... 7 1.1. Background to the research .................................................................................... 7 1.2. The importance of the research .............................................................................. 9 1.3. Topic choice ........................................................................................................... 9 1.4. Aims and research questions ................................................................................ 10 1.5. Research question ................................................................................................ 10 1.6. Research approach ............................................................................................... 12 1.7. Limitations of the study ........................................................................................ 13 1.8. Organisation of the dissertation ........................................................................... 13 2. Literature review ............................................................... 15 2.1. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 15 2.2. Marketing ............................................................................................................ 16 2.3. Marketing strategy ............................................................................................... 18 2.4. The marketing mix ............................................................................................... 20 2.5. The hospitality industry ........................................................................................ 28 2.5.1. Tourism in Ireland .................................................................................................. 28 2.5.2. Hospitality industry in Ireland ................................................................................ 30 2.5.3. Boutique hotels ...................................................................................................... 30 2.6. Marketing strategies in the hospitality industry .................................................... 33 2.7. Measuring effectiveness of marketing strategy ..................................................... 42 2.7.1. Measuring effectiveness of marketing strategy in the hospitality industry .......... 44 2.8. Literature review conclusion ................................................................................ 45 3. Methodology ...................................................................... 46 3.1. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 46 3.2. Research design ................................................................................................... 47 3.2.1. Research philosophy .............................................................................................. 48 3.2.2. Research approach ................................................................................................ 48 3.2.3. Research strategy................................................................................................... 49 3.2.4. Sampling ................................................................................................................. 50 3.3. Data collection instruments.................................................................................. 51 3.4. Data analysis procedures ...................................................................................... 52 3.5. Research ethics .................................................................................................... 52 3.6. Limitations of methodology.................................................................................. 53 3.7. Conclusion ........................................................................................................... 54 4. Dylan .................................................................................. 55 4.1. Hotel overview ..................................................................................................... 55 4.2. SWOT analysis ...................................................................................................... 56 4.3. Competitors ......................................................................................................... 57 5. Data analysis and discussion .......................................... 61 5.1. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 61 5.2. Perception of marketing in Dylan ......................................................................... 61 5.3. Impact of the tourism and hospitality industries on Dylan .................................... 62 5.4. Characteristics of Dylan and boutique hotels ........................................................ 64 5.5. Competitors ......................................................................................................... 65 5.6. Current Marketing strategy .................................................................................. 67 5.7. Influence of the elements of the marketing mix on marketing strategies in Dylan . 69 5.8. Measuring effectiveness of marketing strategy ..................................................... 81 5.9.