Project Snapshot Picture this?you are an innovative entrepreneur looking to build a unique resort that will cater to a specific ta

HA530 I

RESORT DEVELOPMENT & MANAGEMENT

RESORT DEVELOPMENT PLAN PROJECT

Project Snapshot

Picture this…you are an innovative entrepreneur looking to build a unique resort that will cater to a

specific target market. Your mission is to develop a comprehensive resort development plan that

outlines major resort design decisions, including site drawings/floor plans and other supporting visuals.

During the process of creating your plan, you will make a series of decisions based on the content of the

course. For instance, in terms of size, will your resort be high-rise, garden-type, sprawling ranch or

timeshares? Where will your resort be located—in the mountains, on an exotic beach or maybe a

peaceful lakeside retreat? As far as service, will your resort offer world-class amenities, headliner

entertainment, celebrity chefs, or versatile recreation options? These are just some of the aspects you

will consider as you visualize your resort concept and layout.

The key is to apply the principles learned through your readings and discussions to develop a viable

resort development plan. Throughout this course, the development plan will form your assignment and

some discussion requirements.

Specifications

Project Length

• 5 weeks

Components

• 5-Phase Resort Development Plan

− Phase 1: Resort Concept & Offerings

− Phase 2: Resort Design & Environmental Concerns

− Phase 3: Resort Market Profile & Analysis

− Phase 4: Financial Projections

− Phase 5: Operations Management Plan

PHASE 1: RESORT CONCEPT & OFFERINGS

Part I: Resort Concept is the most critical piece of your resort development plan because here is where

you are shaping a product and/or service to the needs of a specific target market. To be successful, it’s

important to think things through—make sure your resort offerings are creative, but logical for the

audience you have selected. With a solid concept in place, the rest of your report will be able to flow

smoothly and reinforce your exciting ideas.

A. Resort Theme

1. Resort Type — Describe the type of resort you are developing (spa, seaside, fishing, ski, mega resort, urban, casino…or another type not listed here)

2. Seasonality – Explain whether your resort is operational in winter, summer or both and why that makes sense

B. Resort Name

How did you come up with the name? Does it have any symbolic meaning? Why is it a good choice for your resort theme and audience? What impression do you want the name to convey (fun, sophistication, romance, exotic, rustic, family, etc.)? Paint a picture of how you want your resort to be viewed by your audience. Your name should give a visual of who you are, but how do you further describe that?

C. Resort Location Provide a general overview of the area in which your resort will be developed:

1. Physical Location – City, state, country

2. Description of the location (climate? remoteness? suitable landscape/terrain)

3. Justification for This Location (nearby attractions? accessibility? any other reasons?)

Part II: Resort Offerings: Whether your guests are traveling for business, pleasure, or a combination of

both, your resort offerings should create a wide range of potential benefits for your guests. Remember,

make your resort shine and be the venue of choice by offering facilities that lend themselves well to

achieving whatever your guest goals/needs/expectations may be!

A. Accommodations

Include an overview statement that gives us a general sense of your accommodations and

what makes it unique in the industry.

1. Total Number of Rooms – How many rooms does your resort offer?

2. Types/Number of Accommodations – Provide a breakdown of each type of accommodation and how many of those accommodations you offer. (Ex.: kings, queens, double queens, double doubles, suites [no. of rooms/suite, presidential, executive, etc.], cabins, condos, townhouses, etc.)

3. Special Features – Describe any special characteristics or features of certain accommodation types that make it unique or attractive to your target audience.

(Ex.: adjoining/connecting rooms, barrier-free, free high-speed Internet, free cable, Jacuzzi, view, bar, etc.)

4. ADA accommodations – How many ADA rooms will you have? What are the features that classify them as ADA compliant?

B. Food/Beverage/Entertainment Outlets

1. On-site Restaurants/Eateries – Provide colorful descriptions of each restaurant on your premises – What is the seating capacity? Is the restaurant informal, formal, gourmet, themed, a snack bar, etc.? Does your restaurant sell liquor? Have an adjacent bar? Is there any form of entertainment in your restaurant? Any other creative features that make your restaurant fun, exciting, romantic, etc.?

2. Bars/Lounges – Provide colorful descriptions of the types of bars on your premises – How many? Where on the property? Is the bar a pub, lounge, sports bar, martini bar, etc.? Is there any type of entertainment offered at the bar?

3. Additional Entertainment – Outside of your restaurants and bars, do you offer your guests any other entertainment outlets such as a comedy club, floor show, theatre, concert hall, etc.?

C. Recreational Facilities

1. On-site Facilities – Describe the various sports and recreational activities available to your guests. (golf, mini-golf, horseback riding, ice skating, skiing, tennis, racquetball, weight room, laser tag, etc.) Be sure to elaborate on the physical specs and special features of each facility. (Ex: If you have a golf course, is it a 9 or 18-hole course? Championship caliber? Designed by a famous golfer? Host a PGA competition? What are the challenging aspects of the course? Does it include a driving range, putting green, pro shop, etc.?)

2. Off-site Recreational Attractions – Describe any other nearby recreational facilities that your guests would be interested in (amusement/water parks, professional sporting events, boating, ski slopes, bungee jumping, etc.) Off your resort property, are there any nearby entertainment venues that cater to your target audience’s interests? (Such as annual festivals, concert arenas, historic landmarks, tours, etc.)

D. Meeting & Banquet Facilities

1. Meeting Space – List the types of rooms available for meetings and conferences. Include setup options (meeting room style, T-style, R-style, theater style, etc.) and the seating capacity for each setup. What features or equipment make the space conducive for meetings? (sound-proof, ergonomic design, video conferencing, etc.) Provide several examples of the types of meetings that would be typically booked there.

2. Banquet Space – List the types of indoor or outdoor areas used to cater special events. Include any creative touches that make the space unique or especially alluring to potential guests. Provide several examples of the types of affairs that could be held in these spaces.

E. Retail Space (if applicable)

1. Describe the types of retail businesses available on your premises. Also describe any nearby retail establishments that could cater to the needs of your guests. (Ex.: hair salons, gift shops, spas, travel agents, eateries, car rentals, shopping districts, etc.)

F. Modes of Transportation

1. Explain the means by which your guests will travel to and from your resort. Also explain how they will be transported to other areas of your property, other than walking. (Ex.: airport shuttle, taxicab, tour buses, golf carts, boats, Segways, parking facilities, etc.)

G. Special Amenities

Most hotels offer standard amenities like shampoo, shoeshine kits, candy on the pillow,

continental breakfast, etc. Describe the unique amenities you created that go above and

beyond the please your guests (Ex.: table-side cooking, personalized concierge service,

celebrity wine-tasting, fresh cut flowers, shoeshine service, etc.)

PHASE 2: RESORT DESIGN & ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Your resort can have the most luxurious accommodations and state-of-the art offerings, but if

your facilities are not strategically designed or logically located, your guests may become

frustrated or disinterested. In this section of your report, explain how your resort elements are

physically situated to make your guests’ experience both pleasurable and convenient. You will

also include a detailed discussion on the environmental concerns and decisions you will make.

A. Resort Layout & Justification

Draw and label a diagram that shows the general layout of your resort, including:

1. Buildings (lodge, cabins, spa, indoor tennis facility, restaurants, etc.)

2. Outdoor recreational facilities (horseback riding, golf course, ski slopes, pool, etc.)

3. Landscaping (lake, ocean, woods, trails, gardens, roadways, parking, etc.)

4. Explain the reasoning behind your chosen locations (why each facility or attraction makes sense where it is located or the way it was designed).

B. ADA Considerations In Phase 1 you included ADA specifications for your room accommodations, now we

want to look at the rest of the property. Describe six (6) other ways that your resort

will accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities. This could be applied to

any area of the resort.

C. Environmental Considerations Resort developments have always impacted the environments and societies in which

they are created.

1. For your specified location, identify and discuss three (3) environmental issues you may face. For each one, identify solutions which will bring benefits to all parties concerned.

2. Identify and discuss at least six (6) design elements and/or practices that would qualify your resort as an environmentally responsible “green resort.”

PHASE 3: RESORT MARKET PROFILE & ANALYSIS

Your resort can have the most luxurious accommodations and state-of-the art offerings, but if your

resort is not strategically designed for, and marketed to, your identified target group then all your

efforts may be in vain. In this section of your report, you will provide a detailed view of your target

market, your competition, and a description of the ways you will differentiate your product from the

competition.

A. Target Market (Potential Guests) a. Identify your potential customers and explain why this market segment is a good fit for

your resort concept. You should use the following market segmentation strategies in

your analysis (as applicable):

• Geographics

• Demographics

• Socio-economic

• Psychographics

• Behavior Patterns

• Consumption Patterns

• Consumer Predispositions

B. Competitive Analysis

1. Key Competitors – Who are they and where are they located? Each resort must be aware of who is its immediate competitor, and typically identify a group of competitors to measure against. Identify four (4) competitors in your identified location to form your competitive set. For each competitor, provide a detailed description of their facility and offerings. Discuss why you chose each of these as a member of your competitive set.

2. Competitor Comparison – Select one (1) key competitor from your competitive set and conduct a comparative analysis of both yours and their strengths and weaknesses in terms of:

i. Facilities

ii. Services/amenities

iii. Packages/price levels

3. Provide a detailed description of how your property will stand out from the rest of the competition?

PHASE 4: FINANCIAL PROJECTIONS

In this section of your report, you will calculate a rooms supportable estimate and a one -year

financial projection to the point of income before fixed charges for the hypothetical resort

development project. All calculations in Microsoft Excel requires a formula. You MUST input the

formula where required. Download the excel template and SAVE AS Development Plan Phase 4.

A. Rooms Supportable Estimate – Microsoft Excel

Using data from the competitive set identified, you will calculate the rooms supportable estimate on

Sheet 1 of the Excel file provided. Some assumptions are made for you; however, you will use the data

for the competitive set identified in Phase 3 of the project. The objective is to calculate the number of

rooms the market can support at this time.

After calculating, analyze the results. Your analysis should answer the questions: 1) Will your project be

a good fit for this market? 2) Why or why not?

B. One-year Financial Projection – Microsoft Excel

On Sheet 2 of the Excel file, use the following information to calculate financial projections for your

property. You will make decisions about some elements, while others are assumed for you. After

calculating, analyze the results. Your analysis should answer the questions: 1) Will your project be a

financially viable one? 2) Why or why not?

Financial Projection Data

Number of rooms in YOUR proposed resort property Data needed

YOUR proposed Average Room Rate Data needed

Projected Occupancy Market Occupancy calculated in Sheet 1

Food Revenues (calculate using most expensive restaurant dinner meal)

Number of seats in YOUR proposed restaurant Data needed

Average check in YOUR proposed restaurant Data needed

Seat Turn-over Rate for YOUR proposed restaurant Data needed

Beverage Revenues 32% of food revenues

Telecommunications Revenue $1.50 per occupied room

Other Revenues 15% of room revenues

Expense Assumptions

Rooms:

Payroll & related expenses 27%

Other expenses 15%

Food & Beverage

Food Cost 32%

Beverage Cost 18%

Payroll & related expenses 17%

Other F & B expenses 9%

Telecommunication Expense 7% greater than telephone revenues

Undistributed Operating Expenses

Administrative & General (A&G) 7%

Marketing 5%

Property Operations & Maintenance (P.O.M.) 5%

Energy 7%

Management Fees 9%

NOTES

Room Revenue= No. of rooms * average rate * occupancy * 365 days (for example: 350 * $175 * 73% * 365)

Telecommunications Revenue Example:

• $1.50 per occupied rooms

• Occupied rooms = 365 days X Projected Occupancy X Number of rooms

• Telecommunications Revenue: ([365 * 73% * 350] * 1.50)

The components of this assignment should include:

1. Lodging Demand Profile 2. Market Segmentation 3. Potential Growth Demand 4. Rooms Supportable Estimate

5. Projected Revenues and Expenses

PHASE 5: OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT PLAN

Resort operations are quite different than the usual lodging operations. For starters, guests are

generally staying longer than a night or two…usually a minimum of a week. Because they are staying for

the purpose of leisure and relaxation and are more times than not paying a hefty price for such, guests

have raised expectations. This puts an additional strain on the personnel and property.

In a successful resort, the people and partnerships are as important as the services offered. In this

section of your report, outline your plan to develop a positive corporate culture that promotes

productivity, unity, and respect among your employees and community.

A. Mission Statement Write a succinct mission statement that reveals the ‘what, who and why’ of your resort.

B. Organizational Chart Draw and label a chart that shows the chain of command within your organization, including departments and job titles.

C. Guest Services

Referring to your mission statement, describe how you would organize different departments to display a TRUE ‘culture of service’ to guests of your resort (how will your employees deliver on high quality service). Additionally, identify one (1) unique feature/strategy/amenity which each department will be known for. These departments may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Reservations

• Front Office

• Food and Beverage

• Recreation

• Housekeeping

D. Personnel Briefly describe the following in relation to your resort:

1. Recruitment – List and describe the various recruiting techniques that you would use to locate prospective employees

2. Community Involvement – identify and describe three (3) community programs/social initiatives that would be important for you (as a company) and your identified locale. How would you be involved in these community programs and immerse yourself in the development of the society?

E. Potential Partnerships

Now that you have completely designed your resort, identify, and discuss some partnerships which

may be influential in your successful operations. You are required to identify the following and

provide purpose and advantages of each component:

a) Two (2) purveyors of products for operations

b) Two (2) purveyors of products/services for guests

c) Two (2) industry-related membership organizations

d) Two (2) distribution channels, and

e) make a case for, or against, branding (franchising).

As well, review negative impacts, if any, and discuss a plan to reduce those impacts.

FINAL SUBMISSION

Over the next few days, take the opportunity to review your entire plan to tie up loose ends,

add detail as needed, and perform any remaining editing/proofing that will enhance the quality

of the final product. Remember to incorporate any omissions, changes, adjustments, edits,

that may have resulted from the discussion board component and/or instructor comments on

phases graded.

All changes must be indexed in a table (sample below) and submitted as a separate document.

EDITS PAGE # RATIONALE FOR CHANGE

Redesigned position of the

pool closer to activities

department

15 As my colleague pointed out, the noise from the

pool may have been too much for the rooms close

by.

THE FULL FINAL PLAN SUBMISSION:

Copy and paste all individual phases into one seamless document, include a cover page. Your

cover page can be one designed to reflect your concept. Copy and paste Excel components into

Word for inclusion. Submit the Project Development Plan as one final document. The edits

table is submitted as a separate document with the final plan.