Successful Strategies and Solutions

Sceptre Hospitality Services focuses on connecting, capturing and converting through proven results. With years of success, Sceptre presents revenue-generating solutions and unparralleled strategies across the hospitality industry. Learn more about how Sceptre can maximize your hotel reservations, sales and marketing efforts, and manage revenue for increased ROI and long-term value by reading these first-hand examples.

• Implementing a Tiered Rate Strategy
• Capturing Untapped Opportunities
• Leveraging Robust Web Booking Technology
• Leading Independent in Brand-Saturated University Market
• Driving Revenue with Vacation Packages
• Realigning Electronic Marketing Strategies
• Revenue Management for New Build Hotels
• Online Marketing Strategy and Going Independent
• On-site field operation support and implementation of marketing strategies

Bacara Resort & Spa

Santa Barbara, California

Renewed focus utilizing tiered rate strategies and leveraging website booking tools brought increased revenue to an already successful four diamond oceanfront resort.

Competitors to the Bacara Resort & Spa are luxury brand and lifestyle resorts with immediately recognizable brand names. While the resort did have some successful leisure marketing programs in place, they were not optimizing tiered rate marketing strategies. In order to increase conversions and revenues from electronic channels the resort needed renewed strategies. Sceptre worked with the hotel to create a tiered rate marketing strategy and leveraged Sceptre’s technology expertise to successfully implement electronic channels and website booking tools. The new strategy focused on increased revenues, length of stay and improvement of day of week stay pattern. Sceptre created additional rate tiers to deploy across selected distribution channels. Sceptre also ensured the resort’s leisure marketing program had optimal tiered rate strategy including resources to target and sell to agents.

The resort deployed tiered rate strategy to their leisure programs realizing over $195,000 in revenue in the first year. Also from these strategies and tiered rates the resort achieved an increase in length of stay and day of week deployment in the first 12 months.

To learn how Sceptre can help your property implement tiered rate strategies for profitable operation and best use of marketing, call 303.220.2000 or email info@esceptre.com.

• Tiered Rate Strategy implementation realized $195,000 in revenue in the first 12 months
• Increase in length of stay in first 12 months
• Increase in day of week deployment in first 12 months

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Hotel Huntington Beach

Huntington Beach, California

Capturing untapped opportunity Sceptre implemented efficient, expedient, and highly focused GDS, website and consortia marketing strategies to increase room nights by 15 % in the first three months.

Hotel Huntington Beach became a Sceptre client in the fourth quarter of 2009. The hotel had issues with the previous GDS provider in getting negotiated rates loaded correctly and overall sales initiatives were lacking. The hotel’s primary source of rooms came from the leisure segment, although the hotel is located near several large corporations.

Sceptre services implemented several initiatives with the hotel. Property-Level sales and marketing expertise provided the assessment necessary to optimize the targeted segments to drive room bookings. The Director of Sales was provided the tools to begin capturing business and government travel segments. Sceptre implemented consortia marketing and loaded and mapped negotiated rates that the hotel has in their website booking tool and the GDS. This channel optimization allowed website booking of groups, special events and promotional opportunities.

After only three months, Sceptre delivered performance results and continues to do so: the hotel saw a 15% increase in room night bookings for 4th quarter 2009 over 2008. Hotel Huntington Beach has also driven more revenue from website booking and is utilizing marketing and sales promotions and advertising.

To learn how Sceptre can identify and manage new revenue opportunities while propelling your select service hotel into targeted market segments, contact 303.220.2000 or email info@esceptre.com.

• Marked increase in business travelers on weekdays and leisure travelers on weekends
• Increased room night bookings 15% in first 3 months
• Website booking channel has allowed groups, special events and promotional opportunities

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Pike’s Waterfront Lodge

Fairbanks, Alaska

Transforming dependency on an old PMS system which lost business to Expedia and surrounding hotels, Sceptre ushered in new website booking technology and delivered $8,000 in room revenue in the first 30 days.

Pike’s Waterfront Lodge was in built in 2000 with major additions and upgrades in 2007 and 2009. The hotel is centrally located and very well positioned for both leisure and business segments. Sceptre evaluated the competition and found that even the independent hotels were utilizing advanced website booking tools. Travel agent production for the hotel showed Expedia to be in the top 10 and customers appeared to be leaving Pike’s Waterfront website to make their reservations with Expedia.com. Pike’s Waterfront needed an upgrade and the capability to implement booking specials. Sceptre identified significant opportunities to remediate the lost revenues by implementing operational efficiencies, applying sales and marketing strategies and expanding the hotel’s account base into new markets through new robust web booking technology and consultation on booking specials and creating dynamic packaging strategies.

Sceptre’s trial period started in April 2010 and will end August 2010. The hotel received 29 reservations with 57 room nights equating to over $8,000 in room revenue within the first 30 days of implementing Sceptre website booking tool. The hotel has demonstrated a consistent increase in total revenue since April 2010 vs. the same time period in 2009.

Contact Sceptre to learn how we can provide the services and expertise to transform your full service hotel into a top performing asset. Call 303.220.2000 or email info@esceptre.com.

• Hotel gained over $8,000 in room revenue in first 30 days
• Increase in 29 reservations over 2009
• Increase in 57 room nights over 2009

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The Glidden House

Cleveland, Ohio

Using focused revenue management strategies, digital marketing prowess, and lifestyle branding expertise to evolve a struggling historic mansion into a premier boutique hotel.

After years of ineffective revenue management strategies, weak sales, and a poor reputation in the marketplace, Richfield took over the management of The Glidden House in 2003. Richfield utilized Sceptre to implement a revenue management program, market channel utilization, local negotiated rate agreements and social media programs. The services focused on generating increased revenue from multiple yet highly relevant sources such as repeat guests and key accounts including neighboring Case Western Reserve University. Redefining the hotel’s brand image was also critical to repositioning the hotel as the area’s market leader.

With its newfound positioning and expanded sales targets improving revenue streams, The Glidden House is ranked first among its competitive set. They achieved a RevPAR index of 145% for 2009 and 147% for year to date April 2010. Richfield also delivered improved brand awareness and positioning through the implementation of highly targeted social media campaigns and optimized local market channels that conveyed the right message to the right audience at the right time in the right place.

To learn how Sceptre Hospitality Services can identify and manage new revenue opportunities to help your lifestyle hotel outperform the competition, contact 303.220.2000 or email info@esceptre.com.

• Ranked #1 within competitive set
• Achieved a RevPAR index of 145% in ‘09
• Achieved a RevPAR index of 147% YTD ‘10
• Demonstrated increased aided and unaided brand awareness

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Newport Beach Hotel & Resort

Miami Beach, Florida

Sceptre implements a strategy to increase profitability in a down turn economy and generated $80,000 in room and ancillary revenue with spa and vacation packages.

Newport Beachside Hotel & Resort is a 318 room oceanfront resort with 18,000 square feet of meeting space in North Miami Beach, Florida. Newport Beach Hotel & Resort also operates as a timeshare resort. Competitive hotels consist of independent and branded full service resorts. In 2009 and early 2010 the hotel faced declines in demand and revenue. Ownership had committed to upgrading the resort by renovating public areas, rooms and adding a new Aveda concept spa with the expectation of improved profitability. The Miami market had been strong but late 2009 and 2010 pace was off considerably and strong discounting and merchant program participation had drastically impacted rate integrity.

Sceptre focused on creating a strategy to increase overall profitability through channel optimization, improved stay patterns and increased ancillary revenue. These strategies focused on capitalizing on the new spa through inclusive packaging and on expanding the hotel’s marketing and pricing strategies to include vacation packages. Advance purchase rate strategies were implemented to increase early bookings from direct channels. New inclusive spa packages were launched to capture incremental revenue and build awareness. Sceptre implemented weekly revenue calls to define, monitor and improve pricing and distribution strategies.

Newport Beach Hotel & Resort experienced an increased average length of stay from January to May 2010. Spa inclusive packages generated nearly $80,000 in room and ancillary revenue. Property electronic revenue increased 4.8% year over year through May.

To learn how Sceptre can quickly stabilize and produce performance results for your hotel, contact 303.220.2000 or email info@esceptre.com.

• Increased average length of stay
• Spa inclusive packages generated nearly $80,000 in five months
• Property electronic revenue increased 4.8% year over year through May

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Amelia Island Plantation Hotel

Amelia Island, Florida

Epitomizing the key attributes of the luxury service category, Sceptre implemented revenue management strategies and highly focused four diamond luxury marketing programs to turn this hotel into an Amelia Island market leader.

Amelia Island Plantation Hotel has all the components necessary to market itself as a luxury and lifestyle leisure resort. Three championship golf courses, spa, championship tennis, fitness center, extensive recreational facilities, various room types, swimming pools, 49,000 square feet of meeting space and a private beach. However, the property was under-performing and in need of repositioning. There was a great deal of brand confusion and inconsistent marketing messages; many travel agents and guest could not clearly understand products, price points and included amenities or specials.

The Sceptre team added significant value through revenue management and marketing strategies increasing luxury contribution by 64% in the first six months. Sceptre implemented solutions to alleviate the service delivery issues related to brand confusion. Marketing strategies clearly differentiated between resort products and implemented multiple resort listings across electronic channels with clearly defined marketing for each product. A critical element was emphasis on the four diamond rating with participation in exclusive luxury marketing programs. Sceptre created two distinct electronic listings including dual listings on all online travel agent sites, GDS sites and marketing partnerships.

Contact us to learn how we can provide the services and expertise to transform your full service hotel into a top performing asset. Call 303.220.2000 or email info@esceptre.com.

• First six months increased luxury contribution by 64%
• Alleviated service delivery issues related to brand confusion
• Clear marketing message reduced consumer and agent confusion

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Four Points by Sheraton Ontario - Rancho Cucamonga

Rancho Cucamonga, California

Tactical business decision to hire a seasoned management group to overcome a delayed opening, missed tactical business deadlines, and competition with other new builds proved key in bringing an impressive 140% RevPAR Index to the property in its first six months.

The Four Points by Sheraton Ontario - Rancho Cucamonga opened in June 2009. The hotel had faced a delayed opening, construction and funding issues, missed several key business deadlines and had other new builds in the area competing for demand. Richfield began managing the hotel in its second month and at the time the hotel did not have a dedicated sales team and pre-opening marketing efforts had not included a revenue management plan or to establishment of local negotiated rates. Richfield immediately implemented Sceptre revenue management strategies by integrating market channel utilization, establishing local negotiated rate agreements and utilizing brand resources for revenue management, including packaging and rate plans.

Sceptre implemented a successful social media strategy and identified market segments to target for lower demand periods, as well as opportunities for additional new local negotiated business. The hotel achieved over 140% RevPAR index within the first six months of opening and ranked #1 on TripAdvisor for popularity. The hotel continues to rate highly in performance and guest satisfaction.

To learn how Sceptre can produce significant performance results with your new build call 303.220.2000 or email info@esceptre.com.

• Achieved over 140% RevPAR index within first 6 months of opening
• Hotel is positioned #1 of 9 hotels in the popularity index in TripAdvisor
• Successful implementation of revenue management strategies

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hotel CURRENT

Long Beach, California

Transformed mid-scale chain hotel to a profitable lifestyle boutique property, Sceptre turns lost revenue from de-flagging into an impressive independent property.

The hotel CURRENT became a Sceptre client in November 2009. The hotel was formerly branded as Guesthouse International – a midscale chain with about 60 total properties. The hotel underwent extensive renovation and was repositioned as a lifestyle, boutique property. The hotel CURRENT has lost some business from de-flagging, lack of marketing and was challenged with launching its new identity.

Sceptre helped the hotel team formulate a comprehensive online reputation and aggressive marketing strategy. Sceptre implemented a website booking tool, demand-generated yielding strategies and overall online marketing strategies delivering $27,000 in room revenue in the first three months. The renovation, strong online presence and improved service program continue to minimize any previous negative reviews and increase the frequency and reliability of reviews. Sceptre has produced measurable month-over-month increases in the property’s website bookings.

To learn how Sceptre can produce significant performance results for your hotel, contact 303.220.2000 or email info@esceptre.com.

• Delivered $27,000 in room revenue from new booking engine in first three months
• Generated month-over-month increases in website bookings
• Comprehensive online reputation established in first five months

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Doubletree Hotel El Paso Downtown / City Center

El Paso, Texas

A revitalized downtown El Paso inspired the redevelopment of this Heart of the City property. Revenue management strategies, on-site field operation support, aggressive sales and marketing brought an old El Paso hotel to an impressive RevPAR index of 116%.

The Doubletree Hotel El Paso Downtown / City Center reopened in March 2009. The former International Hotel was completely redeveloped as part of major revitalization of downtown El Paso. The property had no revenue management plan, was not utilizing franchise and brand resources and no strategy for local negotiated rates. A social media plan was not present and sales and marketing needed to build business and group packages as well as create accounts with the local university and military bases.

Quick opening and ramp up to impressive RevPAR performance contributed to improved owner ROIC. The property achieved 100% RevPAR index within the first six months of opening. Sceptre implemented a revenue management plan and operations procedures with cost controls. Working with Sceptre, the property sales and marketing team negotiated strategic rate partnerships with local government and business entities. Sceptre provided on-site support in order to build stronger sales, and improve accounting and human resource processes. Marketing strategies for business and group packages were created. Guest satisfaction improved and the newly renovated hotel experienced year-over-year increases in corporate, national and local segments.

To learn how Sceptre can renovate, manage, and renew your hotel for profitable operation and best-in-class guest satisfaction, call 303.220.2000 or email info@esceptre.com.

• Achieved 100% RevPAR index within the sixth month it was open
• Property leads its competitive set in RevPAR gains in 2010
• Year-over-year increases in corporate, national and local group segments

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