The Independente Hostel & Suites, understanding what moves its customers

Abstract

This thesis is about the marketing strategy of a Portuguese company, which emerged recently through the personal and professional experience of four brothers. The case study is about the Independente Hostel & Suites, that entered the local accommodation market in September 2011 and is currently exploring two alternatives growth strategies. By understanding what motivates and moves its customers, the general manager of the Independente, Duarte d’ Eça Leal, has to choose the best strategy to follow in order to ensure the biggest possible growth of the business. After the case study, the dissertation presents the Teaching Note chapter, which is divided in two main parts. The first one is the literature review that includes relevant theory and frames useful to develop the case study’s analysis. Secondly, the chapter presents an analysis of the case, through the formulation of questions and the respective answers to each one of them. Still in the second part, there are given suggestions for the company’s future expansion strategy, which are based on several factors. Finishing the case study analysis, it could be concluded that the hostel premium segment option would be the best strategy to follow in order to reach a considerable business growth. This strategy will allow the business to meet customers needs and expectations and consequently to reach a wider market. This option will also make the company more profitable than maintaining the company’s current hostel model – hostel upper market.

Date of Award	23 Feb 2015
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Paulo Alexandre Gonçalves Marcos (Supervisor) & João Borges Assunção (Supervisor)