As observers of the “Beach” portal note, their logic is quite transparent: if you’ve fallen for, say, the Sheraton in Germany, then in Egypt you’ll want to stay only at the Sheraton. And indeed, that’s usually how it happens. There is, however, another side to the coin, not obvious to the client: it’s easier to manage three identical business properties, and in the end, the income from them is more substantial. But today we won’t talk about business. We’re going on vacation, aren’t we?
Reputation and National Vacation
Usually the very concept of a “chain” implies hotels scattered across the country (or even better, across the world) from three to five stars under one name. Sometimes, however, a local “address” is added to a well-known brand, for example, not just Sheraton, but Sheraton Fiji Resort – so that everyone immediately understands that the hotel is located on the island of Fiji.
Chain hotels are united by common operating principles: pricing policy and stylistic features. For example, Hilton focuses mainly on a business clientele, so you can always find an “executive suite” there, that is, a room with a desk and a fully equipped set of office equipment – so that the guest does not have the problem of where to buy a cartridge. The Spanish chain Sol Melia, which, incidentally, operates not only in Spain but also in all Spanish-speaking countries (for example, in the Caribbean), offers democratic recreation for young people. Hotels in the chain typically have strong animation teams and service on an “all-inclusive” or “full board” basis. And Holiday Inn in all countries of the world provides its guests with inexpensive rooms where every millimeter is thought out from a practical point of view, as well as (necessarily) quick access to a nearby airport.
Hotels focus not only on the financial level of their clients but also on their national affiliation. For example, in Iber Hotel, German is considered the common language (although it is clear that English is also in use). And Club Med, originally French but long since spread around the world, carefully preserves French as its corporate language.
Many hotels make their distinctive feature their appearance. For example, the Sofitel chain has a clear hint of the East: colorful bedspreads in rooms, Moroccan balconies, etc. A Marriott chain hotel, no matter which beach resort it is built on, still looks like an office building of a big city. And the hotels of the Turkish chain WOW (World of Wonders) decided to exactly copy the architecture of the seven most amazing buildings in the world: one of their hotels is the spitting image of a Turkish sultan’s palace, another – of the Kremlin.
Otherwise, each hotel operates in its own way, depending on the specific country and local mentality. The chain has one owner, but managers and employees in each country are, as a rule, locals with their own “samovar.”
Big Brother
The world’s five-star hotel chains – Hilton, Hyatt, Redisson, Marriott, etc. – usually target the most demanding audience. These are expensive hotels for those who care about the Name (“Where are you staying?” – “Naturally, at the Hilton. I always stay only there”), and for those who are not ready to endlessly study catalogs in search of a hotel for a business trip or vacation. Why study? A Hilton is a Hilton even in Africa. Moreover, initially the hotels of these chains were built only in big cities, and only in the last decade have they “descended” onto beach resorts.
But you won’t always find them on beaches. For example, Sheraton has opened hotels in Turkey, but they are located exclusively in urban areas. With high prices and a limited set of “democratic” services (i.e., all-inclusive systems, mini-clubs, etc.), global chains cut off the audience that is not the most attractive to them. Sheraton and Marriott hotels, even at Egyptian resorts (where half board and all inclusive flourish), offer only breakfasts as the basic meal option. And why not? Status demands: a true VIP dines during a business meeting with a foreign partner and sups at an expensive restaurant. It’s better not to say the word “animation” in the presence of the staff of such hotels. And a gaggle of screaming toddlers will be looked at askance. The price includes only a minimal set of services – and this emphasizes that the client is free to choose what to pay for and what not. Here, the focus is on polished service, luxury, and tranquility. In the evenings, live music is sure to play in the lobby (most often classical or jazz), towels are never twisted into swans and laid on the bed, and the ordered juice is served of the highest quality.
Interestingly, even in the low season, global chains of this level do not pamper potential clients with accommodation discounts – it is believed that a discount of $50-100 will do nothing for a rich person. A regular customer is another matter. And if a person directly books rooms in hotels of the same chain, they are often issued a frequent-guest card that entitles them to discounts and various additional services.
It is not easy to distinguish one prestigious chain from another: they often copy the service features of their competitors. Experienced travelers try to find differences (for example, they say that breakfasts at Le Meridien hotels are tastier and more substantial than at Radisson). In general, in such hotels you immediately feel like a VIP, even if this role is not quite to your taste or within your budget.
Local Family
Looking at the success of global chains, hoteliers increasingly began to create national chains - that is, within a single country. Such hotels may also target affluent clients, but as a rule they are geared toward a relaxed and more democratic holiday. For example, the Turkish chains Rixos and the still tiny Amara target VIP clients, but at the same time they try to include as many services as possible in the price of accommodation - so as not to annoy guests with a bill for every glass of wine. Here you have round-the-clock meals, expensive spirits included in the price, and a truly huge list of free sports and entertainment. Alongside this, instead of the usual buffet, a guest can go to a la carte restaurant and have a pleasant time, paying only for exclusive wines.
But overall, national chains are distinguished by a "folksy" character, such as in the Egyptian hotels Sun Rise or the Turkish IC. In beach countries, they all feed guests three times a day, and in some places, besides the buffet, you can order your favorite breakfast from the chef (despite the fact that there are hundreds of dishes of every kind laid out around you). And the chef, in order to uphold the hotel's reputation, must be able to prepare all conceivable and inconceivable dishes. For example, in one of the Universal chain's hotels in the Maldives, some Englishman wanted to eat a Spanish omelet. And what do you think? The chef didn't even ask again, but immediately threw the necessary ingredients into the frying pan, and - the omelet was ready.
National chains try not only to feed guests well, but also to entertain them skillfully. That is why beach chain hotels at mass resorts usually have strong animation teams. Here you have water aerobics in the morning, belly dancing after lunch, and strong evening entertainment programs. You can even sign up for English or even Turkish language courses at the hotel. For children, there is accordingly their own animation: every self-respecting hotel must have a mini-club where a nanny-educator (usually of Romanian, Polish, or even Russian origin) teaches the little ones modeling, drawing, and various sports games. And she does this, as a rule, in the child's native language.
But in Sol Melia in Croatia there is no division into children and adults, and toward evening Snow Whites with dwarfs, Snow Queens, and other cartoon-book characters begin to come out to the café tables, telling fairy tales to everyone, and in English (!) of all things.
There are other service features as well. For example, in Egypt, at the local chains Azur and Sun Rise, among other things, you will also get a free massage or a stylish haircut. At the same time, the policy of the same Sun Rise is to adhere strictly to a four-star level. Tourists have long recognized that the hotels deserve a better rating, but the owner seems not to care.
This does not mean, however, that in non-chain hotels you will encounter poor service, inferior food, or weak animation. It is simply that an individual hotel can be either good or bad, and if you have not received recommendations about it in advance, you may run into surprises. With chain hotels it is simpler. "Black sheep" are unacceptable there, because one bad hotel - and the client feels antipathy toward all the hotels in the chain.
In parting, an anecdote. A tourist had vacationed in Turkey for a long time, and always in hotels of the same chain. But after about six years, for some reason he decided to change his "orientation" and went to Croatia, where his favorite chain did not exist. With a heavy heart, the hotel fan agreed to stay in a "four-star" hotel, roughly equivalent to the Turkish one. However, after 10 days, at the airport, in complete emotional distress, he told all departing tourists that he would rather go back to Turkey, but to a proven hotel, because here (oh, horror!) they had never even once offered him champagne in his room!