The Castleknock Hotel and Country is one of five hotels that make up the FBD Hotel Group. Located in the scenic setting behind Castleknock village, the hotel brings a unique and peaceful country setting to their guests and patrons while the city centre of Dublin is located only fifteen minutes away. Opened in 2005, The Castleknock Hotel has continued to grow in capacity through tough economic condition to emerge as a leading hotel in Dublin. Rated four stars by AA, Castleknock Hotel was awarded the very prestigious Irish Hotel of the Year award for the year 2013/2014 by AA to further enhance the company belief that they are a leading hotel in Ireland. As a result of this constantly growing reputation, FBD Hotel Group recently announced a €6 Million euro investment in renovations and extensions to the hotel. 

The Castleknock Hotel is seen as one of the most popular hosts of receptions for couples on their wedding day. Their capacity to host any size wedding from 20 guests to 300 guests providing exceptional guest service. Over the course of time, the hotel has developed marketing strategy and various levels of packages for potential weddings. Ranging from the classic package to the gold package, the wedding couple can choose the level and personalise the reception with their own touches. 

For hotels, the concept of “peak season” is one which provides their greatest challenge. Trying to maintain a strong level of business during the year is hugely important to the success of the hotel and ensuring a reputation is built amongst their guests. For Castleknock Hotel, a real marketing issue and challenge is trying the sell their wedding packages in the “off season”. The “off season” is generally believed to be the months of October, November, January and February. Maintaining a peak level of business is essential for the hotel. 

Taking into consideration all aspects mentioned above, the marketing issue which has been identified is how best approach selling wedding packages during the “off season” of the hotel and how to attract guests during this time. 

To present data, an understanding of wedding seasons is essential to a successful project. It is my intention to gather primary information in this area by conducting qualitative in depth face to face interviews with some members of the marketing team and members of the Weddings, Conference and Banqueting section. I plan to interview Andrew Kavanagh, Head of Marketing with the Castleknock Hotel to gain an understanding of the marketing challenges of the past and present and what he feels the strategy is for the future. Andrew has been with the hotel since 2005 so can provide an excellent source of information. I intend to conduct interviews with Simon Cummins and Elena Brunton who are both assistant managers of the Weddings, Conference and Banqueting section to gain an understanding of the Castleknock Hotel wedding package and what makes them unique to other hotels. Both Simon and Elena work hands on in the area of weddings, their expertise will be hugely beneficial in developing an understanding of weddings.

The use of surveys and quantitative data can provide an excellent forecasting tool when assessing future options for business. I hopefully intend to speak to potential wedding couples at regular showings in the hotel to gather a sense of what they are looking for in their day and why they chose their specific date. I would also like to ask these couples questions about a potential wedding during the “off season” if it meant a financial saving or if they could avail of any deals or packages the hotel may offer as a result. Conducting these surveys and conversations may possibly not be an option, if this proves to be the case, I will speak to Andrew Kavanagh about his experience and what he feels is important to the couples and guests on their wedding day. Another option which I feel could really help in gaining a quantitative source of information is the use of email, by emailing potential customers, it allows them to answer in their own time and allow us to calculate figures in a period of time.

I also believe that speaking to previous couples, especially those who I have a personal relationship with and asking them about their day would provide an excellent source of quantitative information and allow myself to potentially draw conclusions on what is important and what should be avoided from the hotel point of view when developing future packages and marketing plans.

There are a number of secondary sources available to read and gather information from, the CSO figures of marriage would allow us to scale the market and numbers. Opinion magazines in the areas of weddings would also give us a real sense of trend and what couples are looking for today, it is my intention to use these sources to find the trends developing in weddings today.

‘Taking into consideration all aspects mentioned above, the marketing issue which has been identified is how best approach selling wedding packages during the “off season” of the hotel and how to attract guests during this time’. 

 

You need to state what your research objective is, e.g. ‘Assess the options for promoting wedding packages during off peak season’ or ‘Assess options for increasing numbers of guests during off peak times’ – these seem to be two different research issues.  Alternatively it could be ‘How can xx  increase its business during off-peak times? ’ with weddings and attracting guests as two sub-objectives?

 

You need to clarify this first. Your proposed research design and potential questions is unclear as a result.  You need to review slides and text book regarding research design and objectives.

Feedback much appreciated, I have taking the guidance and identified a research objective which will be of significance to the project and benefit to the hotel.

The Castleknock Hotel and Country is one of five hotels that make up the FBD Hotel Group. Located in the scenic setting behind Castleknock village, the hotel brings a unique and peaceful country setting to their guests and patrons while the city centre of Dublin is located only fifteen minutes away. Opened in 2005, The Castleknock Hotel has continued to grow in capacity through tough economic condition to emerge as a leading hotel in Dublin. Rated four stars by AA, Castleknock Hotel was awarded the very prestigious Irish Hotel of the Year award for the year 2013/2014 by AA to further enhance the company belief that they are a leading hotel in Ireland. As a result of this constantly growing reputation, FBD Hotel Group recently announced a €6 Million euro investment in renovations and extensions to the hotel. 

The Castleknock Hotel is seen as one of the most popular hosts of receptions for couples on their wedding day. Their capacity to host any size wedding from 20 guests to 300 guests providing exceptional guest service. Over the course of time, the hotel has developed marketing strategy and various levels of packages for potential weddings. Ranging from the classic package to the gold package, the wedding couple can choose the level and personalise the reception with their own touches. 

With a recovering economy, people and more specifically potential wedding couples have some more discretionary income which they may want to spend. Weddings are a fashion and it is of huge importance that the hotel have a grasp of the latest trends in weddings. This is a major challenge as competition in the industry is high. An example of strong competition in this industry is foreign wedding packages which can be cheaper and also can nearly guarantee strong weather.   

For hotels, the concept of “peak season” is one which provides their greatest challenge. Trying to maintain a strong level of business during the year is hugely important to the success of the hotel and ensuring a reputation is built amongst their guests. For Castleknock Hotel, a real marketing issue and challenge is trying the sell their wedding packages in the “off season”. The “off season” is generally believed to be the months of October, November, January and February. Maintaining a peak level of business is essential for the hotel. 

Taking into consideration all aspects mentioned above, the marketing issue which has been identified is how best approach selling and advertising of wedding packages during the “off season” of the hotel. The target group of the research is potential wedding couples, to identify their taste will enable us to draw conclusion and address the issue on the reasons why couples are reluctant to have weddings during the “off season”.  This is the major issue which has to be researched for the client company Castleknock Hotel.

I believe that this Practical Market Research Project will be a success if I can present information, customer views, opinions and surveyed data to the marketing team of the Castleknock Hotel to achieve the research objective the hotel “off season”.

To present data, an understanding of wedding seasons is essential to a successful project. It is my intention to gather primary information in this area by conducting qualitative in depth face to face interviews with some members of the marketing team and members of the Weddings, Conference and Banqueting section. I plan to interview Andrew Kavanagh, Head of Marketing with the Castleknock Hotel to gain an understanding of the marketing challenges of the past and present and what he feels the strategy is for the future. Andrew has been with the hotel since 2005 so can provide an excellent source of information. I intend to conduct interviews with Simon Cummins and Elena Brunton who are both assistant managers of the Weddings, Conference and Banqueting section to gain an understanding of the Castleknock Hotel wedding package and what makes them unique to other hotels. Both Simon and Elena work hands on in the area of weddings, their expertise will be hugely beneficial in developing an understanding of weddings and current trends which they have noticed in recent times.

Upon gaining an understanding of the wedding trend, the next phase of the research objective is to collect quantitative information to show trends and the aspects of weddings which are important. These aspects vary from quality of food and service, financial savings to be made on rooms, and personalised perks such as toast drinks, bar extensions etc. I intend to survey potential wedding couples at regular showings in the hotel to gather a sense of what they are looking for in their day and why they chose their specific date. A further use of short online survey will also be used. I would also like to ask these couples questions about a potential wedding during the “off season” if it meant a financial saving or if they could avail of any deals or packages the hotel may offer as a result. I will speak to Andrew Kavanagh about his experience and what he feels is important to the couples and guests on their wedding day. Another option which I feel could really help in gaining a quantitative source of information is the use of email, by emailing potential customers, it allows them to answer in their own time and allow us to calculate figures in a period of time.

Having surveyed potential couples, I also believe that speaking to previous couples, especially those who I have a personal relationship with and asking them about their day would provide an excellent source of quantitative information. To find a crossing of trends or identify new moving trends from a comparison of information will be helpful in satisfying the research brief of identifying what type of promotion or deals could attract potential wedding couples to the “off season”. 

There are a number of secondary sources available to read and gather information from, the CSO figures of marriage would allow us to scale the market and numbers. Opinion magazines in the areas of weddings would also give us a real sense of trend and what couples are looking for today, it is my intention to use these sources to find the trends developing in weddings today

Following the Yes vote on the same sex marriage referendum on the 22nd May 2015, Ireland legalised gay marriage by popular vote. In 2015, 91 same sex marriages occurred in 2015. This number will grow in future years which will open up further opportunity to the hotel business. 

The average age of people getting married in Ireland is now at its highest, the average age of men getting married is now 35 years of age and the average age of women getting married is now 33. This would indicate that people are now concentrating on establishing themselves in terms of a career before getting married. This would indicate that more money may be available to those who are getting married. 

In a final piece of information from the Central Statistics Office, over a quarter if marriages occurred in the months of July and August. January was the most unpopular month for marriages as only 3% of marriages took place in January. This further supports the claim that the “off season” of November, January and February is proving to be tough for the hotel industry. Through this research, it is aimed to find reasons why it is unappealing and also how it can be made more appealing. 

The Irish Wedding Survey 2015 sponsored by Faithlegg Hotel and Resort drew concluding results on the costs which are going into Irish weddings in 2015. The average cost of an Irish wedding was €19,600 and with a honeymoon cost incorporated it reached €24,700 euro. The venue cost averaged at €10,000. To make the off season of the hotel industry more appealing, this cost could be reduced in an effort to attract those who may be priced out of a large wedding reception. Developing new packages could reduce price and attract business in the off season. The survey has also revealed that the average spend on the wedding meal is €42 to €60. This could allow a development of packages which are more expensive then €60 and a less than €42 to open up business to a host of new entrants. By increasing demand due to a lower price, weddings may become more attractive in the “off season”

Country settings have grown in popularity in recent years, 19% of weddings were in country manors and settings. Castleknock Hotel has a unique location of being just outside the city centre but located in a tranquil place. This is an evident growing trend, Castleknock can capture this trend and grow their business as a result.

To develop an understanding of current wedding trends and the industry of weddings, it is important to interview and gather knowledge from those within the industry. I have scheduled some in depth 1 on 1 interviews with some senior staff within the Castleknock Hotel. Through connections within the Castleknock Hotel, this has become possible. 

Within the Castleknock Hotel, an extensive team and numbers of sections exist. The Conference, Banqueting and Weddings team has over 45 staff. Simon Cummins and Elena Bruton are both Assistant managers of the team and senior members of staff. Their experience and daily work within the weddings section of the hotel means they have extensive knowledge of the industry. Their interviews will prove most valuable in gathering a sense of what makes a successful wedding, what attracts couples to the hotel and how the industry is changing. 

Simon Cummins was interviewed on the 21st November 2016 in the Castleknock Hotel. Prior to the interview, a plan and direction of the interview was made. This allowed the interviewer to focus on specific aspects of the wedding industry. Simon spoke of how busy Castleknock was during the summer period and upcoming festive period. He agreed that the “off season” is an area of concern for the hotel. 

The interview of Elena Brunton is scheduled to take place on the 2nd December 2016 in the Castleknock Hotel. Elena is assistant manager of the Conference, Banqueting and Weddings section. Elena works hands on with the bridal party, her personal interactions with the bridal party will be an excellent supply of knowledge for this primary research. 

Andrew Kavanagh is a sales and marketing executive within the Castleknock Hotel. Andrew has over 20 years of experience in the sales and marketing aspect of weddings. His in touch knowledge will be an excellent source of trends and fashion within the wedding industry. He may also present some information on the type of current costs in the packages the hotel offer. This is the direction in which his interview will be focused on. Andrew’s interview will be scheduled for the 6th December in the Castleknock Hotel.

The focus of the interview was to be directed in this area, to ensure this, a plan of questions was designed prior to the interview which was essential to gather the correct amount of information. 

Q1 Can you tell us about the summer months of the Castleknock Hotel, with particular focus on weddings? 

Q2 Can you tell us about the “off season” of the Castleknock Hotel? 

Q3 Do you think there are concrete reasons why the summer months are important to guests when choosing wedding dates? 

Q4 Do you feel there are reasons why couples avoid the off season?

Q5 Are the many weddings during the festive season? 

Q6 Do you think that there are opportunities or ideas which could be used to attract couples to host receptions during the off season? 

Q7 Financially are weddings perhaps becoming more expensive given the importance of the day? 

Q8 Do you feel that young couples are being priced out of having large wedding receptions? 

Q9 Would you feel that financial savings are important to a couple when deciding a venue? 

 

Q1 “The past summer just gone by in the Castleknock Hotel was an exceptionally busy period for the hotel. We had hotels on most Fridays and Saturdays which was a great reflection of our capability when delivering these packages. We had a host of weddings from very basic set ups to those with exceptionally finer detail. We find that the weddings numbers slowly creep back down towards 1 a week in the September period with sometimes no weddings happening which is a reflection of how attractive the summer months are to couples” 

Q2 “For Castleknock Hotel, in the “off season” in recent years we have had a small number of corporate events which result in good business for the hotel but we couldn’t compare this to the busy summer season. Wedding numbers are very low during the period of January and February” 

Q3 “In my opinion, the importance of a hot and sunny day is quite important to couples in choosing their wedding dates giving the easily shared photos which appear everywhere and anywhere in social media. A nice day will make for good photo memories and summer offers the best possible chance of this. Summer also is the time of year when a majority of people have time to take off from work and other commitments which makes it easy to attend weddings.”

Q4 “I feel that the off season, especially January is avoided with financial reasoning in mind. The festive season can be a seriously strong financial burden for couples these days. I strongly believe that couples do not want to place financial pressure on their guests by having a wedding directly after such an expensive period of the time of the year”

Q5 For us, we specialise in company Christmas parties at this time of the year but from the 27th December till New Year’s Day, there will be weddings in the hotel. This days are considered an easy date to market because of their close proximity to New Years. We have some weddings but they are the days after Christmas”

Q6 “I feel financially, packages could be designed to offer more value for money. It is in our interest to attract business at this time. We have suites, an award winning restaurant and a full spa to avail of in this hotel, building these into wedding packages would be very attractive to potential couples especially those who don’t view a summer date as important in choosing their date. This would offer a diverse choice which is only good for business in my opinion” 

Q7 “Weddings are expensive, couples are choosing to add more and more creativity in their weddings at the moment. On top of that, honeymoons are added cost which must be factored in when calculating cost” 

Q8” I think those who are ill informed are priced out of a large wedding reception, I think if a couple wants a large wedding reception, the options are there such as the “off season” or a less expensive cost per head on the meal. I feel there is a package suitable for everyone” 

Q9” I don’t think this is the ultimate deciding factor in the choice of venue, but it is certainly a tool which we can use to influence couples when deciding if they are going to use the Castleknock Hotel or not. Weddings are expensive, they can cost in excess of €25,000 euro in some cases, if we can reduce that cost along with our venue which I have strong belief in, then I feel we can use financial savings to our benefits” 

This survey will be done through use of the survey monkey online app, the link to this survey will be distributed through channels such as WhatsApp and Viber to ensure a fast and calculated response. WhatsApp is advantageous due the instant nature of the message delivery. 

It is also the intention of the researcher to survey a number of past wedding couples. The strongest reason for this is to compare current trends with past trends to see if there are noticeable differences in weddings. This survey will be constructed with the focus directed on past features of weddings and costs. This will hopefully show the difference in the cost of weddings from different times. 

This survey will be compiled with the survey monkey online application and distributed through channels such as WhatsApp and Viber.

As a result, surveys have not been distributed as there are awaiting completion which is sure to happen in the very close future. These will be distributed as soon as completion has been made. The surveys will focus on the areas of trends and costs from potential wedding couples and a number of married couples which will allow a comparison to be made. 

Of the scheduled three interviews which have been made to take place, only 1 has been concluded, with Simon Cummins. The other two interviews are scheduled to take place in early December. This has limited the potential primary research, but having the interviews scheduled means that a structured approach on time and planning can be made. It was not possible to schedule interviews of both Elena and Andrew before this time. 

After compiling a pilot questionnaire on the areas of weddings, it was distributed amongst close personal individuals to the researcher to gain feedback and thoughts. While it covered some areas of the research objective, it required the addition of some questions to cover certain areas regarding seasonal aspects of weddings. This quantitative survey which will be the source of statistical conclusions, has not been sufficiently completed to draw conclusions. This survey will be distributed in the coming weeks to potential wedding couples and individuals with an interest in this industry to identify trends. 

Addressing these limitations is important to achieving the research objective as it means a plan can be developed to progress this research further through qualitative and quantitative research.

The legalisation of same sex marriage in Ireland by popular vote means that marriages will likely increase further. This will open new couples to the hotel for potential weddings. It can be concluded at this stage that this already large industry is going to become larger as a result of this legalisation of same sex marriage. 

An encouraging development for the Castleknock Hotel is the growing trend of weddings occurring in country settings. The Irish Weddings Survey of 2015 found that 19% of weddings were in country settings and manors. This is a growing trend amongst new couples, for Castleknock, their scenic location outside of the city is one which is appealing to new couples. This is an excellent marketing opportunity for the hotel. 

From the in depth interview of Simon Cummins, he further supported the idea of summer months being most popular for weddings. He mentioned that it is his belief that having a chance of a hot and sunny day is a big factor in couples choosing wedding dates in the summer even if it proves to be more expensive. He also mentioned that foreign weddings which can nearly guarantee hot weather are proving to be major competition for Castleknock Hotel. In his opinion, Simon sees the average wedding number of 140-160 for guest numbers. He feels that 200+ guests is a large wedding and certainly doesn’t occur as much as people may believe. Knowing average number of guests will allow the hotel to design specific wedding package for that number and allocate funds to advertising these. 

From this initial research, there are some recommendations that the hotel can avail of, the scenic setting must be marketed to potential couples as this is a new and upcoming trend in Irish weddings, this scenic setting is unique to a few hotels and Castleknock Hotel are one of these hotels. 

It appears that the wedding numbers slow down dramatically in January and February, developing new packages with new aspects such as restaurant meals or spa treatments may bring new couples to the hotel. 

For same sex marriages which may require a ceremony room, Castleknock Hotel should have a range of numerical packages available to attract these type of wedding. These weddings would be worth more money to the hotel as they require ceremony rooms.