Conclusion

This blog is made for the NHTV SummerCourse assignment of 2009. The assignment is to choose a real American concept and analyze whether the concept will work in the Netherlands or not. We chose super 8 motel as our concept because we can add and compare our own experiences to the project, since we are staying at a super 8 motel during our time in Tempe.

We started doing research on the internet. Following, we contacted Super 8 Mesa and we held and interview with the manager, Jeff Burge. This way we tried to get the answers on our main question and subquestions. During the interview we got a better image of the Super 8 concept.

Super 8 is all about giving good service and quality to the customers. They are trying to be more as a hotel instead of a motel. However super 8 will maintain their 8 points promise, so the customers will know what they can expect at super 8. To keep up with the competition super 8 has introduced a new prototype guestroom to attract younger customers. The new customers are younger and stay in super 8 accommodations more for leisure, instead of business. They expect more modern amenities. However, this does not mean that business guests are no longer part of the target group of super 8, just that a new group has been introduced. Also, the customers of each Super 8 motel vary according to location. Moreover, customer service is very important to super 8, and they are well treated. However, due to poor promotion, potential clients are not reached, according to Jeff Burge.

To come back to the main question: “Is the super 8 concept applicable on the Dutch market?”
In our opinion, the concept will not work on the Dutch market. Super 8 is not a unique concept on the Dutch market, because it has too many similarities with Dutch hotel chains such as Van Der Valk. There is no target group for super 8 in the Netherlands, since the country is too small to be used as a transit accommodation. Dutch business guests expect somewhat more luxurious facilities, and will stay at hotels where dinner is included and they can rent a convention room. Also, the super 8 concept is probably too simple for Dutch leisure customers, since they are more demanding than American customers.

In our experience, the American super 8 customer service is friendlier, although this might come across as ‘fake’, because the Dutch are very down to earth.