This document provides information about Jolly Beach Resort & Spa, a 464 room resort hotel located in Antigua. It discusses the background of entrepreneur Alex Brown, who became involved in the partnership that owns the resort. It describes the industry, products/services offered, historical events of the resort, and current challenges including high maintenance costs, dated rooms, and negative online reviews. Opportunities for the resort include expanding its wellness center services.
2. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgement
Name and descriptionof the venture…………………………………………………………………………………………………....1
Backgroundof entrepreneur……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………2
Characteristicsof entrepreneur……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..3
Originof the venture……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...4
Industryandmarketdescription……………………………………………………………..…………………………………………..5-7
Historical events……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…..8-9
Presentstate of the venture………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10
Challengesandopportunities………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..11
Analytical questions……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….12
Conclusiononfindings………………………………………………………….………………………………………………………….13-14
Reference
3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
It iswitha great sense of profoundgratefulnessandhumblenessItake thisopportunityin
acknowledgmentof the manybenefactorswhohave helpedstirredthisschool base biologyprojectto
completion.
In a special wayI wouldlike tothank the selectedentrepreneurMr.Alex Brown,whohasprovidedme
withsubstantial material andherenthusiasmandsupporttowardsthe project.Despite hisongoingbusy
schedule he remaineddevoted.
In all assigntasks,we alwaysseektohave an anchor,thanksto my dearestuncle ThomasonFrancoisfor
hisevergrowinglove andcommitmenthe executesinmyworkandthe standardthat he wants me to
keep.Hisconstantsupportinresearchingdataand guidance towardsthe projectisunmeasurable.
Have it not beenformy Entrepreneurship lecturerMs.O’Mard innovativenesstothisdeepand
informative interviewreportonmyselected venture,JollyBeachResort,Iwouldnothave hadthis
empoweringexperience.Thisassigntaskhasallowedme toprioritize andundergoresearchandinthe
processstrengthenedmyknowledge base onthe hotel.Iamindeedindebtedtoyou Ms. O’Mard.
4. NAME AND DESCRIPTION OF THE VENTURE
The JollyBeachResort & Spa,isa 464 room resorthotel that ispresentlysituatedon the southwest
coast inthe EasternCaribbeancountryof Antigua. Itsactual locationisinthe St.Mary’s Parish of Bolans
lowerdownfromthe JollyHarbour’scompany.Inthe yearof 1999, the resorthotel whichwasknownas
ClubAntiguabefore waspurchasedbyitscurrentownersandwas establishedasapartnershipfirmever
since. JollyBeachisanentirelyall-inclusivehotel predominantlyinquestof attractingandappealingto
the leisure visitors,includingincentivegroups andtherefore isactivelyinvolvedinthe hospitality
industry,thatisthe tertiaryand tourismindustry. The hotel catersspecificallytoguests thatseek
mediumtolowerhighendpricesandaimsto distinguishitself fromitscompetitorsbyproviding4star
amenitiesthoughthe hotelisrated3 star due to the comparative minutenessof 79% of itsrooms. The
resorthotel is spreadover38 acres and is bordered bya ½ mile of white sandbeach that iswashedby
the CaribbeanSeaand itis the only resortinAntiguato have a cricketpitchon its complex. Ultimately,
JollyBeachResort& Spa derivesthe revenuesfromthe salesof productsandservicesinthe following
categories:Rooms,Foodandbeverages,Conference andmeetings,Watersports,Entertainment,Gift
shopsand premises,PalmsWellnessCentre,andConcessionRentals.
5. 1
BACKGROUND OF ENTREPRENEUR
The entrepreneurthatwasselectedwasAlex Brown.Beforehe became apart of the partnershipinJolly
Beach,he wasactivelyinvolvedinthe educationfieldasaneducatorand ownedhisownbusbusiness.
Therefore Brownislookedatasa portfolioentrepreneurashe isinvolvedin2independentfirmsatthe
same time. InadditionAlex claimedthathe gotinvolvedinthe firmbyluckand by accident. According
to Mr. Brown“ I rememberIwas onthe beachone afternoonandthisguycame up to me.We started
talkingonthe beach andhe askedme whatI didin the evenings,andI’mlike nothing.Thenhe askedme
if I’d care tomaybe do some workwithhim.I meanthisguywas youngand in a piece of shortsandwe
was justrelaxingandIhad no ideathathe was the ownerof a property;andthat iswhenI wentand
startedto workin the businesspart-time.However,mypart-timebusinesswaspayingme more thanmy
full-time jobandIcame to a conclusionwhere Ileftthe educationfieldtobecome more involvedinthe
firm.”
6. 2
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ENTREPRENEUR
Fun- “If it’sone thingaboutbeinganentrepreneuristhatitisverystressful.NeverthelessIstill
try to outlookthe stressful partandtry to have funwithmyworkers and alsodevelopa
relationshipwiththe employeesbecause Iwantthemtobe free totell me anything.”
Risk- taker- “Beinganentrepreneurcallsforbeingarisk-takerasyouare not aware whetheror
not the businesswill succeedorfail.Therefore itisimportantthatentrepreneursdotheir
researchand learnthe marketbefore taking moneyfrominvestorsandalsospendtheirmoney
inhopesof gettingback some inreturn.”
Flexible - “Ihave to flexible because sometimestogetwhere youwantwithoutbreakingthe
law,youhave to be creative andfindwaysaroundproblemsyouhave.Eveninworkhoursand
meetingdeadlinesyouhave tobe able tojuggle ideasquickly.”
Perseverance - “If you’re notwillingtopersevere it’sprettymuchhopeless andevenwhen
people willthinkthatyou’re crazy,youdon’thave to stopbecause literallyyouhave tobe able
to see the lightinthe tunnel whennobodyelseseesit.Thereforeyouhave tobe preservingand
knowingwhatyou’re doingisgoingtobe fruitful inthe end.”
7. 3
ORIGIN OF THE VENTURE (WHY WAS IT STARTED?)
- Financial independence –Mr Brownstatedthat “the ultimate goal of openingthisfirmwasto
make moneybecause youcanthendependonyourself andnoton someone elsetopayyou.
You are yourownboss.”
- To provide all inclusive servicestoguestsatcheapprices – “It was decided thatwe will startthis
firminorder to provide all inclusivepackagesatcheappricesbecause usuallywhenotherhotels
provide these servicestheyare normallyexpensive.”
8. 4
INDUSTRY AND MARKET DESCRIPTION
JollyBeachisinvolvedinthe hospitalityindustrywhichincorporatesthe tourismandtertiaryindustry.
Under the hospitalitysectorthe resorthotel providesaccommodation,taxes,activities, andfoodand
beverage.The foodandbeverage basicallyboosts the guestgeneral experience byofferingexceptional
customerservice anddeliciousmeals, the accommodationsectionseekstoprovide luxurysothatguests
may feel valuedandmayinform othersabouttheirexperience,the activitiesmakesthe stayatthe
resorta memorable one andthe taxesgivesgueststhe opportunitytosave theirmoney.
The firmseeksto offeranenjoyable “jolly” all inclusive vacationtoall leisure visitorsandvaluedfocused
all-inclusive vacationers.Thereforethe firmdoesnothave aspecificdemographicsegment asits
productsand servicesare offeredtoanyandeveryone. Froma consumermarket segmentation
perspective, 4maincategories were created:Byyourself,Families, GroupandCouples.
BenefitSegmentationTable:
SegmentName By Yourself Couples Families Groups
Main
Advantage
Wanted
Soothing
experience
Time to relax,
desire alone time
away from the
children
Need to create
a memorable
moment
Need to
create a
memorable
moment
Demographic
Strengths
Young singles Young, middle-
aged, or older
couples
Families Wide variety
of persons of
all ages
Personality
Traits
Highly sociable Concentrating on
love and being
active
Seeking to
have fun
Focusing on
workor
socialization
Behavioral
Traits
Outgoing and
enjoy being in
a crowd
Seeking a stress-
free experience
without worrying
about children,
focusing on
revitalizing their
marriages
Want to make
kids happy
Normally
busy and
always in and
out of the
hotel
JollyBeachutilizes severalmethodsof marketing includingadvertisements andpublicrelations.
Advertisementisthe hotel’s greatsource of marketingviathe use of tradeshows,massmedia,wordof
mouth,and usingtravel agenciestoensure thatconsumersare beingmade aware of whatthe hotel has
to offer. Additionally,the hotel offers50% off on rooms’ rate.
9. 5
The products andservicesthatthe companyoffersare:
ROOMS
TYPE NUMBER OFROOMS DESCRIPTION
SupersaverOceanview 83 Intimate roomssimilarinsize toa large
cruise shipcabin,one double bedwitha
showeranda balconyorpatio. – Best
suitedforsingles.
StandardOcean View 284 Larger than the supersaverroom.170
roomshave kingsize beds,100 roomshave
twinbedsand14 roomshave triple beds.
Each room has a showeranda balcony. –
Bestsuitedforsinglesorcouples.
QueenSuperiorOceanView 58 All roomswithtwoqueen beds,shower
and bath,balconyand patio.– Bestsuited
for couples,three tofourfriendsand
families.
JuniorSuite OceanView 16 All juniorsuiteshave aseparate livingarea
withkingsize bedswithashowerand
balcony. – Bestsuitedforcouples.
Cottage Suites 2 1 with2 separate suites
Category Type
Other FacilitiesandServices Restaurants(5) Lydia’s,Ustav,Hemispheres,
Bocciolo,CoconutGrill,andAfternoonTea
Bars (5) Caribbean,International,Grill,Indian,
Italian
Pools(2)
CricketCenter
CyberRoom
GamesRoom
PalmsWellnessCentre (Spa,Salon,Gym)
4 tenniscourts
Water SportsCentre
NightlyEntertainment
10. 6
In the marketingindustrythatJollyBeachfollows,thereare many hotelsofferingthe same productsand
services,butsome of themare:
- VerandainSaintPhillip
- CocobayResortin Bolans
- Hermitage Bay inBolans
Belowisa competitiveprofile matrix summarizingthe ratingsof the competitorsandJollyBeach(
takenfromTrip Advisor). The ratingsare as follows:
1. Terrible
2. Poor
3. Average
4. VeryGood
5. Excellent
Ratings JollyBeach Hermitage Bay Verandah Resort Cocobay Resort
Location 4 5 4 5
Sleepquality 3 4 4 4
Rooms 3 4 4 4
Service 3 5 4 4
Value 3 4 4 4
Cleanliness 3 5 4 4
Total 19 27 24 25
As noticed,the JollyBeachhotel isfarbehindthe consumerexpectationsasitwas illustratedintheir
ratingsand the highest competition isexperiencedbyHermitage Baywhichgotan overall ratingof 27.
Therefore thissuggeststhatthe resorthotel mayhave beenobtaininglow profitsorif none atall.
DailyActivities
11. 7
HISTORICALEVENTSIN THE STARTAND EXISTENCEOF THE BUSINESS
The 464-room JollyBeachResortHotel waspurchasedbythe presentownersin1999. The hotel was
openedin1968 a 78-room Holiday Inn.In1979 itwas expandedby384 rooms and was operatedasa
three start all-inclusive propertywith464 rooms.
Priorto the 1999 acquisitionitoperatedasClubAntigua,whichspecializedintargetingvisitorsinthe
lowprice range charters fromthe UnitedKingdom, UnitedStates,Canada,andEurope.These guests
came primarilyon.
The hotel operatedbrieflyin2000 fromJanuaryto June as JollyBeachResort,whichwasthe successor
to ClubAntigua.Inthat same yearof 2000, Simone Roeder,the first guestarrivedtothe resorthotel on
December19th
. Additionally,JollyBeachisthe firstresorthotel thatissolelyownedbyall Antiguans.
In August2000 the hotel wasclosedfora major renovation,whichcostUS15 millionandinvolved
providingairconditioning,telephones,televisions,andradiosforall roomsbuildinga500,000-gallon
fantasypool andgenerallyupgradingandrenovatingall roomsandfacilities.
From January2000 to December31, 2001, the resortoperatedina difficulteconomicenvironmentand
incurredsubstantial losses.InDecember2001 a businessplanwasdesignedandapprovedtoturn
aroundthe JollyBeachResort.The executionof the businessplanin2002 through2006 producedan
average annual compoundedrate of growth,inrevenues,of 22% overthis5 year period.Gross
OperatingProfitimprovedsteadilyoverthisperiodand in2006, the resortwas profitable forthe second
consecutive year.Itmustbe notedthat2005 wasthe firsttime inits historythatthe propertyhad a
positive netincome.
In 2007 and 2008 the hotel showedadecline inrevenuesreflectingincreasedcompetitioninAntigua
and adverse economicconditionsinthe hotel’sprimarymarkets.Consequentlynetlosseswereincurred
inboth years.
Additionally,Jolly Beachstressesthe factof theirsaying“Doas much or as little asyoulike tomake your
stay withusthe perfectall-inclusive androom-onlyvacationexperience.”Tomake theirguestsstayas
12. comfortable andwelcomingaspossible,theyseektoprovide awide varietyof activities everyyear.
Initially,intermsof sports,the hotel developeditsownJollyBeachOlympicsaswell instructorswhowill
teachguestsas to howto playcricket,rounders,andsome more of Antiguanfavourites.Fortunately,the
childrenare notforgottenasthe hotel hasitsownJollyClubs,TeenzClub (13-16) and KidzClub (3-12),
withdayand eveningactivitiescreatedjustforthem. The hotel thenmovesitwaytothe relaxationand
musiccategoryby havingdance classesforguestsseekingtolearncalypsoandreggae moves, andalso
yoga to attainbalance andrelaxation. Inthe evenings,performancesfromCaribbeansteel panbands,
local dance companiesare done,andbon fire featuringlimboandfire show are done.
8
Furthermore, the special occasionscome intoplaywhere the beachhostsaweekof entertainmentand
eventstocelebrate the musicandspectacularcostumesof Carnival inAntiguaduringJulyandAugust.
Duringindependence,the employeesandemployersshare the culture byattiringthemselvesinthe
lovelynational dressshowingoff the true colorsfromOctober27 throughNovember1.Ho, Ho,Ho, the
time to be merryarrives!Santareaches viaboat on the snow white beachat Christmaswhenit’s that
time of year to be ‘JOLLY ’ withthe family andthe hotel hasfun-filledactivitiesfrom December22
throughDecember31. Live bands, boogying, fireworksandthe customary “dive intothe FantasyPool”
occur in the NewYearwitha bigsplashonDecember31st.
13. 9
PRESENT STATE OF THE VENTURE
The firmis ina rebuildingstate atthe moment.Rebuildingsuggeststhatthe firmistryingandseekingto
findcreative andinnovativemethodsof encouragingmore guestsinordertoelevate theirprofitsback
to the way itwas and to escape fromthe currenteconomicsituation. Intermsof the structure of the
building,avastamountof improvementisrequireddue tothe agingof the property.Insituationswhere
there isa lot of rain or whena hurricane mayoccur, the buildingisata disadvantage asthe roofs
possessleakswhichwouldnotbe acomfortable and“jolly”environmentforthe consumers toreside in.
14. 10
MAJOR PRESENT AND FUTURE CHALLENGES AND EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES
Present:
- Highmaintenance cost- the propertyisoldandsimple cosmeticmaintenance whichare
adequate fornewerpropertiesare insufficient tomake significantchangestothe general
appearance of the property;the immediate capital formassrefurbishmentisnotavailableat
the moment
- The rooms are datedandgenerallyfall below guestsexpectations
- Reputationof the firm- negativecommentswerepostedonlinebyTripadvisoradon the online
travel companies
- Notable to buy everythinglocal thatissuppliesandothermaterials aspricesare ridiculous
therefore there isachange incourse whichcausesthe companyto importrequiredmaterials
- No internetaccessinthe rooms
Future:
- Competition fromnew properties
- Emergingmarketssuchas Asia,the Pacific,etcwithlowercostsandprice structures
Opportunities:
- The PalmsWellnessCentre,spa,gym, andbeautysalonoffersfourtreatmentrooms;full salon
and gymwill greatlyassistinaddingvalue toa vacationat the resort.
15. - Increasedprofitabilitythroughcostsavinginitiativessuchas decreased energyconsumptionand
rigidoperationprocedures
- Improvingservice standardsthroughbettertrainingandrecruitment
11
ANALYTICAL QUESTIONS USED
1) What wouldyousayare the top 3 skillsneededtobe asuccessful entrepreneur?
“RiskTaker”
“Market Research”
“Good Location- Most 3 importantthingsincreatingaventure isLocation,Location,
Location”
2) What 3 piecesof advice wouldyougive tocollege studentswhowanttobe become
entrepreneurs?
“Ensure that your businesshas copyright”
“Do the research”
“Neveruse yourownmoney”
3) What sacrificeshave youhadto make to be a successful entrepreneur?
FamilyandFriends
Sports
4) In one wordcharacterize yourlife asan entrepreneur?
Crazy/CertifiedLunatic
5) What kindof culture existsinyourorganization?
There isa huge diversityinthe firm.There are employeesfromdifferentvillagesinthe
firmand differentcountries(Dominica,Guyana,andJamaica) andtheycarry their
cultureswiththem.Thereforethe companyusesthese culturesfromeveryone and
recognizestheirstrengthsinordertoensure the successof the firm.
6) How didyoudecide onthe locationforthe business?
16. “The crystal waterswiththe white sandandthe mile longbeachspellsoutthe name
hotel.”
12
CONCLUSION
To be honest, atfirstmy findingsdidnotmake me feel asif Ishouldhave a positive attitude towards
creatingmy ownventure because:
1) I wouldnotbe able to cope withall the negative commentsbashedatmycompany and also
cope withthe fact that the guestswere notactuallysatisfied.
2) Afterbeingthroughmore than2 yearsinan insecurelyfinancial situation,Iwouldhave come to
a pointwhere Iwould have already givenup
3) It’stoo stressful because if the firmisnotobtainingenoughcapital thenthatmeansthat
employeescannotbe paidwhichwouldfurtherresultindisagreementsandconflicts
4) I wouldbe toocoward too start afterseeingall the competitors
Nevertheless,thoughIdevelopedanegative attitude towardscreatingmyown venture thatdoesnot
meanthat I won’tor can’t give ita shot. I still feltinspiredthatIcan establishmyownfirmbecause Alex
Browntaught me that:
1) Nothinginlife comeseasy
2) You have to accept yourfailuresinordertolearnfromthembecause he doesnothide the faults
of the hotel.He isaware that the conditionof the hotel isnot100% andthat the hotel may fall
belowguestsexpectations,he isnotafraidtosay that the companyis goingthroughroughtimes
rightnow.What I learntfromhim isthat no matterwhatobstaclesor challengesyoumay
encounterinyourentrepreneuriallifestyle,youmustnevergiveupbecause thatmomentyou
choose to give upisthat momentwhensomethingsurprisingmightoccur. Mr. Brownalongwith
the othermanagers is seekingtomake achange and bringJollyBeachto the nextlevel which
17. makesthemgoal orientedandperseveringentrepreneurs.
13
3) You needtobe “crazy” to be an entrepreneuror“certifiedlunatic”ashe claimed. Honestly
speakingthatwasmy favorite learningexperience inthisassessment. Manypeople might
wonderhow beingcrazyas an entrepreneurhelps youinanyway. But I clearlyunderstoodwhat
Mr. Brownwas suggesting,entrepreneursare crazybecause it onlytakesan individual whois
not normal to go throughso manytravailsandstill be able tocompose somethingoutof
nothing- youmaycall it creative orperseverance buthe identifiesthispersonalityascrazy.
Anotherpointthathe mentionedwasthatinorderto be able tocope withall typesof
employeesisnoteasyastheycan be veryannoyingandtroublesomeattimes.Itdoesnottake
anyone tobe able toachieve thisgoal of “craziness”as manyentrepreneurscannotdeal with
agitatingemployeesandimmediatelygetridof them if theypushtheirluck.
Ultimately,Icanfairlysaythat indeedIhave beeninspiredbythisentrepreneurandeventhoughImay
have developedanegative attitude towardsentrepreneurship,Icanproudlysaythat my level of
inspirationhasdefinitelyoutweighedmy frighttowardscreatingmyownfirm.