Rosewood Hotels Case Analysis

The Rosewood Hotels was established through the Caroline Rose Hunt Trust Estate in 1979. The Mansion was the first hotel. It opened in Dallas, Texas by Mrs. Hunt. She was the daughter of Texan oil tycoon H.L. Hunt. Since the opening of the Mansion in 1980 several other properties have been opened by the Rosewood Hotels, including the Little Dix Bay in the British Virgin Islands, the Lanesborough in London, and Las Ventanas Al Paraiso in Mexico. The company praises the fact that each property is unique and structured to elegantly reflect the culture of its location. All the hotels are ultra-luxurious residential styled properties. The individualistic quality of each hotel allows Rosewood to stand apart from its competitors, such as the Four Seasons and the Ritz-Carlton, which emphasize on a common culture that is shared across their hotels.

The Rosewood Hotels defines itself as a collection rather than a chain of hotels. It takes immense pride that the properties are uniquely characterized, which is defined as their “Sense of Place” philosophy. This strategy was introduced in the 1990s by the management team to emphasis on the “individual property brand.” The Rosewood Hotels were built as a reflection to “what is unique about the given location,” through architecture, history, culture, and cuisine. The local emphasis of each property influences each hotel from what is on the menu to how the guests are greeted.

As a result of the “Sense of Place” philosophy, during the 1990s there was little focus on the Rosewood name. The logo appeared discreetly on low-profile amenities, such as clothes hangers and stationary, whereas the property name appeared on high-profile amenities, such as bathrobes and phone greetings. Advertising was s...

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...ties are labeled with the property name before the Rosewood logo, such as “The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel.” Other properties and the developing properties are advertised with the Rosewood name first, such as “Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek.”

The modern organization of the Rosewood Hotels is best identified as a corporate structure. It is divided into seven functions: Food and Beverage, Sales and Marketing, Architecture and Design, Human Resources, Purchasing, Finance, Information Technology, and Development and Strategy. The Development and Strategy function is divided by region. The Asia Pacific office is based out Hong Kong, the North America and South America office is based out of Dallas, and the Europe, Middle East, and Africa office is based out of Dubai. The hotels are still independently managed and operated to ensure their distinctive styles (Developers).