Design, Art and Theatre in Hilton Hotels

This report highlights how Hilton Hotels uses design, art, and theatre to enhance guest experience and gain competitive advantage. It discusses the various entertainment services offered by Hilton Hotels, such as musical events, local events, and movie events. The report also explores the impact of these services on guest experience and profitability. Hilton Hotels is known for its unique brand of entertainment services and innovative designs.

Running head: DESIGN, ART AND THEATRE IN HILTON HOTELS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report intends to highlight the manner in which the usage of art, design and different
kinds of theatrical performances enhance the aspect of guest experience in the particular
context of Hilton Hotels. The report begins by offering a brief background information of the
Hilton Hotel and the kind of services that they offer. The report next discusses the manner in
which the concerned hotel chain takes the help of arts, designs and theatrical performances in
the particular context of the musical events, local events, movie events, “Sleep Amongst
Botanics” and other similar initiatives taken by the hotel. The report finally concludes by how
these entertainment services offered by the concerned hotel have enhanced the experience of
the guests and thereby enabled it to earn a higher amount of profitability. It is seen that these
services have helped the hotel to attain competitive advantage within the highly competitive
hospitality industry.

2DESIGN, ART AND THEATRE IN HILTON HOTELS
Introduction
As opined by Ellis et al. (2019), the hospitality industry in the present times had
undergone a substantial amount of transformation because of the commercialisation of the
services offered by them (p.117). Cheng et al. (2018) are of the viewpoint that the different
hotels and resorts are increasingly resorting to the usage of different kinds of entertainment
events so as to enhance the experience as well as satisfaction level of the guests (p.198). This
is important because of the fact that the financial returns or the profitability earned by the
different hotels or firms greatly depend on the kind of kind of services and also entertainment
options that they offer to the guests (Secchi, Roth and Verma 2018, p.157). For example,
hotels like Hilton, J.M. Marriott and others are actively taking the help of different kinds of
arts, theatre and other kinds of events for enhancing the experience of the guests during their
stay at the concerned hotels which in turn had enabled them to earn the loyalty as well as the
satisfaction of the guests in a significant manner. This in turn had not only significantly
enhanced the amount of financial returns earned by them but at the same time had helped
them to gain competitive advantage within the hospitality industry as well. This report will
analyse the impact of arts, theatre and design on the entity of guest experience in the
particular context of Hilton Hotels, Australia.
Overview of Hilton Hotel
Hilton Hotel, founded by Conrad Hilton in 1919 and headquartered in Virginia, USA,
is one of the most popular hotel and resort chains of the world (Hilton.com 2019). Presently,
the hotel is called by the name of “Hilton Hotels & Resorts” and specialises in offering a
wide range of hospitality services to the guests from all the over the world (Hilton.com
2019). More importantly, taking the help of the process of globalisation, the concerned hotel
chain had expanded its business into the different nations of the world and as a matter of fact

3DESIGN, ART AND THEATRE IN HILTON HOTELS
that the hotel chain under discussion here presently has more than 570 hotels and resorts in
around 85 nations of the world (Hilton.com 2019). One of the major reasons for the
unprecedented growth attained by the hotel chain under discussion here can be attributed to
the fact that the concerned hotel apart from offering traditional hospitality services to the
guests also offers a plethora of entertainment services to the guests as well during their stay at
the concerned hotels (Hilton.com 2019). More importantly, these entertainment services
which often involve design events, art events, theatrical performances, live music, celebrity
appearances and others have been much appreciated by the guests over the years and thereby
had enabled the concerned hotel chain to attain a unique position with the hospitality industry
as the hotel which apart from the hospitality needs of the guests also takes into account their
entertainment needs as well (Hilton.com 2019). This in turn had enabled the concerned hotel
chain to attain competitive advantage within the hospitality industry and also helped to gain a
higher amount of profitability in comparison to the other hotels and resorts.
Use of design, art and theatre in Hilton Hotels
Ali, Amin and Cobanoglu (2016) have stated that the business prospects of a hotel or
for that matter of the firms belonging to the hospitality industry greatly depends not only on
the kind of hospitality services that they offer but also on the kind of entertainment services
that they offer to the guests (p.471). As opined by Wang et al. (2018), this can be explained
on the basis of the fact that the entertainment industry is directly related to the hospitality
industry and the guests during their stay at the hotels or the resorts like to get some sort of
entertainment which is likely to make their stay at the hotel or the resort a memorable or a
remarkable one (p.171). More importantly, the guests during their stay at the resorts or the
hotels like to get away from the mundane or the routine life that they normally lead and it is
precisely here that the different kinds of entertainment events organised by the hotels or the
resorts become important (Tang et al. 2018, p.391). Furthermore, the hotels or firms also

4DESIGN, ART AND THEATRE IN HILTON HOTELS
have the opportunity to earn a higher amount of profitability by undergoing collaborations
with the entertainment service providers like artists, dramatists and others (Ellis et al. 2019,
p.114). In this regard, the Hilton Hotel is an important one since it is seen that the concerned
hotel organises on a regular basis different kinds of entertainment events so as to elevate the
experience of the guests during their stay at the concerned hotel.
Hilton Hotels over the years have developed their own unique brand of entertainment
services which although different from hotel to hotel and also from nation to nation yet are in
synchronicity with the needs or the requirements of the guests who opt for the hospitality
services offered by them (Hilton.com 2019). For example, the local community events that
the hotel chain regularly organises in its different hotels which not only highlight the cultural
traditions as well as the way of life of the local people but at the same time offer the much-
needed entertainment to the guests as well are a great source of entertainment for the guests
(Hilton.com 2019). The different kinds of cultural events, food events, boutique events and
others which the hotel chain regularly organises belongs to this category (Hilton.com 2019).
This is in complete contrast to the guest services or hospitality services offered by the hotel
chain Marriott Hotels, which focuses on maintain a professional environment within their
hotels and this in turn had significantly affected the profitability of the concerned hotel chain
in the present times (Getz and Page 2016, p.161).
Another important initiative of the concerned hotel chain in this regard to cater to the
entertainment needs of the guests is the “Fabulous Fox Theatre” initiative which was started
by it in the year 2004 (Hilton.com 2019). This feature of the concerned hotel chain initially
focused on the “the eclectic arts and entertainment district of Midtown Atlanta” however in
the present times it is seen that this initiative had been extended and different kinds of
movies, dramatical performances and others are being regularly organised by the concerned
hotel for entertaining the guests almost on a regular basis (Hilton.com 2019). In addition to

5DESIGN, ART AND THEATRE IN HILTON HOTELS
this, it is seen that many times some of the movies or dramatical performances which have
not yet being performed or telecasted anywhere else in the world are being showed to the
guests at the different hotels of the concerned hotel chain. Needless to say, this is turn had
emerged as one of the major sources of attraction for the different guests over the years and
thereby had been able to fulfil their entertainment needs in an effective manner.
The hotel chain under discussion here also organises different kinds of musical events
wherein not only the international celebrities but also the local individuals get the opportunity
to perform before the guests (Hilton.com 2019). This is especially from the perspective of the
guests because of the fact that it is seen that the majority of the guests because of the busy as
well as the hectic life that they get do not get adequate amount of time to attend different
kinds of concerts or musical events. Thus, it can be said that these musical events organised
by the hotel chain under discussion here not only caters to the entertainment need of the
guests but at the same time fulfil the unfulfilled wishes of theirs as well. Another important
feature of the hospitality services offered by the concerned hotel is the fact that the concerned
hotel in the present times is taking the help of different kinds of effective designs for offering
‘state of the art’ hospitality services to the guests (Hilton.com 2019). Sipe and Testa (2018)
have articulated the viewpoint that in addition to the quality of the hospitality services offered
by the hotels the ambience as well as the design of the hotels itself contributes in an effective
manner towards elevating the guest experience (p.191). This can be explained on the basis of
the fact that the different guests during their stay at the hotels or the resort generally like to
stay in the kind of environment or infrastructural design which is completely different from
the ones that they had been used to in their normal routine life (Wang et al. 2018, p.176).
Thus, the hotel chain under discussion here in the recent times is taking the help of various
innovative designs or infrastructural innovations for enhancing the experience of the guests.

6DESIGN, ART AND THEATRE IN HILTON HOTELS
One of the most remarkable design initiatives undertaken by the hotel chain under
discussion here “Sleep Amongst Botanics” arranged at the West Hotel Sydney (Hilton.com
2019). This initiative of the concerned hotel offers the opportunity to the guests to sleep in
the artificial botanical gardens which the hotel authorities have created inside the hotel
premises (Hilton.com 2019). As a matter of fact, in the majority of the hotels related to the
Hilton Hotels it is seen that they have separate rooms wherein plants are cultivated and the
guests have the opportunity to relax or spend their time in these rooms or for that matter even
sleep in these rooms (Hilton.com 2019). In addition to these, it is seen that the majority of the
hotels related to the Hilton Hotels in the present times have separate luxurious halls which
can be used for different kinds of exhibitions, conference meetings and other similar kinds of
activities (Hilton.com 2019). More importantly, one of the most important aspects of these
entertainment services offered by the hotel chain under discussion here is the fact that these
services are not just limited to one or two hotels but extent to the domain of the hospitality
services offered by the majority of the hotels of the concerned chain itself. Furthermore, these
services offered by the concerned hotel are very unique because of the fact that there are very
few hotels in the contemporary hospitality industry which offers these kinds of services to the
guests and even the likes of the hotels like Marriott and others have not being able to match
them.
Impact of the use of design, art and theatre on the guest experience
Ali, Amin and Cobanoglu (2016) have articulated the viewpoint that one of the most
important within the hospitality industry and on which the financial prospects as well as the
reputation of the hotels or the resorts is largely dependent is the factor of guest experience
(p.473). As opined by Getz and Page (2016), the entity of guest experience is largely
dependent on the kind as well as the quality of hospitality services which are being offered to
the guests in the hotels or the resorts that they are using for their stay (p.164). However, in

7DESIGN, ART AND THEATRE IN HILTON HOTELS
the recent times one of the most important trends which is being noticed within the
framework of the hospitality industry is the fact that the entity of guest experience not only
depends on the quality of the hospitality services which are being offered to the guests but
also on other aspects of the hotels like its design, the entertainment services offered by it and
others (Richards and Russo 2016, p.182). As opined by Stricklin and Ellis (2018), the success
as well as the failure of the different hotels or resorts and also the services offered by them
depends greatly on the aspect of guest experience and also the initiatives which they are
taking for the enhancement of the same (p.364). More importantly, the entity of guest
experience is also important because of the fact that the satisfaction level as well as the
loyalty of the guests depends greatly on the entity of guest experience and thereby the long-
term growth of the hotels is also dependent on this factor (Ellis et al. 2019, p.116). This is
perhaps one of the major reasons why the different contemporary hotels like Hilton Hotels
and others are increasingly resorting to the usage of different kinds of entertainment events,
effective infrastructural designs and others for enhancing the experience of the guests.
In the light of these aspects it can be said that the different entertainment services and
also the effective design of the hotels of the hotel chain under discussion here become
especially important. For example, it had been seen that the different kinds of entertainment
services that the concerned hotel chain offers to the guests had been instrumental in attracting
a large number of guests to the hotel and at the same time had greatly increased the demand
of the hospitality services offered by the hotel chain under discussion here (Wang et al. 2018,
p.176). In addition to this, it had been seen that they have at the same time greatly enhanced
the quality of hospitality services which are being offered to the guests and thereby had
positively affected the experience of the guests as well (Secchi, Roth and Verma 2018,
p.189). More importantly, over the years by way of collaborating with the different
entertainment service providers the hotel chain under discussion here had been able to greatly

8DESIGN, ART AND THEATRE IN HILTON HOTELS
increase its revenue by way of royalties or incentives that they get from these entertainment
service providers (Getz and Page 2016, p.147). This is important not only from the
perspective of the hotel chain under discussion here but also from the perspective of the
guests as well. For example, on the one hand these entertainment services offered by the hotel
chain under discussion had greatly enhanced the experience of the guests as well as their
satisfaction level or loyalty towards the concerned hotel and on the other hand had enabled
the hotel chain to earn a higher amount of profitability (Stricklin and Ellis 2018, p.364). This
in turn had been instrumental in helping the hotel chain under discussion here to earn
competitive advantage within the contemporary hospitality industry by enhancing the service
quality of the hospitality services offered by it and also through elevating the experience of
the guests.
Conclusion
To conclude, the contemporary hotels or resorts or for that the firms related to the
hospitality industry are increasingly resorting to the usage of different kinds of arts,
dramatical performances, infrastructural designs and others to offer quality hospitality
services to the guests. This is important because of the fact that the aspect of guest experience
greatly depends not only on the kind of hospitality services which are being offered to the
guests but also on the different kinds of entertainment services that are being offered by the
same. The primary purpose of doing these is to elevate the experience of the guests which in
turn greatly determines the satisfaction level of the guests as well as their loyalty towards the
services offered by the hotels or resorts. This in turn is directly related to annual profitability
or thee financial returns earned by the different hotels or resorts. These aspects of the
contemporary hospitality industry become apparent from the above analysis of the impact of
arts, design and theatre on the aspect of guest experience in the particular context of Hilton
Hotels.

9DESIGN, ART AND THEATRE IN HILTON HOTELS

10DESIGN, ART AND THEATRE IN HILTON HOTELS
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