COVID-19 Pandemic Influence on Business Strategies at Hilton Hotel UK

This dissertation proposal investigates the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced business strategies and consumer behavior at Hilton Hotel UK. It aims to analyze marketing strategies implemented during the pandemic, determine the impact of COVID-19 on consumer buying behavior, and investigate how Hilton maintained a competitive advantage. The proposal includes a literature review covering these areas, a methodology section outlining the research philosophy (positivism), approach (deductive), type (primary and secondary data), choices (quantitative), sample size (50 respondents), data collection methods (questionnaires and online sources), and data analysis techniques. The proposal also addresses research ethics, provides a timeline, and determines the budget for the research.

Dissertation proposal on-
“To what extent has the COVID-19
Pandemic Influenced the Business
Strategies and Consumer Behaviour at
Hilton Hotel UK?”
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Table of Contents
Background to the proposed research .............................................................................................3
Introduction............................................................................................................................3
Research questions.................................................................................................................3
Aim and objectives.................................................................................................................3
Literature review....................................................................................................................4
Research methodology.....................................................................................................................6
Research philosophy...............................................................................................................6
Research approach..................................................................................................................6
Research Type........................................................................................................................7
Research choices ...................................................................................................................7
Sample size.............................................................................................................................7
Chosen data collection............................................................................................................8
Data analysis...........................................................................................................................8
Research ethics.......................................................................................................................8
Timeline .................................................................................................................................9
Determine the budget ..........................................................................................................10
References......................................................................................................................................11

Background to the proposed research
Introduction
In the last year, businesses, including hotels’ operations have been disrupted with the
emergence of COVID-19 pandemic and it is still ongoing. The event has also led to formulation
of strategies that are capable of enabling businesses to weather the pandemic storm. The
COVID-19 pandemic effect has forced many businesses to take some drastic actions including
making some staff redundant so as to reduce the cost of doing their businesses (Borrion, Black
and Mwabonje, 2021). The strategies put in place by businesses are geared towards the
achievement of vibrant operations and and the desire to continue to provide services that meet
that enhance customer satisfaction in the hospitality business sector. To this extent, this research
focuses on the extent to which the COVID-19 Pandemic has influenced the Business Strategies
and Consumer Behaviour at Hilton Hotel UK. Hilton Hotel has been operating in the UK for 101
years. The hotel remains one of the most competitive business in the UK’s hospitality sector in
terms of the business performance and market share. It is important to note that the hotel has
more than 2406 hotels globally with approximately 408,000 rooms. Inspite of the pandemic
episode of the recent time, in 2020, Hilton hotels management devised an effective innovative
strategies to maintain the quality of their services to guests. This research aims to present a
critical analysis of the changes that Hilton Hotels has made in response to COVID-19 pandemic.
Research questions
 What marketing strategies were implemented by Hilton hotel during the Covid-19
Pandemic?
 What is the impact of Covid-19 on consumer buying behaviour?
 How has the Hilton Hotel maintained a strong competitive advantages during the
pandemic?
Aim and objectives
Aim: “To critically analyse the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced Hilton
Hotels business strategies and consumer behaviour.”
Objectives:
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 To analyse the different marketing strategies implemented by Hilton Hotel during the
COVID 19 pandemic.
 To determine the impact of COVID 19 on consumer buying behaviour.
 To investigate how Hilton hotel maintained a strong competitive advantage during the
pandemic.
Literature review
What marketing strategies were implemented by Hilton hotel during the Covid-19 Pandemic?
As per the view of Blackburn and Wright., (2021); It can be argued that businesses in the
UK has been having tremendous challenges in the last year due to COVID-19 pandemic. Many
businesses have shut down as they are struggling to recovered from the impact of the pandemic
(Balckburn and Wright 2021). Due to the nature for past pandemic changes and different
behavioural pattern to analyse strategies and work on the effective organisational point of view.
The emergence of the pandemic compelled many organisations to adopt a virtual working
approach. This has proved to be popular within the UK hospitality business. This seems very
important for the growth for considering effective techniques and analysing strategies are needed
to managing varieties and work as per the attitude of the firm. All is basically related to manage
individual growth more significant approaches which are classify as the different impact of
covid-19. Consumer are responding as per the basis of the management and make suitable
changes for the growth of professional and health professional growth (New consumer
behaviours will transform the industry's future, 2021). All is related to manage objective and
understand the need and make effective changes for personalized marketing strategies for the
growth of the company.
After facing the outbreak of Covid-19, customers can feel the ineffective and
inappropriate changes which are needed to analyse suitable outcome. Furthermore, for this hotel
industry are able to complete the basic need and demand for the more hygiene, cleaning,
sanitization and using effective products. All is helpful for the growth of the company and make
sure for managing effective techniques to work on different techniques. Further, most of the
customer push their old habit and work in the new system. It will be helpful for managing
different growth and make sure for publishing techniques and focus on the health and suitable
changing sector of the company (Cheung and et.al., 2021). All of these are related to work and

make systematic growth in different challenges and make effective growth for rise in the
consumption. With the help of different strategies, there are some adoptive techniques to
consider the effective changes and analyse suitable growth for new and innovative strategies.
Another impact for the growth is related to social changes and make more community in the high
demand.
What is the impact of Covid-19 on consumer buying behaviour?
As per the view of Mastrogiacomo, (2021); there are different strategies which are related
to make overcome the objective and analyse suitable growth for appropriate major changes and
analyse the work and systematic growth in rise in travelling demand In addition to this will be
helpful for the growth to work and make systematic growth to make travelling and measuring
success over the period of time. Further, most of the hotel industry are now working and make
systematic changes and analyse suitable growth for completing major changes. With the help of
digital marketing, blog post, different changes are analyse for accomplish effective growth and
nature are use and analyse flexible growth for the use of major changes to provide different
opportunities in the market (COVID-19 Hotel Recovery Strategy: Top 10 Ways to Prepare your
Hotel, 2021).
 Update digital assets: With the help of upholding assets, it can be considered that the
hotel industry are able to make effective digital assets and make systematic growth within
the society. This will be helpful for make change in digital assets of the hotel that will
provide growth in an industry and achieve consumer approaches.
 Promote cancelled reservation: Hilton hotel promote their various schemes related to,
cancellation policy and make sure for managing effective growth and provide suitable
changes after the drastic failure of the Covid-19 impact. These reservation and
cancellation policy attract customers in more positive ways.
 Develop an effective planning: Hilton, are to manage their growth and adoptive
technologies for addressing growth (García-Peñalvo, 2021). This will be related to make
effective planning and analyse suitable challenges and help the company to promote more
effective approaches to run the business in market.
How has the Hilton Hotel maintained a strong competitive advantages during the pandemic?
As per the view of Richardson, (2021); Hilton use different policies which are beneficial
for them to increase their sales and footfall of the customers. For this they are adopting Hilton
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Clean stay, which is used to make high standard of cleanliness and dissatisfaction in
collaboration with different collaboration methods. Another technique is they are trying to
redesign the perspective for meetings and event experiences to set new standards for their
competitors market (5 Strategies for Changing Customer Buying Behavior, 2021). They further
create the opportunities for hilton hotel members to respond in global market by donating their
points to the company and convert them into the cash when the customers check-in in the hotel.
Further, the effective use of techniques and make suitable growth for addressing major
challenges and work on the basis of consumer behaviour (John and Thakur, 2021). All is related
to analyse suitable challenges and make sure for addressing effective techniques and manage
customer effectively. The need to analyse effective approaches are helpful fro the growth of the
company to work and make systematic growth and manage the data in an appropriate manner.
With the help of porter's generic strategy is helpful for completing competitive advantages. Cost
leadership is the main strategy for the company as this is helpful for gaining customer market
growth. Another approach is differentiation, which is used by Hilton hotel for improvising cost
leadership strategy to achieve growth objectives. In last focus strategies is helpful for particular
market segment for the growth in competitive advantages. This model is helpful for gain
competitive advantages and brand image in the market. But at the same time, this strategy make
limit the future objectives and decline the customer loyalty towards a brand.
Research methodology
Research philosophy
In this section, positivism philosophy is used to complete the research, as it is helpful for gaining
more informative knowledge. This is related to gain more knowledge and work for the
systematic approach in order to collect the data.
Research approach
Here, the researcher have two options, deductive and inductive approach. Researcher use the
deductive approach and helpful for considering effective changes in the research project. It will
be helpful for completing quantitative research method and achieve the high growth of objectives
in an appropriate manner.

Research Type
In this section, researcher use primary and secondary source of data, primary is related to a fresh
and new source of data. Which is never been used by any researcher. Questionnaire have been
chosen for completing research in an appropriate manner. On the other hand, secondary research
has been chosen for collecting the existing sources. That are helpful for gain more knowledge
and achieve effective growth in the basic activities.
Research choices
The two main choices are related to qualitative and quantitative methods, which are
helpful for providing wide range of information for completion of research. Qualitative methods
are related to non-numerical data and mainly based on theoretical concepts. Whereas,
quantitative data is related to different numerical data and graphs which helps in considering
different ways to complete research (Le and Phi, 2021). Here, the researcher choose quantitative
method which help to collect the data and make appropriate growth for collecting resources. The
researcher use mono method, as the researcher used quantitative data method collection in the
research.
Sample size
Sampling is the method which support the different method of collecting primary data,
and this will be related to make aware and manage appropriate growth for identifying knowledge
and make effective ways to complete work. The chosen sample size is basically related to make
50 respondent who are the employees of the company and make sure for addressing all relevant
questions (Wukich, 2021). They are the manager and leaders of the company who are chosen for
the respondent. There are mainly two main method are used which are Probability and non-
probability method. And the researcher use probabilistic research method to complete sampling
process. This will be helpful for the researcher to complete a survey and make systematic
changes and make development of having objectives in an authenticate manner.
Chosen data collection
This will be related to make effective data collection process for understanding sources
and make suitable challenges to make systematic changes. There are some major sources and
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make suitable growth for addressing primary and secondary source of data collector . For the
primary sources, questionnaire will be helpful as it will provide a systematic view for
considering major changes and growth in the company (Le, 2021). 10 close ended questions has
been used for completing the research and the questionnaire will be conducted through online
survey. And for the secondary use of data collection, online sources, journals, magazine and
newspaper are used for collecting secondary and make systematic ways.
Data analysis
The use of primary and secondary data is used by researcher to complete research with
appropriate use of evidence. This may be helpful for collecting primary and secondary sources.
For the use of questionnaire, close ended questionnaire have been use perspective to manage and
work for advance use of capabilities. This is related to completing activities on time and make
effective growth in managing data analysis and work for addressing effective issues in analysing
effective change in completing objectives (Mamica, 2021). With the help of the data analysis, the
company make suitable challenges and work on effective data analysis for the growth of the
company. The need of the company are related to manage suitable growth and overcome the
challenges by completing data analysis techniques.
Research ethics
With the help of ethical consideration, a researcher are able to provide suitable growth
and make achievement to complete the addressing issues and work for the development of the
management forms. This will be helpful for completing and addressing effective issues and make
necessary forms and make growth to addressing mortality and make society for the growth of
large scale respondents (Pereira and et.al., 2021). With the help of informed consent, integrity
report, conflict management and make changes to analyse sources by managing different
concepts.
Timeline
This is the method which actually help the researcher for completing timeline and work
as per the degree of the company and provide suitable changes to work and make complete
effective data in an appropriate way.

Determine the budget
This instrument play a key role in addressing effective techniques and complete all the
objectives for granting role and try to serve the major use of different platform. With the help of
appropriate budget, a researcher will be able top complete effective growth and achievement in
completing objectives (Thirumaran and et.al., 2021). The selected amount for completing this
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research is $1200. Which actually include the major sources and resources including, travelling
expense, stationery and many more.
Particulars Amount (In $)
Travel expenses 300
Writing paper expenses 100
Investigator fees 200
Original collection fees 300
Another expense 300
Total 1200

References
Books and Journals
Borrion, A., Black, M.J. and Mwabonje, O. eds., 2021. Life Cycle Assessment: A Metric for the
Circular Economy. Royal Society of Chemistry.
Cheung, C., Takashima, M., Choi, H., Yang, H. and Tung, V., 2021. The impact of COVID-19
pandemic on the psychological needs of tourists: implications for the travel and tourism
industry. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 38(2), pp.155-166.
García-Peñalvo, F.J., 2021. Avoiding the dark side of digital transformation in teaching. An
institutional reference framework for eLearning in higher education. Sustainability,
13(4), p.2023.
John, J. and Thakur, R., 2021. Long term effects of service adaptations made under pandemic
conditions: the new “post COVID-19” normal. European Journal of Marketing.
Le, D. and Phi, G., 2021. Strategic responses of the hotel sector to COVID-19: Toward a refined
pandemic crisis management framework. International Journal of Hospitality
Management, 94, p.102808.
Le, V., 2021. Orientation plan for breakfast employees-Hilton Helsinki Airport Hotel.
Mamica, Ł., 2021. The Co-creative University: Evaluation, Expectations and Economic Policy
Implications. Routledge.
Pereira, V., Silva, G.M. and Dias, Á., 2021. Sustainability practices in hospitality: Case study of
a luxury hotel in Arrábida Natural Park. Sustainability, 13(6), p.3164.
Thirumaran, K., Mohammadi, Z., Pourabedin, Z., Azzali, S. and Sim, K., 2021. COVID-19 in
Singapore and New Zealand: Newspaper portrayal, crisis management. Tourism
Management Perspectives, 38, p.100812.
Wukich, C., 2021. Government Social Media Engagement Strategies and Public Roles. Public
Performance & Management Review, 44(1), pp.187-215.
Online
5 Strategies for Changing Customer Buying Behavior, 2021. [Online]. Availabile through:
<https://www.richardson.com/blog/strategies-for-changing-customer-behaviors/>.
COVID-19 Hotel Recovery Strategy: Top 10 Ways to Prepare your Hotel, 2021. [Online].
Available through: <https://www.hospitalitynet.org/opinion/4098228.html>.
In a Year Like No Other, Hilton Grows to Milestone 1 Million Rooms and Responds to Pandemic
with Innovations for Guests, Positive Impact for Communities, 2021. [Online].
Available through: <https://newsroom.hilton.com/corporate/news/hilton-successfully-
navigates-year-like-no-other>.
New consumer behaviors will transform the industry's future, 2021. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.accenture.com/sk-en/insights/consumer-goods-services/coronavirus-
consumer-behavior-research>.
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