This study is designed to develop a marketing plan for STB Hotel, ST Business Co., Ltd., the new hotel project which is currently under construction. This business budget hotel is located in the central business area, Pratunam, a potential area for trade, investment and tourism. By studying the factors affecting the hotel business such as the external environment, direct and indirect competition in the market and consumer behavior, are employed to design marketing mix to meet the target market’s needs. The target market in Pratunam area is unique. To be able to utilize the potential of the hotel’s location and effectively respond to customers’ needs, the survey was conducted to study customer behavior on accommodation choice among foreigner tourists in Pratunam area.
The results from a sample of 125 people have identified three main customer groups by region and travelling purpose. The first group was the ASEAN business travelers, who traveled to Bangkok on a monthly basis for a short time of approximately 1-3 days per trip with the trip’s purpose to purchase merchandise at Pratunam Market. Therefore, the priority that defined their accommodation choice in this group was the location. The next group was business travelers from other countries. The destinations for their business varied from Pratunam to other business areas in Bangkok and the frequency of travel was low. They were not accustomed to traveling in Bangkok so the accommodation chosen must close to the public transportation’s stations. The last group was a group of tourists in Pratunam who were the middle-class tourists with a focus on the prices. Based on this research, the results are important information for selecting the primary and secondary target customers of the STB Hotel. This will lead to a better-targeted marketing planning for our customers.
