Looking at this case study what is Marriott hotel's future plans and references

Online Video Case 11.1 MARRIOTT: Marketing Research Leads to Expanded Offerings With roots that go back to before the Great Depression, Marriott International (www.marriott.com) has come a long way from its founding by husband and wife John and Alice Marriott. As of 2014, Marriott International has grown to be a leading lodging company with more than 3,700 properties in seventy-four countries and territories worldwide. This sustained vast expansion over the last several decades is due in large part to marketing re- search. Marriott began pioneering segmentation in the hospitality industry by expanding its prod- uct offering in the 1980s, both upward and downward in quality from its flagship Marriott brand. Through focus groups and survey research, Marriott found that it could have many types of hotels serving different market segments, and that these market segments, although all providing the same basic needs, would not compete with each other. Certain brands under the Marriott umbrella serve the business traveler. Courtyard by Marriott, with pricing and scaled-back service levels com- pared to the larger Marriott hotels, is targeted toward the price-sensitive frequent business traveler. Courtyard hotels-said to be designed for business travelers by business travelers-offer high- speed Internet access, ample workspace within the rooms, and other amenities that are appealing to the business traveler. Fairfield Inns are priced still more modestly to appeal to travelers who are even more price sensitive. Other brands under the Marriott flag, such as the Ramada line, serve a more family-style vacation market, with a focus toward comfort and affordability. However, differentiation is not based on service and pricing alone. Marketing research has revealed other attributes that are important. For example, a family or a basic business traveler on a budget might be looking for a convenient location in addition to affordability. Hence, Marriott places Fairfield Inns along interstates and highways because these targeted groups travel by car