Strategic Planning

Representative Engagements Follow

Many of Straightline's clients are developers who have control of a significant land parcel upon which they seek to develop a hotel or a destination resort, or perhaps they control an existing building which seems to be appropriate for redevelopment into a hotel.  We are then invited to assist the developer in strategizing uses, concepts, quality aspirations, branding, and similar project determinants.  Some of these might related more to master planning than to general strategy work.  For example, the quantity and sizing of food and beverage outlets.  Others, though, are clearly more broadly characterized as strategy work.  For example, should this destination property have a second-home orientation?  What is the role, if any, and broad economics of golf or other sports activities within the project? 

Sometimes Straightline is approached by branded hotel companies or other companies with preexisting business models who are seeking to enter into new business lines or new geographic territories (such as China or North Africa).  Straightline then guides such companies through the process of identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT), which attempt to rationalize expansion of core competencies into new business environments.

Some of Straightline's Strategic Planning Engagements follow...

• U.S. Midwest:  Conceptualized expansion of retail program concept to Board of Directors for an endowed lifestyle wellness center with a significant, but under-utilized physical campus.

• Louisiana:  Preparation of Business Plan and Plan of Financing for consulting developer to an Indian tribe seeking to develop a $45 million hotel and golf facility adjacent to their highly successful casino.

• U.S. National:  Advisor to a well-known developer and operator of boutique hotels. Formulated a development program for a new national hospitality product line.

• International:  Business Plan development for entry into timesharing business line by one of the world’s largest hospitality companies.

• International:  Delivered Strategic Options Presentation concerning vacation ownership industry to Executive Committee of a 5-Star hotel company.

• Japan:  Engaged to provide an “American Critique” of a plan by a $40 billion railroad conglomerate to enter the Japanese timeshare market, both as a developer and as an interval exchange company.

• International:  Delivered Strategic Options Presentation concerning vacation ownership industry to Board Members of a prominent 4-Star hotel chain.

• California:  Provided advice to homeowners association concerning strategic options for financial restructuring of their historic 242-room undivided interest (UDI) resort. The association had obtained full control of resort post-bankruptcy of prior developer.

• U.S. Midwest:  Engaged to provide early state conceptualization and master planning for a world-scale destination venue inclusive of hotels, theme parks, entertainment and sports facilities, and a mega-mall.

• Brazil:  Charrette participant for design development for significant multi-resort project in Northeast.

• Nigeria:  Prepared space program and concept budget for hotel in the Federal Capital Territory.  Euro100 million scope.  Introduced concept to Territory Governor.
  
  
• Nigeria: Strategic advice regarding development program for a 3-star hotel company planning to expand within the Nigerian market.


• U.S. National: Assisted entertainment-oriented REIT develop a strategic plan for investment in the hotel space.


• Texas: Land lease negotiating strategy for 800-room convention hotel on San Antonio Riverwalk.


• South Carolina: Strategic advice to large ministry concerning conversion of part of their extensive facilities into a shared ownership product geared towards a Christian audience.

• Texas: Provision of strategic advice concerning a mixed use master plan involving relocation and redevelopment of an historic Route 66 steakhouse.