How could the Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa be successful?


By: June 2, 2016


Macdonald Hotels & Resorts has just opened its new Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa in Portugal close to the leading golf courses i the Algarve and a 15-minute drive from Portimão and an hour from Faro International Airport.

These are the golf courses that are close to the Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa:

  1. Penina Hotel & Golf Resort;
  2. Onyria Palmares Golf and the Gramacho,
  3. Vale da Pinta and Silves golf courses at Pestana Golf Resort, near Lagos.

The Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa is utilizing the Monchique region’s thermal waters. It seems like that the Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa is following the trend by providing the opportunity to cycle and trek.

Hotel facilities include:

  • 4 restaurants – an informal petiscos (Portuguese tapas) bar and a pizzeria through to a gourmet food market and a fine-dining restaurant specialising in local fish and wines;
  • a Sensorial spa, where facilities include a Turkish bath, a rock sauna and sensorial showers, and relaxation rooms; indoor and outdoor pools, a state-of-the-art fitness centre;
  • and a kids club for children aged 4 to 12, along with a family swimming pool and a children’s playground.

Macdonald Monchique Resort

How can the Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa beat the competition?

In the following I will summarize what the Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa doing already well and what should be their focus in 2016.

I would start with the positive features:

  • They already have a social media presence on Facebook and TripAdvisor (below I will explain how could they exploit TripAdvisor better). The Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa is also utilizing the social commerce feature of Facebook (“Book Now!”);
  • The website is mobile-friendly;
  • Provides services for the meeting industry (business tourism)

Now let me list, what is missing our should get more attention in 2016:

  1. Adding live chat function to foster online sales and customer service.
  2. Capture email leads.
  3. Adding social sharing app where it can be useful (see: SEO, online communication: user generated content, etc.)
  4. Contact menu: adding the sales manager’s name, photo and contact information.
  5. Social e-commerce on the rise. Therefore, Instagram presence is a must have/imperative.
  6. Booking retargeting.
  7. It would be great if the guest could select his own room alone.
  8. Digital customer service via companion mobile apps (e.g. Alice, CheckMate, GuestDriven, Cloudbeds) – they help us to serve better the  ‘always-on’ guests.
  9. User Generated Content (like the one you are reading at this moment): the connected customers‘ main source of information are online customer reviews, peer group members’ opinion. Unlike the Baby Boomers, they prefer to discover information over interruptive communication.
  10. Personalizing offers based on the customer need instead mass offers.
  11. Driving direct bookings is a must! Although in Europe, 62% of sales (of hotel chains; 74% of single hotels) i made via OTAs (source: Phocuswright & h2c, December 2015).

Here are my tips how you can utilize TripAdvisor:

  1. Cross-linking between your website and your TripAdvisor profile.
  2. Actively ask for reviews (e.g. send post-stay email for reviews)
  3. Add TripAdvisor widget, signage for your website
  4. Just like on other social media platforms: manage your reviews and answer all questions.