Zenith Hotels: Port Stephens

Sydney-based hospitality group, Zenith Hotels, sought the strategic advice of Helm for a proposed new-build hotel property development, following acquisition of land in picturesque Port Stephens (2.5 hours drive north of Sydney on the New South Wales northern central coast).

Designed to support the group’s exisiting flagship hospitality venue - the Shoal Bay Country Club precinct (comprising a pub, bars, cafes, restaurants and function spaces) - Zenith Hotels also hoped to leverage the region’s burgeoning visitor appeal in capturing more of the travel and tourism dollar by offering considered and premium accommodation and hospitality, and in making their mark in the region.

While experienced in operating sought-after food and beverage venues, the group had never previously built or operated a hotel, and so Helm was tasked with conducting thorough research into the market opportunity for a new hotel development in the Port Stephens area.

This culminated in a business case, outlining what sort of hotel and hotel product would best succeed in the area (if at all), as well as the development of the hotel’s hospitality concept and brand strategy / concept, which in turn formed the brief for architects and designers, as well as council’s DA.

To deliver this, Helm firstly needed to understand the market opportunity - analysing visitor data and trends, conducting mystery shopper site visits to other hotels in the area, researching broader area property development plans and appetite, and engaging with key local and state government bodies. This thorough research enabled a deep-level view on the market potential, including identifying target audiences and their specific needs and wants.

Concurrent to market research, Helm also undertook a deep-dive into Zenith Hotels to better understand the brand DNA of the owners and management company. Marrying up brand truths with whatever concept was to be created, was always going to be key to longevity and success.

With all this information to-hand and a solid business case created to steer next steps, Helm set-out to craft a place vision for the new-build hotel, and to then delve deeper into product and experience concepting, ideal guest journey mapping, and a framework for the intended customer experience. This saw Helm align product and experience recommendations with the business case to maximise the market opportunity, and to ensure a seamless brand experience would be delivered.

Guided by the business case, vision and concept, Helm next married this information up with local area references (both nature-based and cultural) to create a comprehensive brand strategy and placemaking strategy. This saw Helm develop hotel naming options and branding identity guardrails (covering iconography, fonts and logo design), and affirm the brand positioning and narrative which would in-turn inform key messages for communication across each and every touchpoint.

Helm’s work explored strategy-aligned recommendations on property architectural layouts, room category type allocations, building materials, colour palettes, interior design and furniture, product and experience inclusions (across wellness, food and beverage, and leisure), local collaborations and procurement, hotel scent and sounds, staff uniforms, signage and wayfinding, owned digital channels, collateral and merchandise, and more.

We look forward to seeing this strategic work come to-life in the years ahead.