An exploration of the UK unpaid carer's world

The hotel with a heart - test page                       hidden page                                                 


 

Update 3 May 2016

Unanswered emails go back as far as October 2015.  Recent reflection includes the fact that I include negative outcomes.  I do not regret stating them.  What I do regret is wasting so much time on a company which lacks business politesse.


I had offered to promote the hotel and after the company had seen the hotel with heart page here, it sent the image above.

I analysed it as follows.


 

Band 1                         Title       


Band 2 start                 The hotel





Band 3 start               The wall

.

.Band 4 start               The slogan


The header graphic of the final page may change after you have read this page.  Whether it is an open page is discussed later.


Analysis

  1. The title
  2. The hotel
  3. The wall
  4. The slogan
  5. An alternative background?
  6. An evaluation group
  7. How will your website deal with this page?
  8. An important factor
  9. The tricky-ticker hotel
  10. Smiley eyes
  11. A different background
  12. Final considerations

1      The title

  1. It competes with the clouds - read "Glamorgan"
  2. Too little contrast of colour - title to be in a stronger colour

2      The hotel
  1. The image definition of the hotel itself is all right but the entrance is foreboding.   More later.

  3. When reading Ghh, a translation of Gbb for many, needs to take place.  Most Brits will cope.  Lazy Brits and many non-native English speakers may just move on.  Don't build in unwarranted challenges.  

  5. Whereas the italics are stylish, don't assume they achieve anything.

  7. Given that 1.2 has been dealt with, Brits etc standing in front of the hotel are reading that in reality on the wall rather than within a photo.  For the sake of the photo, however, it needs to be writ large.   Don't build in unnecessary tasks.

  9. People shown in front of the hotel?  If so, what would they be doing?  Family grinning at wheelchair user?  Going in? Coming out?   There won't be much clarity.  

  11. The heart may be better without white flecking. Reflect now, read more later.

  13. Unless the whole exterior is to be repainted, there's the possibility that the heart is seen in need of repainting.
  14.  
  15. Eliminate the small circle to the right of the heart when repainting, of course.

  17.  I would like to see more proposals for the heart design and its angle.  When one is chosen by Cartrefi, consider a full size mock-up and find a way (thin rope?) of putting it in place for real-time evaluation.

  19. Compare the angle of your heart with mine.   


3      The wall
  1. It is not an important component but do reconsider that the slogan bleeds into it.  You could use 3.3 -  next

  3. <><><><>  or better -  a wave effect - it's a seaside hotel

  5. People may be included - 2.9


4      The slogan

        Which is best - 4.1 or 4.2 ?
  1. Hotel with a heart 
  2. The hotel with heart  
  3. See the red text at No. 2 here

  5. It competes with the clouds
  6. As in 1.1 - Too little contrast of colour - slogan to be in a stronger colour.


5     An alternative background?

       See below = = = = =  or find a better one.  There will be very little cloud showing around Band 2 [above]  in the          graphic suggested.



6      An evaluation group

  1. It may be a good idea to create an evaluation group.
  2.  
  3. Perhaps 3 or 5 hotel staff across the level to sort out the internal aspects before.......

  5. adding   5 externals including three regular guests. 

  7. Use odd numbers to avoid split vote results

  9. Assemble all your thoughts etc and put them to the groups. They need not meet. All done by email but best when they meet.  There are   no   free lunches.

  11. I can revise this page to include 6.7.  The header graphic of the final page will not include a black background.


7      How will your website deal with this page?

  1. Run this question past the test group

  3. You will need to assemble all the salient points.  Giving masses of material from my pages to assess won't work.  I can help that assembly

  5. You could make bullet points from this page (or another format), to be added to your website and put my name after

  7. You could make bullet points from this page (or another format), to be added to your website and mix them with your own comment

  9. Either 5 or 7  and put a more link to the The Hotel with Heart page here  (to decide re      a heart)

  11. That page will be edited to the satisfaction of Cartrefi

  13. 1 to  11 done, make the decision

7a
In the meantime, consider obtaining new opinion from guests to go on the website.  The difference I recommend is that the published text is not anonymous as at present.  

7b
Even if what is there now is authentic, how many readers believe it?   Make it more detailed, and credible with photos.

7c
Before the exercise starts, A5 bullet-pointed sheets could be distributed to staff to comment on.

7d
The final version could be left on the lounge tables outlining the heart project. 
 
7e
Create a buzz re how much heart there is in the hotel.


7f
Who will coordinate the in-hotel aspects of the project?  

Is it a manager specially-designated sub-project?  I look forward to discussing this with Chris Lewis after 23 Nov.

If I am to be involved, my recommendation is Duty Manager Amanda Edwards.  I spoke to her at length within my last stay with a view to assessing who I would recommend at the present stage of this project.


8  An important factor

8.1.1
An important factor to consider is the matter of vandalism.  For those who indulge, it is a good target for graffiti. 

8.1.2
It could attract those who like to write      AB loves CD and where a heart replaces "loves".  

8.1.3
I imagine the paint sprays can reach the lower levels of either heart. 

8.1.4

Look at my header image again
  1. In the graffiti context, the heart is too low.

  3. Compare sizes.  I feel yours is too large,  Leave other factors like white streaking and angles out of this part of the discussion as Item 3 would be even more complicated.

  5. Now that a heart is likely, let's review the first-time hotel viewers' tasks.    A - decipher Ghh or Gbb   B - Read Glam Hol Hotel   C - Register that there is a heart, wonky or straight.    Split-second decision -  D 1 - move attention to where they are going, the shopping list etc    D2 - "That's interesting/different." etc - then D1    - D3  - Here's our hotel  - ad infinitum 

  7. Let's review website readers' tasks.  Assuming that the new graphic is the impact one, a lot depends on the text close to it.  This part of the discussion assumes that Band analysis of your proposed graphic has been dealt with.
  8. Are there people in the graphic?  5 above now needs  -  E - "What are they doing, why are they there?" Etc.   More at 2.9
  9.   
  10. Stationery, leaflets, press release etc can be left to later.

  12. My heart is imperfect.  Best to look at others, anyway.




Focus on the middle - vertical - panel in both graphics.

The one above offers greater clarity.

 


8.2

Of less importance but worth considering is the local nickname which might arise.  There is a block of flats on the sea front called "the bottle bank".  Any other buildings etc with local names and are they affectionate?  Locals will tell you and perhaps forecast the probability of attack.

More about names now:

9  The tricky-ticker hotel. 

9.1  

Put your local specs on and look at the angles.  The edges of the building lean towards each other. 

9.2  

Imagine a line from the point of the heart through the middle of the top.  If extended, it almost touches the highest point of the building on its way to the middle of holiday.

9.3  

One of the words which might ensue in the local mind is wonky.  

9.4  

While you are looking, ask yourself "Do we really need a patchy heart?"  . . . . . . 

9.5   

 . . . . . . The dicky-ticker hotel

9.6

Imagine people in the gateway.  Need big people.


10   Smiley eyes

  1. The guests come with a set of expectations relating to being looked after.  They react to the kind altruism of the staff.  Most staff have smiley eyes.  No. 10 here.  See also No. 13.

  3. Once staff start reading the page, the question will be - "Who does he mean?

  5. I would not comment here and it's best left to real-time discussion.

  7. If the topic is removed from the page, the issue of staff without such positive demeanor doesn't disappear.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 

11 This could serve as the background - from 5


 

 

12  Final considerations - for the moment



11  Final considerations - for the moment

  1. The lounge looks a little brighter.  The rooms to the right of the heart and the entrance are not much  brighter.

  3. Good image editors  (software and human) are needed.  Image-surgeons needed.  

  5. Note that my editing software is poor.  Compare your top large image and this one and focus on the black text showing the name of the hotel under Ghh.  (Which looks like Gbb.)

  7. Compare clarity re large or small graphic.  The small one [not the header graphic] is clearer.  Inevitably.

  9. Presuming this to become your website impact image, it's worth spending money to get it right.  That done we can move on to stationery and other marketing aids.

  11. Finally, consider involving the nearest university which includes marketing studies.  We don't need to rush the project but don't tell anyone.  It should be treated by the uni as a commercial project and needed sooner and not later.  If negotiations are started, I hope to be involved.  This page wouldn't be revealed until you decide.

  13. There's too much theory more on certain study topics and marketing is one of them.  Students should be in the work place asap after starting.  However, this isn't a first-year project.


pagetop here    for pasting    The hotel with a heart - test page here 

                                          Return to the first version - Glamorgan Hotel  - The hotel with heart here

                                          Glamorgan Holiday Hotel here