Trials and Tribulations of Hotel Ownership in Blackpool: Highlighting the Skills Gaps of Owner-Managers

Abstract

The research reported on in this paper suggests that people who buy hotels in Blackpool are doing so for a cluster of lifestyle reasons. Few have classic entrepreneurial ambitions to make a lot of money and own a chain of hotels. Many have a lifelong ambition to own a hotel, or some business that gives them greater control of their lives, or because they think they will enjoy the life of hotel ownership. The vast majority of these interviewees had sold a domestic property to buy the hotel, and few had any work experience of hotel work, or even the hospitality sector. This lack of experience of the operational requirements of the business was further compounded by a lack of management skills, or small business experience. As a consequence, the professional skills of hotel management are often below par and hotel ownership changes hands at an unacceptable rate. Sometimes this results in outright business failure, but more often, is the result of individuals feeling that the reality of hotel ownership has not matched their dreams. The low skill base of the almost permanent cadre of new owners creates problems for tourism authorities keen to develop the quality profile of visitor experiences. There is limited development of the hotel stock as individual properties change hands on a regular basis and no one owner stays long enough to refurbish the property. The low skill base of owners can also limit the quality tourism experiences of services provided.