Cost-plus target return on investment pricing. John Blodgett is the managing partner of a business that has just finished building a 60-room motel. Blodgett anticipates that he will rent these rooms for 15,000 nights next year (or 15,000 room-nights). All rooms are similar and will rent for the same price. Blodgett estimates the following operating costs for next year:

Variable operating costs............$5 per room-night

Fixed costs

Salaries and wages.................$173,000

Maintenance of building and pool............52,000

Other operating and administration costs...........150,000

Total fixed costs..................$375,000

The capital invested in the motel is $900,000. The partnership’s target return on investment is 25%. Blodgett expects demand for rooms to be uniform throughout the year. He plans to price the rooms at full cost plus a markup on full cost to earn the target return on investment. For simplicity, ignore the time value of money.

Required

1. What price should Blodgett charge for a room-night? What is the markup as a percentage of the full cost of a room-night?

2. Blodgett’s market research indicates that if the price of a room-night determined in requirement 1 is reduced by 10%, the expected number of room-nights Blodgett could rent would increase by 10%.

Should Blodgett reduce prices by 10%? Show your calculations.