Curio by Hilton is an upscale hotel brand within Hilton's portfolio. Curio Collection is a soft brand, meaning its hotels are supported by Hilton, but retain their own individual branding. Hilton selects independent hotels and resorts to be part of Curio Collection. Recently Curio did a brand health study among its core target segment, the "Luxury Seeking Millennials." Curio estimates there are 10 MM millennials in its target segment. Data from the hotel's central reservation system reveal that 1.1 MM millennials regularly stay at Curio hotels, and 1.4 MM have stayed at least once. The study suggests that millennials who stay at the hotels like the upscale look of the hotels, but a majority would like healthier menu options, and loaner shoes for use in gyms. Most millennials who stayed at the hotels made their reservations through online brokers like Expedia and Booking.com. The study asked a representative sample of millennials in the target segment if they had ever heard of Curio hotels or thought about staying at one of them. The results indicate that 2.5 MM are aware of the hotels, and 2.2MM have seriously considered staying at one of them. The customer satisfaction scores from the study suggest that all things considered 1.3 MM millennials are satisfied or very satisfied with their stays at Curio hotels. 

 

You lead marketing for Curio and have $1 MM in your marketing budget. What actions would you take to increase the number of stays at Curio hotels? Please be as specific as possible about your overall objective and your actions.