Skyview Manor

This case study is set in 1962 in rural Vermont. The Skyview Manor is an old, but wel/maintained property that has changed ownership several times over the years. It has no restaurant or bar. It is positioned as a mid-price, good quality "destination" resort hotel.

The Skyview Manor is open only during the skiing season. It opens on December 2 and closes the last day of March. The ski mountain that it serves operates on a permit from the state which allows only 120 days of operation per year. Each of the 50 rooms in the east wing rents for $15 for single occupancy or $20 for double occupancy. The west wing of the hotel has 30 rooms, all of which have spectacular views of the skiing slopes, the mountains, and the village. Rooms in this wing rentfor $20 and $25 for sitigle or double occupancy, respectively. The average occupancy rate during the season is about 80% (typically, the Hotel is full on weekends and averages 50 to 60 rooms occupied on week nights). The ratio of single versus double occupancy is 2:8, on average. . Operating results for the last fiscal year are shown in Exhibit 1. Mr. Kacheck, the manager of the hotel, is concerned about the off-season months, which show losses each month and reduce the high profits reported during the season. He has suggested to the owners, who acquired this hotel only at the end of the 1961 season, that to reduce the off-season losses, they should agree to keep the west wing of the hotel operating year-round. He estimates the average occupancy rate for the offseason to bl: between 20% and 40% for the next few years. Kacheck estimates that with careful attention to the off-season clientele a 40% occupancy rate for the 30 rooms during the off~season would be much more likely if the owners would commit $4,000 for advertising each year ($500 for each of eight months). There is no evidence to indicate that the 2:8 ratio of singles versus doubles would be different during the remainder of the year or in the future. Rates, however, would have to be drastically reduced. Present plans are to reduce them to $10 and $15 for singles and doubles.
The manager's salary is paid over 12 months. He acts as a caretaker of the facilities during the off-season and also contracts most of the repair and maintenance work during that time. Using the wesf wing would not interfere with this work, but would cause an estimated additional $2,000 per year for repair and mamtenance.
Mrs. Kacheck is. paid $20 a day for supervising the maids and helping with check-in. During the season, she works seven days a week. Th~ regular desk clerk and each maid are paid on a daily basis at the rate of $24 and $15 respectively. The payroll taxes and other fringe benefits are about 20% of the payroll. Although depreciation and property taxes would not be affected by the decision to keep the west wing open, insurance would increase by $500 for the year. During the off. season, it is estimated that Mr. and Mrs. Kacheck could handle the front desk without an additional person. Mrs. Kacheck would, however, be paid for five days a week.
This case is adapted by Professor John Shank of the Amos Tuck School, with permission, from an earlier version written by Professor Felix Kollaritsch of the Ohio State University.
The cleaning supplies and half of the miscellaneous expenses (room supplies) are considered a direct function of the number of rooms occupied. The other half of the miscellaneous expenses are fixed and would not change with 12-month operation. Linen is rented from a supply house and the cost also depends on the number of rooms occupied, but is twice as much, on average, for double occupancy as for single occupancy. The utilities include two items: telephone and electricity.
There is no electricity expense with the motel closed. With the motel operating, electricity expense is a function of the number of rooms available to the public. Rooms must either be heated or air-conditioned. The telephone bills for each of the four seasonal months were.as follows:

80 Telephones @ $3.00/month Basic Service Charge $240 50 $290
During the off-season, only the basic service charge is paid. The monthly charge of $3 is applicable only to active telephones.
An additional aspect of Mr. Kacheck's proposal is that a covered and heated swimming pool be added to the hotel. Mr. Kacheck believes that this would increase the probability that the off-season occupancy rate would be above 30%. Precise estimates are impossible. It is felt that although the winter occupancy rate will not be greatly affected by adding an indoor pool, eventually such a pool will have to be built to stay even with the competition. The cost of such a pool is estimated to be $40,000. This amount could be depreciated over five years with no salvage value ($15,000 of the $40,000 is for a plastic bubble and the heating units, which would be used nine months of the year). The only other costs associated with the swimming pool are $400 per month for a lifeguard, required by law during the busy hours; additional insurance and taxes, estimated to be $1,200; heating cost of $1,000; and a yearly maintenance cost of $1,800. Ifthe pool is covered, a guard is needed for 12 months. If it is not. covered, a guard is needed only for three summer months (from June 15 to September 15, the warmest period of the year), and there would be no heating expense.
EXHIBIT 1 Skyview Manor Operating Statement, For the Fiscal Year ended 3/31/62
Revenues Expenses
$160,800
Salaries Manager
$15,000 2,400 2,880 7.200
$27,480
5,496 30,000 4,000 3,000 17,204 1,920 6,360 13,920 21,716 7,314
Manager's Wife
Desk Clerk Maids (four)
Payroll Taxes and Fringe Benefits
Depreciation (15 year life)

Property Taxes
Insurance
Repairs and Maintenance
Cleaning Supplies
Utilities
Linen Service
Interest on Mortgage (5% interest rate)
Miscellaneous Expenses
Total Expenses
Profit before Federal Income Taxes
138,410 $22,390 $10,747 $11,643
Federal Income Taxes (48%)
Net Profit