Americana Hotels Corporation is a real estate investment firm including 47 lodging properties and food service operations in the United States, the Caribbean, and Mexico. Right now the company is facing an opportunity to lease the former Jamaica Hilton, but the management executives cannot decide whether they should operate this new property as a traditional resort or as an all-inclusive resort. The purpose of this paper is to analyze in-depth the current situation and the opportunities and problems that Americana is confronting at this time, suggest possible alternatives, recommend solution, and propose methods to implement the recommendation.
             Situation Analysis
             Economic condition: Because Jamaica heavily depends on just a few major industries such as tourism, bauxite, sugar, coffee, and banana, its economy is not stable. The high level of unemployment and urban and rural poverty Ire big problems in the 1970's. In addition, the burdensome wage regulations, heavy taxes, and strong unions in tourism industry added the difficulties of hotel's operation. Also the strikes at the airport and the shortage of commodities like soap and bread could drive tourists away.
             Political situation: With the 1980's election of Edward Seaga and 1982's collapse of the bauxite industry, one of the most important industries in Jamaica, tourism became the primary industry and the best foreign-exchange earner. The government began putting a lot of money on promoting tourism, and for the first time, the government was seriously considering legalizing casino gambling in Jamaica. On the other hand, Jamaicans are intensely political; speeches given in the parks are routinely attended by thousands. And unfortunately, the passions stirred by intense politicking erupted into extreme violence during the 1976 and 1980 parliamentary election campaigns. Although the political situat...