Accommodation Services Units

Week (1) part one

Introduction to Hospitality/Front Office


Welcome to the Hospitality Industry

Week (1)


After Reading and Studying This Chapter, You Should Be Able to:

Describe the characteristics of the hospitality industry

Discuss why service has become such an important facet of the hospitality industry

Suggest ways to improve service Profitability of the hotel


Basic Characteristics of hospitality industry

The hospitality industry is part of the travel and tourism industry.

One goal in common: to provide necessary or desired products and services to travellers.

The hospitality industry consists of Accommodation and food and beverage services.

continued.

Travel and tourism is one of the largest industries in the world.

The hospitality industry is a fascinating and ever-changing field.

Many concepts and innovations developed by the hospitality industry have found their way to others fields such as management, customer services, accounting, leadership skills and food and beverage operations.



Accommodation as Part of the Travel and Tourism/Hospitality Industry

Travel and Tourism Industry: All businesses that cater to the needs of the traveling public.

Hospitality Industry: Refers primarily to businesses that provide accommodations and foodservices for people when they are away from their homes.


Accommodation is Part of the Travel and Tourism/Hospitality Industry

Hospitality Industry includes:– Accommodations– Food and beverage services– Other hospitality operations



The Pineapple Tradition

Symbol of welcome, friendship and hospitality

Recognized internationally Foundation for concept of

“SERVICE”


Scope of Hospitality and Tourism Industry

Travel Air Cruise Rail Coach Auto Ecotouris

m Lodging

Hotels Motels

Meetings, Conventions and Expositions

Restaurants Managed services Recreation

Gaming Attractions Parks

Recreation


Cruise attendants


Airlines crews


Rail Attendants


Events and conventions


Scope of the Hospitality-Tourism Industry


Characteristics of the Hospitality Industry

Product is intangible and perishable No such thing as business hours Hospitality operations run on a 24 hour basis

all year round Characterized by shift work


Hospitality and Tourism

Largest and fastest growing industries Common dynamics

Delivery of services and products Customer and guest impressions are critical Fascinating and ever-changing field Can be very rewarding ( have found their

way to other fields)


“Seven Deadly Sins of Service”1. Apathy (absence of passion)2. Brush-off (To ignore or behave

coldly toward; 3. Coldness4. Condescension (lack of respect)5. Robotics6. Rule book7. Runaround (form of evasive

excuses )


For Success in Service We Need to:

Focus on the guest Understand the role of the guest-contact

employee Weave a service culture into education and

training systems Thrive on change

Week (1)



Competencies forThe Hospitality Industry

On completion of this unit the student will able to:

1. Classify hotels in terms of the major target markets attracted to the features and benefits theyoffer.

2. Classify hotels in terms of the level of service they provide for guests.

3. Identify the advantages and disadvantages of different types of hotel ownership and affiliation.


Competencies forThe Lodging Industry

4. Identify factors that affect travelers’ buying decisions and describe what hotels can do to reward loyal guests.

5. Describe characteristics of the business, leisure, and group travel markets.


Type of accommodation

It is very important to be aware of all the different types of establishments offering accommodation within the Hospitality Industry.

Rating of the Hotel: ( Rating from AAA Tourism) Australian Automobile Association (NRMA) and Australian Hotel Association.

5 star : Establishment of international standard offering 24 hour in room dining, florist, gift shop, swimming pool, gym and day spa, turndown service and fully licensed with public bar and bottles shop.

AAA TourismAAA Tourism was set up in 1999 as the national

tourism body of Australia's Auto Clubs (NRMA, RACV, RACQ, RAA, RAC, RACT, AANT).

In 2009, AAA Tourism formed the Club Tourism Publishing partnership with the New Zealand equivalent, AA Travel, to share ideas and technologies and to target each country's largest source of international visitors.

The partnership now combines Australia's 6.5 million Auto Club members with New Zealand's 1.2, totalling 7.7 million.

On behalf of the Auto Clubs, AAA Tourism:

Cont.Manages the Australian STAR Rating Scheme,

certifying STAR Ratings to approximately 10,000 properties across Australia and Fiji

Publishes a suite of 11 guides including the national Accommodation Guide, national Tourist Park Guide, seven individual State guides, Boutique Accommodation Guide and a NZ distributed guide

Provides comprehensive online accommodation and travel information via the AAA Tourism and Auto Club websites

The STARS are registered Certification Trade Marks of AAA Tourism Pty Ltd.

STAR Ratings Australia, the division of AAA Tourism managing the Australian STAR Rating Scheme, is a Registered ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System.

cont.4 star : Exceptionally well appointed

establishment with restaurant and room service from0700-2300- porter available.

3 star : limited service, offer basic needs for the guests.



Types of Accommodation Venue


Identify guests and target markets

• Hotel or Inn: An establishment whose primary business is providing lodging facilities for the general public and fully licensed with public Bar and bottle shops for general public as well.

• Motel: It is a lodging facility that caters primarily to guests arriving by automobile.

• Target Markets: Groups of people that the hotel hopes to retain or attract as guests who have been identified as potential customers.

• Market Segmentation: to define or identify smaller, distinct groups or “segments” within larger target markets who share similar traits, needs and wants

Cont.

Guest: are the customers of the hospitality industry. The are the people who pay for the services and facilities provided by hospitality establishments.

Inbound visitor: A visitor travelling to Australia whose main place of residence is outside Australia.


Four General ways of classifying hotel

1. Hotel size 2. Target markets 3. Levels of Service 4. Ownership and affiliation.

Hotels are classified by :


· Commercial hotels/corporate hotels

· Airport hotels

· Suite hotels

· Extended stay hotels

· Residential hotels

· Resort hotels

Types of Hotels


Types of Hotels (continued)

· Bed and breakfast hotels

· Vacation ownership and condominium hotels

· Casino hotels

· Convention hotels

· Alternative lodging properties


Hotels

Commercial /corporate HotelsLocated in downtown or business districts- area that are convenient and of interest to their target markets.Guest amenities at commercial hotels may include complimentary newspapers, cable television, swimming pool, health club, high speed internet access.

Airport hotels

Located near the airports- especially international airports.Target Market: airline passengers, cancelled flight, airline personnel.Hotel-owned courtesy vans transport guests between the hotel and the airport.


Corporate hotel


Corporate hotel


Airport Hotel


Hotels ( continued)

Suite HotelsSuite hotels are among the

newest and fastest-growing segments of the lodging industry.

These suite hotels feature guestrooms with a living room and separate bedroom. Some guest suites includes a compact kitchenette with fridge and mini bar.

Target Market: Professionals such lawyers, accountants

Resorts Hotels Resort hotels are

located in the mountains, on an island or exotic location away from crowded residential areas.

More leisurely, relaxed atmosphere

Resort hotels provide special activities such as golf, sailing, skiing.


Resort Hotel


Hotels ( continued)Vacation ownership

hotel/time share hotel

Individuals who purchase the ownership of accommodation for a specific period of time- usually one or two weeks a year.

These owners then occupy the unit.

These hotels are becoming popular in resort areas.

Casino Hotels Hotel with

gambling facilities. Casino hotels

attract guests by promoting gaming and provide a broad range of entertainment activities.

Some casino hotels are very large, housing as many as 4,000 guestrooms


Casino Hotel


Serviced Apartments


Extended Stay Hotel


Extended Stay Hotels gives you the choice of budget studios for business travel, relocation, temporary housing or vacations as well as suites for daily and weekly rentals. Free yourself from the confines of your average hotel room. Every suite has a kitchen so you can cook and eat on your own schedule. Spend more time relaxing and less money on your next trip for business or leisure. When should you consider long-term studio suite accommodations?

Working on an extended project away from home Going away on a budget vacation and still prefer to have a kitchen and access to laundry Remodelling or buying a home Relocating to a new job Visiting relatives


Levels of Service

• There are three levels of service:• World-Class Service• Mid-Range service• Economy/limited Service


World-class Service

World-class service –sometimes called luxury service.

Attract top business executives, entertainment celebrities, high-ranking political figures and wealthy clientele.

Oversized guestrooms, supply heated towels and floor and selection of refreshment centers, and more expensive furnishings, décor and artworks in the guest-rooms.

Housekeeping provide twice daily service a day (turn down service and daily cleaning service)


World-class service (continued)

World-class hotels stress personalised guest services and maintain high ratio of staff members to guests.

In some world-class hotels certain floors are designated as executive floor and offer luxury services.

Executive floors contain private lounge, and offered special complimentary food and beverage services.


Mid-Range Service

Mid-range service hotels attract the largest segment of the travelling public.

The service is modest and sufficient.

The guests who stay in the mid-range service hotels are business people, individual travellers and families.


Economy/limited service

These properties provides clean, comfortable and inexpensive rooms and meet the basic needs of guests.

Economy service hotels attract budget-minded travellers, tour groups, families with children and group of conventioneers.


Ownership and Affiliation Categories

· Independent Hotels

· Chain Hotels

· Management Contract

Franchise

Referral Group


Independent Hotels

Independent hotels have no relationship to other hotels regarding policies, procedures, marketing or financial obligations.

For example An Independent property is a family owned and

operated hotel that is not required to conform to any corporate policy or procedure.

Its unique advantage is autonomy and flexibility. Independent hotel can quickly adapt to changing

market conditioning. Disadvantages are: unable volume purchasing, and

broad advertising


Chain hotels

Chain ownership imposes certain standards, rules, policies and procedures.

Some chains have strong control over the architecture, management and standards.

Advantage: Advertising, purchasing and marketing.

A chain is classified as operating under a management contract or franchise or referral group.


Management contracts

Management companies are organisation that operate properties owned by other. In other word, management company is hired to run a hotel.

Management contracting a a means of expanding a hotel company’s operations with far less investment.

Advantage: Expertise in operations, financial management, staffing, marketing and reservation services.


Franchise and referral groups

Franchising is selling the right to conduct a business.

Franchisor offers the quality of product and develop standards for design, décor, equipment and operating procedures.

Some of the best known U.S hotels belong to franchise and referral groups.

For example, Four points hotels by Sheraton are franchises.

Advantage: Volume purchase, amenities, linen and towels. Etc.


Referral group

A group of independent hotels that have banded together for their common good.

Hotels within the group refer their departing guests or those guests they cannot accommodate to other properties in the referral group.


· Business

· Pleasure

· Group

Business Travelers: Those who travel primarily for business reasons.

Leisure Travelers: Those who travel primarily for personal reasons; these guests use private funds for travel expenses and are often sensitive to the prices charged.

Categories of Guests


Business Travel

The business travel market is important to many lodging properties.

Business travellers were first and primary markets for hotels dating back to many years.

Regular business travel is an important source of business for many lodging properties.


Pleasure/leisure Travel

Pleasure travel is also very important.

Pleasure travellers are the most difficult to understand.

Business travellers consider the cost of travel is a necessary expense but pleasure travellers are price-sensitive.


Group travel

Two kinds of group: An organised tours, travel for pleasure Business related group to attend meeting

or conventions

Hotel Revenue Sources

Guest Rooms Meeting/Function Space Outlets/Food and Beverage outlets

Why is this relationship so important?



What influences repeat business?

Many guests say that the most important factors that bring them back to a hotel are:

1. the quality of services 2. the property’s overall cleanliness and

appearance. 3. Good service is good business


What influences repeat business? (cont.) Many things affect a guest’s selection of

overnight accommodation. Buying influences include: Satisfactory experiences with a hotel. Advertisement by hotel or a chain

organisation. Recommendation by others. Hotel’s location. Public relations activities. Direct mail communication. Travel agent’s negotiating power on room

rate to control travel expenses.

Documents

Accommodation Services Units