Hospitality and TourismThe Hotel Business
Identify the types of hotel classifications.
Differentiate between business and leisure guests.
Explain the importance of yield management.
Identify the front-office positions in the rooms division of a hotel.
Describe the guest services in the hotel industry.
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Lodging Businesses
According to the American Hotel and Lodging Association, the United States has more than 47,040 properties, generating 2 million jobs and $102.6 billion in sales.
Section 4.1
Section 4.1
The four categories of guest travel type or stay are:
transient guest an individual traveler with a reservation, staying in a hospitality property for a maximum of 30 consecutive days
Section 4.1
Walk-in guest
Transient guest
Corporate guest
Group guest
The price of a room is based on a number
of factors:
Section 4.1
Section 4.1
Hotels use yield management to help maximize revenue.
yield management a system of maximizing revenue through adjusting room rates according to demand
Section 4.1
Calculation tools used in yield management are:
average daily rate (ADR) a rate based on total sales for the day divided by the total number of sold rooms
Section 4.1
Calculation tools used in yield management are:
occupancy percentage (OCC%) a percentage calculated daily and based on the number of rooms sold as a percentage of the total number of rooms available
Section 4.1
Calculation tools used in yield management are:
revenue per available room (revPAR) a rate that reflects a hotel’s revenue per available room
Section 4.1
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For All Types of Travelers
Lodging accommodations come in all types and sizes to suit the needs of many kinds of guests.
Travelers consider price, location, and style of a property when making reservations.
Section 4.1
What are three different types of hotel properties?
What are the two categories of hotel guests?
What are three factors that can determine the price of a room?
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2.
3.
Quick Check Answers
Answers may include any three of the following: all-suite, extended stay, B&Bs, spas, boutique hotels, vacation properties, and retreat centers.
business guests and leisure guests
location of property, location of room, amenities, length of stay, and meal plans
The Hotel Business
Hotel Organization
The general manager of a hotel is responsible for both front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house operations.
front of the house (lodging) the area in a lodging facility that guests view, such as the lobby
Section 4.2
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The Rooms Division
The largest revenue center of a lodging facility is the rooms division.
The rooms division includes the front desk, reservations, housekeeping, guest or uniformed services, and communications.
Section 4.2
The Front Office
From a guest perspective, the front office is considered the heart and soul of any property.
The primary functions of the front-desk staff are:
Section 4.2
The Front Office
The sales division or the reservations staff sells rooms during the day.
In the evening the front-desk staff assumes this responsibility.
Section 4.2
Sophisticated information technology allows the front desk to provide better service while also reducing costs for the property.
Section 4.2
The Front Office
The most important task of the front-desk staff is providing exemplary guest service.
During check-in, guests contact the front desk with questions, requests, and special needs.
Section 4.2
The night auditor is a front-of-the-house accounting position.
night auditor the hotel staff member who does the night audit and balances the guests’ accounts each evening
Section 4.2
guest service agent (GSA) a hotel staff member who performs all the functions of a desk clerk/agent, concierge, and valet
Some properties may employ a guest service agent (GSA).
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The Front Office
Guests can often make reservations directly with a property through a centralized reservation system (CRS).
Section 4.2
The housekeeping department directly affects a guest’s perception of cleanliness, safety, and security at a property.
Section 4.2
The Front Office
Guest or uniformed services staff members wear the official uniform of the hotel and are the first people whom guests approach upon arrival at the property.
guests or uniformed services staff members in uniforms, including the bell staff, valet, security officers, concierge, and door or garage attendants
Section 4.2
The Front Office
The concierge position is found at larger properties, often in city or resort locations.
concierge a hotel staff member who helps guests make arrangements for transportation, restaurant reservations, event reservations, and entertainment tickets, and advises guests about activities in the area
Section 4.2
The communications department of a hotel is another revenue center.
In-house communications can include voice mail, fax service, e-mail, message centers, and pagers.
Section 4.2
Section 4.2
Line employees are in daily contact with guests.
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Section 4.2
Oversee the hotel’s physical plant, buildings, and grounds
Maintain and upgrades the exterior of the facility by landscaping the property
Oversee recreational facilities such as pools, tennis courts, and golf courses
Persuades guests to stay at a particular property or chain
Oversees recruiting, selecting, training, and compensating hotel employees
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Support Staff
The sales force of a lodging business may include different types of sales personnel:
Section 4.2
Sales representatives
Technical-support staff
Sales assistants
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Operating an e-tail business on an electronic channel—the Web—can be costly, due to design, delivery, returns, and operating expenses.
Though Many larger dot-com companies crashed in the 1990’s, small stores like Harris Cyclery of West Newton, Massachusetts, actually increase sales using a basic Web site. Today, a third of Harris’s bicycle business rides in on the Web to get hard-to-find parts and personal service.
Describe an e-business’s home page to your class after viewing one through marketingseries.glencoe.com .
Hotels.com books rooms at over 4,500 hotels throughout the world. Similar hotel booking services have made it easier and cheaper for travelers to find accommodations. These Web sites feature photos and descriptions of rooms and amenities. Rating systems help guests know the level of quality they can expect in a particular destination.
Hotels Online
Online reservation services also save travelers the hassle of calling and booking overseas rooms in different languages and time zones.
Section 4.2
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What is the difference between line and staff employees?
1.
2.
3.
selling rooms, maintaining accounts, and provide service to guests
bell staff, valet, security officers, concierge, and door or garage attendants
Line employees are in daily contact with the guests and are considered front-of-the-house employees. Staff employees support the front of the house but do not interact much with guests.
The Hotel Business
continued
Checking Concepts
List the categories used to describe types of guests by type of stay.
Describe a business guest.
The factors used to categorize lodging facilities are guest type, price, location, and style of service, and function.
1.
Categories used to describe guests by type of stay are business and leisure guests.
2.
3.
Checking Concepts Answers
The factors used to categorize lodging facilities are guest type, price, location, and style of service, and function.
Categories used to describe guests by type of stay are business and leisure guests.
Business guests are those traveling for business purposes.
The Hotel Business
continued
List three positions in the rooms division.
Rates used for yield management are average daily rate (ADR), occupancy percentage (OCC%), and revenue per available room (RevPAR).
4.
5.
The positions in the rooms division are front-office jobs at the front desk, in reservations, housekeeping, guest and uniformed
services, and communications.
Checking Concepts Answers
Rates used for yield management are average daily rate (ADR), occupancy percentage (OCC%), and revenue per available room (RevPAR).
Properties identified by style and function are all-suite facilities, extended-stay facilities, bed-and-breakfasts, spas, boutique hotels, vacation properties, and retreat centers.
The positions in the rooms division are front-office jobs at the front desk, in reservations, housekeeping, guest and uniformed services, and communications.
The Hotel Business
Name the staff in uniformed services.
Discuss the importance of the sales and marketing staff in the back-of-the-house lodging operations.
Critical Thinking
Staff in uniformed services includes bell staff, valet staff, concierge, and security staff.
7.
The importance of the sales and marketing staff is that they persuade guests to stay at a particular property or chain. Accept all reasonable answers that demonstrate an understanding of sales and marketing.
8.
Checking Concepts Answers
Staff in uniformed services includes bell staff, valet staff, concierge, and security staff.
The importance of the sales and marketing staff is that they persuade guests to stay at a particular property or chain. Accept all reasonable answers that demonstrate an understanding of sales and marketing.
The Hotel Business
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