Running a Hotel Business

Being that a hotel is an establishment that provides lodging paid on a short-term basis, the plan in organizing the structure of the hotels that we now own will indeed be challenging.  Furthermore obtaining research on the brand name our location and how the community is as well as the traffic the hotels will become a total success.  Making sure that there are no competitors in the immediate area but as well being careful not to price ourselves out of the market is very important.  Following this further making sure that our staff is the friendliest people with very warm personalities and an outgoing attitude will be great for the business and for that we can successfully deal with customer queries, as well as any problems that might arise from staff members (http://www.exebit.org).

            Moreover running a hotel or numerous hotels is not an easy job, ensuring that your guest are happy, please and satisfied with their rooms, the appearance of the hotel the staff can sometimes make you or break you especially when the  business is just getting off the ground.   Having high scores and managing the property and bringing in different things that the customers will like to be a part of will bring about good word of mouth.  Opening the doors to the community and helping out and while doing all of these things will bring about customers sharing with family members and friends that they know of a great hotel that you would be very please staying at since they are coming through town.    Running a hotel business(s) by using set procedures, and systems and good old-fashioned hard work can lead to you and the property earning a good profit and salary. 

            Obtaining the education that is needed to run a business’s smoothly will also open doors for the things that you are trying to accomplish when trying to open a hotel.  There are many different positions that plays a part in making sure that the property is running properly, after doing research the many different positions fall up under these category’s, Owner, General manager, Housekeeping, Banquet Manager, Accountant, Human Resources, Concierge, Director of Hotel Sales etc.  All of the positions play a major part in the success of the business and without the people in these positions the hotel there lies some type of failure.  Below is an organizational chart that lists and breaks down some of the necessary leaderships and positions for the company.

Organizational Chart

            The chart above analyze the positions that are some of the main faces of the hotel and the ones that the customers sees when checking in reports to when there is a problems and for general questions. 

            Within the organizational chart and for the positions that are listed each position, these positions job requirements and education levels in order for them obtain the position that they currently hold are:

A hotel General Manager oversees all staff and is in charge of all hotel operations. She/he usually has each department head reporting to her, such as the heads of housekeeping, human resources, and accounting, plus the kitchen and front desk supervisors. The salary for a General Manager varies from state to state, within the most recent research I have found that the highest paying amount for a General Manager with the highest degree of Bachelors of Science in Hotel Management is in the range of $46,978 - $120,188.  The position for a Front Desk Supervisor with the highest degree of Bachelor’s Degree is in the range of $16,615 - $41,889, the position of a Front Desk Clerk with a Bachelor’s Degree is in the pay range of $15,692 - $30,536; the position for an Executive Housekeeper with a Bachelor’s Degree the pay rage is $21,279 - $58,971.  The position for an Assistant Housekeeper with a Bachelors of Arts in Hospitality Management is in the pay range of $ 18,293 - $55,236, the position for a housekeeper with an Associate’s Degree the pay range is of $15,726 - $37,785.  Following this further the research that has been completed for the positions that are listed above are all qualifications that are needed or required to obtain the job in the field of hospitality. 

            Additionally in the future for the employees that are employed at my establishment will have to go through test and more training to keep up with the high demand and all of the new changes that are required.  Assuredly each position within the hotel operations are equally important and that makes things run smoothly to know that everyone is being treated fairly and equal.  The importance of a Middle Manager and supervision is that they are the skin to the department heads, these positions are responsible for everything in between that the main managers may forget or ideas the General Managers haven’t thought of.  The middle manager and the supervision are the glue to help keeping the operations flowing smoothly without a doubt.   As stated before all positions are equally important, I must states the main positions that are vital to the lodging that will allow for great success will be all, all of the positions are needed to help make everything possible. 

What is the value of a hospitality client?

What is the value of a hospitality client?

Hotels and convention centers value customer feedback on the services and experience of each group.  Every convention is different, with varied levels of expectations from the contracting group as well as the services provided by the facility.  Evaluating the event afterwards to assess where there were problems and how to address them in the future is vital if a facility and a Service manager want to perfect their professionalism and enhance their ultimate success.  Billing and the event after it occurred was reviewed, now as a member of the Convention Services team, I have been asked to do a post-convention report evaluating how well our facility provided for the contracted services. 

            Based on the Service Manager’s notes from the event at the Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel, there were several things which went wrong.  Originally we anticipated there would be 2,000 people in attendance, but only 1,500 attendees showed up.  Due to this sudden change the following occurred: total F&B counts dropped for lunch with only 1,280 attendees on Wednesday; the video equipment was not working properly during the luncheon for the speaker on Tuesday; and there was no staff available in the AV office from 9a-11a on Wednesday.

            The original anticipation of 2,000 attendees would have generated a revenue for F&B in the amount of $1,005,000.  Due to the sudden change of 1,500 attendees showing up and only 1,280 attendees on Wednesday for lunch, the new F&B total was only $719,848 (Marriott International, 2014).  The price difference of $212,800 would have to be paid by the client to compensate for the loss of the hotel.  Our hotel’s F&B policy states a $150 labor charge will apply to all catered meal functions of less than 25 guests, but the client will not have to worry about the fee since their total is greater.  However, the policy states the expected number of guest cannot be reduced by more than 10% (200 guests) at the time we receive the guaranteed number of guests, and the client had a difference of 500 attendees.  The guaranteed number of guests for all F&B functions must be submitted to the event management department by 12:00p three (3) business days prior to the date/time of the function.  If the guarantee is not received by the cutoff date/time, we will assume the expected number of guests noted at the top of the BEO or the expected number of guest submitted ten (10) working days prior to the event as the guarantee (Marriott International, 2014, Para. 1).  Since the client did not inform us of this change in advance according to the contract they signed, they have to commit to the policy and still pay the anticipated original price. 

The video equipment was not working properly during the luncheon for the speaker on Tuesday which caused a lot of frustration to the speaker and the attendees who could not understand what was being said.  The AV equipment should have been tested properly prior to the event to see if any malfunctions were present, and the AV technician should have rectified the problem right then and there if it was possible.  If it was not possible to be repaired in-house then an outside vendor should have been called so the clients’ needs were met.  It was very unacceptable and unprofessional on the hotels part in regards to no staff being available in the AV office from 9a-11a on Wednesday, and compensation needs to be given to the client in a credit for the balance owed for F&B. 

In order for these mishaps to not occur when planning future events, some changes need to occur before we lose business when the clients inform others.  Some changes needing to be made to ensure future success of such an event is fully communicating to the client/planner what the contract means, and having them clarify they fully understand their obligation to maintain the required attendance and the percentage allowable for decrease in numbers.  If the client does not fully understand, it is our responsibility to ensure everyone is on the same page and happy with all decisions before they sign their names on the dotted lines.  You can also do follow-up phone calls before the contract deadlines to verify there are no amendments needing to be made. 

The hotel may need to update their AV equipment if they continually have this problem after the AV Technician has done all they can to repair the malfunction.  Also, having a backup or AV Technician Assistant on-site can help if the AV Technician is not available during normal operating times.  This ensures the hotel stands up to their 100% satisfaction guarantee, and the client is happy and returns for another event.  When the client is happy they may also refer your services to others they network with, thus generating constant revenue and increasing clientele for your company. 

References

Events (2014). Marriott International. Retrieved from:

            http://event-menus.com/production/WASRB/259/hotels/travel/WASRB-renaissance-washington-dc-downtown-hotel/print.aspx?marsha=WASRB&sid=259

General Information (2014). Marriott International. Retrieved from:

            http://event-menus.com/production/WASRB/259/hotels/travel/WASRB-renaissance-washington-dc-downtown-hotel/info.asp

Convention Service Client Needs Analysis

Convention Service Client Needs Analysis

Hotels and convention centers value customer feedback on the services and experience of each group.  Every convention is different, with varied levels of expectations from the contracting group as well as the services provided by the facility.  Evaluating the event afterwards to assess where there were problems and how to address them in the future is vital if a facility and a Service manager want to perfect their professionalism and enhance their ultimate success.  Billing and the event after it occurred was reviewed, now as a member of the Convention Services team, I have been asked to do a post-convention report evaluating how well our facility provided for the contracted services. 

            Based on the Service Manager’s notes from the event at the Renaissance Washington, DC Downtown Hotel, there were several things which went wrong.  Originally we anticipated there would be 2,000 people in attendance, but only 1,500 attendees showed up.  Due to this sudden change the following occurred: total F&B counts dropped for lunch with only 1,280 attendees on Wednesday; the video equipment was not working properly during the luncheon for the speaker on Tuesday; and there was no staff available in the AV office from 9a-11a on Wednesday.

            The original anticipation of 2,000 attendees would have generated a revenue for F&B in the amount of $1,005,000.  Due to the sudden change of 1,500 attendees showing up and only 1,280 attendees on Wednesday for lunch, the new F&B total was only $719,848 (Marriott International, 2014).  The price difference of $212,800 would have to be paid by the client to compensate for the loss of the hotel.  Our hotel’s F&B policy states a $150 labor charge will apply to all catered meal functions of less than 25 guests, but the client will not have to worry about the fee since their total is greater.  However, the policy states the expected number of guest cannot be reduced by more than 10% (200 guests) at the time we receive the guaranteed number of guests, and the client had a difference of 500 attendees.  The guaranteed number of guests for all F&B functions must be submitted to the event management department by 12:00p three (3) business days prior to the date/time of the function.  If the guarantee is not received by the cutoff date/time, we will assume the expected number of guests noted at the top of the BEO or the expected number of guest submitted ten (10) working days prior to the event as the guarantee (Marriott International, 2014, Para. 1).  Since the client did not inform us of this change in advance according to the contract they signed, they have to commit to the policy and still pay the anticipated original price. 

The video equipment was not working properly during the luncheon for the speaker on Tuesday which caused a lot of frustration to the speaker and the attendees who could not understand what was being said.  The AV equipment should have been tested properly prior to the event to see if any malfunctions were present, and the AV technician should have rectified the problem right then and there if it was possible.  If it was not possible to be repaired in-house then an outside vendor should have been called so the clients’ needs were met.  It was very unacceptable and unprofessional on the hotels part in regards to no staff being available in the AV office from 9a-11a on Wednesday, and compensation needs to be given to the client in a credit for the balance owed for F&B. 

In order for these mishaps to not occur when planning future events, some changes need to occur before we lose business when the clients inform others.  Some changes needing to be made to ensure future success of such an event is fully communicating to the client/planner what the contract means, and having them clarify they fully understand their obligation to maintain the required attendance and the percentage allowable for decrease in numbers.  If the client does not fully understand, it is our responsibility to ensure everyone is on the same page and happy with all decisions before they sign their names on the dotted lines.  You can also do follow-up phone calls before the contract deadlines to verify there are no amendments needing to be made. 

The hotel may need to update their AV equipment if they continually have this problem after the AV Technician has done all they can to repair the malfunction.  Also, having a backup or AV Technician Assistant on-site can help if the AV Technician is not available during normal operating times.  This ensures the hotel stands up to their 100% satisfaction guarantee, and the client is happy and returns for another event.  When the client is happy they may also refer your services to others they network with, thus generating constant revenue and increasing clientele for your company. 

References

Events (2014). Marriott International. Retrieved from:

            http://event-menus.com/production/WASRB/259/hotels/travel/WASRB-renaissance-washington-dc-downtown-hotel/print.aspx?marsha=WASRB&sid=259

General Information (2014). Marriott International. Retrieved from:

            http://event-menus.com/production/WASRB/259/hotels/travel/WASRB-renaissance-washington-dc-downtown-hotel/info.asp