Common Practices in Hospitality Sector

Here are few common practices in Hospitality Sectors that we are seeing. Our today’s tutorials will help you to understand recent changes in hospitality industry.

Capacity Control: The practice of Capacity control is processed in hotel in order to take the inventories of sales that are occurred in the time of hotel operation so as to control and maintain all the financial transactions with accuracy. The sales of inventories are basically operated in the following areas:

  • Hotel rooms
  • Airline seats
  • Auto rentals
  • Tickets for places or attractions to visit

Basically the owners of such properties or hotels are held in control for any sale and distribution that has taken in the hotel operation. However the modernization and advancement of hotel policy and standard have created the necessity of application of Global Reservation System (GRS) due to increasing rate of capacity control to make it more flexible and systematic.

Safety and Security: Employment of proper safety and security for the entire department of the hotel and particularly the guests of the hotel is one of the prime practices for any hotel. Guests always give priority on their personal security and choose any hotel considering their security management.

There are certain factors which necessitate the requirement of some common practices to ensure and execution of safety and security procedures which are as follows:

  • common-practices-hospitality-sectorsTerrorism
  • Terrorist attacks
  • Tourist’s kidnappings
  • Robberies and assaults in hotels
  • The growing disparity between the “haves” and “have nots” in the world diminishing financial resources
  • Infrastructural issues
  • Health Problems

A single act of crime can demolish the reputation of any hotel. Hence providing guest security is the prime concern for any hotel. With the increasing trends, all hotels must give their continuous effort to improve guest security to make their security system more advanced and standardized so that they can go ahead of their race. A hotel can practice certain safety measures to ensure guest’s safety and security which are as follows:

  • Give utmost priority to guest’s personal safety.
  • Development of disaster plan for each kind of threat.
  • Upgrade security measures in all areas of a hotel.
  • Implementation of a women-only floor with concierge and security.
  • Equipping the hotel with up-to-date fire extinguishers, fire and smoke alarm systems, emergency lights and illuminated exit signs.
  • Train all the hotel staff on security procedures for all high-traffic areas.
  • Availability of all the security tools that are needed to handle emergency and crisis situations.
  • Partnering with an experienced physical security provider.

Technology: In this era of technology or digitalized world, the proper application of technology in each sector of hotel is a must practice for any hotel to cope with the advanced system or standard followed by other hotels in order to achieve competitive advantage. Both customers and businesses can be benefited from the use of technology from reservation to checkout.

With the help of growing use of technology, the hotel authorities can make their business operation and guest service smooth and error free which also can help them to improve revenue. Websites, blogs, online advertising, online ordering of any hotel have always been a proved method to convince guests to choose a location or business.

Here are common examples where practices of technology are must be followed:

  • To ensure availability of standard operating procedures through online.
  • To establish yield management systems.
  • To receive mobile bookings for those guests who are using their mobile devices to search and book hotels.
  • To make pricing decisions.
  • To book reservation through internet.
  • To accustomed hotel room with technology.
  • To establish virtual office environment for the business travelers.
  • To use the technological advancement to make better technologically occupied hotel.
  • To make reservations and compare prices.
  • To make communication between branches and locations to execute streamline reservations and cross-company policies.

Now a day use of Technology has also been a commonly followed practice in all food and beverages outlets to make food operation more flexible and accurate. This practice also helps the servers to speed up their guest service and effectively perform for the following operation:

  • To manage control costs
  • To place guest order
  • To handle guest payment
  • To operate food production
  • To take inventory of food items
  • For refrigeration of food items
  • To control and communicate with management control

Greening of Hotels and Guest rooms: The practice for greening of hotel and guests room has become a global issue among the hospitality sectors to maintain hygienic atmosphere and to ensure proper use of natural resources. And to do so, every hotel must practices certain things, such as:

  • Provide organic and cruelty-free guest amenity products and reusable items.
  • While cleaning, use nontoxic or least-toxic cleaners, sanitizers, paints, pesticides, etc. throughout the hotel.
  • Always inspire the guests to use green transportation options.
  • Training the employees about greening a hotel.
  • Recycling of natural resources.
  • Arranging environmentally friendly products and services.
  • Providing biodegradable detergents.

Diversity: The tourism and hospitality sector is among the most diverse of all industries due to diversity of guests. Both the employees of the hotels and the guests can get the opportunity to gain new cultural experiences. As guest satisfaction is the first priority of any service sector, especially in hotel sector, so all the service personnel of the hotel must be trained and briefed to understand and appreciate different culture so as to represent their cordiality and excellence of service to the guests of different cultures, religions, races, colors, ages, genders and sexual orientations.

To grab customer worldwide with different cuisine, the major hotels constantly work and processes their operation for ensuring transnational development and diversification within the various dining segments.

Compliance with the ADA: According to the law of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all hotels must have to equip their all facilities and integrate design features considering the comfort and ease of the disable people. ADA has established some rules for ensuring the welfare of disable people to make their stay flexible into the hotel areas, some of them are:

  • Making areas accessible to persons with disabilities.
  • At least 4 percent of hotel’s parking space must be occupied as handicapped to accommodate wheelchairs.
  • Ramps should be equipped with handrails.
  • Arranging of special listening systems in all meeting rooms for people with hearing impairment.

Increase Cleanliness: Ensuring a clean and odor-free hotel in order to accommodate a comfortable and hygienic stay for guests is a must practice for all hotels. There are some standard cleaning procedures are followed in every hotel to ensure cleanliness in the hotel. Some of them are as follows:

  • Arrangement of appropriate cleaning equipment and enough cleaning tools. Such as: vacuum cleaners, cleaning cloth, all-purpose cleaner, metal hook, sponge, chrome polish, toilet brush sponge, scrubbing pad and gloves.
  • All fittings and furniture, all corners and crevices of the furniture and fixtures must be free of dust and debris. All furniture should be positioned according to the hotel floor plan.
  • Fixtures are always sparkling and shiny, without free of hair, unpitted, unscratched with water temperature flow according to fixtures’ markings and turn easily without visible rust.
  • A/C grill and toilet bowl grill are cleaned and drainage is washed duly.
  • All carpeted areas are vacuumed daily, with no dust, debris, stains, spots, burns, threads, bald spots, discoloration, without buckles or wrinkles, and free of visible footprints.
  • The vanity, sink, stalls, walls and grouting are free of any debris such as: hair, dirt, dust, streaks, smudges, fingerprints, hard water marks, lime deposit, mold, scum, soap buildup, water spots, residue, discoloration, chips and peeling.
  • The toilet and toilet floor are always free of hair, debris, scum, waste buildup, stains, discoloration, dust, odor, mold, burns, scratches, chips and cracks. The toilet must flush properly and the toilet seat must be fixed firmly with the caps in place, no leaks, or running water.
  • The wastebaskets are cleaned daily or whenever required by spraying cleaning solution thoroughly inside the basket. Wipe properly to remove any unwanted odor and residue.

Fusion of Food Making Process: Since peoples are becoming more health conscious and sophisticated and demand foods that are both tasty and healthy as well, hence the chefs in hotels are converting their classical cooking methods into infusion of modern technology and science. Some examples include the following:

  • Natural starches of any food’s ingredients are used and processed to make thickening soups and sauces instead of applying traditional thickening methods.
  • New processes of basic mother sauces have been replaced with coulis, salsas or chutneys so as to omit the béchamel and egg bases sauces.
  • The food items with sweet and hot flavors are continuously updated and renovated.
  • Increased use of infused oils and vinegars instead of non-flavored oil and vinegar.
  • Use of salt has been reduced by substituting herbs and spices.

Upgrading Menu: All major chain hotels must develop and update menus constantly with the increasing trend in the world in order to achieve competitive advantage. All menus must enlist low fat low carb menu items considering the guest with health issues, such as diabetic person or a guest with heart problems.

Making more theme based restaurants: The major chains hotels are tending to make theme based restaurants and beverage outlets with casual atmosphere to attract the customer. For example, one major hotel chain has adopted a contemporary California feel in all its restaurants, similarly another hotel has make one of the beverage outlets into a sports themed bar or adopted a hyper based restaurants.

Branding of Restaurants: In recent years, hotels focus more on the branding of restaurants in order to operate their restaurant business. By doing so they can attract guests through brand name recognition from a franchising viewpoint and the products utilized.

Globalization: With the increasing levels of globalization in hospitality industry and expansion of international trade and business hotel companies are continuing to learn different management approaches to cope up with the international linkage. Hospitality Industries should also consider the propositions of the global perspective in which they operate their function and must be prepared to address the questions that may arise from this changing environment.

Chain hotels are expanding their business all around the world with the help of service personnel who are skilled in different languages and familiar with a diversity of cultural backgrounds.

Consolidation: The amalgamation of different international corporations and chains ensure the more number of hotels around the world. Some of the examples are: The Starwood acquisitions of Westin and Sheraton, the Doubletree and Promus merger deal, the Marriott acquisition of the Renaissance Hotel Group, and the merger of Hilton and Hilton International. The practice of consolidation has given the opportunity to the hotel companies to avail the benefit of greater brand portfolios and greater global reach.

Assets and Capital: To ensure proper utilization and employment of assets and capitals of any hotel, two associate practices are must followed:

  • Rationing of private capital
  • Allotment of funds consumed by governments

Rapid growth in vacation ownership: Increasing number of vacation ownership as a part of lodging industry are more likely to contribute in the tourism sector through their unique arrangements and nature of service.

Formation of Spas and Treatments: Offering spa service and treatments are the most important practice of any hotel since these can give guest relaxation from the stresses of fast-paced lifestyle specially it has became a deciding factor for many leisure and business travelers to choose hotel.

The hotel industry must continue to find ways to make the spa experience more attractive and comfortable for the guests.

Gaming: To ensure excellence of service and to make a developed hotel, the hotel authorities are continuing to associate with gaming industry.

Promoting Image: Enhance the guest service with smart and highly professional service personnel, since guests always chase for professional yet smooth service.

Continued quest for increase in productivity: To increase productivity and to measure productivity by sales per employee, hotel managers are likely to adopt new ideas and procedures according to the rising demand of competitive world. They are also continuing to increase the use of revenue management to ensure profit by implementing effective pricing of room inventory.

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