Fundamentals in Lodging Operations

• Hotels are classified based on their size, location, type of ownership, and other factors.
• The lodging sector includes hotels, motels, resorts, bed and breakfasts, etc
• Lodging describes a wide range of accommodation types that provide shelter or a place to stay overnight
• Hotels can be classified by size:

  • Under 150 rooms
  • 150 to 299 rooms
  • 300 to 600 rooms
  • More than 600 rooms
• Hotels can also be classified by target markets, which are distinctly defined groups of travelers that the hotel seeks to retain or attract as guests
• Types of hotels classified by market segment:

  1. Commercial hotels:

  • Located in towns and cities they primarily serve
  • Often located near train stations in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries
  • Located in downtown or business districts today
  • Largest group of hotels
  • Offer various guest amenities
• 2. Airport hotels:

  • Built in major travel centers
  • Target markets: business travelers, airline passengers with travel layovers or canceled flights, and airline personnel
  • Many feature conference rooms
  • Offer convenience and cost savings
• 3. Suite hotels:

  • Feature guestrooms with a living room or parlor area and a separate bedroom
  • Some guestrooms include a kitchenette
  • Target markets: people relocating to an area, travelers who enjoy homelike accommodations, vacationing families, business professionals
• 4. Extended-stay hotels:

  • Designed for travelers who stay five nights or longer
  • Usually do not provide food, beverage, or uniformed/valet services
  • Housekeeping services may not be provided on a daily basis
  • Room rates often determined by the length of a guest’s stay
• 5. Residential hotels:

  • Provide long-term or permanent accommodations in urban or suburban areas
  • Guest quarters generally include a sitting room, bedroom, and kitchenette
  • May provide some or all services provided to guests in commercial hotels
  • A restaurant or lounge may be located on the premises
• 6. Resort hotels:

  • Often chosen as the destination or vacation spot
  • Usually located in exotic locations away from crowded residential areas
  • Feature recreational facilities, activities, and breathtaking scenery
  • Provide extensive food and beverage, valet, and room services
  • Strive to provide enjoyable guest experiences
• 7. Bed-and-breakfast hotels:

  • Range from converted small houses to small commercial buildings with 20–30 guestrooms
  • Owner usually lives on the premises and serves as the property manager
  • Offer limited food service
  • Room prices tend to be lower than in a full-service hotel
• 8. Vacation ownership:

  • People purchase ownership of accommodations for a specific period of time
  • Owners can trade their ownership time with other owners in other locations
  • Each unit has multiple owners
• 9. Condominium hotels:

  • Units have only one owner
  • Owners tell the management company when they want to occupy their units
  • A portion of the rent from the unit goes to the unit’s owner
• 10. Casino hotels:

  • Feature gambling facilities
  • Cater to leisure and vacation travelers
  • Provide a broad range of entertainment and recreation opportunities
• 11. Conference centers:

  • Specifically designed to handle group meetings
  • Provide all services and equipment necessary for a meeting’s success
• 12. Convention hotels:

  • Often have thousands of guestrooms
  • Offer a variety of dining facilities
  • Primarily directed toward business travelers
  • May book business up to ten years in advance
• 13. Alternative lodging properties:

  • Include recreational vehicle parks, campgrounds, mobile home parks, corporate lodging, cruise ships
  • Compete with traditional lodging operations in some resort areas
• Levels of service in hotels:

  • Luxury service
  • Upscale
  • Mid-range service
  • Economy/Budget
• Ownership and affiliation types:

  • Independent hotels
  • Chain hotels
  • Management contract
  • Franchises
  • Referral group
• Categories of guests:

  • Business travelers
  • Pleasure/leisure travelers
  • Group travelers
  • International travelers
• Buying influences on travelers:

  • Satisfactory experiences with a hotel
  • Recommendations by family and friends
  • Hotel’s location
  • Preconceptions of a hotel based on its name or affiliation
  • Loyalty to a particular property or brand
  • Frequent traveler programs
  • Website design for travelers booking online
• Blogging and Social Networking:

  • Blogs and social networking sites facilitate interaction within an online community
• The Green Hotel:

  • Increasing interest in patronizing “green” hotels
  • Green hotel initiatives include reducing greenhouse gas emissions, recycling, using renewable energy sources
  • Green initiatives are in place worldwide
• Ancient History: Classic Greek and Roman Days
• In ancient Greece, hospitality was provided by certain elements of religion: missionaries, priests, and pilgrims formed a large part of the traveling public
• Accommodations were meager, providing only shelter and the barest of sustenance
• In ancient Rome, inns were large mansions that required guests to carry a "letter of eviction" to stay
• Caravans crossing vast deserts in the Near East stopped at caravansaries, simple structures providing protection and platforms for travelers to sleep
• Post houses known as yams were described by Marco Polo as apartments suitable for a king
• Middle Ages
• The term "hostelers" shifted from "owner" of the inn to inn-servant
• During the Crusades, the hotel industry grew with a standard design of enclosed courtyard, kitchen, tavern, public rooms, sleeping rooms, and stables
• Colonial Period
• Coach inns were built along routes where teams of horses were changed, similar to modern bus stops
• Entrepreneurial farmers converted farm houses into inns along post roads established by the United States Postal Service
• Nineteenth Century
• Introduction of railroads led to the rise of depot hotels connected directly to train stations
• In 1829, Isaiah Rogers designed and constructed the first luxury hotel, "Tremont Hotel," in Boston, Massachusetts
• Twentieth Century