“To provide travelers with shelter, food, refreshment, and similar services and goods, offering on a commercial basis thing that are customarily furnished within the household but unavailable to people on a journey away from home.”
That’s the primary purpose of a hotel, according to the world’s number one online encyclopedia.
Every person who travels has their own idea of what makes for a good hotel, but most agree that there are six qualities that make for an exceptional stay. These are cleanliness, environmental concerns, hotel management, location, security, and service.
Let’s take a closer look at each:
Cleanliness
Cleanliness is next to godliness, so goes a popular saying. It is defined this way: both the state of being clean and free from germs, dirt, trash, or waste, and the habit of achieving and maintaining that state. That’s what most travelers are looking for in a hotel.
“Cleanliness is supreme when a guest needs to book a hotel,” explains the Atalian Global Services in Singapore. “The most significant factor hotels need to focus on is understanding the importance of hygiene and sanitation. Having a clean hotel is one of the essential factors in gaining customer loyalty.”
Not having a clean room is the most critical concern resulting in an unpleasant guest experience. And cleanliness is often achieved through cleaning. This falls under the housekeeping department, whose core duties include cleaning rooms, changing sheets, and carrying out laundry duties.
Environmental Concerns
Alone, hotels do not have a significant negative impact on the environment. But when they are lumped together, however, hotels consume a huge number of resources, particularly energy and water. They also produce a lot of waste.
“The average energy consumption per bed per night in hotels might be in the order of 130 megajoules,” said a study that was conducted in 2005. Megajoules are based on a joule, which is the standard unit of energy in the international system of units. The energy content of LPG and natural gas are both measured in megajoules.
“Hotels generally use more energy per visitor than residents, as they have energy-intense facilities, such as bars, restaurants, and pools, and have more spacious rooms,” the study further said.
Let’s talk about climate change then. Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases that is emitted into the atmosphere and makes this world a living hell as a result. According to some studies, a hotel emits an average of 20.6 kilograms of carbon dioxide per night.
Water is another issue. Guests require a clean and dependable supply of water for bathing, drinking, cooking, and washing clothes. “Water is integral to the amenities usually expected by tourists, such as swimming pools, landscaped gardens, and golf courses,” Himanshu Rajak wrote in his piece, “Environmental concerns relating to the hotel industry.”
Water for drinking should be given importance. “When you’re traveling the world, no matter where you go, no matter what they tell you about the tap water, it’s important you use bottled water,” Goldman advised.
But the most visible effects on the environment of hotels are their waste generation. An average hotel produces more than one kilogram of waste per guest per day, some studies showed.
Location
The location of the hotel can add or remove a lot of stress. Having fun things to do nearby is the hallmark of any vacation, and a lot of novelty will be lost the more you have to drive for it. Cut down on that time by staying at a hotel near the best perks of the area.
Is the hotel near the airport? How far is it from tourist attractions? Are malls nearby (so you can buy the things you need)? If you are attending a conference or meeting, is the hotel not far away?
“Hotel customers in particular want to be in the most convenient location for the purpose of their visit – they may be looking for easy accessibility to attractions, business areas, proximity to the airport or convenient transport and parking,” says the website, www.hospitalitynet.org.
Hotel Management
The main difference between hotel management and hospitality management is hotel management covers all aspects of managing a hotel whereas hospitality management is a broader term that deals with people management in sectors, such as nightclubs, casinos, restaurants, transportation and even hotels.
Hotel management, in simpler words, involves the management of anything that’s related to the hotel industry. Among those departments that are important to guests and visitors are front desk, maintenance, and reservation and marketing.
The reservation and marketing department oversees hotel reservations and keeping room availability information updated. The front desk–the face of the hotel–handles guest services, processing payments and reservations, too. The maintenance is the department the guests can call immediately when there are broken pipes and problems with air-conditioning units, among others.
More importantly, those involved in these departments must be friendly and approachable. “The fact that staff friendliness plays such an important role in guest satisfaction shows that, as intrinsically social creatures, we love to be greeted with a smile and a chat. It makes us feel welcome and part of the group,” said consumer psychologist Simon Moore, who conducted a study on the subject.
Security
Safety is more important than convenience when it comes to hotels. “One of the big pleasures of travel is to walk around and really experience the area,” says Peggy Goldman, president, and founder of Friendly Planet Travel. That’s unthinkable if your hotel room is in a sketchy area.
Thus, security is a must. It is the protection of the guests from deliberate threats or acts of violence. Security makes guests feel secure within the hotel premises.
The security measures implemented in the hotel are aimed at doing the following responsibilities: ensuring guest safety, protection, and personal property during their stay in the hotel; and protection of hotel property from hostile actions (thefts, acts of vandalism, etc.)
If you have just checked-in into a hotel and just don’t feel comfortable, you’re better off cancelling your reservation than risking your safety,” wrote Marissa Laliberte for Reader’s Digest.
Services
“Service is what life is all about,” said Marian Wright Edelman. This statement is true to hotels, too.
The basic services of hotels are checking-in and checking out, which are held round-the-clock. Besides providing accommodation for temporary staying, related services such as changing bedclothes, giving towels and hygiene items, the opportunity to use appliances and television sets, cleaning and sanitation are offered.
Some hotels also offer room service, food service, including restaurants in the hotel, and security. There are other services that can be considered bonuses: laundry service, massage room, fitness gyms, conference rooms, lock boxes for valuable assets, and excursions and guided tours.
Five-star hotels have these kinds of services: personal butler, doorman, designated concierge, around-the-clock room service, valet parking, spas with trained masseuses, gyms with personal trainers, live entertainment, and even childcare.
When you get inside your room, be sure to look at the facilities provided like beds, a dresser, a refrigerator and other kitchen facilities, upholstered chairs, a flat-screen television, and en-suite bathrooms.
Comments