PRACTICAL TRAINING SEMESTER

SOBRINI, EDIL MACOS, TUSCANY

HOTEL & RESIDENCE STELLA DEL MARE RESIDENCE RELAIS VILLA MAZZANTA

Reflection Report
submitted at the

IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems

Bachelors Programme

Tourism and Leisure Management

by

Daniela Vanessa Bermadinger 0910311005

Mentor of Internship: Mr. Andrea Biondi Advisor: Submitted on: FH-Prof. Mag. Walter Grassl 28/08/2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................................... I 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................1 2. THE ORGANISATIONS IDENTITY......................................2

2.1 Internal dimensions ................................................................... 2
2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 2.1.4 Objectives and strategies ........................................................................ 2 Organisational structure .......................................................................... 4 Organisation culture ................................................................................ 7 Personnel structure and human resources ............................................. 7

2.2 Context dimensions ................................................................... 8

2.2.1 2.2.1 2.2.2 Relevant external environments.............................................................. 8 History and status quo .......................................................................... 10 Future expectations and perspectives .................................................. 10

3. APPLICATION OF THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE ...........11

3.1 My tasks, duties and responsibilities ..................................... 11 3.2 Relevant IMC courses .............................................................. 12 3.3 Challenges and acquired competences ................................. 13

4. CONCLUSION ....................................................................15 REFERENCES......................................................................... A APPENDIX............................................................................... B

Daniela Vanessa Bermadinger

Executive Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
I have completed my practical training semester at Edil Macos s.r.l., more precisely in the two hospitality facilities Hotel & Residence Stella del Mare and Residence Relais Villa Mazzanta of the Sobrini family, from April to September, in Tuscany. I have preferred this specific organisation for several reasons which include the location as itself, the chance to learn more about the Italian hospitality business and culture, the opportunity to use all languages I have been studying so far and especially the improvement of my Italian language skills and, last but not least, the positive feedback from former interns who have always been IMC students. Concerning my expectations, I was told right from the beginning that my duties would include tasks from both, the front and the back office. Therefore, I was mentally wellprepared for the check-in and out procedures as well as the proposal writing. However, I thought I would get more involved in the development of marketing strategies and gain a better insight into the HR department, which in this company does not exist as such though. Nonetheless, I have gained a lot of real life practical knowledge and developed a great many of my already existing skills and competences, as well as my overall personality. Working abroad, especially in a country where a foreign language is spoken, can be quite challenging at times, but all the more it encourages you, makes you proud of yourself and provides you with experiences lasting for a lifetime. With regard to the IMC courses, I could successfully apply the theory of Management, Marketing and Tourism and Leisure. My job involved tasks and duties from both the front as well as the back office and therefore, was quite diversified, the proposal writing, the booking process and the check-in and out procedures taking centre stage. I was also appointed for customer care which included a welcome presentation, an information-point, pool rounds and excursions to a vineyard and I enjoyed socialising with the guests very much. Since my boss trusted me with my Italian, he also assigned me with the translation of the company homepages and other texts into English and German. My working hours, as well as my days off, continuously varied, but all in all I was working about 37-40 hours per week on six days a week, more specifically from six to eight hours per day with shifts in the morning, the afternoon and the evening and one day off during the week. I did not receive any fixed financial remuneration, but accommodation, meals, laundry and cleaning service on request, a uniform, bike and tips were provided. In the beginning I could stay in a more luxurious apartment at Villa Mazzanta and eat -la-carte at a nearby restaurant for about two months,

Daniela Vanessa Bermadinger

Executive Summary

before moving into a smaller apartment at the Villette Tina and choosing from the menu of the day at our restaurant at Stella del Mare for the time left. I had started out as an amateur without any real hotel experience answering e-mail requests by preparing proposals in the office before I was alternately transferred to Stella del Mare and Villa Mazzanta where I gained my first experiences at the front desk. The check-in and check-out procedures had to be performed with only a tiny little bit of training because it immediately started to get hectic with the arrival of the first guests around Easter, but over the months I was getting quite a good routine in it and sooner or later nearly everything has been explained to me. It has to be emphasised, though, that the level of involvement depends very much on oneself and in order to obtain new information and higher responsibilities, one has to be interested in learning more, curious about lots of different stuff and open for new things and should simply never stop asking questions. An important part also played the observation of my colleagues and my boss and, whereas in the beginning I was still a little bit shy answering the phone and talking in Italian, in the end I did not even hesitate anymore and could speak self-confidently with the Italian guests too. In the course of the World Dance Championship 2011 at Castiglioncello and the Sport Fishing World Championship (under 21) 2011 at Vada, the hotel hosted a great number of the participating groups which have been of completely different age classes and nationalities. The arrangement of their stays beforehand and the ensuing group arrivals represented an organisational challenge in which I was fortunately involved and therefore could gain another valuable insight. What I want to highlight is the extraordinarily great support of my supervisor and personal tutor Mr. Andrea Biondi from whom I could learn a lot and who always encouraged me irrespective of occasional mistakes. Thanks to the fantastic staff the internship can be called an absolute success and has definitely been a good starting point for my future career in the tourism sector.

Daniela Vanessa Bermadinger

II

Introduction

1.

INTRODUCTION

This paper gives an account of the internship which I have completed in the enterprises of the Sobrini family, primarily in its two establishments Hotel & Residence Stella del Mare (Edil Macos s.r.l.) and Residence Relais Villa Mazzanta (Villa Mazzanta s.r.l.), in Mazzanta, Tuscany, for the period from 11th April to 11th September 2011. The internships purpose is to implement the acquired theoretical knowledge in a work environment and in doing so, gain real life experience in an organisation in the tourism sector abroad. Following the initial report the seminar paper provides a more detailed overview and better insight into the companys identity by differentiating the organisation into its different internal and external dimensions and by demonstrating their interrelationship according to the identity model by Gareis and Stummer (2008). Thereby the focus is placed onto the organisational structure and the relevant social environments as part of the internal structures and the context, respectively. Furthermore, it includes a critical reflection and personal statement about the five months spent in this company: my role as a receptionist, the involving tasks and responsibilities and finally, the new practical experience I have gained. Special emphasis has been placed on the comparison between the theoretical knowledge acquired at the IMC and the experiences made during the practical training, i.e. the relevance of the mainly theoretical knowledge from the already completed IMC courses and the challenges I have experienced throughout this practical training semester. This paper has been divided into two main parts, the first section describing the company itself, i.e. it examines the composition of Sobrinis associations in general and the organisational structure of Edil Macos s.r.l. in particular, and the second one providing an analysis of my personal experience and the relevance of the already completed IMC courses.

Daniela Vanessa Bermadinger

The Organisations Identity

2.

THE ORGANISATIONS IDENTITY

The identity model allows the holistic perception of an organisation as a social system by considering internal structures and its interrelationship with relevant external environments (cf. Gareis & Stummer, 2008, p. 26).

2.1

Internal dimensions

2.1.1 Objectives and strategies The objectives and strategies of an organisation should be clearly defined in form of a mission statement in order to determine the companys boundaries and provide orientation for all members (cf. Gareis & Stummer, 2008, p. 27). Sobrinis mission statement is to satisfy the needs of different customer types by diversifying the holiday offer according to their slogan Una vacanza per tutti i gusti! Holidays for everyones taste!. Its operation covers almost everything from camping over hotel rooms and independent apartments to agri-tourism. The core vision is to increase the service quality by continuously refining the holiday products, for instance by means of building restoration and extension, in order to meet customers expectations and become more competitive (cf. Biondi, 2011). Products and services The three-star Residence & Hotel Stella del Mare is a holiday village wh ich offers two different accommodation formulas for its customers they can choose between a stay on a self-catering basis, i.e. the apartment comes along with a kitchenette and the price includes only the overnight stay, and a hotel room with breakfast, half or full board and bed linen, towels and daily cleaning provided. In the latter case the apartments remain the same typology, but by adding the extra costs they are sold as hotel rooms. The customer, furthermore, can choose between two categories of apartments a standard and a superior one which either come along with no airconditioning, dish washer, bed linen and towels or with everything included, respectively. The facility also offers a mixed option; so for example, one could book a standard apartment including half board and the providence of bed linen and towels. There are three different types of apartments studios, two-roomed and threeroomed apartments which provide the capacity to accommodate a minimum of 2 up to a maximum of 6 persons depending on the specific typology. The hotel is operated from April to November and is closed in winter. In the high season, i.e. in July and August, the stays are usually carried out weekly with arrivals and departures on Saturday, whereas in the low season, the minimum stay is three nights with arrivals and departures on any weekday.
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The Organisations Identity

All guests of Edil Macos, no matter if they reside within the main site or in one of its external apartments, are welcome to use the services at the residence. In addition, the guests from Villa Mazzanta and Borgo Guglielmo, which do have their own swimming pools, can benefit from the special convention with the restaurant and join the guests from Stella del Mare for the animation and evening entertainment. Among the services offered by Edil Macos are swimming pools and swimming courses for children, a mini club, animation during the day and evening entertainment, a restaurant with an associated bar, a parking lot, free wireless internet access and an information-point. Moreover, the guests are free to choose between a public beach and a private one with beach service against payment (sunshades, -beds and deck chairs included). Target market and marketing strategies Obviously, the predominant target group are families with smaller children of which the majority is Italian or at least Italian-speaking (the Swiss from the Italian part of Switzerland). The Germans also represent a very important target group. The primary marketing platform is the Internet, more specifically five websites a general homepage with all of Sobrinis establishments, a specific one for Villa Mazzanta, two for the accommodation facilities of Edil Macos s.r.l. and one for Borgo Guglielmo. The underlying motives of having more than one homepage are in order to appeal to different types of customers and to be more widely spread out and highly visible in the World Wide Web (cf. Biondi, 2011). The company is also present on facebook and reviews on Tripadvisor are checked on a continuous basis. The primary communication channel is the communication via e-mails, has to be differentiated again between direct requests and multiple ones sent from the numerous portals. A minor but nonetheless very important part of the proposals and bookings are carried out on the phone. Phone calls, furthermore, have a higher priority than e-mail requests because it is generally believed that someone who calls is more committed and therefore definitely a potential customer. Brochures of the hotels are not available. The majority of the apartments is booked in advance and only in case a room remains unoccupied, a discount is granted and an immediate booking is carried out in the presence of the person inquiring. In the low season the occupancy rate extremely varies from year to year, week to week and establishment to establishment, but in the high season all of Sobrinis facilities are usually fully booked, the most important week being the one around the public holiday Ferragosto on 15 th August which is celebrated with a big party at Stella del Mare.

Daniela Vanessa Bermadinger

The Organisations Identity

2.1.2

Organisational structure

The organisational structures purpose is to enable the performance of services and the sale of products and to coordinate the actions of members in an organisation (cf. Gareis & Stummer, 2008, pp. 28-32). Sobrinis associations

Agenzia Immobiliare Sobrini

SOBRINI family

Socom s.r.l.

Edil Macos s.r.l.

Villa Mazzanta s.r.l.

Borgo Dino s.r.l.

Hotel & Residence Stella del Mare

Villette Tina & Dino

Borgo Guglielmo

Other holiday cottages

Villetta Cavalleggeri Villetta Gherardini Villetta Capitani Villetta Biagini Rocchiccioli FR (= Fronte Residence)

The scope in which the Sobrini family operates can be generally subdivided into five main enterprises of which four are directly connected to tourism. Beside the real estate agency Agenzia Immobiliare Sobrini which rents out and sells private apartments (about 30 at a time) for holiday purposes, the Sobrini family runs three other accommodation facility companies: Edil Macos s.r.l., Villa Mazzanta s.r.l. and Borgo Dino s.r.l., s.r.l. being the Italian abbreviation for limited liability company (cf. Franchi, 2011).
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The Organisations Identity

Edil Macos s.r.l. is responsible for the Hotel & Residence Stella del Mare (67 internal apartments), the Villette Tina & Dino (two separate cottages with 23 and 8 apartments, respectively) and other holiday cottages (11 external apartments for guests with pets). Villa Mazzanta (28 more exclusive apartments) and Borgo Guglielmo (17 apartments) are two separate establishments operated by the corresponding companies. Altogether the Sobrini family runs a total of about 155 apartments in more than three different sites that are not only operated but also partly owned by the different family members. Furthermore, half of the campsite Mare Blu in Mazzanta belongs to Mr. Dino Sobrini. The restaurant at Stella del Mare is leased by someone else and for the major part individually managed. The private beach establishment is not owned by the company; there exists only an agreement between the two of them. The life guards and animators are hired by a company called Time Italia s.r.l. from which Edil Macos s.r.l. and Villa Mazzanta s.r.l. again procure them (cf. Biondi, 2011; Ingoglia, 2011). Organisation chart of Edil Macos s.r.l.

Firm Owner & Administrator Massimo Sobrini

General Manager Andrea Biondi

Accounting Manager Franco Franchi

Booking Manager Elke Wrulich

Front Desk - Receptionists Hotel & Residence Stella del Mare

Accountant Silvia Ingoglia

Animation Team

Cleaning staff & attendants

Restaurant Manager & staff

Daniela Vanessa Bermadinger

The Organisations Identity

Mr. Massimo Sobrini, besides being the firm owner, is also the administrator of Edil Macos s.r.l The General Manager is called Mr. Andrea Biondi and is directly responsible for the overall management of Edil Macos s.r.l. and Villa Mazzanta and indirectly even of Borgo Guglielmo since the handling of its bookings is carried out by the reception at Villa Mazzanta. The Tina, Dino and other holiday cottages are run by the reception at Stella del Mare. The organisation is split up into three main divisions that are structured according to the different roles. The role allocation is a little complex and the boundaries between the single divisions vague. There is the administration or (financial) accounting department, the booking department and the front office. Given the small size of the company there are only working a few employees in each department. The organisation is rather horizontally organised, which means that there do not exist many hierarchical levels; it is basically the General Manager managing the different departments. To some extent the receptionist do have authority over the cleaning, attendant, animation and restaurant staff. Internal communication The internal and mostly informal communication takes places in four different ways and between all members of the organisation, i.e. top-down, bottom-up and even by skipping hierarchical levels in-between. The information exchange and decision making takes place either orally and face-to-face or over the phone, as well as in writing on Skype, via e-mails or in the form of little messages left for others. Skype, connecting the computers in the reception with the ones in the main office, represents the latest and moreover very effective communication tool. In my opinion, the efficient use of it can be still improved though. Furthermore, all computers are connected with the main server which allows every member to have free access to shared documents. Formal communication structures such as meetings take rarely place and, from my point of view, should be increased.

Daniela Vanessa Bermadinger

The Organisations Identity

2.1.3

Organisation culture

A big strength that characterises Sobrinis organisations is their exceptionally strong company, their incredible team spirit, which is created by a number of shared values, tools, objects, symbols, linguistic expressions and particularly events. In the first place, the names of the different associations do reflect the names of the owners and managers and furthermore, Stella del Mare and Villa Mazzanta have a sea star and sea horse, respectively, as their logos. Secondly, concerning the language used, there are lots of German- and English-speaking employees, but anyway, most of the times it is communicated in Italian in order that no one will be excluded and to make sure that everyone has understood everything. Throughout all hierarchies, members call each other on a first-name basis and informally, even creative nicknames have been developed, so are, for example, Stellas receptionists called stelline and the ones from Villa villine. Moreover, there are many other special expressions for the internal use and information exchange between team members only. Thirdly, the villine and stelline often meet outside of the workplace to undertake something together like having dinner where they also share job anecdotes. A great many of events, including birthdays, summer parties and graduations, are organised by the General Manager Andrea Biondi and contribute a lot to the teambuilding. Besides the connecting communication tool Skype, the receptionists also wear a uniform which not only physically underlines their group identity, but also psychologically strengthens the feeling of togetherness even more. Finally, the working atmosphere in general is extremely intimate and casual, contributing to everyone feeling part of the team, even more of a family. I personally got along really well with all my colleagues and they have turned into my best friends during my time in Italy. 2.1.4 Personnel structure and human resources

Mr. Andrea Biondi is responsible for the recruitment, scheduling and controlling of staff and it has to be pointed out that he is exceedingly qualified for this job. I could derive a lot in his behaviour towards my colleagues and me from what I have been taught in theory. Edil Macos personnel consist of six perennial employees who work in the low as well as the high season and of 29 seasonally employed people of whom about half are full-time and half part-time employees (mostly cleaning staff) (cf., Biondi, 2011). It additionally admits one to two interns each summer. However, there are no advanced trainings and workshops offered to its employees.

Daniela Vanessa Bermadinger

The Organisations Identity

2.2

Context dimensions
Relevant external environments

2.2.1

The relationship an organisation has with its clients, partners, suppliers, authorities and even competitors influences the companys economic performance, and therefore, has to be managed deliberately (cf. Gareis & Stummer, 2008, p. 29). Customers As already mentioned, the predominant target group are families with smaller children, whereupon the majority of Sobrinis customers are of Italian, German and Swiss nationality, followed by the Belgians, Swedes, Hungarians, Frenchmen, Danes and the Dutch. However, the proportion again varies from facility to facility and from period to period. Whereas the Italians with about 68% represent the majority of the guests at Stella del Mare, they have a low presence (about 30%) at Borgo Guglielmo and Villa Mazzanta which instead is rather frequented by international guests from the northern European countries, such as Sweden, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and Poland (cf. ERICSOFT, 2011). The great many of French requests for Villa Mazzanta, moreover, do definitely stand out. Villa Mazzanta generally attracts families and couples with higher income since it is appointed in a more luxurious style. Another reason is the close cooperation of Villa Mazzanta s.r.l and Borgo Dino s.r.l with the German tour operator TUI. Besides, whereas there are, for instance, more Germans coming in the high season, i.e. in July and August, the Swiss prefer the month of October due to their autumn half-term (cf. Wrulich, 2011). Tour operators The apartments of all three accommodation facilities are being booked in two ways either directly by the customers themselves which applies to the majority of sales or indirectly over tour operators and travel agencies, the tour operator being the hotels contact person. The twenty tour operators with which the company is mostly dealing are situated in different European countries. An extract of them are TUI Wolters and italiaREISEN in Germany, Interhome, Swiss-Residence and Toscana Ferie in Switzerland, Thomas Cook for the Netherlands, Azzuro in the Czech Republic, Studit in Hungary and sol nostrum tourist for the Eastern European countries in general (cf. Wrulich, 2011). Naturally, the types of contracts differ, but two acquisition methods can be differentiated: through allotments, i.e. the tour operators hold a pre-negotiated number of purchased hotel rooms until a specific date, or on request. The date as well as the commission are individually negotiated and stated in an allotment
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The Organisations Identity

contract, but usually the date is set a couple of days prior to the planned check-in and the commission rate amounts to 20% in the high season and 25% in the low season from which 10% are again assigned to the travel agency. In the rare cases when travel agencies make a direct request a commission rate of 10% is granted to them. Unsold rooms are generally released back to the hotel (cf. Wrulich, 2011). Socom s.r.l. The Sobrini family is also the owner and manager of the building company Socom s.r.l. which, apart from constructing private apartments or other building complexes, plays also an important role when it comes to the construction of the establishments for Edil Macos s.r.l. Thus, it has constructed all of the hotels main buildings and cottages (cf. Di Sacco, 2011). This collaboration clearly provides economic advantages for both companies. For the current project Villette Chiardiluna it has also come into play again (see Future expectations and perspectives). Destination A hotel is very much influenced by its location, the destinations infrast ructure, its attractions and entertainment. Stella del Mares value is increased by the great variety of recreational facilities and restaurants in Mazzanta, Cecina and surroundings which in return benefit from the promotion and the supply of guests. This mutual benefit can be increased by a close collaboration of both parties. Moreover, within a bigger radius the destination offers a lot of historical cities, cultural sites, amusement and nature parks, markets, festivals and events and a wide range of sporting activities. The excellent promotion of the Etruscan Coast is carried out by the tourism agency Costa degli Etruschi which also provides a lot of information material for Sobrinis guests. Authorities With regard to the amusement park close to Villa Mazzanta and Edil Macos facilities, the company depends very much on the competent authorities to observe the tolerable hours and volume of operation. Competitors At the beginning of its business, the Sobrini family has executed an analysis of the proximate competitors in order to become more competitive. The first step was to compare the prices and services with the ones offered by other holiday resorts and residences in that area and adapt their own ones. In a second step they increased the quality of their own products and services by restoring and refurnishing the buildings and the apartments and by adding special services (cf. Biondi, 2011).
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The Organisations Identity

Almost every time before a special offer is published on one of Sobrinis websites, the competing offers are controlled and tried to be under matched. The biggest competitors are the La Buca del Gatto and La Cecinella because of their proximity to Stella del Mare and the similarity of their holiday offers. They are both situated in Cecina and do offer apartments as well as rooms, but in contrast to Stella del Mare they additionally provide their guests with a spa centre and sports facilities (cf. Buca del Gatto, 2011; La Cecinella, 2011). 2.2.1 History and status quo The Sobrini family has been working in the tourism sector for 50 years. In the Sixties, Dino Sobrini started with construction work in Mazzanta before buying some of the properties and going into business for himself in 1967. In the Seventies, more precisely in 1973, the association Edil Macos s.r.l. was founded and in the beginning of the Eighties the real-estate agency Sobrini has been established for the sale of houses in Mazzanta. Additionally, in 1980, the Residence Stella del Mare was inaugurated, however in the first few years also those apartments were only being rent out for longer periods. By including more and more special services Stella del Mare developed into a holiday village in the nineties. The hotel has always been extended over the years and the last one of the three hotel buildings was brought into service this year. The apartments have been refurbished and the outer spaces completely reorganised (cf. Franchi, 2011). 2.2.2 Future expectations and perspectives

The biggest project for the near future is the dedication of the already semiconstructed four-star residence Villette Chiardiluna eleven cottages of four to five three-roomed apartments each, hence a total of 50 apartments and a spa centre in Castglioncello, a posh village at the coast, in the vicinity of Mazzanta (cf. Sobrini, 2011). The construction work is carried out by Socom s.r.l. (cf. Di Sacco, 2011). Furthermore, Mr. Massimo Sobrini (2011) is planning to set up a booking centre which engages only in the booking process, to appoint night receptionists and additionally employ an assistant accountant.

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Application of Theoretical Knowledge

3.
3.1

APPLICATION OF THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE

My tasks, duties and responsibilities

Divisions of placement: Reception & Booking Front Office Performance of check-in and out procedures (i.e. welcoming of guests, completion of registration form, explanations, handling of payments, accompanying the guests to their apartments feedback, handling of deposits and outstanding debts, presentation of VIP card => loyalty program); in Italian, English, French and German; mainly on Saturdays; Concierge service (giving advice regarding facilities, events, public transport means, trips and tours, etc.) Info-point: welcome presentation of the Etruscan Coast (tourist information); every Sunday morning; bar service at Villa Mazzanta; Customer care (feedback, translations, problem solving) during the week development and compilation of customer satisfaction evaluation sheets implemented to improve the performance of the company; Organisation of a weekly excursion to the vineyard Chiappini, tour guide, interpreting of Italian, English and German, guest support; every Thursday; Back Office Telephone and e-mail correspondence in Italian, English, French and German and preparation of proposals (receiving and answering e-mail and phone requests by preparing proposals in Italian, English, French and German and creating customer files in the data bank); Receiving of booking confirmations and handling of the further booking procedure (communication via e-mail and phone, up-dating of the data bank) Assistance in the preparation of arrivals and archiving of customer files Coordination of cleaning staff, attendants and mechanics Translation of the companys homepages into English and German and correction of English and German texts Preoccupation with the companys marketing strategies; social media (especially facebook as a means of marketing);
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Application of Theoretical Knowledge

3.2

Relevant IMC courses

With regard to the relevance of the already completed IMC courses, it has to be pointed out that overall I could fortunately apply a lot of the mainly theoretical knowledge acquired at the IMC. First of all, in order to understand the organisational structure, different hierarchies, social responsibilities of the organisation, to recognise interactions between the environment, technology, human resources and organisations and to improve the allocation of tasks and coordination of staff, the subject Fundamentals of Management including human resource management has been absolutely essential. Concerning the four major functions of management planning, organising, leading and controlling I could derive a lot in and learn from the comportment, approach and performance of Mr. Andrea Biondi. The knowledge gained in Marketing linked to the one from the Management course, furthermore, has contributed to a better understanding of the marketing concepts and the underlying psychology of the customer buying behaviour. Working in the hospitality industry and therefore being confronted by the specific touristic terminology, concepts and proceedings, Introduction to Tourism and Leisure has been by far one of the most relevant subjects. It has allowed me to consider the hotel as part of the holistic tourism system, i.e. to recognise its position in a tourism destination region such as Italy and its interrelationship with tour operators. Indeed, the course of action in the hotel has also been the same as the one discussed in this subject, and therefore, I could better comprehend it when experiencing it in practice. Obviously of great aid have also been the language courses, given the fact that the internship has been completed in Italy and therefore, the working language has been Italian. Besides, a great deal of my tasks was based on the communication with foreign guests and the translation of spoken and written Italian into English and German. However, I am convinced that my confident handling of the English language is primary due to the exchange semester I have spent in Australia and not to the Business English course at the IMC and I have to admit that I have already been studying Italian since the lower grade in secondary school. Due to the hotels location there have not been many overseas guests and I did not get the chance to give my basic Chinese a try. I have noticed though that the French language has been important in this location and type of establishment (especially at Villa Mazzanta) and that, moreover, Russian language skills would have been of great help at times.

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Application of Theoretical Knowledge

As stated before, there is a lot of communication involved in the duties of a receptionist and I was for example also responsible for the Info-point, i.e. the presentation and question & answer session of the residence and its surroundings, on Sunday. Hence, I could utilise the presentation and communication skills acquired in Personality Training (and Mentoring). Actually, they have already proven to be useful before when applying for an internship. Since I had to work a lot on the computer, the knowledge from Applied Computer Technologies was quite helpful, even though we did not go through the booking systems and data banks which, anyway, vary from one company to the next, and therefore, have to be learned in sito. The subject Introduction to Research, finally, has helped me in writing this seminar paper, while the IMC courses Accounting, Statistics and Law have been of little to no relevance for my tasks.

3.3

Challenges and acquired competences

The IMC courses have prepared me with a sound theoretical background, but nevertheless they cannot prepare you for every practical situation which may occur. Therefore, every know and then I had to experience challenges or at least gaps between the theory and its practical realisation. Nevertheless, they have also contributed to the acquisition of new knowledge and the development of my already present skills and competences. There occurred, for instance, a lot of IT problems, where my technical skills or the knowledge from Applied Computer Technologies did not suffice. A great deal of our work at the reception has been based on our e-mail outlook, as well as the booking software ERICSOFT, and without the function of the Internet we were quite limited in our work possibilities. In such a situation, e.g. where I had to perform an immediate check-in in sito without our working booking system, I could fortunately rely on my spontaneity. Some other time we the had to perform check-ins and outs to some Russian dance groups who did not know any English, but in the end we fortunately understood each other. Thus, my improvisation or creative skills have been developed. In addition, a couple of times I had to fill in for sick colleagues and in doing so, could successfully exercise myself in flexibility. Another important factor in this type of job has been stress management. Having to perform check-outs and ins nearly at the same time with several phones continuously ringing while a queue is being formed in front of the reception desk and the cleaning staff waiting for instructions, prioritising intelligently is important, and even more, necessary. Consequently, I could enhance my general organisational skills, as well as my management and leadership skills by coordinating other staff.

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Application of Theoretical Knowledge

Absolutely essential have been, furthermore, good teamwork skills, since I have almost always worked together with at least one of my colleagues and we often had to up-date and motivate each other. Besides, the close contact with other employees and guests has given me the chance to improve my communication skills in the diverse foreign languages even more. Moreover, I could further develop my administrative skills, given the fact that I consistently had to deal with guest registration, payments and receipts, activate Internet connections and arrange deliveries and appointments. My teaching and helping skills have been enhanced inasmuch as that I taught some people a little bit of English, translated Italian texts into English and German also for private purposes and assisted friends with their business in my leisure time.

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Conclusion

4.

CONCLUSION

Reflecting my time at Sobrinis companies, I have definitely gained professional knowledge about the hotel business and developed my personal competences and soft skills. The management, marketing and tourism and leisure courses have provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the theory and the internship has enabled me to experience and carry it out also in practice, e.g. by applying the most effective and efficient tools. With regard to the languages, I definitely want to continue with Italian and in addition, brush up my French and start with Russian as soon as I get back to Krems. What I liked best about my internship in this company was the opportunity to take a look at all departments, get varied duties and responsibilities, have a lot of contact with the guests, be flexible with my working hours and being immediately met with a kind reception. I really felt part of the family from the very first moment I arrived and this feeling did not change at all, but on the contrary, only intensified itself towards the end of my internship. On the negative side I have noticed about the company that the internal communication by means of little notes spread out everywhere is quite inefficient and creates rather confusion than clarification. Besides, there were lots of changes taking place during my time working for Sobrini which complicated the immediate operational procedures. Although I experienced difficulties in introducing my ideas and suggestions and especially their practical implementation, they were basically appreciated by the General Manager. In my opinion, the underlying problems from which have often resulted customer dissatisfaction, anyway, have been to a great extend more profound ones and could be attributed to the hotels location, the apartments design, the lack of certain accessories in the apartments and the mentality to fix broken objects only short-term instead of replacing them so that they work on the long run. I have realised once again how important it is to keep the gap between customers expectations and the reality to a minimum in order to reduce customer complaints. To conclude, I am convinced that the internship has contributed to a deeper practical understanding of the hospitality business in general and of the Italian operation method in particular and due to the outstanding work atmosphere I have definitely enjoyed my practical training semester.

Daniela Vanessa Bermadinger

15

References

REFERENCES
Gareis, R., Stummer M. (2008). Processes & Projects. Manz, Vienna, pp.26-39. Biondi, A. (2011). Personal interview, marketing strategies and organisational structure of Edil Macos s.r.l. General Manager of Edil Macos s.r.l. Hotel & Residence Stella del Mare in Mazzanta, 1 August 2011. Biondi, A. (2011). Personal interview, Edil Macos human resources, Sobrinis mission statement, competition analysis. General Manager of Edil Macos s.r.l. Hotel & Residence Stella del Mare in Mazzanta, 15 August 2011. Di Sacco, D. (2011). Personal interview, Socoms operation scope. Geometer and Topographer of Socom s.r.l. Agenzia Immobiliare Sobrini in Mazzanta, 11 August 2011. ERICSOFT. Statistics. Access on 8 August, 2011. Franchi, F. (2011). Personal interview, Sobrinis future perspectives , Sobrinis associations, company foundation of Edil Macos s.r.l. Accounting Manager for Sobrini, Manager of Agenzia Immobiliare Sobrini. Agenzia Immobiliare Sobrini in Mazzanta, 4 August 2011. Ingoglia, S. (2011). Personal interview, organisational structures of Sobrinis assocations. Accountant of Edil Macos s.r.l. Agenzia Immobiliare in Mazzanta, 4 and 5 August 2011. Sobrini, M. X (2011). Personal interview, Sobrinis future perspectives. Firm Owner and Administrator of Edil Macos s.r.l. Villa Mazzanta, 6 August 2011. Wrulich, E. (2011). Personal interview, booking, tour operators. Booking Manager of Edil Macos s.r.l. and Villa Mazzanta s.r.l. Hotel & Residence Stella del Mare in Mazzanta, 2 August 2011.

Bibliography IMC Management courses La Buca del Gatto. La Buca del Gatto Homepage. Access on 18th August, 2011 on http://www.labucadelgatto.com. La Cecinella. La Cecinella Homepage. Access on 18th August, 2011 on http://www.lacecinella.com. Sobrini. Hotel & Residence Stella del Mare Homepage. Access on 28th July, 2011 on http://www.residencestelladelmare.com. Sobrini. Hotel & Residence Stella del Mare Homepage . Access on 28th July, 2011 on http://www.stelladelmare.it. Sobrini. SOBRINI Homepage. http://www.sobrini.it/home.phtml. Access on 28th July, 2011 on

Daniela Vanessa Bermadinger

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APPENDIX
Example interview Personal interview Interviewee: Mr. Andrea Biondi, General Manager of Edil Macos s.r.l. Topics: Edil Macos human resources, Sobrinis mission statement, competition analysis Date: 15th Agust 2011 Place: Hotel & Residence Stella del Mare in Mazzanta Language spoken: Italian Language notes taken: Italian

Transcript: Dipendenti: 6 tutto lanno, 35 alta stagione (luglio & agosto), 15 part-time (donne delle pulizie), 20 full-time + 1-2 stagiste => Edil Macos Visione: 1) Diversificare lofferta turistica: campeggio, Hotel & Residence, agriturismo, app. privati. Una vacanza per tutti i gusti, soddisfare tutte le esigenze; 2) Aumentare la qualit del servizio -> interventi ristruzioni (nuova piscine, benessere) per essere competivi e per esaudire/accontentare le aspettative dei clienti; Competizione: 1) Analisis della concorrenza, comparazione dei prezzi/servizi in questa zona 2) Riduzione dei prezzi allargamento dei servizi

Daniela Vanessa Bermadinger