Hospitality Operations

Image courtesy of prayitno

Course Blog
Hospitality is the
relationship between
guest and host, or the
act or practice of being
hospitable. Specifically, this includes the reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or
strangers, resorts, membership clubs, conventions, attractions, special events, and other
services for travellers and tourists. (Wikipedia)

If you would like to join this course, please contact Lynn Brandham.
Otago Polytechnic offers learning support through the Hospitality Operations weblog
People enrolled with Otago Polytechnic as students of this course have access to learning
support services such as the libraries, the Community Learning Centres, regular contact with
learning facilitators and lecturers, assessment services and certification.

Contents
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 1 Learning Objectives
o 1.1 What is hospitality?
o 1.2 Front Office
o 1.3 Reservations
o 1.4 Selling
o 1.5 Administration
 2 Related courses

Learning Objectives
1. Demonstrate knowledge of the hospitality sector and its relationship to other sectors of the
tourism industry
2. Describe the organisational structure of a hotel and its systems and processes
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the front office role and the process of selling accommodation
4. Demonstrate knowledge of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage and use of beverage service
equipment
What is hospitality?
The word hospitality derives from the Latin hospes, which is formed from hostis, which originally
meant "to have power." The meaning of "host" can be literally read as "lord of strangers."
The accommodation section for this course focuses on buying and selling accommodation which
is the facilitation of all aspects of reservation enquiries in a commercial hospitality environment,
including rate information, room types, facilities, location, payment methods, customer services.
At the completion of this section you will be able to take, amend and cancel reservations in the
commercial accommodation environment.

Image courtesy of Georg Wittberger

In our first class session we will familiarise ourselves with the hospitality sector and in particular
different types of accommodation. .
There are many unique hotels around the world, they may cater for to specific customer
requirements or hobbies. Check out your next activityso that you can share this with your fellow
class members. Think about how important it is for hotels to market themselves to keep up with
competition.

Hotel Quiz

Front Office
The front office of an accommodation establishment is seen as the hub of the hotel. This is often
where a customer makes their first contact with the establishment. Think of the different ways
this may happen.

There are four different stages to the guest cycle: pre-arrival, arrival, occupancy and departure.
The front office team are part of each of the four stages. We will discuss what happens at each
stage and the importance of each stage from both the guests perspective and the perspective of
the host accommodation.

This is when a guest informs the hotel that they will be staying. Within this part of the course we
will look at why reservations are important, their purpose (for the customer and accommodation
establishment), differences between guaranteed and non guaranteed reservations. Many hotels
offer guests a package which may be made up of accommodation, transfers, food, beverage
and activities. We will discuss the key objectives of the reservation department, the product and
rates.

Reservations
Many hotels today use computerised reservation systems that assist with taking reservations,
maximising occupancy, calculating yield and revenue (RevPar - revenue per available room)
and a new measurement is known as GOPPAR. Let take a look at how to work out some of
those calculations;
http://moodle.op.ac.nz/file.php/38/percentages/percentages_p._1.pdf.
 During this course we will use the property management system Mundas. This simulates
commonly used reservations systems used in many hotels through New Zealand and worldwide.
We will also look at a manual system, if you are setting up a smaller accommodation
establishment or if technology should fail!

When a customer books a room at a hotel, they will usually be given a confirmation number, this
confirms that they have made a booking. They may be asked if they want to guarantee their
booking, this will ensure that a room is available when they arrive at the hotel. Hotels have
different reservation policies, dependent on different factors, such as location and price. Take
time to complete the policy activity.
Within the hotel industry there is terminology (abbreviations and jargon) that is used. Some of
this is used when making a guest reservation. We have already looked at the differences
between a guaranteed booking and a non guaranteed booking, when 6pm release may be used.
Terms such as upgrade, blacklist, overbooking, VIP, room status, DND, DNM, OOO may also be
used. We also want to know details about our customers, their preferences so that we can either
anticipate their needs or ensure excellent customer service when they stay with us, such details
as MOP, ETA and ETD may be sought at the time of the reservation.

Selling
There are many forms of communication that are used within the front office and reservations
setting (written, oral and non verbal). As part of your role in the front office you will be required to
write to guests, potential guests and people external and internal in the hotel. All written
communication, whether by letter, email, memo, fax or reports must be written effectively and
professionally. Business letters are used to confirm a guests booking, as a response to an
enquiry for a conference, as a welcome letter to the hotel and in some cases responding to a
letter of complaint. A fax or email may also be used to confirm a guests booking. A
memorandum (memo) is an effective method of communicating to a number of people at the
same time. Take time to complete the correspondence activity.

personalities, the hospitality sector is big on talent. Whether they are changing

the game with innovative concepts or empowering hoteliers with proven

tactics, these industry insiders have set themselves apart as some of

hospitality’s brightest stars.

1. Bruce Faber, Owner at EHS Hospitality

Throughout his career, Bruce Faber has held several top positions, including

General Manager and Managing Partner at Lincoln Park Zoo and Manager at

Spiaggia, Chestnut Street Grill and Bistro 110. In 2008, Faber joined EHS

Hospitality Group as the owner of the Chicago market, where he works with

clients and candidates from local communities and cities all over the country.

With a clear understanding that the success of any hospitality organization

depends on the strength of its staff, Faber maintains a comprehensive

database of the industry’s top leaders every level, allowing him to consistently

supply clients with top talent.

2. Frances Kiradjian, Leader & Authority on Independent Boutique,

Lifestyle & Luxury Hotels

Seasoned by 25 years of experience, Frances Kiradjian, Founder and CEO of

the Boutique and Lifestyle Lodging Association and the Travel Industry

Executive Women’s Network, is a 25-year hospitality and travel industry

executive. She is instrumental in bringing worldwide attention to the boutique

and lifestyle hotel sector and a champion for women in the travel, tourism, and

hospitality industries. Frances uses her global network of lifestyle

professionals to connect the world’s most dynamic leaders with cutting-edge

business and operational insight. BLLA conferences have become a staple in

the lifestyle division, through which she arms hoteliers, restaurateurs,

suppliers, designers, retailers, and anyone hospitality adjacent with the

knowledge and inspiration they need to reach new levels of success.

3. Robert LaPata, Principal & Founder at Forefront Hospitality

A long-time veteran of the hospitality and restaurant consulting industries,

Robert LaPata has spent a quarter of a century mastering both front and back

of the house operations. During this time, he has worked with celebrated

industry brands, including Hyatt Hotels, Omni Hotels, Hilton Hotels and

Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises. As Principal and Founder at Forefront

Hospitality, LaPata has demonstrated a unique ability to turn conceptual ideas

into working realities. Having owned, opened, operated and consulted on

restaurants of every style and size, LaPata leverages his vast understanding

of construction management and concept development to make Forefront a

leading restaurant and hospitality consulting agency.

4. Xavier Lividini, Managing Partner, Hospitality Advance International

A member of the prestigious Waldorf Astoria Distinguished Alumni, Xavier

Lividini has spent nearly four decades in the hospitality industry. During that

time, he has served in executive level positions for a number of prestigious

properties throughout the United States. In 2005, Lividini founded Hospitality

Advance International (HAI) to deliver sales, marketing, asset and revenue

management services to hotels in South and Central America, the Caribbean

and the United States. Currently serving on several tourism- and business-

related advisory boards, Lividini leverages his extensive expertise to help

hotel owners, lenders, developers, managers, and receivers achieve

organizational and financial success.

5. Anthony Melchiorri, Hotel Exec, Host & Co-Executive Producer Travel

Channel

Creator and host of the Travel Channel program “Hotel Impossible,” Anthony

Melchiorri has consistently proved that nothing is impossible if you have talent

and imagination. In addition to Hotel Impossible, Melchiorri is also the creator

and host of “Extreme Hotels,” “Hotel Impossible: Five Star Secrets,” and host

of “Hotel Impossible: Showdown.” He also brings his vast experience and

industry insight to Argeo Hospitality, which provides clients with expert

revenue management and consultation from the hospitality industry’s foremost

consultant.

6. Rachel Roginsky, Owner & Principal, Pinnacle Advisory Group

Since graduating from Cornell School of Hotel Administration, Rachel

Roginsky has established a noteworthy career in hospitality operations. In

1991, she founded Pinnacle Advisory Group, which has grown from humble

beginnings into one of the nation’s top boutique hospitality consulting firms.

Through hands-on direction and ethical positioning, Roginsky has helped

Pinnacle develop a widespread reputation for providing a comprehensive suite

of services, including market and financial feasibility, asset management,

litigation support, valuation and other due diligence services that help its

clients succeed.

7. Doug Roth, Founder & President, Playground Hospitality

A third-generation restaurateur, Doug Roth has spent more than three

decades developing and operating multiple successful, on-trend restaurants,

including Bistro 110, Bistro 100, Don Roth Restaurants, Blackhawk Lodge and

the award-winning Red Moon. As an equity partner and Vice President of

development with Levy Restaurants, Roth created numerous innovative,

nationally recognized restaurant concepts. The founder of Playground

Hospitality, he uses his extensive expertise to help restaurants streamline

operations, identify opportunities, stay on-trend and better define the guest

experience.

8. Ron Vlasic, Vice President at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants

With over two decades of high-level experience, Ron Vlasic has developed a

substantial industry footprint. In addition to his role as Vice President at

Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Vlasic is a member of the Board of Directors at

Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau, and an Advisory Board Member at

DePaul University’s School of Hospitality. At Kimpton, Vlasic plays a lead role

in providing unique, experiential stays that introduce guests to the local flavors

of each city, while cultivating hotel and dining experiences that continue to live
in the minds of guests, long after they depart. A key figure in the local

community and within prestigious industry organizations, Vlasic is active in

obtaining political support from state and local legislators on behalf of the

Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association.

9. Chris Willard, Owner & Director of Marketing & Hospitality, Crown

Choice Inc.

With over a quarter-century of experience in the restaurant and nightlife

business, Chris Willard has developed a keen eye for detail, a passion for

marketing and a unique talent for branding. Having worked in major markets,

including New York City and Las Vegas, Willard brings a diversity of

experiences that allow him to cultivate innovative restaurant and nightclub

concepts and marketing strategies. As the Owner and Director of Marketing &

Hospitality at Crown Choice Inc., Willard helps clients drive growth through

creative marketing techniques that leverage proven tactics and game-

changing trends. He is also committed to fostering enduring client

relationships with the same honesty and loyalty he credits for building his

long-standing career and professional reputation.