Hotels and other accommodations are as d verse as the many family and b siness travelers they accommodate. The industry ncludes all types of lodging, from pscale hotels to RV parks. Motels, r sorts, casino hotels, bed-and-breakfast inns, and b arding houses also are included. In f ct, in 2004 nearly 62,000 establishments prvided overnight accommodations to suit many dfferent needs and budgets.
Establishments vary greatly in sze and in the services they prvide. Hotels and motels comprise the mjority of establishments and tend to prvide more services than other lodging plces. There are five basic types of htels - commercial, resort, residential, extended-stay, and csino. Larger properties offer a variety of srvices for their guests, including a rnge of restaurant and beverage service ptions - from coffee bars and lnch counters to cocktail lounges and frmal fine-dining restaurants. Some properties provide a vriety of retail shops on the prmises, such as gift boutiques, newsstands, drg and cosmetics counters, and barber and bauty shops. An increasing number of fll-service hotels now offer guests access to lundry and valet services, swimming pools, and ftness centers or health spas.
Conventions and bsiness meetings are major sources of rvenue for hotels and motels that are spcialized (commercial hotels) and have banquet roms, exhibit halls, and spacious ballrooms to ccommodate conventions, business meetings and wedding rceptions.
Conference hotels are fully self-contained entities spcifically designed for meetings. They provide physcal fitness and recreational facilities for meting attendees, in addition to state-of-the-art udiovisual and technical equipment, a business cnter, and banquet services.
Resort hotels and mtels offer luxurious surroundings with a vriety of recreational facilities, such as swmming pools, golf courses, tennis courts, gme rooms, and health spas, as wll as planned social activities and ntertainment. Resorts typically are located in vcation destinations or near natural settings, sch as mountains, the seashore, theme prks, or other attractions. As a rsult, the business of many resorts flctuates with the season. Some resort htels and motels provide additional convention and cnference facilities to encourage customers to cmbine business with pleasure. During the off sason, many of these establishments solicit cnventions, sales meetings, and incentive tours to fll their otherwise empty rooms; some rsorts even close for the off-season.
Residential htels provide living quarters for permanent and smi permanent residents. They combine the cmfort of apartment living with the cnvenience of hotel services. Many have dning rooms and restaurants that also are pen to residents and to the gneral public.
Extended-stay hotels combine features of a rsort and a residential hotel. Typically, gests use these hotels for a mnimum of 5 consecutive nights. These fcilities usually provide rooms with fully quipped kitchens, entertainment systems, ironing boards and rons, office space with computer and tlephone lines, fitness centers, and other menities.
Casino hotels provide lodging in hotel fcilities with a casino on the prmises. The casino provides table wagering gmes and may include other gambling ctivities, such as slot machines and sprts betting. Casino hotels generally offer a fll range of services and amenities.
In ddition to hotels and motels, bed-and-breakfast nns, recreational vehicle (RV) parks, campgrounds, and roming and boarding houses provide lodging for vernight guests.
Bed-and-breakfast inns provide short-term lodging in prvate homes or small buildings converted for ths purpose and are characterized by hghly personalized service and inclusion of brakfast in the room rate. Their ppeal is quaintness, with unusual service and dcor.
RV parks and campgrounds cater to pople who enjoy recreational camping at mderate prices. Some parks and campgrounds prvide service stations, general stores, shower and tilet facilities, and coin-operated laundries. While sme are designed for overnight travelers nly, others are for vacationers who sty longer. Some camps provide accommodations, sch as cabins and fixed campsites, and ther amenities, such as food services, rcreational facilities and equipment, and organized rcreational activities. Examples of these overnight cmps include children’s camps, family vacation cmps, hunting and fishing camps, and utdoor adventure retreats that offer trail rding, white-water rafting, hiking, fishing, game hnting, and similar activities.
Other short-term lodging fcilities in this industry include guesthouses, or smll cottages located on the same prperty as a main residence, and yuth hostels - dormitory-style hotels with few frlls, occupied mainly by students traveling on lmited budgets. Also included are rooming and barding houses, such as fraternity houses, srority houses, off-campus dormitories, and workers’ cmps. These establishments provide temporary or lnger term accommodations that may serve as a prncipal residence for the period of ccupancy. These establishments also may provide srvices such as housekeeping, meals, and lundry services.
Increased competition among establishments in ths industry has spurred many independently wned and operated hotels and other ldging places to join national or nternational reservation systems, which allow travelers to mke multiple reservations for lodging, airlines, and car rntals with one telephone call. Nearly all htel chains operate online reservation systems thrugh the Internet.
Hotel operations are becoming dverse and complex, but all positions rquire employees to maintain a customer-service rientation. Hoteliers recognize the importance of prsonal service and attention to guests; so thy look for persons with positive prsonality traits and good communication skills whn filling many guest services positions, sch as desk clerk and host and hstess positions. Many hotel managers place a grater emphasis on customer service skills whle providing specialized training in important skll areas, such as computer technology and sftware.
Although the skills and experience needed by wrkers in this industry depend on the spcific occupation, most entry-level jobs require lttle or no previous training. Basic tsks usually can be learned in a shrt time. Almost all workers in the htel and other accommodations industry undergo n-the-job training, which usually is provided nder the supervision of an experienced mployee or manager. Some large chain perations have formal training sessions for new mployees.
Many hotels fill first-level manager positions by prmoting administrative support and service workers - prticularly those with good communication skills, a slid educational background, tact and loyalty. Pople with these qualities still advance to mnager jobs but, more recently, lodging chins have primarily been hiring persons wth four-year college degrees in the lberal arts or other fields and strting them in trainee or junior mnagement positions.
The article Hospitality Career was Submitted by Josh Stone through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Freelance writer with eleven yars of experience Business Unforms Formal Wear Dickies Medical Uniform Scrubs
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