Introduction to Hotel and Catering Industry
Meaning and definition of hotels
The word hotel is originally derived room the word "Host". Hotels is one of the component of tourism industry. The combination of many other component as a whole is called the hospitality industry. This means hotel is not only a component of tourism industry but also the component of hospitality industry. The hotel sector represents a vital part of hospitality earnings, since the provision of accommodation, food and beverages essential for any one spending time away from home, whether it is for business or pleasure, because a hotel is considered as 'home away from home".
The hotel is defined by British law as "a place where a bona-fide traveler can receive food and shelter, provided he or she is in position to pay for it and is in a fit condition to be received", Thus a hotel must provide food, beverage and shelter to travelers on payment and has the right to refuse if the traveler is not in the fit condition or is not in the position to pay for the services.
Types of hotels on the basis of location, clientele,
Types of hotel/ Classification of hotel:
On the basis of location
Downtown: These hotels are situated at the centre of the city or at heart of the city, within a short distance of the business centre, shopping arcades, theatres, public buildings etc. These hotels are basically designed to cater short stay business clients. The hotel is very expensive as the starts up costs are very high.
Location: Centre/heart of city
Targeted guest: high class businessman, CIP
Length: short period (1-4 days approx.)
Facilities/services: exclusive
Rate: expensive
Special features: exclusive outlets, exclusive lounge
Plan: EP
Marketing: business organizations, banks etc.
Resorts: Resorts are the hotels situated at or near the natural sites like hill side or at beaches, mountains, jungles and forests, lakesides etc. which may be far away from the crowded areas with full view of natural beauties. Resorts are the eco-friendly commercial hotels, basically designed for long stay guests situated in hill stations, where the natural beauty has its significance. In European community, resorts are seasonally operated catering establishments. Resort provides all the facilities as offered by a star category hotel.
Location: natural sites
Targeted guest: natural lovers, honeymooners, adventurous tourists
Length: a week to a month
Facilities/services: exclusive
Rate: expensive
Special features: sporting and adventurous events
Plan: AP
Marketing: travel agencies
Transit/transient hotels: The transient hotels are usually located in transit locations such as airport, railway stations, bus stations, harbors or ports etc. to cater the passengers. This type of hotel caters the transit passengers with overnight layover passengers or with crews with delay or cancelled flight or schedules.
Location: transit points (airport, sea harbor, bus/train station)
Targeted guest: travelling layover passengers
Length: few hours to a night
Facilities/services: exclusive
Rate: expensive
Special features: exclusive outlets, VIP lounge
Plan: EP
Marketing: airlines, train and bus comapanies
Motels: The word motel is derived from two interrelated words "motor and hotel" from America. Motels are the hotels situated on the highways having the facilities of fueling & parking facilities along with food and shelter.
Location: along the highway
Targeted guest: highway passengers
Length: few hours to a night
Facilities/services: moderate
Rate: moderate to high
Special features: parking, fueling, maintenance, and all types of automobiles sevices
Plan: B&B
Marketing: bus/coach companies
Suburban/Resident hotels: Suburban hotels are located away from the city centers has the advantage of quieter surroundings and the rates quoted are moderate to low. Such hotels are ideal for budget travelers and also the quiet seeking organizations for their conferences and seminars.
Location: away from city centre
Targeted guest: medium class, holiday makers, old aged people
Length: 1 to 2 months
Facilities/services: moderate
Rate: moderate
Special features: peaceful environment, residential provision
Plan: MAP
Marketing: wholesales tour operator, travel agents
Inns: Inns are considered as the forefather of modern hotels. First evolved from England. These are situated in or out the suburban areas which may be large or small in size. Irrespective to its size it may provide the facilities like as the modern hotels. Mostly the travelers wants to stay in such type of hotel with pleasure.
Location: in or out of city areas
Targeted guest: recreational tourist
Length: 1 week or more
Facilities/services: moderate
Rate: moderate
Special features: peaceful, residential provision
Plan: B & B
Marketing: travel agency
On the basis of length of guest stay
- Commercial hotel: the length of guest stay in these hotels is short, generally from a few days to a week.
- Transient hotel: mostly occupied by travelers during travelling, while passing by the routes to their destination. Length of stay is very short, a day or less.
- Extended stay hotel: nowadays business executives are often away from their hometowns for extended period of time and require more than a hotel room. These hotels are for those guests who like to stay for a long period of time and cater to their long term needs with special services, amenities and facilities. The room rates of these hotels are determined by the length of stay.
- Residential hotel: provides accommodation for long duration and are patronized by people who stay for a long time. The length of stay may range from months to few years.
On the basis of no of pricing plans
A plan is a package of room rates and meals offered by a hotel to the guest for their convenience.
- European Plan Room charges only
- American Room + All meals
- Modified American Plan Room + Breakfast + lunch or dinner
- Continental Plan Room + Continental Breakfast
- Bed and Breakfast Room + English Breakfast
On the basis of types of clientele
- Business hotel: specializes providing facilities and amenities to the business and corporate traveler. Facilities include business centers that provide meeting rooms, secretarial services and modern telecommunication facilities including the internet. The business centers are equipped with modern office automation. A business lounge allows executives to have private food and beverages and will have the latest newspapers and perhaps a library. The rooms of business hotels will be equipped with high-speed internet facilities, direct dial telecommunication link-up globally, ergonomic writing desks and chairs, a mini-bar, safety lockers, multi-channel television etc. services could include limousine service to and from the airport, concierge service, same day laundry service, health club, access to golf courses, etc.
- Group hotel: are geared for volume traffic at any given time. Their lobbies are large to welcome groups; they have separate registration counters; they also have lobby staff equipped to handle volume baggage; they have separate baggage elevators; rooms that are all twin bedded; large dining halls to seat several groups at a time; and briefing rooms for tour groups.
- Family hotel: are found mostly at resorts geared specifically for families. Rooms will be interconnected with perhaps a kitchenette and basic cooking facilities. There would be entertainment lounge equipped with television, indoor games and children’s play area. Many would have outdoor children parks jogging paths and independent barbeque areas.
- Convention hotel: would firstly have plenary halls, smaller meeting rooms, administration offices, large registration areas and large dining halls to feed up to 2000 people. The room would be mostly twin-bedded with modern telecommunication systems, mini-bars, safety lockers etc. the hotels will have shuttle coach services from the hotel to the airport and the city center to transport delegates.
- Youth hostel: cater to travelling youth. The hostels will have dormitory style accommodation and may be some single rooms for those who want to have a room all to themselves. Hostels will have common toilets and shower areas, large dining halls with simple food, gymnasium, games courts and fields. They may be equipped with an assembly hall with a stage for youth gatherings and entertainment.
On the basis of ownership and affiliation
OWNERSHIP AND AFFILIATION: this provides another means by which to classify hotels i.e. independent hotel and chain hotels.
INDEPENDENT HOTEL: These are family owned and operated hotels that is not required to confirm to any policy or procedure's, they also do not need to adhere to a particular image and can offer a level of service geared towards attracting a specific target market and can quickly adapt to changing market condition. However these hotels do not enjoy the advantage of volume purchase, advertising exposure or management insight and consultancy power of a chain hotel.
CHAIN HOTEL: Chain hotel ownership can take a number of forms. Depending on the association that the chain organization has with each property. These hotels usually impose certain minimum standards, rules, policies, and procedures, which is to be followed by other properties of the same chain. These hotels are usually classified as operating a management contract or as a franchise or referral group.
MANAGEMENT CONTRACT HOTEL: These hotels are the properties owned by other entities. Under this type of contract, the owner or developer usually retains the financial and legal responsibility for the property, the management company pays its expenses and in turn receives an agreed upon fee from the owner or developer and the remaining cash goes to the owner who also pays for debts, insurance, taxes.
FRANCHISE: Franchisor is the Company owning/controlling the rights to grant franchises to potential franchisees.franchise is an agreement between franchisee and franchisor and according to agreement, the franchisor provides the well-established image, a tested and successful operating system, training program, marketing, advertisement and reservation system in exchange of certain percentage of revenue collected by the franchising hotel.
Referral groups consist of independent hotels, which have joined together for some common purpose. While each property in the referral system is same but there is no similarity in the quality of service and guest expectations. Hotels within this group refer their guests to other affiliated hotels. With this kind of an approach a hotel may gain a much greater level of exposure.
Some of the examples of chain hotels are as follows:
- Hilton
- Hyatt
- Sheraton
- Novotel
- 4 season
- Crowne plaza, etc.
Organizational chart of various category of hotels
Organizational Chart for small hotel
Organizational Chart for Medium size hotel
Organizational Chart of large size hotel
Star rating system of Nepalese hotels
Nepalese standard to be star hotel
- 1 star 1-15 rooms 156 sq. ft. per room
- 2star 20 rooms 169 sq. ft.
- 3 star 30 rooms 196 sq. ft.
- 4 star 50 rooms 230 sq. ft.
- 5 star 70 rooms 250 sq. ft.
- Tourist standard 10 rooms for lodges 5 rooms
- Room all requires
- Attached bathroom 2, 3, 4 and 5
- Air conditioner 3, 4 and 5
- Restaurant: 1 for 1 and 2 star 3, 4, and 5 must have more than one
- Manager’s training: 80% trained managers for 1, 2, 3, 4 stars 100% trained managers for 5 star
- Laundry: 1 and 2 does not require
- Money exchange and post office: 3, 4, 5 should have
- Lift facility: 3, 4, and 5 needs
- Bars: 3, 4, and 5 separate bars
- Telephone: 1 star in each floor in 2, 3, 4, 5 every room
- Hot and cold shower and foot bath: 3, 4, 5 needs
- Travel and trekking agencies: 3, 4, 5 needs
- TV: in 25% room of 1 and 2 star in every room 3, 4, 5.
- First aid: 1, 2, 3 first aid box 4, 5 doctor.
- Solid waste management underground: 4 and 5 needs.
- Nepalese culture: for 1-4 Nepalese décor, for 5 star cultural program.
- Fire brigade: need fire brigade machine in 4 and 5
- Backup power 4 and 5 need
- Motor parking facility: 4and 5 need
- Location map: 4 and 5 needs
- Front office: 1 star no need to specify
- Corridor and floor covering: 3, 4, 5 needs.
- Safety technical safety: 1 and 2 no needs.
- Security person and property: 1 and 2 no need
- Reservation facility: 3, 4, 5 need
- Door man: 4, 5 need
- Evening room service: 4 and 5 need
Meaning and definition of catering
The hospitality and catering industry is a vast and complex one which covers all the operations involving the provision of accommodation, food and refreshments, alcoholic drinks and other items (such as cigarettes, tobaccos, gaming machines, etc.).
Hospitality means providing the services which make the customer feel welcome the ambience, the quality of staff service, warmth, the contribution to the ‘comfort factor’.
Catering means meeting the basic needs of food, drink and accommodation.
Introduction of commercial, industrial, institutional and transport caterings
Commercial catering:
This includes those establishment which provide food, drink, refreshments and accommodation in exchange for money. They ae run as businesses and their main reason for operating is to provide these products and services to make profit. The outlet included in this sector are:
- Hotel
- Restaurants
- Take-aways
- Clubs
- Holiday camps and caravan sites
Industrial catering
- The provision of food and beverages to ‘people at work,’ in industries and factories at highly subsidized rates is called industrial catering.
- It is based on the assumption that better fed employees at concessional rates are happy and more productive.
- Catering for a large workforce may be undertaken by the management itself, or may be contracted out to professional caterers.
- Depending on the choice of the menu suggested by the management, catering contractors undertake to feed the workforce for a fixed period of time at a predetermined price.
Institutional or welfare catering:
- The provision of food and beverages to people to fulfill a social obligation, determined by a recognized authority, is known as welfare catering.
- This grew out of the welfare state concept, prevalent in western countries.
- It includes catering in hospitals, schools, colleges, the armed forces and prisons.
Transport catering:
- The provision of food and beverages to passengers, before, during and after a journey on trains, aircraft and ships and in buses or private vehicles is termed as transport catering.
- These services may also be utilized by the general public, who are in the vicinity of a transport catering unit.
- The major forms of modern day transport catering are airline-catering, railways catering, ship catering and surface catering in coaches or buses which operate on long distance routes.
