117-Feb-08

Tutorial subject: Resort & Spa Hotel ManagementTeacher: Xiao QuDate: 2 April 2008Programme

Bachelor of Hotel Management

SubjectResort & Spa Hotel Management

HTM3012

Audience

130 x 2

Year hotel management students

Topic/week

Resort Hotel virtual field trip

Rationale fortutorial

This subject provides students with the basic understanding of resort and spahotel management. It will help students to develop an understanding of service and facilities needed in the resort and spa hotel, select the suitablesite, activities provided for the guest, and managing the hotel operations.Second Life field trip to an in-world resort hotel will be used to deepenstudents’ knowledge.

Course Learning Outcomes

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Students will be able to identify the internal and external environmentin resort planning and explain the basic elements of a resort and spacomplex.

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Students will be able to apply concepts in the planning and developingof a resort hotel and explain the importance of safety and security.

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Students will be able to evaluate the planning of resort facilities forthe leisure tourists’ needs and consider different marketing strategies.

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Students will be able to communicate and react proactively to thestakeholders in the hospitality industry in the areas of resort planningand management.Most students may not have had the opportunity to visit a resort hotel, so thistutorial will enable students to visit a virtual resort hotel and holiday villas(Rixos, Turkey). The Field Trip will be used to enhance students’understanding of the subject and stimulate their thinking on the relevanttopics. Students will undertake the following activities.Class divided into groups of 6. Each student in the group will have a differenttask:1. Student 1 will attend the first briefing meeting with the GM of thehotel in the conference room and have a chance to ask questions2. Student 2 will meet the hotel designer in the first briefing to find outabout the design and layout of the hotel and to ask questions3. Student 3 will do a survey of the hotel outdoor leisure facilities andlayout – is the design suitable, convenient etc.4. Student 4 will do a survey of the hotel indoor facilities and layout – isthe layout suitable, what are the strong points, what is missing etc.5. Student 5 will review the Rixos Villas, compare the different stylesand layouts and meet with the Rixos Villa owners.6. Student 6 will attend the second briefing meeting with the GM of thehotel in the conference room and have a chance to ask questions7. Student 7 will meet the hotel designer in the second briefing meetingto find out about the design and layout of the hotel and to ask questions

217-Feb-08Total 18 students to each group to make it manageable.

LearningarchetypeVirtual field trip

1. This tutorial will allow students to benefit from a visit to a 3D virtualhotel modelled on a real hotel, and with rooms and facilities available tolet.2. Students will be able to meet with real hotel staff and management,interact in a virtual hotel environment

Learningobjectives

The students will be able to:

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Discuss hotel design and management aspects with the GM and thehotel designer.

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Critically evaluate the resort hotel design and facilities.

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Reflect on the interactions and experience and discuss aspects withtheir peers.

SL Location Rixos Hotel and Rixos Villas

Features of hotel (from Marketing Manager Eyup Kaplan) "Our hotel willoffer all the luxury you would imagine, reception, silver service restaurants,bars, an Irish Pub, game room, sauna and spa, swimming pool, beach,standard rooms, honeymoon and king suites, wedding chapel all operationaland fully serviced." The entertainment center, which will launch later, willhost unique games and contests. Guests will be able to stay at the hotel, usethe facilities, enjoy water sports and a spa, and even arrange a weddingreception. Charges to stay in the hotel have not been determined yet.

Preparationfor field tripTwo weeks before class:

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Students will attend an orientation to Second Life – prepare theiravatars and learn the basics of navigation.

One week before class:

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Students receive briefing in tutorial about the virtual field trip.

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Field trip instructions posted on website for downloading

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Students will be divided into 7 groups, each with a different missionand task.

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Students prepare questions to ask hotel staff, and a survey instrumentto guide their visit to the resort facilities

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A short demonstration visit to the Rixos hotelfor familiarization.

317-Feb-08

During thefield trip

1. Go directly to group area if in meeting with Hotel staff 2. Try to move around in an orderly fashion and don’t bump other people.3. When asking questions please wait for your turn4. Thank the hotel staff for their help5. If you are in the second meeting groups make sure you arrive at themeeting place on time.6. Make notes of your trip for review next week.7. Logout 10 minutes before end of tutorial and join the rest of the class forshort debrief on immediate reactions to experience.

After the fieldtrip

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Follow-up out of class or in following week tutorial where video canbe shown and evaluation, review and discussion of field trip can bedone.

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Student groups may wish to post a short journal of their experience forother students to read.

Evaluationstrategies

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We will record parts of the field trip as a machinima video and uploadthe file to WebCT or YouTube for student reflection and possiblefurther discussion.

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A short feedback evaluation should be provided for the student tocomplete to comment on their experience after the tutorial.

Anticipatedchallenges

Technical problems

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locating the island, password lost, navigation etc (these should becovered in the prep sessions)Other problems

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sufficient PCs with SL installed (use HTRC or HTTU if available) orwork on home PCs

Background toRixos hotels(

From TurkishDaily NewsTuesday,September 11,2007)At the virtual hotel opened by Rixos Hotels in the virtual world of SecondLife, everything operates in the same way as in real Rixos Hotels in Turkey.The hotel also plans to choose its future personnel from among the personnelwho prove to be successful in the second lifeTurkey's Rixos Hotel Group, a luxury chain, is opening its latest luxury hotelin “Second Life (SL),” an Internet based virtual world launched in 2003 thatnow has over eight million registered users. SL is a kind of semi-structuredvirtual environment where characters undertake activities for their personalenjoyment.Upon its completion, Rixos Hotel Group will be the highest investor in the SLwith golf areas, entertainment and other social facilities. The hotel willchoose its future personnel from among registered users who prove to besuccessful in the virtual world. The hotel's operation will be the same as inthe real world and will also enable students studying tourism to virtually runthe various departments of the hotel.“As we couldn't open the hotel on time in real life, we decided to open one upin the virtual world,” said Fettah Tamince, chairman of the hotel chain.