CHAPTER 1

FUNDAMENTALS OF LODGING OPERATION

ACCOMMODATION
üa group of rooms, or building which someone may live or stay and is important to any
tourists who want to travel to another destination or on a trip as you are always going
to need a place to stay such as hotels, caravan parks, camp sites et.
üAccommodation is split into two parts, serviced and non serviced which are different
from each other. They are all in the private sector which means that they want to make
a profit and grow their businesses.
 Serviced accommodation
When a service is provided along with an overnight stay, e.g. hotels, guesthouses, youth
hostels etc.

This type of serviced accommodation is where there is maid services such as room
cleaners which change your bed, towels and also serve food and drink to you when it is
needed.
Serviced - The Hilton Hotel:
If you are looking to spend a lot of time out at your destination then you can stay in a
hotel such as The Hilton. This hotel is an excellent hotel and would be ideal to stay if you
are with family or having a romantic holiday. They do all the same as any other hotel and
try to exceed customers expectations to impress them and keep them happy with where
they are staying. Hilton hotels are always trying to know what customers need and what
they think they could improve on in their , so if you visit you will know that there will
always be something that will impress you and you would certainly enjoy your stay there.
 Non serviced accommodation:
When tourists cater for themselves. Examples of this is when you stay in cottages, a
camping holiday, caravanning etc. and you have to cook, clean and cater for
yourselves.
Non serviced: E.G Haven
Cool caravans, touring and camping, yurts and more - the choice is yours...

Haven holiday campsites are a great way to spend with your family and friends. If you
live in Britain they would be very helpful and also be classed as an inbound holiday.
These types of campsites are classed as non serviced which means tourists will have to
cater for them self, for example clean up after yourselves and cook your own food. This is
what makes them cheaper than a serviced accommodation. Haven offer campsites in
many different areas such as Golden Sands which is near Skegness on the east of
England. They offer everything you need to make your meals and also provide free
entertainment and different activities.
HOSPITALITY THROUGH AGES
The word hospitality comes from the French term hospice,
meaning “to provide care/shelter for travelers.”

Symbolism of the Pineapple

The pineapple has been a universal symbol of hospitality and
welcome for many centuries all over the world.
PINEAPPLE TRADITION
◦ The pineapple has enjoyed a rich and romantic heritage as a symbol of
welcome, friendship, and hospitality
◦ Pineapples were brought back from the West Indies by early European
explorers during the seventeenth century
◦ From that time on the pineapple became the favored fruit of royalty and the
elite
◦ Today, it is globally recognized as a symbol of hospitality
THE HOSPITALITY RATING SYSTEM
Different Organizations of Hospitality Ratings and Classifications
Hotel ratings are often used to classify hotels according to their quality. From the initial
purpose of informing travelers on basic facilities that can be expected, the objectives of
hotel rating have expanded into a focus on the hotel experience as a whole. Today the
terms 'grading', 'rating', and 'classification' are used to generally refer to the same
concept, that is to categorize hotels. There is so far no international classification which
has been adopted. Many countries use 1 to 5-star system in USA hotels are rated from 1
to 5 diamonds Some hotels have claimed a six or seven-star rating for their operation.
(Example: Burj Al Arab in Dubai 7 star) Because there is no overall authority for assigning
hotel ratings on an international basis, it is the customer who ultimately decides the
quality of the hotel based upon the quality of guest experience.
◦ The following star ratings were established by the European hotel star union. There is a wide
variety of rating schemes used by different organizations around the world. Many have a system
involving stars, with a greater number of stars indicating greater luxury. Forbes Travel Guide,
formerly Mobil Travel Guide, launched its star rating system in 1958. The AAA and their affiliated
bodies use diamonds instead of stars to express hotel and restaurant ratings levels. Food services,
entertainment, view, room variations such as size and additional amenities, spas and fitness
centers, ease of access and location may be considered in establishing a standard. Hotels are
independently assessed in traditional systems and rest heavily on the facilities provided. Some
consider this disadvantageous to smaller hotels whose quality of accommodation could fall into
one class but the lack of an item such as an elevator would prevent it from reaching a higher
categorization.
üEuropean Hotel star’s Union. The HOTREC (Hotels, Restaurants & Cafés in Europe) is an umbrella
organization for 39 associations from 24 European countries. At a conference in Bergen in 2004,
the partners drafted a hotel classification system in order to harmonize their national standards.
In 2007 HOTREC launched the European Hospitality Quality scheme (EHQ) which has since
accredited the existing national inspection bodies for hotel rating. Under the patronage of
HOTREC, the hotel associations of Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands,
Sweden and Switzerland created the Hotel stars Union.
üEuropean Hotel star’s Union. The European Hotel stars Union system is based
on the earlier German hotel stars’ system that had widely influenced the
hotel classifications in central Europe, with five stars and a Superior mark to
flag extras. Instead of a strict minimum in room size and required shower
facilities (e.g. a bath tub in a four- star hotel) there is a catalogue of criteria
with 21 qualifications encompassing 270 elements, where some are
mandatory for a star and others optional.
 Classification and Rating System

◦ One Star
◦ 100% of the rooms with shower/WC or bath tub/WC
Daily room cleaning
100% of the rooms with color-TV together with remote control Table and chair
Soap or body wash
Reception Service Facsimile at the reception
Publicly available telephone for guests
Extended breakfast
Beverage offer in the hotel
Deposit possibility
Two Star

◦ In addition to the single star (*) hotels Breakfast buffet

Reading light next to the bed
Bath essence or shower gel
◦ Bath towels and Linen shelves
Offer of sanitary products (e.g. toothbrush, toothpaste, shaving
kit) Accept Credit Cards
Three Star
◦ In addition to the standard star (**)
Reception opened 14 hours, accessible by phone 24 hours from inside and
outside Bilingual staff (e.g. German/English)
Luggage service
Beverage offer in the room
Telephone in the room - Internet access in the room or in the public area Hair-
dryer, cleansing tissue - Dressing mirror, place to put the luggage/suitcase
Sewing kit, shoe polish utensils, laundry and ironing service
Four Star
◦ In addition to the comfort star (***)
Lobby with seats and beverage service
Breakfast buffet or breakfast menu card via room service
Minibar or 24 hours’ beverages via room service
Arm chair/sofa with side table
Bath robe and slippers
Cosmetic products (e.g. shower cap, nail file, cotton swabs), vanity mirror, tray of a
large scale in the bathroom)
Internet access and internet terminal
"À la carte"-restaurant
Five Star
◦ Reception opened 24 hours
◦ Multilingual staff
◦ Doorman-service or valet parking Concierge
◦ Spacious reception hall with several seats and beverage service
◦ What is missing? How can a five-star hotel in one city be so different in its services,
quality and facilities from a hotel in another part of the world?
üOne of the most important elements of the guest hotel experience is service
standards, which do not generally form part of a hotel rating system.
◦ OTHERS:

◦ The Green Influence

Environmentally friendly facilities will be now a core criterion of China's hotel rating system.
Green measures can be reflected in many dimensions, such as hotels' design and architecture,
their building materials' selection and their customers' consumption habits, which hotels can
influence. China currently has more than 14,000 hotels, including 572 five-star establishments
and 2,149 four- star hotels.

◦ Green Key Green Key International

A voluntary eco-classification awarded to around 2,900 hotels and other establishments in 57
countries by the Foundation for Environmental Education.
◦ Salam Standard Salam Standard
üA classification system for Muslim-friendly hotels. Hotels can get certified based on
certain Muslim-friendly criteria such as offering prayer mats, removing alcohol from the
room and offering halal restaurant recommendations and is divided into 4 tiers (bronze,
silver, gold and platinum). Archipelago Hotels, Indonesia's biggest hospitality firm, is a
prominent member of the Salam Standard system.
o Forbes Travel Guide
üThe Mobil Travel Guide Star Ratings provided ratings and reviews of hotels, restaurants
and spas on a scale of one star (average to good) to five stars (one of the best in the
country) starting in 1958.
üForbes Travel Guide has continued the Five-Star ratings with ratings categories of Five-
Star, Four- Star and Recommended, and has a team of inspectors who anonymously
evaluate properties against proprietary standards.
 Characteristics of the Hospitality
Industry
• Our services are mostly intangible—the guest cannot “test-
drive” a night’s stay or “taste the steak” before dining
– The products are for use, not possession
• There is inseparability of production and consumption of the
service product, due to each guest’s unique demands
• There is also the perishability of our product
– For example, we have 1,400 rooms in inventory, but we sell only
1,200 rooms. What do we do with the 200 unsold rooms?
Nothing—we lose 200 room nights and the revenue. If we can’t
sell the food it is wasted.
• Much of the hospitality industry is open 365 days 24 hours
a day.
• The industry relies heavily on shift work and
sometimes hours extend beyond the normal work
day
• There are four basic shifts:
◦ – 7:00AM to 3:00PM
◦ – 10:00AM to 6:00PM
◦ – 3:00PM to 11:00PM
◦ – 11:00PM to 7:00AM

Characteristics of the Hospitality Industry

 Rating and Classification of Hotels in the
Philippines
◦ There are many factors in classifying hotels. In the Philippines, hotel classification is done
through the process of accreditation.
◦ Before discussing about the classification of hotels, let us define what is hotel in the
Philippine context.
ü Philippine hotel is defined as a property that offers professional services and
accommodation for tourists, vacationers or backpackers in exchange for payment.
◦ Hotels undergo the process of accreditation conducted by the Department of Tourism
(DOT) in the Philippines; The goal is to primarily check if it would pass the required
standards for hotel operations, now called as the National Accommodation Standards.
The hotel standards may fall into security, hygiene, ease and expediency for hotel guests.
A certificate will be issued as a proof that the property was able to meet the minimum
standards and recognized by DOT. The accreditation will also determine the classification
of hotels.
◦ Hotels in the Philippines are classified before as De Luxe Class, First Class,
Standard Class and Economy Class. These classifications are graded
according to the existence of inventory checklist.
Inventory Falls Into:
üLocation – Locality, Environs, Facade, Architectural features
üBedroom Facilities and Furnishings –
Size, Suite, Bathrooms, Telephone, Radio/Television, Cold Drinking
Water, Refrigerator/Mini-Bar, Room Service, Furnishings and Lighting,
and Information Materials
üFront Office/Reception – Lounge, Porter Service, Foreign Exchange
Counter, Mailing Facilities, Long Distance/Overseas Calls, Reception
Amenities, Telex and Facsimile
üHousekeeping – Linen, Laundry/Dry Cleaning Service, Carpeting
üFood and Beverage – Dining Room, Bar, Kitchen, Crockery
üRecreational Facilities – Swimming Pool, Tennis/Golf/Squash/Gym Facilities,
üEntertainment – Live entertainment
üEngineering and Maintenance – Maintenance, Air-
conditioning, Ventilation, Lighting, Emergency Power, Fire Prevention
Facilities
üGeneral Facilities – Outdoor Area, Parking/Valet, Function and
Conference Facilities, Shops, Security, Medical Service
üService and Staff – Professional, and customer service oriented
üSpecial Facilities – Business center, limousine, airport and tour services
◦ In the last quarter of 2012, the National Accommodation Standards has
been made with the coordination of DOT Philippines and German
Technical Cooperation (GIZ). National Accommodation Standards is a
point system based on inventory, availability, condition and quality of a
specific facility as well as service. Its is called the star rating system.
◦ To implement the new star rating system the DOT will gather 65 private
sector auditors with at least 10 experience on hospitality industries and
quality assurance, in accordance to Republic Act No. 9593 (source 2),
also known as the “Tourism Act of 2009”.
◦ While waiting for the results from independent auditors, the accreditation
by regional offices is still done but adjusted with the new standards. Some
regional offices still uses the old classification while waiting for the auditors.

To obtain higher rating, the overall hotel service, facilities, and business practices
should be improved.
Rating System:
◦ One Star
◦ Two Star
◦ Three Star
◦ Four Star
◦ Five Star
Total Score (Hotel, Resort,
Star Grading
Apartel)

1 star 251 – 400 points

2 star 401 – 550 points
3 star 551 – 700 points
4 star 701 – 850 points
5 star 851 – 1000 points
The criteria for the rating system is composed of seven major business
area. The lounge area and the kitchen area is only used for apartment
hotels.
Business Area Hotel
Arrival & Departure 10%
Public Areas 10%
Bedrooms 30%
Bathrooms 15%
Food $ Beverage 15%
Lounge Area * n/a
Kitchen Area * n/a
Amenities 10%
Business Practices 10%
Total 100%
TIME-SHARING CONCEPT
◦ Timeshare, also known as Vacation Ownership, offers the opportunity to own
condominium-style accommodations at quality resorts in popular domestic and
international destinations.
◦ Timeshare accommodations typically offer spacious floor plans and home-like
amenities when compared with traditional hotels, and may include kitchens, laundry
facilities, living room space and multiple bedrooms
Different types of timeshare ownerships:

◦ Fixed timeshares
This kind of timeshare is only for a particular week or days of the year. The resort sells the
particular unit of time says a week or weeks of the year to the person who is willing to
buy it. The rest of the year, other owners in similar fashion utilize it.
◦ Floating timeshare units
A floating timeshare too is only for a particular period of time fixed. But there is no
specification of dates and that is the advantage of floating timeshares, say the owner
is eligible to stay for a week of summer, it can be defined by the owner, which week of
summer he would like to holiday.
◦ Rotational timeshare units
This combines the benefits of both the fixed and the floating type of timeshares. The
rotation of holiday stay can go either backwards or forward on the season and
calendar, giving opportunity to all owners on a rotational basis.
Apart from the above three types of timeshares there are two more kinds
of ownerships of timeshare properties, one being the deeded and the
other right to use type of ownership.
◦ According to the deed property, the owner owns a bit of the real
property, bought and sold under the by-laws of the community
according to the owner’s wishes.
◦ The right to use kind, allows the person to have right on the property for
a particular period of time for a fixed number of years, after which he
does not have any rights on the unit or facilities or the time slot.
Due to the increase in popularity of timeshare concepts apart from the
resorts and apartment style accommodations, it is possible to have a
cruise ship timeshare, campground timeshare, yacht and even private
jet kinds.