Modern Hotel Operations Management: Michael N. Chibili (Ed.)
Modern Hotel Operations Management: Michael N. Chibili (Ed.)
Modern Hotel Operations Management: Michael N. Chibili (Ed.)
Operations
Management
1st Edition
Modern Hotel
Operations
Management
Michael N. Chibili (Ed.)
Authors:
Latifa Benhadda
Shane de Bruyn
Michael N. Chibili
Conrad Lashley
Saskia Penninga
Bill Rowson
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These operational dimensions of the hotel manager’s role, however, are just
one branch of the managerial skill set needed. First and foremost, a hotel is
a business; it needs to operate within commercial boundaries, minimise
costs, increase revenue and maximise profits. That being said, there are
some unusual features of the hotel business in that its services are perish-
able and intangible. Additionally, they cannot easily be stockpiled during off-
peak hours, to be used when demand increases. Hotels have to be man-
aged in such a way as to ensure maximum revenue every day. Demand
patterns are often difficult to predict and are influenced by forces beyond a
manager’s control; yet any room not sold on a specific day is an opportunity
lost forever. The parallel with passenger planes is clear, and like managers
of airline organisations, hotel managers are concerned with levels of occu-
pancy and revenue management. The ideal position, where every room is
sold at the official room rate, is rarely achieved; a hotel manager is typically
concerned with maximising revenue on any one day. Price discounting and
forward selling to accommodation agents are two techniques used, but
there is no magic formula. Hence, hotel managers are making judgments
day by day to maximise the average revenue per room. Edited by Michael N.
Chibili, the chapters are authored or co-authored as shown in this foreword.
The Hospitality Industry – Past, Present and Future – Michael N. Chibili pro-
vides an oversight of the hotel sector’s history and traditions. This chapter
shows that providing accommodation from a home base is a by-product of
travel. As people began trading goods across increasing distances, there
was a need for accommodation at regular points along the journey; these
origins have shaped much of the industry’s features still used today. Hotel
locations are often at a point of destination or along travel routes. The chap-
ter discusses these origins with current trends and developments in hotel
provision.
Rating Systems and the Structure of the Hospitality Industry – Michael N. Chi-
bili explores the issue of hotel rating systems. Hotel ratings, or rankings,
provide potential visitors with an idea of what a hotel offers in terms of fa-
cilities or services. This is particularly valuable for travellers who are plan-
ning trips to unfamiliar destinations. Rating systems help meet customer
security needs as they help guests develop an understanding of what to ex-
pect. That being said, there are a number of different systems across the
globe and definitions of what constitutes a particular star ranking are not
universally agreed upon.
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The Food and Beverage Department – Shane de Bruyn and Michael N. Chibili
highlight the importance of food beverage operations within a hotel manag-
er’s remit. Providing food and beverages in hotels can be an important
source of revenue and can also reinforce the hospitable nature of a brand.
It is, however, a difficult service to control because of skill sets needed and
potential wastage created by food that remains unsold. Some budget hotel
chains have met this challenge by removing, or at least minimising, the food
services offered to guests. In other cases, menus have been structured
around a simple, one-step process, ensuring that training needn’t be ad-
vanced beyond simple skills.
Marketing for the Hospitality Industry – Dr. Bill Rowson explores marketing
within the delivery of hospitality services. Central to marketing is a clear un-
derstanding of the customer profiles of guests a hotel wishes to attract.
Apart from the demographic profiles of the guests, there needs to be a
clear understanding of the reasons guests use the hotel. On the basis of
this information, hotels can send messages targeting those most likely to
be interested in both the message and the service on offer. Accommodation
pricing and promotional offers are key to ensuring hotels have the maximum
attainable average revenue per room.
whereby guest bills are produced and processed are important factors.
Given the issues discussed earlier, the Finance department assists in pro-
viding appropriate information needed by the manager to make pricing and
occupancy decisions. Low prices may ensure higher occupancy levels, but
there may be a point where a few empty rooms help maintain higher level
room rates for those that are sold.
January 2016
This book is the product of an initial two–month review of two Amsterdam ho-
tels (the NH Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and the Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam
City Centre) in 2011. That was when my school – the Stenden Hotel Manage-
ment School, Leeuwarden, the Netherlands, permitted me to use the months
of September and October to study all aspects of hotel operations from the
inside. Having originally come from the banking sector, and having taught fi-
nance-related content to students at the school since 2003, back then I had
no real-life knowledge of the hotel business – apart from its financial and ac-
counting components. With the school’s agreement and the collaboration of
the two hotels, the two months I spent allowed me to a have good insight
into the day-to-day operations of hotels from behind the scenes of their beau-
tiful frontages and front offices. My eternal gratitude goes to the former
Head of School, of Stenden Hotel Management School, Mr. Sjoerd van der
Galiën, for granting me leave of absence and supporting me with the time re-
quired to transfer my insights into a textbook for students when I returned
with more than 40 hours of tape recordings (which were eventually tran-
scribed into more than 800 pages of text), and lots of other digital docu-
ments, coupled with a fervent desire to write a book on the subject of hotel
operations.
I hereby wish to thank the authors of the various chapters who contributed
their rich mixtures of interests, talents, expertise, ideas, opinions, research,
and thoughts towards the creation of this book. I am particularly pleased
that they could devote the time they did (which, at times, was truthfully
forced on them) to contribute to this project. I hope we will always stay
friends despite the pressure that I have put you under. I am grateful to
Noordhoff Publishers’ Ageeth Bergsma (who started the process), Petra Pre-
scher and Ada Bolhuis (who finished things off) for making this book a real-
ity. I am equally indebted to Jan-Willem Tjooitink for all his discerning com-
ments and editorial support. To Lionel Tchoungui and Sylvester Ngoh Njana,
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
I thank their eagle-eyed abilities to pick out the most tiny of errors. For all
his background support and belief in me, I am forever grateful to Klaas-
Wybo van der Hoek, Vice President of the Board of Directors, Stenden Uni-
versity of Applied Sciences.
Special thanks are also extended to Alex Kaminski of Hampshire Hotel – Or-
anje, Leeuwarden; Mohamed Allabari of Blycolin; Susanne Detroy of Protel
Hotel Software GmbH; Leonardo Beadoy, Rita Härtwig and Wilco de Weerd
of Micros-Fidelio GmbH; and Sandra van Lokven of Van Hessen BV.
This book would not have seen the light without the advice, counsel, sugges-
tions, and support I received from the team of managers, lecturers, students
and support staff of Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden.
From Stenden University Library, Alie Mud, who ensured that I received all the
documents I needed during the book development process at all times. From
Stenden Hotel Management School: Dr. Craig Thompson; Prue Nairn; Wichard
Zwaal; Frans Swint; Phuong Dao; David Kooijker; Kitty Schagen; David Casey;
Leo Dekker; and Joke Tasma. Special thanks are extended to my office mates
Radu Mihailescu; Dr. Marte Rinck de Boer; and Anne Keizer, who spent the
last three years hearing nothing of value from me that did not in some way re-
late to this book. Dr. Wouter Hensens, GM of Stenden University South Africa
deserves special mention for the assistance he provided me with. From the
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Michael N. Chibili
January 2016
Table of contents
1.1 Introduction 17
1.2 History of the Hospitality Industry 17
Summary 45
Questions and assignments for reflection 47
2.1 Introduction 49
2.2 Rating systems 49
2.3 Classification 56
2.4 Hotel organisation 74
2.5 Guests and segments 83
Summary 89
Questions and assignments for reflection 91
3.1 Introduction 93
3.2 General Management 93
3.3 Other members of the Executive Team 100
3.4 The Property Management System 104
Summary 116
Questions and assignments for reflection 117
Appendices 618
Appendix A 618
Appendix B 619
Appendix C 621
Appendix D 623
Appendix E 629
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Appendix F 631
References 635
Register 643
Effective learning
Rooms Depart- The Rooms Department Manager or Director is responsible for the daily op-
ment Manager erations of the Rooms Department of the hotel and reports directly to the
Responsibilities hotel property’s General Manager. Their main responsibilities are achieving
(or exceeding) budgeted revenue for the department, maintaining or reduc-
ing costs, achieving positive guest satisfaction as well as a positive employ-
These blue words mark ee satisfaction of the staff working within the department: happy staff
serves happy guests. The job of a Rooms Department Manager can be very
challenging and varied. For an impression of a day in the life of a Rooms De-
partment Manager, refer to Text 4.2: a summarised story of the Rooms De-
The Front Office Manager is responsible for the daily operations of the Front
Manager
theory. 4
Office. The Front Office Manager needs to think about the schedule, who is
working when and how many front desk staff members need to be sched-
uled based on the expected amount of guests and the occupancy percent-
age of the hotel. Furthermore, the Front Office Manager ensures a proper,
4
efficient and profitable functioning of the front office, maintaining its poli-
cies, procedures and technological equipment. The Front Office Manager
also provides the support and the training that the Front Office staff re-
quires to fulfil the hotel’s mission towards its guests. anything that my team or I can do to enhan- r Is follow up needed?
ce their stay. Covering for breaks might r Is there a trend in the complaints?
seem to be an unusual thing to do however r How can we prevent them from happe-
TEXT 4.2 once in a while I like to cover my team’s ning in the future?
breaks. That takes me back to hotel proce-
A day in the life of Maurice Janssen, Rooms Department dures and I can see where we can improve The Managers-on-Duty would have previously
Manager our services even more. It also enables me placed notifications related to any situation
to sit with the Reception Manager and Trai- in which the guests might have had hitches
Maurice Janssen is the Rooms Department ning Manager to discuss where the team during their stay caused either through the
Manager at the Crowne Plaza Amsterdam City can improve its services. fault of the hotel, or by a third-party such as
Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands since My day starts at home. When I wake up, I taxi-drivers, bookers, or bus companies. Any-
2011. He graduated from Hotel school The quickly check my mails to see if there is any- thing that might affect a guest’s stay is im-
Hague, The Netherlands and has since held thing pressing. Once at work, I firstly greet portant for my team and me to follow up and
positions at the Waldorf Astoria Rome Cava- the team members on the floor followed talk them over with our guests. This even
lieri, Italy; The InterContinental New York Bar- with analysing the results from the previous goes as far as following up on a guest who
clay, USA; InterContinental Boston, USA; Fitz- day checking out especially the occupancy tripped over the wobbly Amsterdam cobble
patrick Manhattan Hotel, New York, USA; and figures, the ADR, the RevPAR and of course stone pavement.
the InterContinental Mark Hopkins, San Fran- the comparisons with the competitive set. I On a daily basis I liaise with the Guest Rela-
cisco, USA. He loves to experience cultures also look at the occupancy for the coming tions team to review the VIP situation. We
through food and cooking. month to see where we can improve our review the VIP arrivals and possibilities of
numbers in conjunction with the Revenue maintaining their room assignments, the
To describe a typical day out of a Rooms De- Manager. The issues we ponder over con- amenities to be placed in the rooms, the
partment Manager’s life is almost impossi- cern such topics like the levels of the rates cards that might need to be written, and the
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ble. Every day is a complete different scena- (too high or too low), the upcoming city ac- VIPs that I would personally want to welcome.
rio and whatever you planned is never how it tivities and how they will affect bookings, Various meetings take place during the day
really maps out. I am not a manager to sit in and the pace at which reservations are com- designed to ensure that the strategic tar-
my office working on my computer all day. I ing in. Then there are our current in-house gets are set and met. A sales meeting is
still love the interaction with my guests hen- guests. A look at the guest report tells me held to discuss all potential returning busi-
ce I am walking through the hotel a lot to which guests might have had challenges ness or to capture corporate accounts by
seek interaction with our guests: how they during the previous day. This will trigger such the Front-of-house departments. Social Me-
are enjoying their stay; what they are plan- questions like: dia, guest reviews and guest correspondenc-
ning to do; or seeking to know if there is
Questions and assignments for reflec- Articles from web and newspapers pro-
tion offers challenging questions to de- vide a view of real application within the
bate with fellow student in or outside hospitality industry of the concepts.
the class room.
116 CHAPTER 3 117
▶ Either called General Manager (GM), Managing Director or General Direc- 1 Brief describe the (most) important job-related roles of a hotel GM.
tor, the GM reports to the owners either directly or through regional of-
3 3
fices, and is ultimately held responsible for the unit’s success, image 2 Why should hotel GMs be people who are continually seeking to improve
and reputation. their skills and knowledge base?
▶ The job of the GM differs by property type and size, as well as by its ser- 3 Discuss the relevance of the leadership competency model for the hospital-
vices offered. The GM’s job can be conceptualised based on job de- ity industry as described in this chapter for contemporary hospitality manag-
mands and relationship issues in the short-, intermediate- and long run, ers.
generic managerial work roles, and specific job functions.
4 Why is it important for a hotel to own and use a PMS?
▶ The main responsibilities of the hotel GM include taking full responsibil-
ity for the performance of the hotel; coordinating the activities of all ho- 5 What are the questions faced by hotel managers when trying to determine
tel departments; leading the staff of the hotel towards conform to their which PMS to obtain for their properties?
community, environmental and financial responsibilities; participating in
determining the hotel’s policies and strategies; providing leadership of
and guidance to the hotel’s executive team.
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▶ Since selecting the right PMS for a hotel is not always easy, it is essen-
tial to start with a needs analysis carried out by front-line staff mem-
bers; this analysis should focus on the flow of guests through the hotel
and on the communication between departments. This should be fol-
lowed by a crucial evaluation of PMSs and their developers before mak-
ing a final decision.
A summary supports self study by The website provides additional materials for both stu-
presenting an overview over impor- dents and lecturers. The online self-test is a study tool
tant topics of the chapter. with feedback and study tips to help you test your
knowledge and prepare for assignments.
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
16
17
1 1
§ 1.1 Introduction
The history of the hospitality industry is closely linked to that of civilisation.
It is a history that has evolved as major civilisations appeared and devel-
oped. Facilities offering hospitality to travellers and guests have existed
across centuries; they have evolved in their offerings by constantly adapting
to the wishes of their most important stakeholders. This chapter introduces
the hospitality industry from the perspective of its evolution over time and
covers its origins as far back as ancient times through its transformations
during centuries of pre- and post-industrial revolution, eventually ending with
a look at what the future holds for the industry.
FIGURE 1.1 A caravan of horses and camels approaches Aleppo from the
Mediterranean coast in the late seventeenth century, from Cornelis Le Bruyn,
Voyage to the Levant (1702)
The distance that could be covered in a day depended on the mode of trans-
port travellers were using. At points where they had to stop, lodging facili-
ties tended to appear. These would have been known by different names in
various parts of the world. Some examples include ryokan in Japan, dhar-
amshala in India, pousadas in Portugal, hospitia in Italy, hôtel in France, inn
in Europe as a whole, and relay houses in China.
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Hammurabi was the ruler of Babylon from 1792 BC to 1750 BC. The Code
of Hammurabi (which meant ‘The Code henceforward’) was discovered by
modern archaeologists in 1901. This nearly complete example of the Code
is carved into a black diorite stele in the shape of a huge index finger 2.25
metres tall. The Code is inscribed in the Akkadian language using cuneiform
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 19
FIGURE 1.2 Translated fragment from the Code of Hammurabi (Source: www.constitution.org)
108 If a tavern-keeper (feminine) does not accept corn according to gross weight
in payment of drink, but takes money, and the price of the drink is less than
that of the corn, she shall be convicted and thrown into the water.
109 If conspirators meet in the house of a tavern-keeper, and these conspirators 1
are not captured and delivered to the court, the tavern-keeper shall be put
to death.
110 If a ‘sister of a god’ open a tavern, or enter a tavern to drink, then shall this
woman be burned to death.
111 If an inn-keeper furnish sixty ka of isakani-drink to … she shall receive fifty
ka of corn at the harvest. Black diorite stele with
the Code of Hammurabi
script carved into the diorite stele. It is currently on display in the Louvre
Museum in Paris, France.
rywhere in Europe and America. These hotels were needed to cater to the
needs of the rising establishment of managerial and middle classes taking
care of new companies, as well as a growing demand for both leisure and
business travel. These classes had the necessary wealth to be able to
move conveniently from place to place. Some developments of note in the
hospitality industry during this period were:
Luxurious r The appearance of a new style of hotel that provided luxurious amenities
amenities in very opulent surroundings similar to the royal palaces. These hotels
were constructed to accommodate a very mobile aristocracy, as well as
wealthy industrialists.
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 21
r The appearance of the Grand Tour, which was originally about privileged
young Englishmen who spent their gap years on an extended tour of Con-
tinental Europe. Possibly, the best known of these youngsters was James
Boswell, who kept an elaborate journal of his travels and experiences.
The first major guidebook for the Grand Tour was published in 1749 by Grand Tour
1
Thomas Nugent. Though the Grand Tour was primarily associated with
British nobility and wealthy established gentry, similar trips were made by
wealthy young men from Northern European countries. From the second
half of the 18th century onward, some American and other overseas
youths joined in; participants began to include more members of the mid-
dle classes now that rail and steamship travel made the journey less
cumbersome. Figure 1.4 is a map of Europe showing the Mozart family’s
Grand Tour of Europe.
Amsterdam
Haarlem
The Hague
Utrecht
London Antwerpen
Ghent
Dover Cologne
Calais
Lille Liège
Mainz Frankfurt
Brussels Mannheim
Paris
Munich
Dijon Salzburg
Zürich
Geneva
Lyon
There was a slow decline in the number of highway inns for stage coaches
due to the expansion of rail networks and a boom in holiday resorts offering
either health benefits (by mineral spas) or cooler temperatures (by moun-
tains and oceans).
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his commercial success, he was able to purchase the whole palace and
spent a lot of money on a radical but accurate restoration of the palace,
Hotel Danieli now called the Hotel Danieli.
r The Tremont House (also called Tremont Hotel) was built in Boston, USA
in 1829, and was designed by Isaiah Rogers. It was a four-story, granite-
1
Innovative faced, neoclassical building with 170 rooms, and had many innovative
features features for the hospitality industry, such as indoor plumbing, in-room wa-
ter pitchers, shared indoor toilets and baths, a reception area, gues-
trooms with locks, free soap and bellboys. It set the standards for luxury
and became a model for many hotels that were built during that period. It
was also the first hotel to serve French cuisine in the USA. A painting by
Tremont House William James Bennett (1787 – 1844) of the Tremont House, which
stayed in operation till around 1895, is shown in Figure 1.5.
Holt’s Hotel r The Holt’s Hotel was built in New York in 1833 and had a hundred-foot
dining room with twenty-foot tall ceiling, twenty-five parlours, and one hun-
dred and sixty-five rooms. The proprietor, Stephen Holt, introduced a
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
steam-powered lift, which was a wonderful idea but was too expensive.
The Holt’s Hotel was declared bankrupt in 1835.
r The Astor House was built by John Jacob Astor and transformed into the
Park Hotel Park Hotel by designer Isaiah Rogers (of Tremont House fame) in 1836.
It had 309 rooms in 6 stories, featuring new gas lighting and bathing/
toilet facilities on each floor. It became unable to compete with other
new hotels by the 1870s, and was eventually transformed and redevel-
oped into office blocks.
Hotel des Anglais r The Hotel des Anglais was opened in the early 1840s in Cairo, Egypt; it
was renamed Shepheard’s Hotel after its owner Samuel Shepheard in
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 23
1860. It was the leading hotel in Cairo and was one of the most celebrat-
ed hotels in that part of the world from the middle of the 19th century to
1952, when it was destroyed in a fire during the riots leading to the July
23 Revolution in Egypt.
r The Great Eastern Hotel (originally the Auckland Hotel) was built in Cal- Great Eastern
Hotel 1
cutta (currently called Kolkata), India in 1841. Founded by David Wilson,
it was extremely elite, and was considered India’s first 5-star hotel. Over
time its fame and performance dwindled until it became insolvent in
1975. It was reopened after extensive renovations under the name The
Lalit Great Eastern Hotel in 2012, and is currently privately owned.
r The Grand Hôtel du Louvre, in Paris, France was built in 1855. Originally Grand Hôtel du
located in the building which is now known as the Louvre des Antiquaires, Louvre
the Grand Hôtel du Louvre was the first luxury hotel in France and had
700 guestrooms. It was renowned for its French and international cuisine
and was the first hotel to achieve recognition equal to its luxurious coun-
terparts in New York and Switzerland. In 1887, the Hotel du Louvre was
relocated to where it stands to this day.
r The Fifth Avenue Hotel was a luxury hotel in New York City that was built Fifth Avenue
in 1859. It developed a reputation as New York’s most elegant hotel. It Hotel
had five stories over a commercial ground floor and had the first passen-
ger lift to be installed in a hotel in the United States. It also employed
four hundred servants to serve the guests. It even had private bath-
rooms, which was considered extravagant in those days. It stayed in op-
eration till it was demolished after closing at midnight on April 4th 1908.
r The Grand Hôtel, Paris, was originally built as part of the urban transfor- Grand Hôtel
mation of Paris at Napoleon’s request in 1862. It was meant to help as-
sure the world that Paris was ready to host the Universal Exposition of
1867. The hotel remains a French national historic landmark, having pre-
served every aspect of its original opulence. The hotel is made up of 470
luxurious rooms, all designed in 19th century French style. The hotel
houses the famous Café de la Paix, which has one of the most illustrious
terraces in all of Paris. It currently belongs to the Intercontinental Hotels
Group.
r The Hôtel de Paris in Monte Carlo was quite an ambitious project for its Hôtel de Paris
time. As detailed in the specifications requested by François Blanc, who
presided over the destiny of the Société des Bains de Mer, requirements
were for ‘a hotel which outstrips anything that has been built so far, even
the Hôtel du Louvre or the Grand Hôtel in Paris. I want people to describe
the Hôtel de Monaco as a real marvel, thus making it a powerful means
of publicity’. The hotel was inaugurated in 1864, and has since under-
gone more than 6 expansions. It currently has 182 rooms, 74 suites and
junior suites, 1 presidential suite, and 3 famous restaurants: the Louis
XV, the Grill, and the Côté Jardin. It is part of the ‘Leading Hotels of the
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
World’.
r The Hotel Victoria-Jungfrau in Interlaken, Switzerland. In 1856, 22-year Hotel Victoria-
old hotel pioneer Eduard Ruchti purchased the Pension Victoria, and in Jungfrau
1864 commissioned local architects Friedrich Studer and Horace Ed-
ouard Davinet to completely redesign the property. The new Hotel Victoria
was opened for business in 1865, and in 1895 Ruchti acquired the adja-
cent Hotel Jungfrau (which had been built by Davinet in 1864). In 1899,
the two buildings were linked and became the Victoria-Jungfrau. It offered
standards of quality and comfort unparalleled at the time, including such
innovative features as a telephone system, a hydraulic suspension lift
24 CHAPTER 1
and electric lighting in all rooms. The hotel contains 212 luxury guest
rooms, 105 of which are suites and junior suites, and is part of the
‘Leading Hotels of the World’.
Mena House r The Mena House in Cairo was initially a hunting lodge. It was built for the
Egyptian King Isma’il Pasha in 1869, and was eventually sold to Freder-
1
ick and Jessie Head as a private residence. It was expanded and sold to
Ethel and Hugh Locke-King in 1885; they refurbished the building into the
hotel that was opened as The Mena House in 1886. In 1890, the hotel
opened Egypt’s first swimming pool. In 1971, the hotel was purchased by
Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi. The Camp David Peace Agreement was
a result of meetings at the Mena House in December 1977.
Palmer House r The Palmer House in Chicago, USA has gone through four transforma-
tions. The original Palmer House, which had 225 rooms, was opened in
September of 1870, while a second Palmer House was under construc-
tion nearby. Both buildings were destroyed by the Chicago Fire of 1871,
however. The owner, Potter Palmer, quickly rebuilt, resulting in a 7-story,
$13 million hotel, that was opened in 1875 and was presented as the
nation’s only fireproof hotel. It stood in that form until 1925, when it was
replaced with the $20 million, 25-story multi-towered hotel that stands to
date. The hotel has been part of the Hilton Hotel chain since 1945, and
its lobby is considered one of the most magnificent in the world.
Hotel Minerva r The Hotel Minerva in Baden Baden, Germany, began life in 1834 under
the name Stephanienbad, and in 1872, a master tailor called Anton Bren-
ner purchased the hotel and the adjoining land for his daughter and her
husband. However, after the death of his son-in-law in 1875, Anton Bren-
ner assumed the running of the hotel. In 1882, his son Camille took over,
and helped enhance the hotel’s status as a world-class grand hotel.
Camille Brenner laid the groundwork for the modern Brenner’s Park-Hotel
& Spa, and his spirit is still felt throughout the hotel today. It is part of
the Oetker Collection and is one of the ‘Leading Hotels of the World’.
Hotel Imperial r The Hotel Imperial is located in Vienna, Austria. It was designed by archi-
tect Arnold Zenetti, and built under the direction of Heinrich Adam in
1863. It was converted into a hotel in 1873. It is arguably Vienna’s most
exclusive five-star hotel. A speciality of the hotel is the Imperial Tart sup-
posedly based on a secret recipe that is said to have been created when
Emperor Franz Joseph opened the Hotel in 1873. The Imperial was ac-
quired by the Compagnia Italiana Grandi Alberghi (CIGA) in 1985. In
1994, the Starwood Hotels and Resorts took over CIGA and transformed
it into a branch of its high-end brand ‘The Luxury Collection’, to which the
Hotel Imperial now belongs.
Hotel Grande r The Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens, Greece traces its roots back to
Bretagne 1842, when Antonis Dimitrios acquired a plot of land opposite the Palace
of King Otto, and built an impressive 90-room mansion that was the first
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
incarnation of the current hotel. This mansion was bought by the hotelier
Savvas Kentros together with Efstathios Lampsas in 1874, and was
transformed into the Hotel Grande Bretagne, which was considered one
of the most luxurious hotels in south-eastern Europe. The hotel is now
part of ‘The Luxury Collection’ hotel chain, managed by Starwood Hotels
& Resorts, containing 321 rooms and a 400 m2 Royal Suite on the fifth
floor. The Hotel Grande Bretagne is pictured in Figure 1.6.
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 25
r The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, California, USA was built by William Palace Hotel
Chapman Ralston and William Sharon in 1875, and was arguably the
largest, most luxurious and costly hotel in the world. It was officially
opened on 2 October, 1875, containing 755 guest rooms. It had hydrau-
lic suspension lifts, and each guest room had an electronic call button
that allowed guests to ring for anything they needed. The original hotel
was destroyed by the fire that followed the 1906 San Francisco Earth-
quake. It was rebuilt and has undergone multiple renovations over the
years. It now has 553 rooms and suites and is part of ‘The Luxury Col-
lection’ hotel chain, managed by Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
r The Grand Hotel Europe, Saint Petersburg, Russia, opened its doors to Grand Hotel
the public on 28 January, 1875, replacing an earlier inn. It was designed Europe
by Italian architect Carlo Rossi who used an impressive Neo-Baroque fa-
çade to join together neighbouring properties dating back to the 1820s
to create one magnificent building for the Evropeyskaya Hotel Company.
Its marble-and-gilt interiors, sweeping staircases and elegant furniture
have attracted crowds of well-to-do visitors over the centuries. In the
1910s, the hotel was remodelled in the Art Nouveau style thanks to de-
signs by Swedish-Russian architects Fyodor Lidval and Leon Benois. The
latest major renovation was done between 1989 and 1991 and it cur-
rently has a total of 291 rooms and suites. The Grand Hotel Europe is
affiliated with the ‘Leading Hotels of the World’.
r The Sagamore, Lake George, New York, USA, is located on the shores of
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
Sagamore
Lake George, and was built in 1883 as a country retreat for the wealthy.
It provided luxurious and spacious accommodations that attracted a se-
lect, international clientele. It has twice been destroyed by fire and recon-
structed (1893 and 1914), but eventually fell into disrepair before clos-
ing its doors in 1981. In 1983, Norman Wolgin purchased and restored
the hotel to its former stateliness with 137 elegant guestrooms and 54
suites under the banner of the Preferred Hotels and Resorts Group.
r The Grand Hotel, Mackinac Lake, Michigan, USA, began in 1886 when Grand Hotel
the Mackinac Island Hotel Company was formed with designs to create
an appropriate accommodation to cater to the influx of people to the is-
26 CHAPTER 1
tor, known as the Waldorf Hotel, and opened in 1893; the other of 17
stories, owned by John Jacob Astor IV, known as the Astoria Hotel, and
opened in 1897. The latter was designed so that it could be connected
to the Waldorf. The architect was H. J. Hardenbergh and both hotels were
placed under the management of George Boldt. The combined Waldorf-
Astoria became the largest hotel in the world at the time and became
significant for transforming the contemporary hotel from a facility for
travellers into a social centre as well as a prestigious destination for
visitors and a part of popular culture. The Waldorf Astoria was the first
hotel to offer room service. The original buildings were demolished and
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 27
the current structure was rebuilt on another New York site in 1931. The
present building at 301 Park Avenue in Manhattan is a 47-story, Art Deco
landmark, designed by architects Schultze and Weaver, and was able to
maintain the original name due to the fact that its former manager L. M.
Boomer had been able to obtain exclusive rights to the name and trans-
fer it to the new hotel. The hotel was bought by Conrad Hilton in 1949
and is a member of Hilton’s Luxury and Lifestyle Brands along with Wal-
dorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and Conrad Hotels & Resorts. The Waldorf
Astoria New York and The Waldorf Towers offer a total of 1,416 guest
rooms, including 303 suites, all featuring original Art Deco motifs. Each
room is decorated individually. The hotel has its own railway platform as
part of the Grand Central Terminal in New York.
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
r The Hôtel Ritz in Paris, France, is a grand palace hotel in the heart of Par- Hôtel Ritz
is. After César Ritz and Auguste Escoffier were dismissed from the Savoy
London in 1897, Ritz purchased and transformed the former Hôtel de La-
zun building, creating a 210-room hotel designed by architect Charles
Mewès. The hotel was opened on 1 June, 1898 and it was reportedly the
first hotel in Europe to have an en-suite bathroom, with telephones and
electricity in each room. It quickly established a reputation for luxury. To-
day, the hotel is ranked highly among the most prestigious and luxurious
hotels in the world, and is a member of the ‘Leading Hotels of the
World’. One of its restaurants, L’Espadon, is world-renowned and attracts L’Espadon
28 CHAPTER 1
aspiring chefs from all over the world who come to study at the Ritz Es-
coffier School of French Gastronomy. The best suite of the hotel is called
the Imperial and it has been listed by the French government as a nation-
al monument in its own right.
1
The 20th Century
The birth of the 20th century ushered in a new phase in the development of
the hospitality industry. This phase can be identified as that of the creation
of the present day global hotel businesses, the introduction of franchising
and management contracts, the growth in mass tourism, the introduction of
social and welfare systems, the growth in salary levels, and the increase in
average life span. All of these had an important impact on the hospitality
industry. Unlike the previous section, in which the iconic hotels of the previ-
ous era have been highlighted, this section establishes some important
facts, concepts and events within the context of their related decades.
The 1900s came with the expansion of steam heating, gas burners, electric
bells, baths and water closets on all floors, and games rooms in most ho-
tels. In-room telephones started appearing in some hotels. This decade was
particularly significant because it brought with it what is considered to be
the precursor to the modern business hotel. Ellsworth M. Statler (1863 –
1928), who had made a fortune in the restaurant business, opened his first
Statler House hotel in Buffalo, New York, USA, in 1908; it was called Statler House and
had 450 rooms. Its main target was the economic middle class. Unlike
most hotels of the period, Statler’s hotels, which numbered 6 at the time of
Innovations his death in 1928, had many innovations for the time: fire doors, electric
light switches by the door inside each room, private bathrooms, personal
telephones, keyholes above the door knobs, hot and cold water in each
room, full-length mirrors, free morning newspapers, and later, built-in radios
in every room. Statler’s genius in providing luxury-like amenities to middle
and working class people helped his hotel chain become popular with every-
day Americans. His formula was later adopted by the other hotel pioneers,
such as Hilton. This decade also saw the creation of the magnificent Taj
Ritz Mahal Hotel in Bombay, India; the Hôtel du Palais, Biarritz, France; the Ritz in
Plaza London, UK; the Plaza in New York, USA; the Beau Rivage Palace in
Lausanne Switzerland; and the new look Hôtel de Crillon in Paris, France.
The 1910s were disturbed by the First World War, but overall witnessed an
expansion of modern amenities within all hotels instead of only in the luxury
ones. It ushered in the increased use of electricity for cooking purposes
within hotels as well. This decade witnessed the arrival of such hotels as
Ritz the Ritz in Madrid, Spain; the Négresco in Nice, France; and the Plaza
Athenée in Paris, France. The decade ended with the arrival of Conrad Hilton
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
Conrad Hilton
Mobley in the hospitality industry, when he purchased his first hotel, the Mobley, in
1919 in Cisco, Texas, USA.
The immediate post-war years of the 1920s brought some rapid expansion
to the hospitality industry, which ended with a bang after the 1929 Crash
that led to the Great Depression of the 1930s. This decade was also char-
Prohibition acterised by the introduction of the Prohibition in the United States, which
was a national ban on the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol
between 1920 and 1933. Hospitality innovations included the expansion of
in-room radios in hotels, and the creation of the first roadside motels, as
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 29
well as airport hotels. Of note during this decade is that J. W. Marriott be- J. W. Marriott
gan business as a restaurateur in Washington D.C., USA, in 1927. The dec- Ski-resorts
ade also introduced the construction of hotels in mountain ski-resorts Gleneagles Hotel
thanks to the introduction of funiculars (inclined plane or cliff railways) that Gran Hotel
permitted tourists to be transported up and down steep slopes. Some ho- Bolívar
1
tels of note that started during this decade include La Mamounia in Mar- Westin Book
rakech, Morocco; the Hotel Ambos Mundos in Havana, Cuba; the Gleneagles Cadillac Detroit
Hotel near Auchterarder, Perth and Kinross, Scotland; the Gran Hotel Bolívar Grand Hotel
in Lima, Peru; the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit, Michigan USA; the Grand Niagara
Hotel Niagara, in Niagara Falls, Niagara County, New York, USA; the Hotel Hotel President
President in Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Grosvenor House Hotel, London Grosvenor House
UK; and the Hotel Alfonso XIII in Seville, Spain. Hotel
Hotel Alfonso XIII
The 1930s was highly affected by the Great Depression, which had a very Great Depression
negative impact on the hospitality industry. There was very little liquidity
around, one result being that more than 80% of US-based hotels went into
receivership, in which they were held by receivers who had custodial respon-
sibility for the hotels’ tangible and intangible assets. The Great Depression
had devastating effects around the globe: incomes, revenues, profits and
prices all dropped. International trade fell by more than 40%, and unemploy-
ment in some areas was at more than 35%. There was little construction ac-
tivity in most countries and this situation lasted for the most part till the Sec-
ond World War. Overall guest occupancy levels in hotels hit their historical low
at around a mere 50%. This decade also had some good news for the hospi-
tality industry. In 1935, American businessman Howard Dearing Johnson, in
association with Reginald Sprague, created the first modern restaurant fran- Restaurant
chise by letting an operator use the name, food, supplies, and logo of his franchise
business, in exchange for a fee. It was also the decade of the invention of
air-conditioning, as well as the construction of such hotels as the Imperial in
New Delhi, India; the Belvédère du Rayon Vert in Cerbère, France; the Tree- Treetops Hotel
tops Hotel in Aberdare National Park, Kenya; the Sheraton Hotel in Spring- Sheraton Hotel
field, USA; as well as the reconstruction of the new Waldorf-Astoria already Waldorf-Astoria
mentioned in the previous section. The Statler Hotel in Detroit, Michigan,
USA, was the first to install air-conditioning in all its public spaces in 1934, Statler Hotel
and in 1937 Marriott started with the first in-flight food service to airlines.
The 1940s were not years of great constructional development within the
hospitality industry, since they were highly affected by the ravages caused
by the Second World War; yet they saw some innovations that have lasted Second World
to date. The decade was marked by the expansion of the installation of air- War
conditioning in hotels, the building of hotel swimming pools, the arrival of
television sets in rooms, and the use of guest credit cards. The decade also Credit cards
saw the beginning of the use of an automated booking system that was first
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
Flamingo Hotel tels to have seen the light during these times include the Flamingo Hotel &
& Casino Casino in the Las Vegas Strip, Nevada, USA; the Ledra Palace Hotel Nicosia,
Ledra Palace Cyprus; and the Tidewater Inn in Easton, Maryland, USA.
Hotel Nicosia
Tidewater Inn The 1950s came along with a new boom in construction for the hospitality
1
Club village industry, with new types of resorts such as the ‘club village’, as well as an
increase in the use of cars as a means of transport. Arguably the first all-
inclusive resort, the Club Méditerranée was created by Gérard Blitz in 1950;
its first club village was opened on the Spanish island of Mallorca. The Club
Med invented a new way to bring people together in a unique vacation style:
the all-inclusive holiday in resorts in the world’s most beautiful venues,
where every guest or ‘Grand Membres’ (GM) could unwind through contact
with nature, sports and others, surrounded by friendly staff or ‘Gentils Or-
ganisateurs’ (GO). Figure 1.8 is a photo of the entrance to the Club Med La
Medina in Marrakech, Morocco.
The expansion of automobile travel led to the explosion of the ‘motor hotel’
(motel) concept, especially across the USA. Motels often provided free park-
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
Motels
ing facilities, were inexpensive, and targeted people travelling between two
Charles destinations on a low budget. A pioneer in this domain was Charles Kem-
Kemmons Wilson mons Wilson, the founder of the Holiday Inn chain of hotels, who came up
with the idea after a family road trip to Washington, D.C., during which he
was disappointed by the lack of quality and consistency provided by road-
side motels of that era. He advocated for properties that were standardised,
safe, clean, easily accessible, and family-friendly. The first Holiday Inn motel
was opened in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, in 1952. It was franchised in
1957 as Holiday Inn of America, and within twenty years it had become the
largest hotel chain in the USA. Other firsts of note that happened during the
decade included the installation of television sets in all guestrooms by the
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 31
Hilton hotel chain in 1951; the creation of the first lodging franchise by
Howard Dearing Johnson in 1954; the purchase of the Statler Hotel Com-
pany by Conrad Hilton in 1957; the opening of the Twin Bridges Marriott Mo-
tor Hotel in Arlington, Virginia, USA, by J. W. Marriott in 1957; the purchas-
ing of the Hyatt House Hotel, Los Angeles, California, USA, by Jay Pritzker in
1
1957; and the introduction of the ‘Reservatron’, an automated electronic
reservation system, by Sheraton in 1958. This made Sheraton the first ho-
tel chain to centralise and automate its reservations function.
The decade also witnessed the introduction of market segmentation and Market
product differentiation within the hotel industry. Market segmentation led to segmentation
the creation of homogenous customer categories, whereas product differen-
tiation was principally carried out within three dimensions: concept, location
and target group. Some hotels that started life during this decade include
the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; the Estudiotel Ali-
cante in Alicante, Spain; the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower in Portland,
Oregon, USA; the Parsian Esteghlal Hotel in Tehran, Iran; the Hilton on Park
Lane, London, UK; and lastly the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in
New York City, New York, USA. The decade also saw the introduction of the
first refrigerated mini-bars in hotel rooms, an innovation by German compa- Refrigerated
ny Siegas; not all previous mini-bars were refrigerated. It was also the pe- mini-bars
riod that saw the creation of rooms accessible to wheelchair-users by
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
Travelodge in the USA, the beginning of desegregation in US hotels, the in- Desegregation
troduction of ice and vending machines, business lounges, and 24-hour
room service begun by Westin.
The 1970s continued the trends that had begun in the 1960s, introduced
the notion of the construction of hotels especially meant for the business Business class
class, and was both positively and negatively affected by the energy crises.
The decade ushered in a new era for the construction of hotels specifically
destined for business class visitors; these hotels featured spectacular de-
signs and architecture. A good example of such a hotel is the Hyatt Regency
Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, whose hotel, convention, and tradeshow fa-
32 CHAPTER 1
China The decade was also influenced by China opening up to foreign tourists;
this paved the way for spectacular developments in this domain to occur in
the years following this opening up. During this period, hotels started offer-
ing a broader variety of services that had hitherto not existed, such as point
POS of sales (POS) systems, keyless locks, free in-room movies, name-brand
guest amenities, and in-room colour television becoming the standard. Hotel
rooms became bigger and there was an upgrade in the quality of food of-
Middle Eastern fered to the guests. The sudden prosperity of Middle Eastern countries was
countries enhanced by two events that happened during the period – the 1973 oil cri-
sis, and the 1979 energy crisis. Due to these events, worldwide energy pric-
es soared and the hospitality industry reacted by introducing measures that
Green movement were precursors to the current green movement in the industry, such as ask-
ing guests to reduce electricity consumption or cutting off heating to unoc-
cupied guestrooms.
Some of the hotels that began life during this decade include the Capital
Hotel in London, UK; the Coast Edmonton House, in Edmonton, Canada; the
Disney’s Polynesian and Contemporary Resorts in Lake Buena Vista, Florida,
USA; the Carlton Tower Hotel, Dubai; the Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Tow-
ers, Dubai; the Empire Landmark Hotel in Vancouver, British Columbia, Can-
ada; the Hilton San Francisco Union Square in San Francisco, California,
USA; the Koreana Hotel in Taepyeongno, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea; the
Peppermill Resort-Spa-Casino in Reno, Nevada, USA; the Shangri-La Hotel in
Orchard Road, Singapore; the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, Nevada,
USA; the Izmailovo Hotel in Moscow, Russia; the Hilton London Metropole in
London, UK; the Eldorado Hotel Casino in Reno, Nevada, USA; the Grand at
Yuanshan, Zhongshan District, Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan); Harrah’s
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; the Hilton Springfield in Springfield, Illinois, USA;
and the Mariston Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. Figure 1.9 is a pic-
Shangri-La hotel ture of the Tower wing lobby of the Shangri-La hotel in Singapore.
The 1980s came along with another rapid hotel industry expansion phase
Niche marketing fuelled by increased niche marketing, advances in technology, deregulation,
and full product segmentation. During this period, hotels expanded their
surveys of potential guest markets and were able to build networks and
systems around the needs of recognised segments. This was made possi-
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
ble with the great advances in technology that occurred during this decade.
Examples of such advances included the possibility to make reservations
and checkout using credit cards; the invention of the optical electronic key
card; and the development of the first chain-wide property reservations sys-
tems. The 1980s brought in structural reform programmes in many coun-
tries in Europe, as well as in the Americas and Oceania. These programmes
Competitiveness all had the aim to raise the level of competitiveness in these economies in
the hopes of resulting in higher productivity, increased efficiency and lower
Deregulation prices. This deregulation, which resulted in fewer and simpler regulations,
mainly affected economic sectors such as energy, finance, agriculture, com-
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 33
FIGURE 1.9 The Tower wing lobby of the Shangri-La hotel in Singapore
Largo, Florida, USA; the Koryo Hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea; the Peabody
in Orlando, Florida, USA; and the Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, Turkey.
For the hospitality industry, the 1990s can be considered the decade of the
environment programmes revolution in terms of sustainability, greater ad- Sustainability
vances in related technology, and an explosive increase in real estate invest-
ment trusts (REITs). Other defining features would be total quality manage-
ment, prestige projects, and a recession. The environmental programmes at
the forefront of hotel sustainability aimed at reducing a hotel’s ecological
footprint. These programmes were not only aimed at improving their environ-
mental performances but their image as well. Consequently, hotels of all siz-
34 CHAPTER 1
FIGURE 1.10 The Belle Époque Bar at the Pudi Boutique Hotel in Shanghai, China
es, classes, and locations joined the ‘green revolution’ in the hopes of en-
suring their long term sustainability, as well as gaining the loyalty of the
increasingly environmentally-conscious customers.
such as in Europe and Australia. In the USA, this led to the creation of many
hotel REITs, for example; this resulted in multiple mergers and acquisitions.
It helped in increasing the sector’s combined market capitalisation to more
than $9 billion at the end of the decade.
The decade also witnessed the adoption of total quality management (TQM)
principles and techniques within the hospitality industry. Adopted and adapt-
TQM ed from the manufacturing world, TQM was embraced by service industries,
in particular by the hospitality industry. Some benefits of the adoption of
TQM techniques within the hospitality industry include enhanced operational
and financial performances, improved employee morale, increased customer
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 35
21st century New concepts of luxury are now central to the 21st century lifestyle. There is
lifestyle now a greater interest in eco–resorts, spas, wellness hotels and retreats,
and hotels have now become trendsetters as well as providing solutions to
some of the negative aspects of modern day living. The IT revolution in-
creased the exposure of the industry in which potential customers and
guests began making more use of the web for sharing information. Potential
customers make more of their decisions based on other peoples’ reviews
Social networks and blogs, transforming social networks such as Twitter and Facebook as
well as review sites like TripAdvisor into powerful tools not to be ignored by
the industry. Figure 1.12 clearly illustrates the influence of the use of social
networks and review sites.
For example, guests now demand wireless internet access as standard even
in budget hotels. Yet the IT revolution also opened massive avenues for the
industry in the area of online sales and distribution. While the online travel
agencies attract the highest numbers of visitors to their sites, hotels also
carry out promotional campaigns on their own sites, offering lower-price
guarantees and various loyalty programmes. Just two years into the new
century, the industry was shaken to its core by the attacks on the USA on
11 September 11 September 2001. This event had a profound impact on sales, as busi-
2001 ness travel to the USA fell by more than 21% during the decade, for exam-
ple. Leisure travel was also negatively affected due to the stricter rules im-
posed by the authorities. Other terrorist attacks around the world equally
exerted negative influence on business/tourist travel. Examples include the
2002 attacks in Mombasa, Kenya, the bombings of two Bali nightclubs in
2002, and the 2008 attacks on two hotels in Mumbai, India. This period
also witnessed the sustained growth of some emerging global economies,
BRIC commonly referred to as the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), where
annual growth rates consistently hovered around 10%. This had a positive
effect on the industry as more and more individuals moved into upper in-
come levels and as such had potentially higher discretionary incomes. China
hosted in 2008 the Beijing Olympics, the run-up to which had resulted in the
construction of at least 50 brand new 5-star hotels in the Beijing area alone.
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
Financial crisis This period is also that of a serious financial crisis that originated in the US
housing market in 2008. Initially, it spread throughout the financial systems
of the US and Western Europe before expanding to other regions of the
world. It negatively affected the hospitality industry due to the reduction of
investment funding as well as reduced spending on both corporate and indi-
vidual levels. The effect of the global crisis can be visualised using the aver-
age daily room rate, which was around 14% lower in 2009 than in 2008
globally, for example (based on the ‘Hotel Price Index’ at Hotels.com). Poli-
cies aimed at tackling the crisis on principally three fronts were enacted in
various countries. These three fronts were: regulating financial markets;
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 37
Social networks and user reviews can have a profound impact on the booking decisions of website visitors
looking for anything from leisure or business trips to dinner reservations.
75%+
Travellers who turn to social networks to
30%
Travellers who consider information from
1 Facebook FAN = find some type of shopping-related deal. their social networks to be useful during
20 Additional Website Visits travel planning.
RESTAURANT
Better customer
engagement 78%
LEADING BUSINESS
Revenue
OBJECTIVES FOR USING generation 51%
SOCIAL NETWORKS Better customer
experience 47%
4 WAYS TO INCREASE CONVERSIONS FROM SOCIAL NETWORKS
BOOK YOUR TRIP TO NOW
BOOK YOUR TRIP TO NOW
BOOK YOUR TRIP TO NOW
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
For more tips, download “The Top 10 Testing, Targeting and Optimization Best Practices: Travel and Tourism Edition”
MONETATE.COM/TRAVELEBOOK
38 CHAPTER 1
fighting tax evasion; and creating a global standard for ethical behaviour.
These policies have had a positive effect on the global economies and, by
extension, on the hospitality industry. Current forecasts are optimistic, with
many international chains launching expansion programmes into key emerg-
ing markets, especially with the establishment of upper-midscale to luxury
1
hotels. Text 1.1, an article by Patrick Ford from Hotel and Motel Manage-
ment, dated 1 February 2012, illustrates this optimistic outlook.
TEXT 1.1
Dubai 67 20,805
Russia 84 17,725 70,668 rooms. New hotel openings in India
Canada 141 17,461 have accelerated and should reach a new
Abu Dhabi 58 17,205 high in 2012, which will likely draw down
All other countries 1,624 304,258 pipeline totals.
Total global pipeline 7,078 1,277,339
Source: Lodging Econometrics Q3 2011 BRAZIL
Brazil, with a total of 208 projects and
32,406 rooms, now has the world’s fourth-
largest pipeline. Franchise companies and
developers are eager to get a foothold in the
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 39
country, especially since it will be hosting 854 hotels and 135,644 rooms are now ex-
the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic pected come online in 2011, then 646 ho-
Games. A high 51 percent of pipeline rooms tels comprising 148,216 rooms in 2012.
are currently under construction, which will
lead to rising new hotel openings through A lion’s share of the region’s new openings
1
2013 and beyond. belong to China, which will have the largest
number of hotels entering current supply of
UNITED KINGDOM any country in the world over the next three
At 207 projects and 27,144 rooms, the years. LE’s forecast expects a total of 707
United Kingdom’s total pipeline is the fifth new hotels and 111,118 rooms in 2011,
largest for a country. Twenty-eight percent of 467 hotels and 114,466 rooms in 2012,
the UK’s total projects and 32 percent of then 345 hotels and 113,705 rooms in
rooms are in London, which is in the midst 2013. While the number of rooms coming
of preparing for the 2014 Olympic Games. online is holding essentially flat, the number
of hotels is trending down significantly. This
ASIA PACIFIC is due to the number of larger-scale projects
Lodging Econometrics projects a total of slated to exit the pipeline, with the average
513 new hotels and 147,974 rooms to new hotel size doubling from 157 rooms in
open in this region. We also adjusted fore- 2011 to 330 rooms in 2013.
casts for 2011 and 2012 upward due to the
continued escalation in the number of pipe- (Source: ftp.hotelmanagement.net/pipeline/
line projects currently under construction. global-pipeline-snapshot-us-asia-pacific-lead)
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
TEXT 1.2
Actual Forecasts
1,600 1.6 bn
1,400
1,200
South Asia
1,000 1 bn
Million
Middle East
800 Africa 694 mn
East Asia/Pacific
600 Americas
400 Europe
200
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020
UNWTO’s Tourism 2020 Vision forecasts The total tourist arrivals by region shows
that international arrivals are expected to that by 2020 the top three receiving regions
reach nearly 1.6 billion by the year 2020. Of will be Europe (717 million tourists), East
these worldwide arrivals in 2020, 1.2 billion Asia and the Pacific (397 million) and the
will be intraregional and 378 million will be Americas (282 million), followed by Africa,
long-haul travellers. the Middle East and South Asia.
42 CHAPTER 1
East Asia and the Pacific, Asia, the Middle ed to show lower than average growth rates.
East and Africa are forecasted to record Europe will maintain the highest share of
growth at rates of over 5% year, compared to world arrivals, although there will be a de-
the world average of 4.1%. The more mature cline from 60 per cent in 1995 to 46 per
1
regions Europe and Americas are anticipat- cent in 2020.
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
Long-haul travel worldwide will grow faster, from around 82:18 in 1995 to close to
at 5.4 per cent per year over the period 76:24 in 2020.
1995-2020, than intraregional travel, at 3.8
per cent. Consequently the ratio between (Source: www.unwto.org)
intraregional and long-haul travel will shift
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 43
held devices will play a great role in leading to the elimination of the in-
termediaries;
r The introduction of Antarctica as an ecotourism tourism destination;
r The introduction of space as a destination for the very wealthy;
r The primacy of management companies in the control of the global inven-
tory of branded hotel rooms;
44 CHAPTER 1
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
45
Summary
1
▶ The hospitality industry belongs to the larger business group called the
travel and tourism industry and generally includes the service organisa-
tions that cater to people’s needs in terms of food, drinks, and accom-
modation, as well as recreation, travel and entertainment.
▶ The hospitality industry has existed since ancient times, and is founded
on such inventions as writing, money, and the wheel, which allowed peo-
ple to move from place to place for pleasure and enabled them to pay
for services received. This is in contrast to nomadic peoples who trav-
elled as a way of life, who could only experience convenience if they
found it.
▶ The hospitality industry has greatly evolved over time and every epoch
has affected the industry in a peculiar way from pre-industrial revolution
days to modern times.
▶ During the pre-industrial revolution era, while the Greeks developed ther-
mal baths in villages designed for rest and recuperation, the Romans de-
veloped extensive networks of roads, and thermal baths throughout their
empire. Caravanserais, monasteries and abbeys, relay houses and many
inns appeared. Laws requiring hotels to keep a register of the visitors
were established. The first travellers’ guide books were written. Stage-
coaches services based on regular schedules began operating. Clubs
and lodges became widespread.
▶ Over time, the hospitality industry has continuously grown in line with
1
the overall growth in world economies, but more specifically with the
rapid expansion of global tourism. This expansion in travel is expected
to continue in the future, and may be influenced by certain tendencies.
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY – PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 47
1 As lodging facilities appeared around the world, they were invariably known
by different names. Using the text in this chapter, identify the various names
that have been used over time to designate lodging facilities all over the
world.
2 What were the main causes that triggered the creation of the hospitality in-
dustry?
3 In what major ways did the industrial revolution affect the expansion of the
hospitality industry?
4 How did the transport revolution affect developments within the hospitality
industry?
5 Without resorting to fortune telling, what directions do you think the hospi-
tality industry is heading into?
© Noordhoff Uitgevers bv