Accomodation

A person checks into a hotel for the first time in his life and goes up to his room. Five minutes later he calls the desk and says, “ you’ve given me a room with no exit. How do I leave?” The desk clerk says, “ sir, that’s absurd. Have you looked for the door?” He says, “Well, there’s one door that leads to the bathroom. There’s a 2 nd door that goes into the closet. And there’s a door I haven’t tried, but it has a ‘do not disturb’ sign on it.”

What is ‘accommodation’? Accommodation sector: – Revolves around where travelers stay (sleep) while away from home What do we need to know about? – Types of lodging – Types of hotels – Types of hotel ownership/management structure – How to price accommodation – Accommodation rating systems

Different Types of Lodging Hotel: – Where guests sleep and have other services available – usually having a central lobby, rooms are accessible from the lobby, food and/or beverages are often available, and parking may or may not be available – Example: Sandman Signature Hotel (Langley) Motel: – Simple sleeping accommodations without access to many other services – targeted towards car travelers – plenty of free parking – rooms accessible directly from outside – Example: Travelodge (Langley)

Inn: – Smaller type of lodging found in smaller cities; often ‘homey’ and personal – Ex: Westward Inn & Suites (Langley) Bed & Breakfast (B&B) – Lodging found in converted homes and other buildings; offers accommodation and breakfast the next morning; usually very personal and offers unique cultural experiences – Ex: Princess and the Pea B&B (Langley) Hostel: – Shared bedrooms and bathrooms; usually inexpensive and youth focused – Ex: The Cambie Hostel (Vancouver)

Condos: – Privately-owned apartment that may be used by the owner for some of the year and rented out to tourists the rest of the year – Ex: Owner Direct Vacation Rentals (various locations) Time-share: – Travelers buy a vacation segment for a specific period of time each year – Ex: Delta Grand Okanagan Resort (Kelowna) Dude/Guest Ranch – Guests stay and work on a working ranch to experience the ranching lifestyle – Ex: Wildhorse Mountain Guest Ranch (Summerland)

Campground (RV Park) – Guests rent ground space to pitch their tent or park their RV – EX: Fort Camping (Brae Island in Langley)

Classifying Hotels – Services Offered Budget/economy hotel: – Low cost, few services, no in-house food, near other amenities mid-scale: – Coffee shop or some food service, have other amenities (pool, banquet facilities, etc.) – Ex: Best Western (Langley) Upscale: – Many quality services; nice restaurants, salons, pools, exercise rooms, etc.) Luxury: – Many amenities; very high levels of service, grand properties, high priced – Ex: Four Seasons Vancouver

Most Expensive Hotel Suite?

Classifying Hotels: Miscellaneous Residential Hotel: – Long-term guests, like an apartment suite – Often downtown or near large employers (University) – Ex: Sutton Place Hotel (Vancouver) Spa Hotel: – Accommodations and amenities to refresh and rejuvenate; mud baths, massage, exercise programs, healthy food… – Ex: Sparkling Hill Resort (Vernon)

Boutique Hotel: – Luxury/upscale hotel with unique features and amenities; modern conveniences but unique rooms and design – Ex: Loden Hotel (Vancouver) Convention hotel: focusing on convention business or near a convention center Casino hotel: focusing on casino-style entertainment All-inclusive resort: everything included in price – Ex: Sandals Resorts (Caribbean)

Types of Accommodation Ownership and Management Individual owner/operator: – Small; often family owned/operated – Ex: Princess and the Pea B&B (Langley) Referral Network: – Hotel is individually owned, but belong to a network for marketing and reservations – Ex: Best Western Plus – Kelowna Hotel & Suites

Franchise: – Individually owned, but pay $$ to parent company to use name and systems of parent company – Ex: Holiday Inn Express Management Contract: – Individually owned, but contract to professional hotel management company to run the hotel; management company shares in profits – Ex: Atlific Hotels

Booking Accommodation

How to Price Accommodations Are accommodation prices always the same? NO! FACTORS AFFECTING PRICING – Location (of hotel and room within hotel) – Room size and amenities – Pricing expectations of target market – Competitors’ pricing – Seasonality – Group purchase discounts – Discounts given to certain groups (seniors, govt workers, AAA, etc.) – Available meal plans

Accommodation Rating Systems RATINGRATING DETAILS *Clean, comfortable accommodations **Clean, comfortable accommodations with some amenities ***Very comfortable accommodations with a greater range of facilities, amenities, and services ****Highest standard of accommodations with extensive range of facilities, amenities, and services *****Exceptional properties – among best in the country in terms of facilities, amenities, quality & service *Canada Select Accommodations Rating Program Categories