Resorts Types of Resorts/Hotels Characteristics of Resort Management Employment Questions Functional Divisions Front of the House Housekeeping Maintenance Impacts Planning and Development

Types of Hotels Commercial or Transient Hotels Convention Hotels Motels and Motor Hotels Condominium Hotels Residential Hotels Casino Hotels All-suite Hotels Resorts

Characteristics of Resort Management There are several features that distinguish resort properties from other types of lodging properties Guests Recreation Location Local dependence Seasonality Personnel Employee training Revenue and accounting Traditions

Guests Vacationing individuals Vacationing families Convention guests Expect larger, more luxurious rooms (bathrooms amenities, mini-bars, seating areas, entertainment centers, etc) Stay longer than typical commercial hotel guests Rooms are typically more expensive

Recreation Multiple pools Tennis courts Golf courses Ski slopes Retail Increased amenities means increased costs, increased maintenance and make it more difficult to change with times

Recreation These amenities require additional land and staffing Maintenance workers must have more specific expertise Trainers and/or teachers may be needed for guests Recreational amenities can greatly affect the reputation of the resort, and in fact, may be at the center of the resort’s reputation

Location/Geography Location itself may be an amenity Resorts very often must be self contained Location is often remote, and therefore might create problems in terms of: Personnel supply Personnel housing/transportation

Location Remote locations are more subject to: Limits on delivery Limits on communications Extreme weather conditions Transportation for guests to and from property Having the location community dependent on it

Local Dependence Employment patters Lay off workers in more developed areas Employ workers year-round in less developed areas

Seasonality Seasonality in commercial recreation does not just depend on the yearly seasons Creative solutions to seasonality caused slumps are important Shoulder seasons are those time periods that come just before and just after the prime season

Seasonality Concerns: Personnel turnover Hiring/training costs Inventory control/theft Good will with community

Personnel Guest stay longer Guests are often limited in number (at least per employee) Employees may get to know guests during their stay Guests expect more personal treatment Increased numbers of “moments of truth” make hiring the right people even more important

Employee Training Seasonality may require that employees be “cross-trained” “Double-barrel” training crucial to guests that demand high quality service

Revenue and Accounting In contrast to most commercial hotels, resorts rely much more on recreational activities and departments for income Financial statements are more complicated with some areas operating at a loss to attract guests to other departments

Traditions/Events Resorts tend to attract a higher number of repeat visitors than commercial hotels Traditional activities based on society holidays, etc can help create family traditions at a resort Resorts can create their own events that can become traditional over time

Questions… Fill out the questionnaire and see if you can decide which questions are okay to ask in an interview (or on an application) and which are not okay to ask

Functional Divisions Resorts and hotels typically divide departments into two major divisions based on their most basic functions

Functional Divisions Front-of-the-house Bell service, concierge, reservations, front desk, guest services, social directors, activities directors Heart-of-the-house (Back-of-the-house) Food and beverage, building maintenance, grounds, housekeeping, laundry, power, accounting and purchasing

Functional Divisions Sometimes departments are divided between those that directly affect the guest, supporting their needs and wants from those that support other departments

Functional Divisions Line departments: Staff support departments: Front-of-the-house departments and most heart-of-the-house departments Staff support departments: Payroll, purchasing, marketing, sales, security, personnel, accounting

Rooms Division Some of the largest properties divide departments even further and create a special “rooms” division. This special area includes housekeeping and reservations.