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

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

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

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

10. 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

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

12. 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

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

14. 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

15. 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

16. 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

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

18. 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

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

20. 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

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