Questions and Answers of Hotel Operations Management

Would you like to manage a hotel in another country? Why or why not?
What are differences in the way governments in other countries affect the management and operation of hotels in those countries?
How do you think the national culture of another country affects the management of hotels in that country?
What differences, if any, do you think exist in the way that a professional hotelier would manage an American-owned hotel in the United States or a European- or Asian-owned hotel in the United States?
1. If you were the expatriate GM, what would you do about “Bula Ben”?2. What might cause Bula Ben to act without approval?3. What, if any, critical concerns might these “problem” examples
1. What would be your perception of the situation that confronts Jae Min and other women employees of the hotel?2. What, if anything, might you be able to do about the situation?3. What, if anything,
GMs sometimes face difficult decisions when they are employed by a management company and operate a branded hotel. In such a situation, the GM’s loyalty can be tested because of the conflicting
Traditionally, management companies have been paid a monthly fee (usually a percentage of gross rooms revenue) to manage a hotel. More recently, management fees are tied to actual hotel performance
Product segmentation in the hotel industry is typically good for franchise companies because it allows them to maximize the number of hotels they have in a given geographic area and thus maximize the
Some hotel managers believe the “brand” name on a hotel is critical to its success whereas others feel profitable hotels can still be operated as independents or that the brand name on the hotel
Some GMs believe they can best further their careers by choosing to manage only hotels affiliated with a specific brand (i.e., Hyatt, Westin, Hilton, and so on). Other GMs believe they are most
1. What factors would cause hotel owners to think about selecting a management company to operate their hotel?2. What types of owners’ groups do you believe are best served hiring management
1. How might the proposed name change affect the hotel’s current management team?2. How could the proposed name change affect the hotel’s nonmanagement staff?3. How might the proposed name change
Data security is an increasingly important responsibility of hotel GMs. What specific steps would you, as the GM, take to help ensure your hotel is protecting the private information of guests that
Every hotel location faces unique threats to the safety of its guests and the security of its assets. Regardless of the threats, GMs must be prepared to deal with a variety of emergency situations.
1. If further investigation reveals the individuals identified had never been in a situation where there was a prior theft allegation, what would you advise Isabella to do?2. If further investigation
1. Would you impose limits on the number of “guests of guests” that are allowed to use hotel facilities? Why or why not?2. Who do you believe is responsible for the safety of the young people
Often, repair and maintenance costs are highest when occupancy rates are lowest. This is true because much repair and maintenance work (for e.g., damaged ceiling repair) can only be done when guest
Lawn care is a good example of the many maintenance tasks that can be done in house or contracted to an outside vendor. Assume you operate a 350-room hotel with 3 acres of total lawn and landscape
1. Do you feel this problem was or was not preventable? Why?2. What POM inspection deficiencies are apparent from this guest’s negative online review?3. What POM training deficiencies are apparent
1. Given that the televisions may be out for a significant amount of time, what steps would you take to inform guests and your hotel staff?2. Why is it important for all affected employees to be
This chapter has stated that all personnel in the hotel require training in the responsible service of alcoholic beverages. How would you explain the need for this training to a new room-service
One on-going source of potential hotel conflict involves the F&B department and the sales and marketing department. As a future GM, do you believe that catering event coordination management
How does the process of allocating revenues and expenses between hotel departments impact the ability of an F&B department to show a profit?
This chapter has identified some similarities and differences between F&B operations in hotels and restaurants. What are some advantages and disadvantages to an F&B career in hotels versus
1. If you were Jenny, would you ask the F&B director to cancel his vacation? Please explain.2. What types of F&B-related concerns might you have about the event as it has been described?3.
1. If you were J.D., how would you react to Robert’s ideas?2. What are some things that the average restaurateur may not understand about hotel food service?3. If you were J.D., and David resigned,
In some hotels, the GM allows, and even encourages, tipping of room attendants. This is typically done through the placement of a tip envelope in the room. Should there be tip envelopes for room
Housekeeping is one of the departments in the hotel that must work every holiday because the hotel is open and often very busy. Assume you have a housekeeping department with 24 employees and your
Some executive housekeepers prefer to allow room attendants to work independently, with only one attendant assigned to each room to be cleaned. Others prefer a system that teams two or more
1. What would you advise Lauraina to do about Kiara Sue’s situation?2. What would you advise Lauraina to say to the other room attendants?3. What human resources–related issues and labor laws
1. What do you think Elliot should tell Scarlet Rose?2. What should be done to solve her problem now?3. What should be communicated to the other departments involved in the problem?“It isn’t
As advances in technology make the self-registration of guests more easily achievable, some hotel companies have moved aggressively to implement such technologies. Those who have not done so,
In most hotels, FOMs are responsible for transient room sales while the DOSM is responsible for group sales. As a GM, what factors would you use to determine the proportion of your rooms that should
FOMs often serve as the hotel’s credit manager, thereby identifying and enforcing credit limits for guests staying on the property. Assume you are the GM at an expensive resort property. What
Rapid advances in technology create a situation where, often, the FOM has greater technical expertise in using the PMS and other advanced technology tools than does the GM. What difficulties do you
In some hotels, the position of revenue manager reports to the DOSM, whereas in others it reports to the FOM. Why do you think this is so? As a GM, how would these two alternative arrangements affect
1. How is Lorenzo likely to begin the process of budgeting revenue for the hotel in its first year after expansion?2. What historical hotel data would be useful in helping Lorenzo complete this
1. Assume you were Frederick, what do you think of Aliyanna’s proposed policy?2. Do you think Aliyanna’s policy is fair to all arriving guests? Explain your answer.3. Do you think the room
1. What do you think Roy should tell Ms. Grades?2. Would you advise Roy differently if you knew that each of the Tech-Mar reservations was for a 10-night stay at full rack rate?3. Assume you accept
A hotel’s efforts in social media can be designed to serve a number of purposes from the dissemination of news and information, to the answering of customer questions, to simply engaging with a
Technology advancements have greatly impacted the sales and marketing departments of hotels. Assume you were the GM for a very large (over 1,000-room) hotel. What technological advances do you see in
Effectively networking in a room full of strangers is a crucial skill but one that is often lacking in younger, less-experienced sales team members. As a GM, what are five specific steps you (or your
The distinctions between the terms sales and marketing are as many as there are authors writing about the topics. Find at least three books devoted to the sales and marketing area and compare the
1. What are some additional possible reasons for the decline revealed by the monthly Pace Report?2. If you were Barry, how would you go about assessing the sales difficulties now experienced by the
1. If you were Amanda, what are the sales-related factors that would influence your final decision?2. If you were Amanda, what nonsales-related factors would influence your decision?3. Would it be
Consumers increasingly book their hotel rooms via the Internet. When you shop for a room on the Internet, what attracts you to a specific hotel? Do you feel most guests “shop” the Internet in the
The amount of marketing dollars spent promoting a specific distribution channel will typically affect the capacity of that channel to generate revenues for a hotel. Consider the Web and your group
Some GMs focus most of their revenue-management efforts on increasing occupancy, while others emphasize the maximizing ADR. Discuss one advantage and one disadvantage related to each of these
Some individuals feel room rates should not be increased significantly when room demand is high. Why do you think they feel that way? What would you say to a regular guest who called you to complain
Ultimately, GMs are responsible for maximizing the revenue-generating potential of their hotels. The work of the revenue manager has a big impact on a hotel’s capacity to increase revenues. In
1. What are the important factors Joseph should consider prior to deciding if the airline contract would be a good one for the hotel?2. Under what conditions might Joseph tell his revenue manager to
1. How do you feel this management team did in managing its RevPAR in the month they are reviewing?2. What decision-making errors likely led to the results viewed by Heather and Stephanie?3. What
Often it is difficult to determine whether errors made in the financial records of a hotel, and then uncovered in an audit, represent intentional fraud or simply mistakes resulting from poor training
Improvements in technology have affected the controller’s office more than most areas within a hotel. Assume you were the GM of a large full-service property. What specific steps could you take to
Many hotels experience difficulty when establishing credit policies. List five factors you believe would be important when determining whether to offer credit terms to a new client in your own hotel.
The balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows each yield important pieces of information. To truly understand these documents, it is helpful to know what they cannot tell you.
Some GMs measure their own effectiveness using primarily ADR, while others prefer to evaluate their effectiveness by the occupancy rate generated. More recently, RevPAR (see Chapter 3 ) has become
1. What would be other clues that the AP system is in need of review?2. Which individuals within the hotel need to be involved in this review process?3. What would be the likely consequence(s) if you
Some hotels have very different employment policies in place for their salaried and hourly workers. In addition to the fact that pay is generally higher for salaried employees, what other specific
Many hotels now test all employees who have accidents at work for the presence of illegal drugs. Assume you are a GM, this is the case in your hotel, and all employees are made aware of this policy
Some GMs feel job descriptions are a waste of time. Others believe accurate job descriptions are critical to a hotel’s staffing success. Think of two jobs you have held.Did you receive a job
Many jobs in one hotel are similar to those in another. Assume that the compensation including benefits in your hotel and that of a nearby competitor were identical. Identify three features you as a
A shortage of entry-level employees is a major concern of many hotel GMs. To the extent currently employed staff members can be retained, there is less need to recruit new employees. List three
1. What are specific steps Ashley and her management team can take to ensure that the hotel retains its best staff and can effectively recruit for the employees it will need in the future?2. How
1. What can Connor do to ensure that department-specific training occurs in the hotel?2. How might inexpensive and cost-effective training materials be secured or developed?3. What can be done with
Motivation has been defined as “an inner drive that a person has to attain a goal.” If this is the case, how can a GM “motivate” an employee? To what extent do you think a motivated employee
GMs often do not have enough time to do all the work required of them. Some tasks simply must be delegated. What are three specific things you could do when delegating work to subordinates to help
What are three strategies that you as a hotel GM would use while working with your top management team to develop the planning tools (core values, vision, and mission) that will drive your hotel’s
There has been an evolution of hotel human resources practices from the GM as “boss” to the GM as a facilitator and team leader. State several reasons why this has occurred.
This chapter indicates GMs require conceptual, interpersonal, administrative, and technical skills to be effective. It also provided an example of each type of skill. What are three additional
1. What should Juanita do now? What, if any, difference does it make if Mr. Donito is a frequent guest?2. Should the police be called in response to this (alleged) guest theft? Why or why not?3. How
1. What decisions must Luka make unilaterally and immediately in this situation?2. What decisions would best be made after consulting with others in the hotel?3. What decisions could best be made by
The AHLEI offers the CHA designation for professionals who meet established standards and pass a competency exam appropriate for a hotel GM. Do you think that the CHA is a designation that would be
Some practicing GMs elect to pursue four-year or higher degrees that they believe will assist in their career advancement. What are some of the advantages and potential disadvantages of such a career
It has been said that 10% of a manager’s time should be spent on preparing themselves for the next higher level job, 80% of their time doing their current job, and 10% of their time helping those
Tremendous technological advancements continue each day in the hotel industry. Which department in a hotel do you believe have been most affected by technological advancements during the past 10
A GM has responsibilities to guests, employees, owners, and, of course, to themselves. What are some reasons these interests might come into conflict? If that were to happen to you, whose interests
The chapter briefly discusses career opportunities in the lodging industry. What progressively responsible positions would you like to attain? What would you need to do, beginning now, to prepare
1. Which professional skills would likely be the most important for her if Shana chose to accept the select-service hotel job?2. Which professional skills would likely be the most important for her
1. Whose role is it to persuade the owners on the expenditure required to implement the new standard?2. What would you advise Jackson to do to help make the case for the improvement?3. What specific
Think about the last time you visited a hotel or restaurant as a guest. What moments of truth do you recall? What impact did they have on your overall impression of the hospitality operation?
1. What are several of the very first things Josie should do?2. How, if at all, should Josie involve her employees in the hotel’s “turn-around efforts”?3. What factors should Mr. Singh use to
1. What are examples of supervisory tactics Annetta might have used in the past to reduce the problem caused by employees who don’t give a priority to their team or the property?2. What are
What would you do to address a labor shortage problem in your hotel? First, think about tactics you might use to retain current employees. (If they did not leave, there would be less need to recruit
Hotels exist in every city. Where would you like to work in your management career?Why? Name three advantages to becoming a GM in the area you have selected.What are potential disadvantages?
If you were a GM, what kind of guest relations training would you provide to your employees? What are some principles you would incorporate into the training?
How can persons decide the type of hotel they would like to work in? This question can be answered by thinking about numerous factors. These include:Unique characteristics applicable to the
1. What might the hotel offer to the couple currently occupying the bridal suite to encourage them to move to another room?2. What might the hotel offer the arriving couple as an incentive to select
1. If you were J.D., what issues would affect your decision?2. Why might J.D. want to accept employment with the contract management company?3. Why might J.D. want to stay with his present