Archive for the ‘hotel’ Category
Today, more than ever, hotel security has grown to encompass more than just emergency and evacuation plans, a stern visit to a rowdy room, or a security guard at the hotel’s entrance. Like all other large facilities in a post 9/11 world, hotels must protect themselves and their guests against terrorists looking for a high-throughput environment that would draw media and public attention in the case that an event transpires there.
The connotations of contemporary threats translate into several crucial aspects regarding hotel security. First, the risk assessment is no longer an option for hotels, but rather a necessary tool. Secondly, the security manager and his or her team must be professionally trained and qualified to deal with today’s contemporary hotel security threats. Third, hotels benefit from joining an industry organization whereby they can be kept abreast of measures that their competitors are taking in terms of hotel security. Finally, hotels must have an orderly system in place whereby they are periodically updated about the local and/or national security warning level by law-enforcement bodies.
In the case that a hotel is not mandated to undergo a hotel security risk assessment by local or national authorities, it must take this responsibility upon itself. That is, a professional risk assessment will help a hotel identify its assets, the potential threats to those assets, and the magnitude of losses in the event that the threat manifests. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, a risk assessment will draw conclusions and provide workable recommendations and countermeasures to be implemented by the hotel management. Although a professional risk assessment prevents a formidable investment for the hotel itself, it is the most imperative investment that the entity can make.
Most hotels have a security manager or chief of hotel security operations who is responsible for a crew of security guards. Today’s managers and their teams must be professionally trained and educated regarding modern threats that face the hotel security industry. In addition to knowing how to properly monitor security technologies such as CCTV, access-control and other integrated hotel security systems, today’s hotel security [http://www.thepsos.com/hotels] managers and officers must be trained in identifying suspicious behaviors, interpreting body language and cris-response intervention.
Thirdly, many countries or states have collective hotel associations that provide a supportive community network for local hotels. Some examples include the IH&RA ( International Hotel & Restaurant Association ), the AH&LA (American Hotel and Lodging Association), the EHMA (European Hotel Managers Association) and the IHA (Israeli Hotel Association). These fraternal organizations are the ideal platform for hotels to gain support in regards to how their counterparts are providing services to their clients.
Finally, hotels must have an orderly system in place whereby they are periodically updated about the local and/or national security warning level by law-enforcement bodies. Many national and/or local law enforcement bodies make this aspect of hotel security a requirement. That is, the hotels in a given area must be willing to have a consistent flow of dialogue between police or state security forces, and themselves. Through updates, and even set standards, these hotels will be better equipped to provide the best to their guests.
Before choosing a hotel, it is very important ask trusted friends who have been in the hotel, whether they enjoyed their stay in the hotel. Alternatively, you can search the name of the intended hotel on the internet and read the hotel’s reviews from other people.
What to look for in a hotel
Make sure the hotel is in a good central location and close to all amenities. A safe neighbourhood is rather important to make sure you enjoy a safe stay. If you are renting a car you might also take into account whether there is free parking available. If it’s in summer and it’s hot, make sure you check whether the rooms are air-conditioned.
What you must do after arriving your hotel room
Once you check-in, one of the most important factors in a hotel is the cleanliness and safety. Make sure the hotel room’s door is safe and that the door closes completely. Regarding cleanliness, the bathroom area is always one of the most important rooms to check. The basin and surfaces should have been cleaned and sprayed with anti bacterial spray, and although often the mirrors are wiped down, it isn’t usually a requirement of the cleaners to do so.
Make sure you check the cleanliness and hygiene of the room before unpacking to avoid any unnecessary inconveniences and / or delays while being transferred in another room.
Rating of stars in hotels
The rating star of the hotel can help guests know how good the hotel is. Star ratings symbolise the level of standards a guest can expect and are recognised worldwide. Ranging from 1 up to 5, the quality of service, amenities, size and condition of rooms and building, safety and security, atmosphere, quality of food and drink, hotel presence and efficiency of staff are all taken under consideration and judged.
One star
One star hotels have absolute basics like a shower room down the hall shared with other guests.
Two star
Two star hotels usually have en-suites, a colour tv and a bed.
Three star hotels
These types hotels usually have a private bathroom, colour tv, phone, bed and an optional laundry service.
Four Star
Four star hotels are bigger and more comfortable with a more luxurious touch. These hotels will also have 24-hour room service and optional dry cleaning services.
Five Star
Five star hotels are the best! The rooms will be of the highest standards and with great comfort. A 24-hour room service is also available and these types of hotels have luxurious amenities including spas.
Hotel representative job description
So, one gets excelled in his interview and he is offered a position as a hotel representative. Now what? This depends on whom he works for and which resort he is sent to. There are numerous tour operators who hold specific training courses in the resorts. Specific areas have the influx of new recruits each season and some of the people prefer to get trained in UK wherein the duration of the training is a week long course. Such courses of training are provided to the people who have been selected for the position of hotel representative. The course covers everything like how to deal with an unavoidable situation in the resort and how to present a welcome meeting in the resort.
Course description
The courses are very informative and are provided within the hours of the person joining the hotel, wherein he gets tremendous details on several issues. Within hours of his joining, he is taught the rules and ways to tackle any situation, after which he can start on his own. However, reps do no spend thirty minutes on their first hotel visits, couple of hours at the airport and rest in the free time by going for sun bathe and drink lots of alcohol. Hotel reps actually work for six days a week for months and months without any break. Some of the seasons they work are for continuous nine months on a stretch. There is no time at all for holidays. Further, under any serious issue like death of relative or such family related problem, the person can get holidays. There are some real duties of a hotel rep which can vary from resort to resort and there is a deciding factor which is during the airport arrival days. Some of the resorts have new arrivals per day and some have three airport days of arrival of the guests.
Duties of the hotel rep
An overseas hotel rep ensures that the guests in the resort are quite happy and are getting immense customer satisfaction. A rep schedules visits to each of the hotels that he is allotted and there is no one particular hotel which he has to work on. He has to cover more than one hotel and in some of the hotels the reps will have to cover at least twelve hotels that come under their jurisdiction. In each of the hotel, the tour operator has an information board and in this board the reps will provide and update his details during their tours to the particular hotel.
Myths on hotel reps
There are some myths on hotel reps which start to surface. It is more that meets the eyes. A hotel rep takes thirty minutes for taking information on particular hotel and covers total twelve hotels overall. The reps detail the times that they visit the particular hotel and one can see that the hotel rep covers thirty minutes for each of the hotels. If it’s a quiet day, the rep can sit in the hotel reception and answer the questions of the holiday makers on the hotel or the resort. However, if there is any emergency in a specific hotel, the hotel rep can be called to a certain room to help a guest and this happens more frequently. One of the biggest complaints that a hotel rep receives is they were never in the hotel. The guests are in total wonder as to whom the hotel rep is and whether he can help them or not. In such cases, the hotel rep is always on a lookout to see that the guests are being given the utmost customer services and that they feel at home during their stay in a hotel.