INTRODUCTION TO THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Structure

1:1 Objectives

1:2 Introduction to the hospitality industry

1.3 Introduction to the hotel industry

1.4 Growth and development of hotel industry

1.5 Hotel services

1.6 Summary

1.7 Assignment

1:1 OBJECTIVES

􀂾 Understand the hospitality industry

􀂾 Define a Hotel

􀂾 Understand the growth & development of the Hotel Industry

1:2THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Introduction to the hospitality Industry:

Hospitality can be termed as a deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain a mutual understanding between an organization and public, thereby running a business of making and keeping friends whilst promoting an atmosphere of better understanding.

Activities involved in providing attentive and courteous services, facilities and amenities to travelers, by meeting, greeting and providing them with efficient and caring services thereby creating an environment of “Home away from Home” is all covered under hospitality. Basically for all those traveling away from home the hospitality industry provides the required services. The businesses of providing services of food, shelter and basic needs to travelers such as hotels, motels, lodges, inns, cruise ships, restaurants, pubs, bars etc. are all a part of the hospitality industry. As such any business engaged in tourism, transportation, entertainment, and lodging form part of the hospitality industry.

The hospitality industry is a part of the travel & tourism industry which provides needs-oriented services based on the needs of the travelers. For e.g. the requirements of an individual on a holiday will differ from those of an individual on a business visit. Which is why the provision of required services varies based on location of the provider.

The past, present and future of the hospitality industry are closely linked. From the times when comfort and sanitary lodging was for the wealthy is now the requirement of the common man. From times when travelers would receive a warm welcome with free food and shelter has with the passage of time, advancement of science and technology has brought about a change in the needs of the travelers resulting in becoming today a flourishing business ensuring though the provision of efficient services in a friendly atmosphere.

Cultural, social, and economical conditions play an important role in influencing hospitality in society providing human psychological needs such as belongingness, longing ness, love, esteem, and status.

The needs of a traveler like those of accommodation, food and other basic needs are today provided by what we call Hotels.

1.3 INTRODUCTION TO THE HOTEL INDUSTRY

A Hotel is defined by British law as a Place where a bonafide guest receives food and shelter, provided he is in a position to pay for it and is in a receivable condition. (Rights of admission reserved).

A Hotel may also be defined as an establishment whose primary business is providing lodging facilities for the general public and which furnishes one or more of the following services:

(a). Food and Beverage Services.

(b). Room Attendant Services.

(c). Laundry Services.

(d). Use of Furniture and Fixtures.

1.4 GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF HOTEL INDUSTRY

􀂾 The Hotel industry is perhaps one of the oldest endeavours in the world. With the establishment of money sometime in the 6th century B. C, came the first real impetus (enterprise) for people of trade and travel, since prior to that it was difficult due to lack of a standardized medium of exchange.

􀂾 The earliest Inns were ventures by husband and wife who used to provide modest wholesome food, quench thirst (mainly wine) and a large hall for travelers to stay against exchange of money. Initially Inns were called “Public Houses or Pubs” and the guests were called as “Paying Guests”.

􀂾 These conditions remained for several hundred years. The advent of the industrial revolution brought ideas and processes and progress in the business of Inn keeping. The development of railways and ships made traveling more prominent. The industrial revolution also changed travel from social to business travel. There was an urge for quick and clean service because the inns were basically self-service institutions.

􀂾 In England during the era of 1750 to 1820 the English Inns gained the reputation of being the first in the world and were generally centered around London. In early England public houses were normally called “Inns” or “Taverns”. While normally the name Inn was reserved for finer establishments catering to the nobles, the name Taverns was awarded to the houses frequently by the common man.

􀂾 In France the establishments were known as “Hotelleries” and the less pretentious houses were called “Cabarets”. The name hotel is believed to have been derived from the word “hotelleries” around 1760.

􀂾 In America lodging houses were called “Inn” or “Coffee house”. By 1800 the USA were the leaders in development of first class hotels.

1. The real growth of the modern hotels took place in the USA beginning with the opening of the “City Hotel” in 1794 in New York. This was the first building erected for hotel purpose. This period also saw the beginning of chain operations under the guidance of E. M. Statlers.

1.5 HOTEL SERVICES

The present day modern concept of a hotel is not just a place to provide accommodation, food and beverage, but it is like a city within a city offering its guests with every possible facility, accommodation, service and convenience, such as rooms, restaurants, bars & cocktail lounges, banqueting facilities, convention and conference facilities, telephones, radio & T.V., laundry, valets, bookshops, banking, parking, florists, chemists, gym, swimming pool, beauty parlors, travel agents, business centers, etc. Besides also personal services like babysitting, planning of tour itineraries, travel booking, entertainment etc. A lot of these services may occasionally be without any additional charges to the guest but generally specifically charged.

Large luxury hotels ensure to provide their guests with every conceivable service and amenity in the hotels and guest rooms. Right from the point of the guest arriving at the airport, rail station or bus terminus, 5-star hotels provide services like airport pickup’s, personalized check-in’s, welcome drink’s, freshen-up towels, personalized stationery, room amenities as per personal preferences, choice of newspapers, valet services etc.

1.6 SUMMARY

The hospitality industry is a major part of the travel & tourism industry, which caters to the traveling public making them totally welcome. Hospitality can be seen in a genuinely smiling face whilst providing attentive and courteous services, facilities, and amenities to a traveler, by meeting, greeting and providing them with efficient and caring services thereby creating an environment of “Home away from Home”. The hospitality industry has grown from services provided somewhat free to a flourishing business but maintaining the same basic concept of hospitality.

The hotel industry has developed from the times when the earliest Inns were ventures by husband and wife who used to provide modest wholesome food, quench thirst (mainly wine) and a large hall for travelers to stay against exchange of money and called as ‘public houses’ or ‘pubs’ to the period after the industrial revolution where in London they were called as Inns or Taverns, in France as ‘Hotelleries’ or ‘Cabarets’ and in America as ‘Inns” or ‘Coffee Houses’ to the first building erected for a hotel purpose.

The present day hotels are places where travelers can not only avail of food & accommodation services & facilities but also a whole array of services & facilities of whatever the guest may require.

Key Terms

Inns; Taverns; Hotelleries; Cabarets; Coffee Houses; Hotels; Paying Guests;

1.7 HOME ASSIGNMENT

A. Fill in the Blanks

a) The hospitality is part of the ________________________ industry, which provides needs oriented services to travelers. (Ans-1.2)

b) Initially Inns were called ________________ or pubs and the guests were called as “_________ Guests”.

c) In early England public houses were normally called ________ or ____________

d) The name hotel is believed to have been derived from the word ______________ around 1760.

e) ______________was the first building erected for hotel purpose.

B. Define a Hotel as per British law.

C. Trace the growth of hotels in the following countries:

1. London

2. France

3. America

D. Trace the origins of the developments of Inns in /after the 6^th century B.C.