Service Management for Dummies®

Chapter 22. Hospitality

In This Chapter

• InterContinental Hotels Group

Do you simply want a clean bed to sleep in when you travel, or do you opt for luxurious accommodations with a health club, infinity swimming pool, and Zen-style spa? Or do you insist on a green hotel with an environmental conscience? Whatever your preference, many of the largest hotel management companies operate multiple brands catering to a wide variety of market segments.

The competition in this industry is intense and has become even more challenging given the sharp decline in spending on leisure and business travel as both families and businesses tighten their budgets. Businesses in the hospitality industry use the diversity and quality of their services as a way to differentiate themselves from the competition. Although the quality of services such as housekeeping, restaurant meals, room service, and concierge assistance depends heavily on the performance of hotel staff, a lot of technical infrastructure is required in the background. The organization needs an agile and efficient infrastructure to focus on optimizing the customer experience. Guest profiles, housekeeping status, staffing reports, and other operations data must be available on demand to hotel management to ensure a positive experience for guests.

In addition, large hotel and resort companies employ many channels to serve customers, including the Web, call centers, travel partners, global distribution systems, travel agents, and other intermediaries. ...