characteristics of the hotel industry?

Answer 1

Well...I've been a Night Manager at a hotel for a bit over five years. So I definitely consider myself an insider. Okay...as with any aspect of the hospitality/service industry, it is a lot different behind the scenes than it is out front. Often you will find hotels are understaffed, underpaid and underfunded. And I'm not being critical -you'll most likely find that to be the norm anywhere, from the grandest five star to the sleaziest motel. Generally the owners invest, but they don't want to spend anymore than they have to. I have quite a few acquaintances in the biz; we often compare notes and this is pretty much the standard. It's amazing how many hotel owners and accountants are unfamiliar with that old maxim, "It takes money to make money", because they always seem to be whinging about how business could be better but they don't want to invest the money into making the improvements. Catch 22. Beyond that, housekeeping is the most thankless job in a hotel. Housekeepers see a lot; they also have to clean up some unholy messes and usually don't get even a thank you. Mind you, you'll also find some guests are big tippers, but these are more often than not the exception to the rule. Hotel employees in general see a lot, as you can imagine; you get all sorts of people as guests, and a lot tends to go on up in those rooms. And again that rule applies across the board.
As a five year veteran of the business, it never ceases to amaze me how many guests blatantly try to insult the intelligence of the front desk agents. People will try ANYTHING to get a deal, refund or a comp. People will lay any kind of story on you they can to get a room so they can carry out all sorts of illegal activities. I've personally been bribed to rent to unsavoury kinds of people so many times...but I can't be bought. Mind you, at our particular establishment we take security pretty seriously, and, as the night guy, that most often comes down to me.
I know, a lot of what I've said must sound like I'm awfully jaded and cynical, but it's true. Don't get me wrong, I love my job (otherwise I wouldn't be doing it) but working in the hotel industry can be pretty thankless. But I believe in giving travellers good, inexpensive decent quality accommodation; that's why I'm here. However, the reality of the hotel industry is that though most hotels claim a "100% Satisfaction Guarantee", on a good day they can maybe manage 70%. A lot of it comes down to the bean counters though, and unfortunately they can be notoriously tight with the bucks when they want to be. Trouble is, this is most often when the hotel needs the bucks the most (renovations, advertising, etc...)
I wish your question was a bit more specific...get a hold of me if you need more (specfic) details...

Answer 2

I know all about it - be more specific? Guest services? Maintenence? Management? On-site restaurant? Amenities?

Answer 3

Hospitality
Innovative
Patience
perseverance
smart work/hard work
Initiative
customers satisfaction
Always smile
persistence
Imaginative
Dreams
Creative
Competent
Good management of
-money,material,men