Industry Practicum Hospitality Report

This report provides a review of the Hilton Sydney Hotel, that is a part of the Hilton groups of Hotels and Resorts. It analyzes the marketing strategy, service management, staff retention techniques, and offers recommendations to improve service quality.

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Running Head: Industry Practicum Hospitality Report
INDUSTRY PRACTICUM HOSPITALITY REPORT

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Industry Practicum Hospitality Report
Executive Summary
The hospitality industry is a part of the service industry that aims to provide accommodation,
food, beverages and other relaxing or recreational services to its customers. This industry is
greatly dependent on the grade of service they deliver to their guests as they are in direct contact
with their customers. This demands the creation of a business system that is able to account for
all business processes in a transparent environment. The customers are able to look over and
decide within the moment whether they deem the service provided as fit for acceptance or not.
This report provides a review of the Hilton Sydney Hotel, that is a part of the Hilton groups of
Hotels and Resorts. This hotel is a five-star accommodation, located at the heart of Sydney and
boasts for one of the greatest in-house restaurants, managed by a celebrity chef. This report
provides a brief look at the hospitality industry and the skills required for it. Then the marketing
strategy is analysed using the four Ps of marketing tool. This allows breaking down the big
picture into small packets of information that can be analysed separately. As tourism in Sydney
is growing rapidly, the hotel is facing a rise in competition as well. Their greatest competitive
advantage is the brand image that helps them to form a better understanding with their
customers. The report then goes over in-house practices like their service management, staff
retention techniques. This study has also underlined good practices and offered recommendations
that can improve its service quality.

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Industry Practicum Hospitality Report
Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Industry synergy and trends.............................................................................................................3
Organisation’s marketing mix.........................................................................................................5
Organisation’s competitiveness.......................................................................................................6
Organisation’s service management................................................................................................7
Staff Retention and development.....................................................................................................8
Ethics and social responsibility.......................................................................................................8
Good Practices.................................................................................................................................9
Recommendations............................................................................................................................9
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
Reference.......................................................................................................................................11

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Industry Practicum Hospitality Report
Introduction
The aim of this report is to present a comprehensive picture of the chosen organisation by
identifying areas of practice that are above average and those sectors that have scope for
improvement. In order to be able to analyse the practices within an organisation, an insightful
knowledge of the trends in the industry is required. The report will, therefore, present a review of
the hospitality industry as the chosen organisation is The Hilton Sydney Hotel. It is one of the
hotels from the Hilton Hotel and Resorts Group founded by the business tycoon Conrad Hilton.
It is one of the largest hotel groups over the world and targets both business-minded as well as
travelling guests over major cities of the world. The hotel offers many types of services like
rented rooms and pieces of equipment for official meetings or press conferences, babysitting
service and an in-house restaurant “Glass Brasserie” that is managed by celebrity chef Luke
Mangan (Annual reports, 2018).
Industry synergy and trends
The current greatest trends identified in the hospitality industry is sustainability and corporate
social responsibility. By 2030, the Hilton groups of hotels have pledged to double their capital
invested for social impact. Corporate social responsibility is a private business model that aims
to regulate their practices to ensure that their impact on society and environment is positive. The
CSR of Hilton groups of hotels and the Sydney Hilton Hotels pledges to embed human rights in
their customer service and human resource management practices (Annual reports, 2018). They
are also the first major group of hotels that have taken up scientific goals to limit their carbon
emissions to the assigned restriction.
The hospitality industry is one of the largest employment sectors in Australia and has remained
quite stable in spite of the minor fluctuations. For the year of 2018, the employment level was at
111,000 and is expected to grow by 2023 (Tourism investment, 2018). The food and beverage
industry have also grown independently and was the largest employment sector within the
hospitality industry.

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Industry Practicum Hospitality Report
Figure 1: Employment in Hospitality sector jobs
(Source: Tourism investment, 2018)
Employment in the hospitality sector necessitates the need for appropriate qualification and
skills. Most of the certificate courses taken for employment in the Hospitality sector were
Certificate programs up to level IV. Majority of the training centres were privately owned
academic institutions. The geographical location of these training programmes was centred
around New South Wales and Queensland area. Educational programs also provided placement
programs and internship programs that allowed students to get a real-life experience of the
hospitality industry.

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Industry Practicum Hospitality Report
Figure 2: Program enrolled and completed
(Source: National industry insights, 2018)
Figure 3: Certificate levels enrolled into
(Source: Tourism investment, 2018)
Organisation’s marketing mix
4P’s of Marketing
Product

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Industry Practicum Hospitality Report
The organisation allows its guests to avail of professional infrastructure that has been prepared to
suit the needs of business meetings. The hotel has become one of the popular spots for
businessmen all over the world. The hotel is located at the heart of Sydney, the business local of
Australia. This is one of the reasons why businessmen prefer to stay with them (McPhail, Patiar,
Herington, Creed & Davidson, 2015).
It boasts the presence of modern design rooms that have all the electronic amenities such as an
Aquavision bathroom TV and an array of pillows to choose from. The hotels have indoor gyms,
swimming pools and spas to ensure health and wellbeing of their guests (Hilton, 2018).
Price
The Hilton Sydney Hotel is a five-star hotel that caters to the needs of upper-class people and
business minded people all over the world. The prices are in accordance with the state of art
facilities (Divisekera & Nguyen, 2018). It has no accommodation for people belonging to the
middle or lower economic class. The ideology behind the hotel involved serving high-end guests
and providing them with the best hospitality experience.
Place
Moreover, the hotel has special benefit programs for people who pay regular visits to the hotel.
Also, the hotel is next to the Queen Victoria Building that lends a Romanesque air to the
neighbourhood. The Sydney Opera House is located within a few blocks and can be easily
commuted to. Other attractions in the area include the Darling Harbour that offers a range of
shops, boutiques and restaurants for a wholesome experience.
Promotion
The brand image and identity of the Hilton groups are used extensively to market the hotel and
their services. The hotel accommodation can be booked through a variety of online tourist sites
and the hotel has its own booking site that offers great deals for staying in any of the Hilton
hotels. They have their own sales and marketing department that organise well suited
promotional events. Patiar (2016) noted that the hotel maintains its public relations through the
blog and online activities.
Organisation’s competitiveness
Porter’s Five Forces
Competitive Rivalry Tourism is booming and the competition is on

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Industry Practicum Hospitality Report
rise in the hospitality industry.
Supplier Power Controlled through well managed supply
chains
Buyer Power Hotel is dependent upon the preference of
their guests
Threat of substitution Threat of substitution is high
Threat of New entry The brand image of the hotel help them to
survive competition.
Competitive Rivalry
Since Australia has fixed itself as a possible tourist spot, the hospitality industry is booming. The
location of the hotel is highly influential as most tourists prefer living at the heart of the country
where life is (Jones, Hillier & Comfort, 2017). There are many five-star hotels in Sydney but the
Hilton Sydney Hotel provides services that are fit for the needs of businessmen for families
visiting over. The services range from the comfort and simplicity to high technology for people
who want to be on top of their business deals.
Supplier Power
The hotels have dynamic needs that are met by a well organised supplier chain. The power of the
suppliers is limited and is strongly controlled as the hotel has the same suppliers for all groups of
hotels and resorts. The suppliers do not put forth their demands in dear of losing their contract in
other Hilton Hotels as well.
Buyer Power
The buyers range from business and families travelling for recreation. The hotel tries their best to
give them best experience as they are dependent on their guests. The buyer power is intense as
the hotel is dependent upon their preference.
Threat of substitution
There are about 305 high-end projects in Australia that will be completed by 2023. These entries
pose a threat to the business of the hotel.
Threat of New entry
The greatest virtue of the hotel is its association with the Hilton name which allows it to be a part
of the brand image. The brand image is useful for creating a relationship with their guests which

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Industry Practicum Hospitality Report
is based on a sense of loyalty and trust (Kandampully, Zhang & Bilgihan, 2015). This would
enable the hotel to continue to be a favourite among tourists from all over the world.
Organisation’s service management
The Hilton group of Hotels have now become a trusted brand all over the world with more than
5500 properties in the hospitality sector alone (Annual reports, 2018). The hotel has a well
organised in a hierarchy and is divided among departments which include housekeeping,
engineering, front office, back office, accounting, sales, marketing, human resource
management, security and food and beverage. The hotel is divided into units for the ease of
locating rooms. Each unit is looked over by a team monitored over by a manager (Baum, 2019).
The housekeeping staff have to go through special training after they are hired. This session
trains about the behaviour and conduct code within the hotel premises. The customer service
department of the hotel are very active; one of their representatives are deployed at the front
office desk and on every floor.
Staff Retention and development
The hotels boast of a work environment that is comfortable for both the hotel staffs and their
guests. The staff have separate back house lobby where they can lounge in comfort and interact
with one another. This place is off the charts for the guests and other outsiders. The company
also has an employee recognition program where the staff members who deliver above average
services are identified and offered a promotion or reasoned remuneration (Kim, Vogt & Knutson,
2015). There is another practice where an employee is identified for their excellent service in
each department and commended for their service. This creates an atmosphere where the
employees are aware that their service is acknowledged by the authority. The commendation and
monetary remuneration they receive encourages and motivates them to perform better
(Wirahardja, Turner & Richardson, 2016). The company holds workshops and appraisals at
regular intervals where their service is graded and they are trained about the trends, changes in
the hospitality industry.

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Industry Practicum Hospitality Report
Ethics and social responsibility
Ethics and responsibility of an organisation refer to a manner of practice within an organisation
that has no negative social, moral and psychological impact. Operation of a hotel has several
aspects that need to be considered with a moral outlook (Lopes, 2016). The most important
factor is their responsibility for maintaining and safeguarding the environment and society they
are in direct contact. This is handled by the corporate social responsibility report that underlies
the practices or actions that the hotel will undertake (Radojevic, Stanisic & Stanic, 2015). Other
ethical considerations involve providing a secure atmosphere for the guests and the staff. The
hotel as an extensive security and surveillance system that watch over every activity. However, it
is essential that they do not invade the privacy of their guests. As a result, the hotel's records of
their guests are not disclosed and are only utilized to present custom-made service to the guests.
Good Practices
SWOT Analysis
Strength
The hotel has a well-trained staff that are
quick subtle and adept at their service. In
addition, the staff are cordial and treat the
guests with care.
Weakness
The number of customer service staff is
limited. As a result, it takes them some time
to reach out to the guests.
Opportunity
The front office employees and other
customer service employees have been trained
to put the needs and opinions of the guests
first. This enables them to offer a better
experience and the number of staff-guest
conflicts is also resolved (Feinstein, Hertzman
& Stefanelli, 2017).
Threat
This prevents them from providing rapid
service. The guests may have immediate
needs which may not be handled quickly.
This may cause decrease their satisfaction
level and also cause conflicts.
In case of a conflict, the hotel tries their best to settle the needs of the customer and if they are
unable to do so, then they compensate the guests with a paid entry to other luxury services of the

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Industry Practicum Hospitality Report
hotel. This also helps the hotel to preserve their loyal customers (Zaitseva, Goncharova &
Androsenko, 2016).
The hotel goes a long way to know the preferences of their customers and keeps a record of their
likings from their prior visits. This way the guests do not have to make their requests every time
they visit and the hotel is able to provide tailor-made experience for their guests (Riley, 2019).
Moreover, pertinent information about the guests is also shared with other hotels under the
Hilton group. This way, a guest would be able to avail the same grade of service at every Hilton
hotel they stay in.
Recommendations
The hotel has already set the range of expectation among its customers quite high. It would be
highly recommended to establish a wow factor that would go beyond the expectations of the
customers. There are following recommendations enlisted that can be used to enhance the
hospitality experience of the customers.
1. The hotel can continue to be in contact with their guests even after they have left the
hotel. This can comprise of emails and promotional offers that would enable the hotel to
continue to be an active thought in the minds of their customers.
2. The customer service department needs to establish a communication system that can be
recorded and reproduced. These records then need to be analysed to see the patterns
underlying and understand where the hotel is lacking the most. Cues from these
experiences can also enable the hotel authorities to handle difficult customers better.
3. The staff are the backbone of the hotel. It is advised that the hotel maintains a pleasant
environment for their employees as well. This way, employees would be motivated and
driven by an urge to serve rather than just a compulsion.
Conclusion
It can be concluded after reviewing the performance and microenvironment of the Hilton Sydney
Hotel that a well-seated understanding of the skills and competencies required for the hospitality
industry was gained. The hospitality industry is a dynamic sector that is affected by external
factors as well as the service delivered by the employees. The hotel is a part of large business

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Industry Practicum Hospitality Report
groups that has accommodations of various shapes and sizes, focusing on different target groups.
Therefore, the premise of the impact of the hotel has grown manifold. As a result, the hotel needs
to be aware of the service they deliver as it would be compared to other Hilton and held for
reference. This can be utilised in favour of the organisation but can also prove to be hazardous if
not handled carefully. The competitive forces identified within the hospitality industry are strong
and would try to displace the hotel from its position. However, the organisation has a strong
basis which grounds them and allows them to focus on their service. Their tendency to put their
guests before anything else helps them to achieve better customer experiences that are cherished
by the guests.

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Industry Practicum Hospitality Report
References
Annual reports, (2018), We are Hilton We are Hospitality, Retrieved from
http://www.annualreports.com/HostedData/AnnualReports/PDF/NYSE_HLT_2017.pdf
Baum, T. (2019). Does the hospitality industry need or deserve talent?. International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Divisekera, S., & Nguyen, V. K. (2018). Determinants of innovation in tourism evidence from
Australia. Tourism Management, 67, 157-167.
Feinstein, A. H., Hertzman, J. L., & Stefanelli, J. M. (2017). Purchasing: Selection and
procurement for the hospitality industry. Wiley.
Hilton, (2018), Amenities & Services, Retrieved from https://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/new-
south-wales/hilton-sydney-SYDHITW/about/amenities.html
Jones, P., Hillier, D., & Comfort, D. (2017). The sustainable development goals and the tourism
and hospitality industry. Athens Journal of Tourism, 4(1), 126-144.
Kandampully, J., Zhang, T., & Bilgihan, A. (2015). Customer loyalty: a review and future
directions with a special focus on the hospitality industry. International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(3), 379-414.
Kim, M., Vogt, C. A., & Knutson, B. J. (2015). Relationships among customer satisfaction,
delight, and loyalty in the hospitality industry. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism
Research, 39(2), 170-197.
Lopes, M. (2016). The hospitality industry (Doctoral dissertation).
McPhail, R., Patiar, A., Herington, C., Creed, P., & Davidson, M. (2015). Development and
initial validation of a hospitality employees’ job satisfaction index: Evidence from
Australia. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(8), 1814-
1838.
National industry insights, (2018), Hospitality Overview, Retrieved from
https://nationalindustryinsights.aisc.net.au/industries/tourism-travel-and-hospitality/
hospitality
Patiar, A. (2016). Costs allocation practices: Evidence of hotels in Australia. Journal of
Hospitality and Tourism Management, 26, 1-8.

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Radojevic, T., Stanisic, N., & Stanic, N. (2015). Ensuring positive feedback: Factors that
influence customer satisfaction in the contemporary hospitality industry. Tourism
Management, 51, 13-21.
Riley, M. (2019). Managing People in the Hospitality Industry. Ed. 2 Abingdon: Routledge.
Tourism investment, (2018), Hotel Industry Trends, Retrieved from
http://www.tourisminvestment.com.au/en/research-insights/hotel-performance.html
Wirahardja, F., Turner, G., & Richardson, S. (2016). Who will stay in the hospitality industry?:
A blue mountains international hotel management school case study. CAUTHE 2016:
The Changing Landscape of Tourism and Hospitality: The Impact of Emerging Markets
and Emerging Destinations, 632.
Zaitseva, N. A., Goncharova, I. V., & Androsenko, M. E. (2016). Necessity of changes in the
system of hospitality industry and tourism training in terms of import substitution.
International Journal of Economics and Financial Issues, 6(1), 288-293.