Handbook for Hotel Staff: Managing the Guest Experience for International Visitors

This handbook provides guidance for hotel staff in managing the guest experience for international visitors. It covers key cultural differences, customs, and behavior, the importance of cultural intelligence, and do's and don'ts for hotel staff. The handbook is based on Premier Inn, a British hotel chain, and focuses on guest services for India and China.

Handbook for hotel
staff to assist in
managing the guest
experience for the
international visitors

Introduction
Hospitality sector is one of the most effective and essential industry as it provides
contribution for the growth of economic system of the country. It is the sector which requires lot
of investment for acquiring innovative technologies on a regular basis so that they can satisfy the
requirements of customers. There must be well systematic format for the staff members with the
help of which they will be able to provide highly satisfying services to their clients in an
impressive and unique way. This will assist them in attracting large number of customers
towards them and retain them for a longer period of time. The present report is based on Premier
Inn which is a British hotel chain as well as largest hotel brand within the marketplace of UK.
This hotel have more than 72,000 rooms as well as 800 hotels across the world. Premier Inn was
founded in 1987 and its headquarter is located in Dunstable, England, UK. The present report is
emphasized on the guest services for two international countries as well as examining cultural
differences, behavior and customs of the country.
Main Body
Identify key cultural differences, customs and behavior.
The present report is based on a hospitality sector where Premier Inn is chosen aa the base
organization. It has been identified that the organization have its own branch across the world
and have almost 800 hotels where they provide services to their guest. Hotels have their guest
from both domestic as well as international areas as people visit countries for their personal and
professional use. Each and every guest have their own choices which are different from others
due to difference in their culture, behavior and customs. For example, Premier Inn Hotel which
was located in UK have their guest from two different international countries which are India
and China. Both the countries have their own culture, behavior and customs which are quite
different from each other and need to consider by the management team of the hotel while
providing then services. This has also been said that it becomes more essential for the
management team to examine the difference between culture, behavior and customs of both the
countries so that they will be able to provide them services according to their requirements and
needs.
Cultural differences is one of the major barrier as each country have their own culture which
is totally different from other. If talking about India there is a culture where people believe that it

is essential to worship god before start anything new whereas in China there is no such culture.
On the other hand if we talk about food, people in China use chopsticks to eat food where in
reference to Indian people, they use hands or spoon to take their food. Apart from this, it has also
been said that behavior of both the countries are quite different where in reference to India
people usually fold both there hands to greet someone and in context of China people usually
shake their hands and bow in front of other person to meet them. Therefore, it becomes necessary
for the management team of Premier Inn or the hotel staff that they must identity the culture of
different countries and serve them as per their culture and system so they feel satisfied and prefer
the hotel in near future. Therefore, it has been said that all the differences in culture, background,
customs and behavior needs to be considered by the higher authorities of the Premier Inn so that
they will be able to satisfy the needs and requirements of each and every person belongs to
different countries.
Critically evaluation why cultural intelligence is necessary for hotel personnel.
Cultural Intelligence popularly known as Cultural Quotient (CQ), derived from IQ.
According to Earley and Ang, Cultural Intelligence refers to the ability used to adapt the new and
innovative cultural settings. It has been identified that individuals with high cultural quotient or
CQ are not experts in each and every form of culture. Apart from this, they do have some sort of
skills which help them in order to easily go into some new environments with more ease and
confidence as well as to develop informed judgments which is based on the observations & on
some sort of evidence. It has also been said that these are the people who are quite effective in
order to understand the behavior of others. They also examine the shared impact between a
specific groups as a result this will allows them to understand the influence of the particular
culture. Apart from this, it has also been identified by them that the influence of culture is quite
complex, difficult and interconnected which have their significant impact on the performance of
business. Therefore, it has been concluded that cultural intelligence have their significant
influence which is quite essential for the growth and development of an organization at the
competitive marketplace.
Each and every organization require to manage diversified workplace so that they can easily
manage multicultural individuals in an effective manner. This is quite necessary in hospitality
sector as there are ample number of guest come from different locations which have their own

language, culture, behavior and customs. Therefore, managers are required to implement
intercultural communication practices as well as provide training sessions to their employees so
they can interact with their customer and guest in an effective manner. Therefore, it becomes
necessary for the management team of Premier Inn to have cultural intelligence skill in their staff
members as it will help them in order to increases the productivity, develop positive hotel culture
as well as atmosphere and ensures better communication with their international guests usually
came from India and China.
Do’s and Don’t for hotel staff.
For every hospitality sector it is their main aim to provide high quality and standardize
services to their customers so that they can retain them for a longer period of time. In every
hotels or resorts, it is the basic thing that large number of international guest came to gain the
services offered by the organizations. Managers must develop some standards for do’s and don’t
so that staff members can consider those elements and provide high quality services to their
international guests so that their experiences will be managed in an effective manner. In the
present context of Premier Inn hotel, it has been identified that there are ample number of local
as well as international guest came from different locations in order to experience the services
given by the hotel staff to their clients. For this, there are some common do’s and don’t which
need to be followed and considered by the staff members of the hotel while serving their
international guest.
Do’s for hotel staff
1. One of the most essential thing which need to be performed by the staff members is that
they must establish eye contact with their guest while interacting with them. This is the
way through which customers will be influenced and get attracted towards the
organization as this is one of the basic thing which needs to be done by staff members.
2. Apart from this, another thing which need to be done by them is that each and every staff
member who work in the hotel need to greet and meet each person in a traditional way so
they feel homely while entering into the resort or hotel.
3. Another most essential element which need to be done by the staff members while
serving their international guest is that they must talk to them with their home language
so they feel comfortable and confident. Along with this, there must be positive and

smiling attitude of staff members towards their guest so they can retain them for a longer
period of time.
4. Furthermore, it is also required by the staff members to maintain all the area clean and
fresh so that they can provide healthy and hygienic environment to their international
guest so they can gain unmatched experience from them. For this, manager need to fix
the time of cleaning and must examine that all the work related to organizational
premises cleaning.
5. Along with this, managers as well as staff members do a follow up related to each and
every small thing for their guest by contacting them personally as well as provide them
services within the specific time frame. For this, it is very essential for the staff member
to be pro active and conduct all the functions in an proper and systematic manner.
6. There must be proper system in order to listen the complaint and issues of guest and
while communicating with them it is necessary to listen them carefully rather than
interrupting between them. This will assist them in order to resolve all the issues in an
effective manner and retain their international guest for a longer period of time by
providing them unmatched experience.
Don’t for hotel staff
1. One of the most essential thing which needs to be remember by hotel staff while
performing their business functions is that there must be discriminated free environment,
so that staff members as well as guest feel safe and secure.
2. Along with this there must not be biasness among the workplace where services are
different from people because of their caste, region, culture and appearance. Each and
every person should be treated in a equal manner and provide them services as per their
requirement.
3. Apart from this, another most essential thing is that managers as well as staff members
need to focus on the thing that they must not insult their guest and fulfil all the promises
given by the organization to their international guest in order to enhance their
experiences.
4. Furthermore, it is also very necessary that staff members do not argue with their guest
and handle them in a polite manner. This will help them in order to produce as well as

maintain healthy relationship with their guest which develop positive image of the hotel
at the competitive marketplace.
Above mentioned do’s and don’t are the elements which need to be considered by the staff
members of Premier Inn Hotel while doing their business functions at the workplace. This will
assist them in order to manage the experience of staff members in an effective manner and retain
their international guest for a longer period of time.
Conclusion
With the assistance of above stated information, it has been concluded that it is quite
essential for the hospitality sector to guide their staff members with all do’s and don’t so that
they can easily enhance the quality of services provided by them to their customers. It has also
been identified that a hotel or resort may have various guests belongs to different countries
across the world. This sometimes create language barrier, custom modifications, behavior barrier
which needs to be considered by hotel staff so that they can provide quality service to their
customers. It has been examined that international guest need to be satisfied by the offering
provided by the company and for this they need to consider their requirements as they have
different opinions, culture and background so their requirements will be fulfilled and they will be
satisfied with the services provided by the hospitality sector.
Reference
Books and Journals
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Wang, C.J., 2020. Managing emotional labor for service quality: A cross-level analysis among
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