International Hotel Management: Culture, Customs, and Guest Services

This report explores the importance of cultural intelligence in international hotel management and provides insights into providing excellent guest services for guests from different cultures. It discusses the customs and behavior of guests from France and Spain.

International hotel
management

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY ..................................................................................................................................1
Guest services for international guest .........................................................................................1
Essential of Cultural Intelligence.................................................................................................3
Do's and Dont's for the hotel staff................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCE...................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Hotel management is an activities which is performing by a individ ual and group of
people by understanding the needs and wants of people and provide them satisfaction. Cultures
are the set of principles and vales which are uses by management in order to deliver right
products so they feel good and make decisions to grow the business. The model of cultural safety
comprises of cultural competency, humility, cultural awareness and sensitivity and cultural
competency (About international hotel management, 2018). For organisation it is important to
have proper culture awareness so it can manage the guest services for citizen of different
country. This report is based on Spain and France, that are the countries in which different
culture and traditions are followed by people and they wants that kind of hotel services. This
report covers culture, customs and behaviour of people in different country and activities for
hotel personnel for who focuses on Do's and Dont's while running a hotel business.
MAIN BODY
International Hotel management refers as continuous process in which planning,
organising, directing and controlling the activities are important for the purpose of providing
better services to international guest (About international hotel management, 2018). If there is
different culture of guest then services should be provided accordingly which can help to attract
the customers and increases the business performance. If organisation and hotel is able to
provide better guest services as customer wants then it can manage the activities and increases
the brand image.
Guest services for international guest
The guest services for international guests shows a different between culture and values a
lot where it is important to manage the activities and retain them which can help to increase sales
and productivity. Due to difference in culture of countries and language difference some time
customers feel uncomfortable and select the another hotel. For all of these reason it is required
for management to understand the cultural difference and make efforts to remove this. The guest
service for different countries are as defined:
Guest services for France and Spain guests
Spain is a country in South western Europe with some pocket of territory across the
Atlantic Ocean. Its continental European territory is situated on the Iberian Peninsula. The
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language uses in this country is Spanish which is international language, using by people and
needed for international hotel to get understand his language and provide the services. This is
developing country economic growth rate and per capita income of people is high who are ready
to pay high. They have expectation to get better quality and design of hotel services that can be
satisfied them. The personnel who are working at there, should have knowledge about Spanish
which is their official languages so they feel comfortable to share their wants.
On the other side, France is another international country that is consisting metropolitan
France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. The religion of people
here is Christians where they have different expectation regarding hotel services. French is the
official language of this country where international hotel is needed to provide their hotel
services in according to their culture and regions.
The difference between country's culture
France
Culture: The culture of France was influenced by Celtic and Gallo Roman cultures. This
was initially defined as western area of Germany which is known as Rhineland. Learning culture
is followed by personnel of such country who always ready to learn new things.
Customs:
 Social customs: The personnel of France are giving importance to societies under a
social customers in which problems and issues in relation to services are solved.
 Religious customs: In France, Christians religious customs are followed because most of
the person are Christians. Catholicism is the predominant religion of France.
Behaviour: Punctuality is mainly treated by France people who are always shake hands
when meeting someone and leaving. In hotels and every places these people are behaving as
polite, formal and proper communication that make satisfied to guest and increase their interest
to get more services (About culture of France, 2019).
Spain
Culture: The culture of Spain is basis on different historical influences where traditions
of Flamenco and bullfights are running. This is mainly famous for Flamenco music, bull fights,
dance, beaches, lot of sunshine etc. that attracts people.
Customs:
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 Social customs: In Spain double cheek kissing custom is followed by societies in
which people greet each other for saying hello and good bye. This is modern
culture which is following by people.
 Religious customs: Spain include Islam, Protestantism, Judaism and Hinduism is
followed by people which should be followed by international organisation in
order to provide satisfaction to people and increase the performance (The culture
and customs of Spain, 2019).
Behaviour: In this country, the behaviour of people are friendly, active and kind that
influence others and get completion of task.
Essential of Cultural Intelligence
Cultural intelligence is defined as person's ability which is uses to fill the needs and
wants of people by providing products and services as per their culture. If personnel are able to
manage and control cultural difference then it can operate their business and maintain higher
profits. In Hospitality industry, cultural intelligence is highly important as many guests comes to
visit the different places in different countries where they are speak in different language and
demanding other food so it is important to have knowledge of other culture which can help to
make comfortable to guests and make decision to buy again. The importance are defined as:
For understanding the diversity: The the personnel of international hotel is is required
to understand the diversity and make sure that guest will enjoy this hotel services. Therefore,
staff member of France and Spain's hotel should be aware from diversity and changing culture
which can help to fill their expectations.
Providing better services: If the staff members of hospitality organisation is able to
maintain the cultural intelligence then they are allowed to provide better quality of hotel services.
The cultural intelligence of France and Spain's staff is properly maintained then it is allowed to
fill their expectations and increase the satisfaction level by offering kind of food and other
services (Cultural intelligence, 2020).
Identification of needs and requirement: For hospitality industry its is important to
identify needs and wants of people by maintaining cultural intelligence which can help to make
feel good and satisfied to people. For people of France and Spain , it is important use the cultural
intelligence and get complete the work by offering hotel services.
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Raising the guest satisfaction: By showing the cultural intelligence, it can be easy for
hospitality industry international country to increase the number of guest and take again decision
to buy hotel services. Herein, staff member provide a high level of satisfaction to guest by giving
preference to them. Such as staff of France are communicating with guest in French and English
in which they are comfortable so they can place order and get better services. Moreover, staff
member of Spain are able to communicate in Spanish and other language in which they are able
to understand that can help to raise their satisfaction level (Cultural intelligence, 2020).
Feedback: For hospitality industry it is important to get feedback from their guest so that
changes can be bring accordingly and improve their services. In context to France and Spain's
hospital industry, managers can get feedback from their guest who comes from other country and
manage the activities which can help to bring changes accordingly and increase the performance.
Better coordination: As cultural intelligence is essential for organisation as well as
working staff in hotel to maintain the coordination with each other so when guest are placing
order or booking room it can get instant respond. There is need to maintain proper coordination
among hotel staff and customers who wants to get hotel services so they can manage the
activities and functions.
Solving problems: When guest have selected the hotel in international country then it
faces many problem as right location and address, needs of some services, customer service and
special arrangement that should be solved by cultural difference. In French and Spain, hotel staff
should have clear understanding and insights that can be solved the problems of guests and
manage their order that make feel satisfied and happy to select best hotel services.
Do's and Dont's for the hotel staff
To satisfying and providing good experience to guest of international guest here are
certain activities which are required to Do and Don'ts which are as defined and followed:
Do's-
 Respect the culture- This is essential for staff of Hotel and management to respect
country's culture from where the guests are belong and provide the kind of products and
services. As every person belongs to different culture and have different demand that
should be completed by hotel's staff by providing necessary services. This can help to
retain the customers and increases productivity (Needed to do for improving service
quality by staff, 2020).
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 Respect the customs and behaviour – When guests have selected the international hotel
then it is the duty of hotel staff to respect their customs and behaviour which can help to
make feel good and not to let feel them stranger in visiting country.
 Respect the language – Language is another main aspect which is required to be
understand by hospitality staff, where they belongs that can help to understand their
wants and be able to provide them satisfaction. In Hotels, it is important for staff to
respect the language which they are speaking and manage the organisational activities.
 Make the necessary interaction- The interaction between people and staff in hotels is
important which can help to share the ideas and views in relation to hotel services and
provide a high level of satisfaction. It is suggested to management and staff of French and
Spain hotels to interact with guest and record all information so at next time kind of
services can be provided to guest. This can also help to solve the problems by developing
the new ideas and thoughts.
 Keep a smile – When customers are entering and enter to ask something then staff and
receptionist of hotel should keep a smiling face and respond properly which can help to
take right decisions. Moreover, smiling face also needed for welcome of guest.
 Provide best services – In hospitality industry, it is important that guest who have visited
the hotel for booking, all information should be cleared and best quality of services
should be provided to guests which can help to manage the business activities and
increases profitability.
 Attend to the complaints – This is not compulsory that customers and guest who have
availed hotel services give positive feedback as they can complaint against services and
hotel staff that needed to be solve. Therefore, every staff of Hotel such as France and
Spain need to be handle complaints and provide a optimum solution which can help to
manage work and increase number of customers.
Dont's-
 Showing favouritism for a particular culture –This activity means the staff of every
hospitality industry need to be away from being biased regarding specified culture.
Moreover, no favouritism is allowed by personnel of hotels as people comes from
different countries and having different culture.
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 Avoid making comments on culture- No comments are allowed from employee's side
in hotels that can hurt the guest as people loves to their culture more.
 Be impatient – Impatient is not good for everyone as it create problems while dealing
with changes and challenges in relation to a business. Sometimes customers are more
demanding who place order again and again where the staff of hotel should not be
impatient and frustrated.
 Use bad language – The staff of hotel should not be use of offensive and abusing
language while providing information and services.
 Insult the guests – The staff of hospitality organisation don't insult their guests otherwise
which can impacts negatively and reduce the number of customers.
CONCLUSION
From the report it can be concluded that for organisation to understand the culture of
people then provide them kind of products and services by maintaining their culture. In
hospitality industry staff is required to manage their activity by following the different culture,
customs and behaviour. This can help to increase the customer satisfaction and productivity in
changing environment. Cultural intelligence is important for personnel who understand the
guests requirement in international hotels and fill their needs which can help to increase sales.
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REFERENCE
Online
About culture of France. 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.cyborlink.com/besite/france.htm>
About international hotel management. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.besthospitalitydegrees.com/faq/what-is-international-hospitality-
management/>
Religious of France. 2018. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.livescience.com/39149-french-culture.html>
The culture and customs of Spain. 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/spain-guide>
Cultural intelligence. 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://theewgroup.com/what-is-cultural-intelligence/>
Needed to do for improving service quality by staff. 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://blog.kryonsystems.com/pss/7-tips-to-improve-service-quality-at-your-hotel>
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