Premier Inn: Skills Gaps, External Factors, and Trend Implications

This report investigates the contemporary hospitality industry, focusing on operational roles within Hotel Premier Inn, skills shortages, and the impact of these shortages on business operations. It reviews skills gaps, analyzes their impact, and proposes solutions. The report also assesses the politica...Read More

Contemporary
Hospitality
Industry

Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................1
Investigate a range of different operational roles within the hospitality industry.......................1
Examine the skills required for roles within the hospitality industry and current skills
shortages......................................................................................................................................2
Review the skills gaps within the hospitality industry in relation to a range of different
operational roles...........................................................................................................................3
Analyse the impact that skills gaps have on hospitality businesses and make valid solutions for
addressing these skills gaps.........................................................................................................4
Assess the political, economic, social, technological, legislative, and environmental factors
that affect the development of organisations operating within the hospitality industry..............4
Undertake a SWOT analysis for a hospitality business and review how this can inform the
decision-making process..............................................................................................................5
Evaluate the impacts of external factors on the development of organisations operating within
the hospitality industry, using specific examples........................................................................7
An appraisal of the implications of current and potential trends in the hospitality industry; give
a range of specific examples........................................................................................................7
An evaluation of the ability of your chosen hospitality business to develop products and
services that will meet current trends..........................................................................................8
Critically evaluate how external factors impact on current and potential trends and
developments in the hospitality industry using specific examples to demonstrate how the
industry has developed in response.............................................................................................8
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Hospitality industry refers to a business that consists of wide category of fields such as
accommodation, event planning, food, beverages as well as travel and tourism services. It
is one of the major profit generation industry. The aim of the hospitality industry is to
provide quality service and delightful experience to their customer. As it is known that
UK comes among the most famous tourist destination. The country is famous for its
diversified culture, traditions and practices (Abbassi, Kumari and Pandey, 2022). The
country consists of approximately 200000 hospitality industry. This industry contributes
a huge amount in the GDP of the country. This file is based on Hotel Premier inn. It is
one of the largest hotel chain in UK. The hotel was founded by Whitbread in 1987) (de
Souza and Hancer, 2021. The headquarter of the company is located in Dunstable, UK.
The company provide its service to various different areas such as Germany, Jersey,
Ireland and Qatar etc. This report will include discussion about hospitality industry,
Operational roles and skills gap in the industry, SWOT and PESTEL analysis of the
industry, implications of different trends on the hospitality industry.
MAIN BODY
Investigate a range of different operational roles within the hospitality industry
Operational roles in an organisation refers to the engagement in the operations and
functioning of an organisation. In order to run smoothly several operational functions must be
taken into account and some of these operational functions in the hospitality industry with
respect to Hotel Premier inn has been discussed below -
 Front desk operations- It is an important operation in the hospitality industry. It is the
responsibility of the front desk executive to secure the leisure time and comfort of the
guest. They must make sure that the guest is welcomed in a friendly and efficient manner.
Another task of these executives is to reserve the room according to the preference and
budget of the client. This department also deals with the problems of the client and must
provide them with the reasonable solution. Hotel Premier inn provide training to its front
desk executive so that they can cater the demand and needs of the customer in an
effective and efficient manner (Elshaer, 2019).
 'Housekeeping operations – It is one of the most important operational department in the
hospitality industry. The functioning of this department includes cleanliness of the hotel
premises as well as the guest rooms, sweeping, dusting, restocking and replacing the
necessary items such as toiletries, notepads, towels etc. The major role of this department
is to maintain quality standards of hygiene and sanitation. Hotel Premier inn has been
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accused for low standards of hygiene as the housekeeping staff of the hotel was witnessed
using the guest towel to clean the bathroom including toilets. After this incident the
management of the hotel usually take care of standard of hygiene in the hotel premises
and the organisation has huge housekeeping team consisting approx. 9000 members
which help them to maintain the atmosphere of the organisation.
 Production and management of food- These are the two different operations one is food
production and another is food and drink service to the customer. The department which
produces the food is also known as kitchen department. Cooks, chefs and helpers plays an
important role in fulfilment of the functions of this department. The function of this
department is not only about preparation of food but they also have to maintain hygiene
in the kitchen area and they must also follow food safety rules. Food and beverages that
are prepared by the production department must go to the consumer and this function is
fulfilled by the Food and drink service department. This section must ensure that all the
customers are provided with the demanded food and drink in the reasonable time. Along
with accommodation service Premier inn also provide restaurant service which also
welcomes to walk- in guest in restaurant and these departments work to cater the need of
each and every customer (George, 2021).
Examine the skills required for roles within the hospitality industry and current skills shortages
There are various skills that are required for smooth functioning of hospitality industry
and there are certain skills that are in shortage which also hampers the functioning of the
organisation. Some of these skills has been discussed below -
 Industry Awareness - It is a key skill that every employee who is working in hospitality
industry must possess. The operations of this industry must be done as per the
recommended standards and procedures and in order to attain success it is very important
to have knowledge about the key trends of the industry. One of the major reason behind
the success of Hotel Premier inn is the industry awareness of its employees as the
company focuses on hiring skilled staff which help them in analysing the recent trend in
the market and which also provide competitive advantage to the organisation over others
in the marketplace (Gupta and Sahu, 2021).
 Problem solving skills – Another important skill that is required in employees working in
hospitality industry is Problem solving skills. It is a customer centric industry and the
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staff have to deal with several queries and issues of the guests. This skill is required for
quick assessment of problems faced by the employees the staff of Hotel Premier inn lack
in this skill as they are unable to cater the problem of their guest quickly and effectively
which also leads to wastage of time and sometimes it also result to bad impression that is
formed by the client about the hotel.
 Team management skills – It is a skill that is essential for smooth functioning of each and
every organisation. Efficient time management skill is required for efficient working of
an organisation. Hotel Premier inn focuses on this skill but sometimes some of their
employees lack in this skill and are unable to provide the guest with clean and tidy rooms
which make the customer unsatisfied and lead to bad review about the hotel) (Madsen
and Stenheim, 2022).
 Interpersonal skills – These skills are of vital importance in hospitality industry. IT helps
in ensuring that the consumer is satisfied or not with the services provided by the
organisation. These are the skills that are required to maintain good relationship with the
guest. The staff of Hotel Premier inn is highly trained and try to cater all the needs of the
customer and they also try to build good relationship with the customer which helps the
business in retention of their customer.
Review the skills gaps within the hospitality industry in relation to a range of different
operational roles
As per the above analysis it has been observed that the employees of Hotel Premier inn
lack in problem solving and team management skills which result in poor performance in terms
of operational roles. Lack of these skills massively affects the day to day operations of the
organisation. The Operations and functioning of Hotel Premier inn also get affected due to
shortage of these skills as it sometimes leads lack of customer satisfaction which result in loss of
revenue for the organisation (Mejia, 2019).
Analyse the impact that skills gaps have on hospitality businesses and make valid solutions for
addressing these skills gaps
The recommendation to solve the problem that is caused by the shortage of skills has been
discussed here. Hotel Premier inn is one of the top-ranking hotel chain of UK and in order to
maintain its name and fame the organisation must try to provide timely assistance and service to
the client. If the client will get good customer service and timely co-operation by the staff than it
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results in good customer experience which not only help in retention of customer but it also leads
to good mouth publicity and which helps in attracting more customers.
Assess the political, economic, social, technological, legislative, and environmental factors that
affect the development of organisations operating within the hospitality industry
PESTEL analysis refers to the framework which is used to analyse the impact of macro external
factors on the functioning of an organisation. A detailed analysis of these factors affecting the
hospitality industry in context of Hotel Premier inn has been stated below-
 Political factors – It refers to the factors that determine the impact of government
policies, rules and regulations on the operations of a business. These factors include trade
restrictions, taxation policies, labour law etc. Political instability is also a factor that
affect the hospitality industry in one or the other way. Hotel Premier inn operates in UK
and several another country where political stability is a common concern and the
government policies regarding tourism is very rigid in these countries which leads to low
occupancy rate of the hotel.
 Economic Factors - It refers to the factors that create an impact on operations and
profitability of a business organisation. These factors consist of inflation, cost of material,
interest and exchange rate. During the emerging impact of the pandemic, government of
every nation has imposed several restrictions on travel and tourism and travel ban has
also been imposed by the government. Hotel Premier inn also comes among the well-
known hotel chain but the impact of Covid- 19 has affected the revenue of the business.
 Socio- cultural factors – It refers to the factors that revolves around the attitudes, custom
as well as beliefs of the society. These factors include education, lifestyle, age and
family demographics. Many individuals have wrong perception about hospitality industry
and to do not cater the employment opportunities offered by this industry. Premier inn is
a budget friendly hotel that provide quality service which is accompanied with many
benefits such as free Wi-Fi, breakfast, tea and coffee to its guests at affordable prices.
 Technological Factors – It refers to the factors which consists of several technical
development, innovation and advancement that create an influence on the organisation. It
includes new distribution, production, marketing and communication techniques.
Advancement in technology has create a positive impact on the hospitality industry and it
helps in growth of the industry. Various different high tech and advanced technologies
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has been used by Hotel Premier inn in order to reduce the operating expenditure and to
provide better customer experience to its guests.
 Environmental Factors – It refers to the factors that states the impact of changing
environmental condition on the business enterprise. It consists of factors such as climate,
pollution, scarcity of resources and sustainability etc. Environment is excessively
impacted by the Hospitality industry as it creates a pressure on the atmosphere to cater
the devastating needs of different resources such as air, water, gas, fuel and many more
things. Premier inn is a sustainable organisation and it focuses on reduction of wastage
and usage of several harmful gases that create an adverse impact on the environmental
conditions of the country.
 Legal Factors- It refers to the factors that states the impact of several right and laws on
the organisation. These factors include employment, intellectual property laws,health and
safety laws etc. There are several legal restrictions that are imposed by the government in
order to operate in hospitality industry. Premier inn operates its functioning in several
different countries and in order to run smoothly the company must abide with the laws of
all these countries.
Undertake a SWOT analysis for a hospitality business and review how this can inform the
decision-making process
SWOT analysis- It refers to the analysis of various internal factors that affect the functioning of
an organisation. The detailed analysis of these internal factors affecting hospitality industry in
context on Hotel Premier inn has been discussed below -
Strength
Rate of Occupancy – The occupancy rate of
Hotel Premier inn is very high which help the
hotel to generate huge revenue (Park and Min,
2020).
 Brand Name - The brand image of
Hotel Premier inn is very good and
positive image helps the organisation in
attracting more consumers.
Weakness
 Limited Presence - In comparison to
its competitor Hotel Premier inn
operates at very limited locations which
also affect the revenue and profitability
of the company.
 Hygiene issue – In 2018 it was
reported by a television channel that the
housekeeping staff of the Hotel was
witnessed using the towel of guest to
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clean the wash room and this news had
creates negative impact on the image of
the hotel.
Opportunity
 Entry in new marketplace- With the
good brand name and image among the
guest Hotel Premier inn has the
opportunity to explore new markets and
can expand their business to various
different countries.
 More growth in Germany - Germany
is one of the most visited country in the
world and there are 28 chain of Hotel
Premier inn in Germany and with rising
tourism in the country Hotel Premier
inn can generate more revenue and
profit.
Threat
 Covid- 19- The imposition of
lockdown in various countries has
impacted many businesses all around
the globe. Hotel Premier inn has also
been affected with the rising impact of
the pandemic.
Russia- Ukraine crisis - The income of UK
hospitality industry has been generated by
Russia, but after the rising crisis and due to the
political unrest in Ukraine and Russia the
percentage of consumer availing hospitality
service fall by 17%. The revenue of hotel
Premier inn has also been affected by this crisis
(Pearson, 2020).
Evaluate the impacts of external factors on the development of organisations operating within the
hospitality industry, using specific examples
Hotel Premier inn has been adversely impacted by the several external factors such as
Covid- 19, Russia-Ukraine crisis etc. With the rising impact of pandemic several government has
imposed lockdown and stopped travel and tourism and due to this the revenue of Hotel Premier
inn has been adversely affected (Singh and Jaykumar, 2019). Russia-Ukraine crisis has also
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affected the income of Hotel Premier inn as tourist from Russia is one of the major source of
revenue for the UK hospitality industry
An appraisal of the implications of current and potential trends in the hospitality industry; give a
range of specific examples
There are several trends that impact the hospitality industry in both positive and negative
manner. These trends has been briefly discussed below -
 Personalization – In hospitality industry personalisation plays a important role as it helps
in enhancing the customer experience and it also helps in catering the needs and
preference of the guest in more effective manner. Hotel Premier inn operates in various
different countries and the preference of the customer change from country to country
and in order to fulfil the demand of every customer as well as in order to provide them
fruitful experience it is essential for the organisation to personalise its service according
to the need of the client.
 Automation – There are several benefits that are clubbed with automation in the
hospitality industry. Due to the emerging impact of pandemic automated system helps
the business to run more smoothly with low budget and less resources. These automation
has helped Hotel Premier inn in reducing the cost of expenditure and it enhance the
productivity of the organisation, also helps in accurate forecasting which helps the
business to grow easily and effectively (Vaira, Salzano, Deiana and De Riu, 2020)
 Experience of the guest- The factor which indicate about the premium quality service of
the hospitality industry is its guest experience. Premier inn is a hotel that provide its
services in various countries and in order to maintain its brand name the organisation
must focuses on providing an everlasting experience to their guest which helps the
organisation in retention of customer
 Competitive analysis- It refers to the analysis that act as an important element which help
the hospitality industry in evaluating the products and services that re offered buy the
competitors. Hotel Premier inn regularly keep a check on the services offered by its
competitors which allows the company to provide better deal than its competitors to the
customer and which also result in competitive advantage for the hotel in comparison of
its competitor (Zhang, 2019)
.
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An evaluation of the ability of your chosen hospitality business to develop products and services
that will meet current trends
Hotel Premier inn is a centralized organisation and in order to meet the current trends in
the market the hotel brings smartphone automation from which customer can assess all the
aspects of their room via their smartphones. In order to provide Personalised experience to its
client the Hotel uses several research methods and technologies. The management of the hotel
also tries to build good interpersonal relationship with the guest and also takes their feedback if
there is any scope of feedback.
Critically evaluate how external factors impact on current and potential trends and developments
in the hospitality industry using specific examples to demonstrate how the industry has
developed in response
With the help of PESTEL analysis it has been evaluated that the current trends has been
affected by the impact of these Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and
Legal factors. For example, Automation has been affected by the Technological factor as the
functioning of every hotel differ from one another and sometimes in order to adopted required
automated technology the cost of automation get high.
CONCLUSION
From the above file it has been concluded that Hospitality industry has huge contribution
in the growth of UK economy. This file is based on Hotel Premier inn. A brief discussion is
given on the operational roles as well as required skills in the hospitality industry. The shortage
of certain skills has also been discussed with respect to operational roles and recommendation to
overcome the impact of these has also been stated in the report. In order to analyse the impact of
various internal and external factors on the hospitality industry PESTEL and SWOT analysis has
been done which also include context of sustainability and Covid- 19. Impact of current and
potential market trend has also been discussed in this report. Ability of Hotel Premier inn in
order to meet these devastating trends has also been stated in this report.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Abbassi, W., Kumari, V. and Pandey, D.K., 2022. What makes firms vulnerable to the Russia–
Ukraine crisis?. The Journal of Risk Finance, (ahead-of-print).
de Souza Meira, J.V. and Hancer, M., 2021. Using the social exchange theory to explore the
employee-organization relationship in the hospitality industry. International Journal of
Contemporary Hospitality Management.
Elshaer, A.M., 2019. Labor in the tourism and hospitality industry: skills, ethics, issues, and
rights. CRC Press.
George, R., 2021. The Tourism and Hospitality Marketing Environment. In Marketing Tourism
and Hospitality (pp. 183-219). Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Gupta, V. and Sahu, G., 2021. Reviving the Indian hospitality industry after the Covid-19
pandemic: the role of innovation in training. Worldwide hospitality and tourism themes.
Madsen, D.Ø. and Stenheim, T., 2022. SWOT analysis. In Encyclopedia of Tourism
Management and Marketing (pp. 323-325). Edward Elgar Publishing.
Mejia, C., 2019. Influencing green technology use behavior in the hospitality industry and the
role of the “green champion”. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 28(5),
pp.538-557.
Park, J. and Min, H.K., 2020. Turnover intention in the hospitality industry: A meta-
analysis. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 90, p.102599.
Pearson, C., 2020. Mock Tudor. Architectural Theory Review, 24(2), pp.211-213.
Singh, A. and Jaykumar, P., 2019. On the road to consensus: key soft skills required for youth
employment in the service sector. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes.
Vaira, L.A., Salzano, G., Deiana, G. and De Riu, G., 2020. Anosmia and ageusia: common
findings in COVID‐19 patients. The Laryngoscope, 130(7), pp.1787-1787.
Zhang, C., 2019. Intelligent process automation in audit. Journal of emerging technologies in
accounting, 16(2), pp.69-88.
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