Accommodation Services Management: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Analysis

This report provides an analysis of managing accommodation services at Starwood Hotels & Resorts, covering key aspects essential for providing quality services. It delves into the key roles of the housekeeping department, emphasizing the importance of forecasting linen and other guest supplies to meet demand. The report highlights the significance of inter-relationships between housekeeping and other departments, such as front office and F&B, for smooth operations. Furthermore, it discusses the importance of scheduling maintenance and repair work to minimize disruptions to guests and emphasizes the crucial role of security within the organization. The report concludes by summarizing the importance of each element and its impact on revenue generation and customer satisfaction.

MANAGING
ACCOMMODATION
SERVICES

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
P6. Key roles of housekeeping department in a hotel.................................................................1
P7. Importance of forecasting linen stock and other guest supplies to ensure sufficient supply
to meet demand...........................................................................................................................1
P8. Importance of inter-relationships between housekeeping and other key departments with a
hotel to provide quality services.................................................................................................2
P9. Importance of scheduling maintenance or repair work to reduce disruption to guests........3
P10. Importance of security within a selected organization.......................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5
.........................................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Managing the accommodation means making future plans and strategies and managing
resources for a pleasant stay of guests. Starwood Hotels & Resorts is the company chosen for
this project. This report covers function and key role of front office, housekeeping, importance of
forecasting of linen and other guests supplies, interrelationship between housekeeping and other
department scheduling and importance of security.
P6. Key roles of housekeeping department in a hotel
Covered in PPT
P7. Importance of forecasting linen stock and other guest supplies to ensure sufficient supply to
meet demand
Starwood Hotel & Resorts is one of the best and preferred hotels by customers which
involve various famous celebrities and businessperson around the world (Common and et. al.,
2016). Every hotel which is operating at this scale and with huge recognition is required to
improve the quality of its services. One of the influential factors that is considered by customers
before choosing and booking a hotel is how clean and maintained a room of that hotel is. But
only keeping rooms clean without maintaining availability of linens and other stocks such as
furniture, beds, bedside supplies, clothing and clothing care, towels, dustbin, mirror, hair dryer,
slippers etc. will not be enough to attract guests.
It has been seen that, a guest often complaint about these basic things when they do not find
these items on time. Starwood has created a strong image in the eyes of public and to retain this
it has to ensure supplies of linens and other stocks. In case of any hindrance in supplies will
cause problem to meet the demands of customers which will not only affect its image but
financials status also. Hotels take feedbacks to know the reviews of those who has availed their
services so that they can make it better. Starwood Hotel & Resorts considers these feedbacks
very important and work towards removing problems its guests facing because of basic items.
The views and opinions of a customer is vital to success of a business and in hotel this can be
improved to be the most importance factor. A hotel should have an effective team for forecasting
the linen and guests stock to make them available on time. Timely supply of such basic but vital
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things will leave a good impression on the minds of guests. Also, forecasting reduces the high
costs that hotels may have to pay in emergency situations. A customer while paying such a huge
amount for a room wish and expect to have service which are value for money. Hence, this can
be achieved by proper and accurate forecasting.
In case, a room does not have towels or dustbin then this may irritate the guests which will
impact the hotel's reputation negatively. Therefore, a forecasting of needed items that are
important for a pleasant stay is must. This will help hotel to provided things in advance, which
will make customers happy. Ultimately, this will increase its business
and profits.
P8. Importance of inter-relationships between housekeeping and other key departments with a
hotel to provide quality services
Housekeeping is very important for smoothing functioning of a hotel (Rose, 2014). These
services provided by this department is not only for guests but for entire hotel. It is a link that is
connected with all other key departments. Inter-relationships of this department with other major
departments have been discussed below:
 Front office: Housekeeping prepares the room which then sold by front-office. Without
cleaning a room, front office cannot sell it and to know about status of cleanliness of
vacate room, additional guest requirement. .
 F/b service: Restaurants tables are cleaned on regular basis before it is opened for guests.
Clean and decorated tables leave a strong and positive impact on the minds of guests.
 Human resource: The number of personnel required by this department will be selected
by HR department.
 Purchase department: Purchase department will buy various items such as guests
supplies, cleaning agents etc. which have been ordered by housekeeping.
Further, it also has a close relationship with kitchen, store, laundry and maintenance.
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P9. Importance of scheduling maintenance or repair work to reduce disruption to guests
The maintenance or repair work is with the hotel maintenance department in a hotel.
Safety of all staff and guests in hotel premises is a responsibility this department. Further,
scheduling of maintenance or repair work is also a work of this department (Wirtz and Lovelock,
2016). However, it should carry its work in a manner that doesn't create disturbance to the guests
staying in the hotel. Starwood Hotel & Resorts has an efficient and right team for this but in
some occasions, it outsources a third-party or experts to conduct repair works. A scheduling is
key to prevent any failures in future. A hotel may have preventive maintenance. This will reduce
the emergency requests of customers and allow guests to have more enjoyable stay. It covers
guest’s safety, electrical issues, lighting, plumbing, floors, furniture, exterior, etc. Training on a
continuous basis is necessary to be given to all the employees working in the hotel. It will enable
the personnel have detail idea about what is expected of them and how they should conduct their
activities so that guests gives good and positive feedbacks. For this, a training suite may be
prepared with all required things such as projector, boards etc. for effective training session.
Along with this, hotels will invest in strategic maintenance which will add more revenue and
improve guests' experience and satisfaction with regard to bedroom accommodation, supplies of
toiletries and cleaning and maintaining of bathroom area. Further, proper planning and
scheduling of maintenance/repair works/renovation will reduce costs. Starwood Hotel & Resorts
should check all its equipments and tools on a regular basis in order to eliminate any kind of
heavy expenditure and work that may take several months to finish. In such a case, a customer
will find no reason to complaint which will have a positive influence on the hotel business.
P10. Importance of security within a selected organization
Security plays an important role in all kind of organizations. A guest before selecting a
hotel for his stay look for security. A person travels with valuable belongings, therefore, he finds
a hotel which has adequate and effective security system. Security is an important selling point.
Also, it has other importance, for instance, if a hotel is equipped with CCTV cameras, then it is
easy to find out evidence for any sort of misshapen. Hotels should not only protect guests' stuff
or its employees but also its assets such as gardens, appliances, equipment etc. and this should be
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its first priority. The higher the security, the higher the customer base. Hotels like Starwood
Hotels and Resorts UK,, take various measures to ensure proper security in hotels so that guests
can stay without the loss of misplace or theft of their valuables (Clement and Bigby, 2012).
Further, hotels can increase security through key card locks, security guards, fire alarms,
emergency power, employee photo id, in-room safes, guest elevators and many more. Further, a
hotel has personal information of guests which are required before allotting a room, hence, a
strong and reliable IT security system ensures the safety of such confidential data.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that management of accommodation will
generate revenue and sales which will increase profits A hotel should have various required
departments such as housekeeping, security, maintenance etc. and a co-ordination should be
formed to provide quality services and increase customer satisfaction. Along with this, a hotel
has to ensure proper security and homely feel to the one staying and using their services.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals:
Odunlade, R. O., 2012. Managing employee compensation and benefits for job satisfaction in
libraries and information centres in Nigeria.
Rose, J., 2014. Working with young people in secure accommodation: from chaos to culture.
Routledge.
Wirtz, J. and Lovelock, C., 2016. Services Marketing: People, Technology. World Scientific
Publishing Company.
Clement, T. and Bigby, C., 2012. Competencies of front-line managers in supported
accommodation: Issues for practice and future research. Journal of Intellectual and
Developmental Disability. 37(2). pp.131-140.
Common and et. al., 2016. Managing public services: Competition and decentralization.
Elsevier.
Dei Mensah, R. and Mensah, I., 2013. Management of tourism and hospitality services. Xlibris
Corporation.
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