The Hotel Industry
A hotel is a type of business establishment that provides paid lodging, usually on a short-term basis, for travelers and tourists. Many hotels also offer a range of other services and amenities, such as food, drink, and recreation. A hotel's revenue is primarily generated by the sale of rooms, although other sources of revenue include food and beverage sales, conference and event bookings, and retail sales. In addition, some hotels provide a variety of other services to their guests such as a swimming pool, spa, and laundry.A modern hotel is a complex and diverse industry, whose evolution has been as much influenced by social and cultural change as it has by economic and technological development. The availability of comfortable, affordable lodging was once a luxury for the wealthy; but with the advent of railways and steamships, travel became easier, faster, and cheaper, resulting in the growth of the hospitality industry.The term “hotel” was first used by the fifth Duke of Devonshire in 1760, to describe his townhouse in London, which served as a place for visiting noblemen to stay while visiting the city. The popularity of the Grand Tour, an itinerant journey of Europe undertaken by scions of aristocratic families in the 18th and 19th centuries, led to the development of hotels as comfortable and convenient accommodations for travelers.Hotel has become one of the most significant service providers for people all over the world. In the past, a hotel was looked upon as a place where people could sleep and get their meals but now it has transformed into a service provider that has everything to offer to its customers.In this competitive environment, every hotel is striving hard to outperform its competitor by offering more and more amenities. Almost all big hotel chains spend crores on this to attract more and more people to their hotels. Some of the services offered by hotels are banquets, convention centers, exhibition centers, restaurants, catering services, secretarial services, corporate services, money changers, and travel desk.These facilities help in providing a complete holiday experience to the travelers and tourists. Besides these, hotels have become major employers in the regions that they operate in and are a source of amenities for local communities as well. For example, the hotel industry provides employment to cooks, cleaners, receptionists, managers, and security staff, as well as those involved in supplying goods and services such as furniture, electricity, water, and gas.The room division is one of the most important departments of a hotel as it generates maximum revenue. It is headed by the room division manager to whom front office managers, executive housekeepers, and maintenance report. The department also has a purchasing manager who is responsible for the purchase of all hotel stock. The purchasing department is responsible for ensuring that all departmental requirements are fulfilled on time and at the best possible price. In addition, this department is also responsible for analyzing the market to see which products are selling and which are not.