Hospitality Past, Present, & FutureChapter 3

Early History•The hospitality industry probably began with

the Sumerians.▫4000 BC lived in a region near the Persian Gulf

(Mesopotamia)▫Sumerians built taverns and served beer to

people in the surrounding areas (some of the first hospitality businesses)

•Traders traveled from region to region to trade spices, gold, and other exotic goods. People began to build inns and taverns along the routes

Early History (Continued)• 3 countries played an important role in the

early days of hospitality• Egypt, Greece, and the Roman Empire• Ancient Egypt began the tourism trade

▫2700 BC pyramids were built and began attracting visitors

▫Base of pyramids great place for festivals▫Souvenir sales began here; tourists wanted to

take home a reminder of their visit▫Egyptians also organized the first cruises

Cruise: pleasure trip taken by boat or ship

Greeceand Early History• Loved to travel• Traveled all over Europe and established many

colonies• Greece made 2 major contributions to the

hospitality industry1. Language- first universally accepted language

of international trade2. Greek money became the standard of

exchange for monetary transactionsCommon currency made travel and business easier

Greeks were defeated by the Romans in 146 BC

Romans and Early Hospitality

•Romans developed roads throughout their empire. Made travel quicker and easier.

•Travel became dangerous. Travel and tourism virtually stopped during this period.

•Renaissance created a rebirth of travel and artistic interests. ▫Travel again became safe and popular.

Taverns and inns were once again open for tourists.

Development in the United States•US has made great contributions to the

hospitality industry.•Grand hotels, motels, restaurant chains,

fast food businesses, and franchises all originated in the US.

•Hospitality grew along with new modes of transportation (stagecoaches, railroads, automobile, and commercial airlines)

Inns for Stagecoach Travelers• 1600s stagecoach routes were established in the US

▫ Inns began to develop along these routes▫ Could exchange a tired horse for a rested one

Switching horses took about 30 minutes and would allow time for a meal

▫ Stagecoaches usually arrived at a set time and the innkeeper would have everything ready for arrival.

▫ Inns & Taverns were popular gathering places▫ The first building designed specifically as a hotel was

probably New York City’s City Hotel 5 story hotel built in 1794 Guests paid $2 (included breakfast, lunch , tea, and dinner) Hotel had 73 rooms

Grand Hotels for Railroad Travelers• 1800s railroad travel developed and spread• Much more comfortable than a stagecoach• Travel long distances in a shorter time period. • Inns, saloons, and restaurants were built close to railway

stations.• Tremont House in Boston was the first Grand Hotel in 1828

▫ Grand hotel: offers luxury accommodations▫ Tremont House was 4 stories tall, 170 private rooms, 6 meeting

rooms, and 200 seat dining room▫ No elevators (had not been invented yet) this is where the

bellhop was born Bellhop: person who when they heard the bell ring, they had to hop

to help the guests (it was their job to carry the heavy luggage upstairs)

• Hotelier: owner or manager of a hotel

Grand Hotels for Railroad Travelers• In Europe, Cezar Ritz was raising the standards of luxury hotels.

▫ Put Auguste Escoffier in charge of the kitchen (created modern organization of hotel kitchen and created new and exciting dishes)

▫ Made dining a luxurious experience• Ritz was built the world famous Ritz Hotel in 1898. He was the

first to give each guest room a private bath, built in closets, and telephones.

• In the US, Ellsworth Statler was developing his chain of hotels▫ First to develop uniform standards for hotels. ▫ Featured telephones in every room, modern plumbing, full size

closets with lights, radios, and free morning newspapers▫ Also developed a list of service rules called the Statler Service

Code. (Each employee had to learn, memorize, and follow the code).

Motels for Automobile Travelers• Motels: combines basic hotel service with convenience for

the automobile traveler. Located near the highway, parking is free and located right outside the rooms. ▫ Often called Tourists Courts or Motor Courts▫ Did not have facilities as hotels such as restaurants, room

service, and bell attendants. Guests had to carry own luggage.• 1952 Kemmons Wilson took his family on vacation and was

disappointed by the lack of places to stay. He developed his own chain as a result▫ Developed the Holiday Inn

Family friendly where children stay free, swimming pools, and restaurants

Guaranteed reliability clean and comfortable rooms Created a large, distinctive sign which could be easily seen from

the road

Motels for Automobile Travelers• Motels soon became larger and began to offer

more services• Business travelers liked having coffee shops,

cocktail lounges, and meeting rooms• Swimming pools were important• Usually built at the edge of towns• Most were one or two stories tall.• Simple construction was easy to build, compared

to downtown high rise expensive hotels.• Amenities and level of service vary based on the

location and price of the property.

Airport Hospitality for Air Travelers• Commercial jets began operating in 1958• Hotels located in downtown areas began to decline and those

located near airports grew along with restaurants• J.W. Marriott opened hotels near airports• New vacation areas were developed in locations that were easily

accessible by air• Jet airline service decreased the time and inconvenience of

international travel• International travel grew• As air travel became more common, airports became the location

of new hospitality businesses.• Hotels, motels, foodservice, and restaurants were designed to

meet the needs of air travel customers• Shuttle services were designed to transport guests from hotels to

nearby airports

Hospitality Today•The hospitality industry has several major

challenges. These challenges include:▫Delivering consistent service▫Diversity of the workforce▫Accommodating special needs▫Impact of seasons

•Using the paper/poster you are given, list all the challenges you and your group can think of regarding the topic given. You will have 7 minutes to complete the assignment.

Delivering Consistent Service

•Hospitality businesses fail or succeed based on the quality of service guests receive

•Delivering quality service always involves people

•Hospitality is a people serving business•Managers have 2 ways to ensure good

service▫Procedures ▫Training▫Employees must be trained to be customer

focused

Diversity in the Workforce• In the past, white males made up the majority of the workforce;

however, women and minorities are entering in greater numbers• These people have a variety of cultures, religions, beliefs, and

languages• Diversity: used to describe a large group of people from a variety of

backgrounds, cultures, religions, beliefs, and languages• In order to be successful, businesses must learn how to meet needs of

employees too• Many programs help businesses support their employees

▫ Education, career, professional development▫ Transportation to and from work▫ Assistance in learning English▫ Accessibility, career development, and opportunities for advancement for

employees with disabilities▫ Retraining in job skills for senior employees▫ Daycare referrals or assistance▫ Flexible schedules

Accommodating Special Needs• People with special needs are traveling more and more• Special needs include

▫ Medical conditions▫ Physical disabilities▫ Mental disabilities▫ Preferences based on religion, health, or circumstances

• Hospitality workers must use problem solving and communication skills to meet these needs

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed to make sure people with disabilities are treated fairly▫ Requires that public buildings be accessible to people with disabilities

Accessible: able to be entered and used by a person with a disability▫ Many have developed special accommodations for people with disabilities

Braille lettering: special language for the blind Ramps Automatic doors Special bathroom facilities

Impact of Seasons• The demand for hospitality services varies with the seasons• Peak Seasons: those with the highest demand (this is when

they are busy)• Off-peak Seasons: those are seasons with the lowest

demand (the number of customers is very low)• Timing of peak and off peak seasons depends on the

location of the business▫ Summer in Florida▫ Winter in Colorado

• Must find ways to deal with the changes in demand▫ Managers have to design methods to cope

• Some hospitality businesses lower their prices in off peak seasons

Factors Affecting Success

•Many factors that affect the hospitality industry▫Weather▫Political Conditions▫Economic Conditions▫Globalization

•Using the paper/poster you are given, list all the challenges you and your group can think of regarding the topic given. You will have 7 minutes to complete the assignment.

Weather

•Has a major impact on many hospitality businesses▫Thunderstorms▫Hurricane▫Snow▫No Snow

Political Conditions

•Bad or dangerous political conditions discourage travel

•Countries that have war or unstable political conditions lose hospitality customers

•911▫Lost BILLIONS of dollars▫Why?▫Aviation and Transportation Security Act

Economic Conditions•Many hospitality businesses rise and fall with

the economy▫When the economy does well, so does the

business•Recession or Contraction: period when the

economy is slowing down and doing poorly.▫People lose jobs and have less money▫The first thing they cut is spending on travel,

recreation, and restaurants▫First to hurt during a recession and the last to

recover

Globalization• Globalization: the process in which economies of

different nations become interconnected• Global Economy: the worldwide economy composed of

the interconnected economies of all the nations• Before globalization, each country had an economy that

was separate from others• Now, an economic problem in one country can effect

economies around the world• Transnational corporation: has major operations in

several countries• A sign of the hospitality industry’s economic health is

the continuing development of tourism facilities both nationally and internationally