ACCOMMODATIONS AND CATERING
A wide variety of accommodations in available to the modern tourist. They vary from the guest house or tourist home with one or two rooms to grand luxury hotels with hundreds of rooms.
Before the age of railroads, travellers stayed at inns in the country or in small hotels - most of them family-owned - in the towns and cities. The first big hotels with hundreds of rooms were built in the vicinity of railroad terminals to serve the flood of new passengers. These new hotels were more impersonal than the old-fashioned family-style inn or hotel.
A feature of Europe is the pension, a small establishment with perhaps ten to twenty guest rooms. Originally, pensions offered not only lodging but also full board, all of the day‘s meals for the guest. Nowadays, however, most of them offer only a bed, usually at an inexpensive rate, and a “continental breakfast“ of coffee and rolls.
Many people travel to Europe because of its rich historical and cultural heritage. As a result, many old homes and castles have been converted into small hotels. Many old inns have also been restored to serve people with similar romantic tastes. The major trend in the hotel industry today. However, is toward the large corporate-operated hotel. Many of these hotels might be described as "packaged."
Some of the hotel corporations operate on a franchise basis; that is, the hotel and its operation are designed by the corporation, but the right to run it is sold or leased. The operator then pays a per centage to the parent corporation. His franchise can be withdrawn. However, if he does not maintain the standards that have been established. Large, modem hotels contain not only guest rooms, but many other facilities as well. They usually contain restaurants and cocktail lounges, shops and recreational facilities such as swimming pools or health clubs. Many hotels also have facilities for social functions, conventions and conferences – bathrooms, auditoriums, meeting rooms of different sizes, exhibit areas and the like.
Nowadays, convention facilities are very often included in resort hotels so that people who attend conventions there can combine business with plenum,
Another development in the hotel business is the motel, a word made up from “motor" and “hotel." The motel might be described as a place as, has accommodations both for automobiles and people. The typical motel is a low structure around which is built a parking lot to enable the guests to park their cars as close as possible to their rooms.
Another trend in resort accommodations is condominium construction. The condominium is a building or group of buildings in which individuals purchase separate units. At the same time they become joint owners at the public facilities of the structure and its grounds and recreational area. The condominium has become popular because of the desire of many people to own a second home for holidays.
Caravanning and camping reflect another trend in modern tourism, thanks; to the automobile. Cars variously called caravans, vans or campers com: equipped with sleeping quarters and even stores and refrigerators. They are in effect small mobile homes, or at least hotel rooms. Many people also carry tents and other equipment with which they can set up a temporary home. Facilities are now offered in many resort areas for camping. The operator may rent only space, but he may also provide electricity and telephone service.
A similar kind of arrangement exists for boat owners who wish to use their boats for accommodation while they are travelling in them. This involves the marina, a common feature of resort areas on waterways.
The hotel business has its own load factor in the form of the occupancy rate. This is the per centage of rooms or beds that are occupied at a certain point in time or over a period of time. One of the main problems of the hotel business is a high occupancy rate during one season and a very low one during another.
Catering, providing food and drink for guests, has always gone together with accommodations. Food services are a feature of hotels. The typical modern “packaged hotel" includes a restaurant, a cafe shop for quicker and less expensive meals, and a bar or cocktail lounge. Many larger hotels have several restaurants, often featuring different kinds of foods, as well as different prices. Hotels also normally provide room service food and drink that are brought to the guest's room. in addition, catering service is usually provided in the hotel's recreational areas. The poolside bar and snack bar for quick food are normal part of the service at a resort hotel.
Restaurants, bars and nightclubs outside the hotels are a standard feature of the resort scene. Indeed, many resorts could not really operate without them. They provide not only catering, but also some kind of entertainment for the tourist who is bored with the limits of hotel life.
Food, in fact, may be one of the reasons why people travel. Many people go out of their way to visit France, for example, because of the gourmet meals that are served there. Similarly, the excellent restaurants of Hong Kong constitute one of its principal tourist attractions. It should also be pointed out that many grocery stores, delicatessens, and liquor stores make money from tourism.
The accommodations and catering service industries employ large numbers of people. At a luxury hotel, there may be as many as two or three employees for every guest room. At a large commercial hotel, there are usually about eight employees for every ten guest rooms. This intensive use of labour is one of the reasons why tourism is so attractive to developing countries. Furthermore, many of the hotel and restaurant jobs are semiskilled work, so only a small amount of training is necessary to fill them.
HOTEL VICTORIA FACILITIES
The Hotel Victoria is perfectly situated in order to appreciate the beauty of Cornwall's coastline and the vibrant lively Newquay Town Center. All our 71 rooms are en-suite with colour TV and tea/coffee making facilities. All rooms have a direct dial telephone with self monitored baby listening facility.
Free Wi-Fi is available in our public areas, as well as Berties Pub and Buzios Bar. The Victoria has a small gym, indoor heated pool, spa bath and sauna/solarium. The hotel also boasts a unique lift through the cliff to the beach.Enjoy a chilled drink in the hotel bar, served by our friendly staff. With plentiful seating, entertainer's stage and polished dancefloor, the Ocean View ballroom is the ideal venue for all functions, parties and wedding receptions.
For those special occasions, the Hotel Victoria can provide chaffeur-driven luxury transport. Please contact us for more details and prices.
Public Rooms
The Atlantic Ocean is the inspirational backdrop for the sun lounge, The French Restaurant, Bay View Bar and ballroom.
Calming and relaxing in summer, striking and dramatic in winter, the ocean provides spectacular views from all the public areas. The chandeliers in the foyer sparkle and illuminate the grand staircase.
Guests can enjoy a drink in the Ocean View Bar or Bay View Bar while the children play a game of pool or table tennis. Children are also welcome to relax on the sofas and watch a DVD in the hotel's Scudamore lounge.
Standard Rooms
Furnished to three star standard (75%) with en-suite facilities. All rooms feature colour satellite TV, tea and coffee making facilities, direct dial telephones with self monitored baby listening facility. Many rooms have town facing views, also avaliable for a supplement are rooms with stunning seaviews
Family Rooms
As standard rooms but include an additional bunk bed, one or two single beds. Most of these rooms may also take a cot.
Superior Rooms
Includes all our standard room facilities but are furnished to a higher standard. These rooms are located in prime positions of the hotel commanding sea views. They are larger in size and within the room there is a lounge area in which to relax.
Luxury Suites
Many of our seven luxury penthouse suites command some of the best views of Newquays spectacular coastline. They are furnished to a high standard with luxury en-suite facilities and separate cosy lounges. For the romantics at heart why not ask for a suite with a four poster bed. Some of our suites also have separate seaview balconies.
Our seaview suites all boast a beautifully furnished lounge in which to relax. Patio doors lead out onto a private balcony, where guests are able to enjoy fantastic views of Newquay's picturesque bay
Families can experience the many attractions Newquay has to offer while staying comfortably in one of our penthouse non-seaview suites. The Duchy Suite's unique Victorian style, combined with a quirky porthole window and beams, is especially popular among families with younger children.
For the romantics at heart, why not book our exclusive honeymoon suite for a luxurious and relaxing break. With a magnificent four poster bed, separate cosy lounge and private balcony with breathtaking sea views, the Trevose Suite is perfect for celebrating any special occasion.
Our penthouse family suite with superb sea views allows parents to share the ultimate in luxury with their children. The spacious suite boasts two separate bedrooms, bathroom and comfortable lounge, as well as a large private balcony overlooking Newquay's coastline.
The views from our penthouse suites are truly breathtaking.
EFFECTIVE INTERVIEWING: HOW TO PICK A WINNER
The resume shows promise- but will the candidate deliver? A job interview is the only way to find out, provided you know what questions to ask.
Hiring mistakes are costly. Luckily most of them can be avoided by asking the right questions. However, most interviewers end up asking generic, open-ended questions such as, "Tell me more about yourself" or "Tell me about your strengths and weaknesses." Questions such as these are easy to ask, as they put the focus of proving job-worthiness on the candidate.
Interviewers tend to believe that candidates that cannot 'prove' their mettle in an interview don't deserve the position. This might be true for some positions- for instance, a marketing job might require candidates to effectively 'sell' themselves and project themselves well. Similarly, a people Manager might be expected to be a good communicator with powerful persuasive skills. However, this method of interviewing might discount the technical abilities of an engineer, analyst or researcher who might feel more comfortable answering rational and job-specific questions that do not require aggressive self-promotion.
Read Between the Lines
It is common for candidates to defend their negatives or to present their negative attributes in a positive light. For instance, a candidate might pride himself or herself on being "a perfectionist who likes to be in control." Could this imply that the candidate is controlling, stubborn, has poor interpersonal skills or is unable to delegate? The only way to find out is to ask.
Ask specific questions to figure out how the candidate 'does their math'. Put them in situations that make them uncomfortable. Ask questions that test their willingness to change or accept conflicting points of view. For instance, how accepting would they be of a manager that suggests major changes to their individual style of working?
Generic questions kill spontaneity as candidates know what they are expected to say and what to avoid. An interviewer must be sufficiently informed about the position to know where to look for likely problem areas and to ensure that the requirements of the position are adequately met.
Know What Really Matters
In any hospitality job interview, candidates want to put their best foot forward and put the spotlight on their unique strengths. The interviewer in turn must be able to differentiate between skills that are most relevant to the position and the ones that are less likely to affect job performance.
Test the candidate's confidence in their specific skills by describing an ambitious project and asking what role the candidate would like to play in it. Ask how they would ensure that the intended outcome is met. What are the responsibilities they might feel comfortable with and what tasks would they like to delegate to others within the team?
Dig Deeper
People often interpret the same attribute or character trait in many different ways. Even a simple descriptive phrase such as "positive thinker" might mean different things to different people. For some it could mean the patience to hang in there when the going gets tough. For others it could imply decisiveness and the ability to respond rapidly to crises. Or, it could mean resilience- the ability to change according to circumstances, and to bounce back after a low period.
Always ask for examples when a candidate's positive outlook was challenged by difficulties on the job. How did the candidate handle a difficult client or an angry coworker? Be positive and appreciative, but don't hesitate to ask why you should believe a specific claim.
Foresee the future
Once it's established that the candidate has the requisite qualities and skills, the interviewer needs to carefully evaluate their 'staying power'. The emphasis on retention has helped hotels such as the Le Meridien to successfully reduce employee turnover down to 2.4%.
H.R. Officer Nitin Jadhav shares his secrets for better employee retention: "When a candidate seems over-qualified for the job, I try to find out their true motivations for seeking the position. Will this position help them break into a related field or position? It's important that candidates should have a clear picture of the demands of the position, their learning opportunities and future growth prospects," concludes Jadhav.
Above All, Know What You Want
If you don't know what you're looking for, how can you expect to find it? In a job interview, there are no hard and fast rules as to what you should or shouldn't ask. What matters is that you know exactly what you're looking for. Don't leave room for guesswork- be as specific as you can in your questions and focus on the facts.
Effective interviews take work, but the rewards are well worth it. You might not offer the fattest paychecks or benefits in the industry, but you can still get great people by looking harder and smarter for the real performers. After all, it takes great people to make a great company. So be careful what you ask!
GLOBAL TOURISM
In the modern world a tourist becomes global, because his needs and desires constantly changes. Travelling around the world not only does a tourist want to observe sightseeing but he wants to get different experience as well. Therefore tour-operators offer different types of tourism such as religious tourism, sports tourism, educational tourism, leisure tourism, adventure tourism, ethnic tourism, business tourism, recreational tourism, sightseeing tours.
Thanks to expanding borders and new means of communication such as the internet a tourist has got an opportunity to choose the place by himself. Using the internet not only can a tourist get information about destination, but he can book a hotel, hire car, order excursion by himself as well. So a tourist cut back his costs and time without addressing to a travel agency.
However more people continue to contact a tour-agency, transfer their care in hands of professionals. So a tour-operator forms a tour for a client. Forming a tour-package consists of 4 stages.
The first stage of forming a tour is conducting scientific research, market research, examining the economic factors affecting the future development of packaged tours, determining the choice of receptive destinations and the most appropriate form of tourism.
The traditional beach holiday or stay in a resort is gradually going to the past. Instead of beach routine travelers want extreme entertainment and completeness of experiences. The classical forms of tourism are only the base, which is renovated with extraordinary travel ideas, thereby creating newer independent forms and directions. A tourist wants new experience, emotions and unforgettable impressions. A long stay at a hotel with such expectations becomes boring and unsatisfying. Having studied the demand of a modern tourist the travel company offer more new routes, create original ideas of travelling, thereby turning tourism into a new level.
After conducting market research and determining the preferences of tourists, the second stage is the planning and conducting negotiations. From different sides alternative destinations are discussed, compared and then selected.
The third stage of forming a tour package includes signing contracts with hotels, airlines, customer service for transfers, excursions, etc., preparing and printing brochures, catalogues, selecting photos, calculating the final price of the tour, depending on inflation and exchange-rate, training the staff..
The last and final stage of the tour is a promotion and sale of goods at the market.