Category: Hotel

Classification and hotels reservation

Regarding Italy, law differentiates the hotel services in:

– hotels: receptive services open to the public, with unitary administration providing lodging, possibly food and other accessory services, thanks to the reservation of rooms in hotels; – motel: hotels particularly equipped for the stop and services of vehicles or crafts assuring them repair services and fuel supply; – villages hotel: hotels that, in a single area, give centralized services to users of residence units located in more establishments.

This distinction, besides substituting the traditional structure among hotels, pensions, and inns, cancels the distribution in the traditional categories (from first to fourth), and hold the same rules regarding reservation of rooms in hotels. The law stipulates that hotels be marked, in descending order, from 5, 4, 3, 2 or 1 star.

The enclosed denomination “luxury” is also stipulated, for five-stars hotels classified according to typical standards of international class.

Local authorities must fix the criteria for the classification of the receptive structures keeping in mind the dimensions, the structural requirements, the services offered and the qualification of specialists, the criteria and modalities in the reservation of rooms.

The law limited itself to set down the minimum requirements that should have the receptive services to be classified as hotels. They are:

– receptive capacity not lower than seven rooms; – presence of at least a hygienic service for every ten beds; – a bathroom with hot and cold current water for each room; – a room for common use; – technological facilities and an appropriate amount of qualified specialists for the running of the installation.

To determine the categories of hotels, that is, to assign the adequate number of stars, it’s used a punctuation expressing the quality of the best offerings of the facilities, the services the hotels are able to guarantee, the location, etc.

Also in this case, as explained before for travel agencies, local laws are quite uniform and use very similar features, as well as for the reservation of rooms. They dispose, for one-star hotels to have characteristic for which at least thirty points must have been assigned, for two-stars at least eighty points, until the 340 points of five-stars luxury hotels. The private bathroom in all the rooms vouches 30 points, if 90% of the rooms is endowed with bathroom 25 points must be assigned, if the rooms with bathroom are the 70% the points must be 20, etc. The night porter vouches 10 points, as well as the 24-hours room services; direct line telephone in each room gives 8 points, the same thing for the telex; color television in each room accounts 5 points, black and white television 4; for the covered pool 10 points, the uncovered one 5; and so forth.

The classification of hotels is made on the request of the hotel itself, which should indicate, in its application, the punctuation reached, result of the sum of parameters they offer.

If your style is more New York and less Las Vegas, then big flashy hotels might not be your thing. Melbourne has a plethora of hotels ranging from budget hotels to boutique hotels right through to 5 star international chain hotels. Boutique hotels are generally smaller hotels offering stylish, comfortable accommodation with a defined style, while the larger chain hotels often have a generic style and lack originality. The range of boutique hotels in Melbourne is quite large but some stand out from the pack.

The Como Melbourne

Perfectly situated in the heart of the South Yarra, the Como is located close to restaurants, cafes, boutiques and gardens and in the midst of Melbournes hub of fashion and entertainment. Only 10 minutes from Melbournes CBD, the Como offers luxurious Melbourne accommodation within walking distance to most major attractions. Guests can expect little extras like daily newspapers, king sized beds and an iconic Como Duck in every room. The Como duck came about when a review by a hotel guest shortly after the hotel was opened said “If only my rubber duck was in the bath tub, I would feel that I have returned to my home away from home.”, ever since then a Como Duck greets every guest at the Como. Open since 1989, the Como has developed a reputation for excellent service and chic, stylish decor. The Melbourne hotel has a range of indulgent packages to satisfy every whim including a fashionista hotel package, seduction package and movie and martini package.

The Lyall Hotel Melbourne

The 5 star chic Lyall Hotel and Spa is located in fashionable South Yarra. Voted as Australasias best boutique hotel at the annual World Travel Awards in 2006, the Lyall is renowned for its luxury boutique Melbourne accommodation and its warm and welcoming surroundings. Facilities include a day spa, restaurant, champagne bar and mini art galleries complete with overstuffed armchairs and an open fire. Internet access is complimentary for guests along with magazine, book and DVD libraries and bike loans for sightseeing. With only 40 guest rooms, the Lyall is able to provide a personalised service tailored to each guests individual needs.

The Hotel Lindrum

Built on the site of Melbournes famous family owned Lindrum Billiard centre, the Hotel Lindrum has a genuine Lindrum Billiard table in its foyer. The rooms have character and charm with ample natural light during the day, and warm, soft lighting for night. Little luxury extras you can expect at the Lindrum include bathrobes, a pillow menu and a complimentary daily newspaper. Located on Flinders street the luxury Melbourne hotel (http://www.mirvachotels.com/hotel-lindrum-melbourne) has views over Melbourne Park, the Botanic Gardens and the Melbourne Cricket Ground and is within walking distance of restaurants and cafes. The in-house Felt Restaurant serves superb food and room service is also available. The combination of the charm of the historic building and the contemporary finishes makes the Hotel Lindrum a cut above.

The Cullen Hotel Melbourne

The Cullen Hotel is another excellent hotel offering boutique accommodation in Melbourne. The newest and most unique of the boutique Melbourne hotels; the Cullen was named after, and features the work of one of Australias most renowned artists, Adam Cullen. All rooms are elegantly appointed with designer furnishings and replica Adam Cullen artworks, while original artworks are displayed in the foyer. The hotel is situated close to Prahran markets and the bars, restaurants and shopping of Chapel Street. The hotel boasts two excellent restaurants, one serving authentic Chinese cuisine while the other is influenced by the foods of the Mediterranean. Kitchenette facilities in the guest rooms provide versatility for guests.

The Prince Hotel Melbourne

Bearing an elegantly transformed art deco exterior and contemporary designer decor inside, the Prince offers luxury boutique Melbourne accommodation, only a few kilometres from Melbournes CBD, and only minutes away from St Kilda beach. The Prince has a relax and read room for the use of guests along with a balcony overlooking Fitzroy Street. The award winning in house restaurant Circa has both common and private dining areas with a range of share dishes on the menu. The hotel also has a luxury day spa attached to the hotel with a wide range of treatments and packages. The Prince presents itself more like a chic gallery than a hotel.

The range of boutique hotels in Melbourne is extensive and ranges in price and facilities. If youre looking for Melbourne accommodation with a bit of an edge, the hotels listed above wont disappoint.

It will now be Reliance Industries catering to your needs when you fine dine at The Trident or lay back in the lap of luxury at The Oberoi Hotel. Reliance Industries Limited, led by Mukesh Ambani, Asias richest man, announced that it had bought a 14.12 per cent stake in EIH Limited, which owns and manages several hotels in the country including the Oberoi and The Trident brands.
The acquisition was made through RIL’s wholly-owned subsidiary Reliance Industries Investment and Holding Private Limited from Oberoi Hotels Private Limited and certain other promoters of EIH Limited a statement from the company said.
“RIL’s investment in EIH Limited has been made as the Oberoi family had developed the ‘Oberoi Hotels’ brand into a premier international brand in the luxury hospitality sector and as a result EIH Limited has excellent future prospects,” the statement added.
The entire deal has set back RIL by a whooping Rs. 1,021 Crores. But knowing Reliance, one cannot be surprised at the enormity of the figures the deal has witnessed. Reliance is a very diverse and flexible company, a fact which is again proven by the mentioned deal.
In a statement, RIL said that the investment in EIH Limited had been made as the Oberoi family had developed the Oberoi Hotels brand into a premier international brand in the luxury hospitality sector. The company noted that EIH Limited has excellent future prospects. The statement also said that there would be no change of management, operation or control of EIH Limited.
RIL is likely to get one seat on the board of EIH Limited for its stake. Sources said that there was no immediate plan for an open offer. Sources also confirmed that this was a strategic investment and probably the first step for the petrochemical major to enter the hospitality segment.
Now with Mr. Ambani investing aggressively in the hospitality business, it would be interesting to know whether his competitors follow lead and this inception triggers a series of aggressive investments mounting to huge amounts. Only time will tell what is in store. But for the moment, its Reliance at your service.

Indoor Tennis resorts in Europe

In order to play tennis in the winter, rain or cold days , you have to play tennis indoors if you are not in a warm country. To find a resort or hotel which has these indoor tennis courts is hard to find. That is why we have selected the best resorts we could find which are suitable for winter tennis.

Starting in Austria, we have the following resorts;

1) Kanisfluh tennis hotel in the city of Mellau. The resort has 5 indoor courts. The hotel has it’s own tennis school, where you can improve your skills even more. This hotel, 30 kilometers from Lake Bodensee in Austria, focuses on tennis and wellness. Its tennis center features 5 indoor and 3 outdoor courts, 5 hitting lanes, and its own tennis school, one honored with the “Austrian Seal of Approval.

2) Bio Hotel Stanglwirt in Tirol. The resort has 6 indoor tennis courts. Luxurious ecologically-friendly Biohotel Staglwirt, surrounded by the stunning Austrian Alps, drinking in the super-clean air, starring at the beautiful blue sky, and contemplating your next Alpine treatment at the 13 treatment room spa, fitness centre.

3) Warmbaderhof in the city of Villach. This resort has 5 indoor courts.Warmbad Villach – this hot springs resort is located at the entrance to a 20-hectare nature park. It has 10 outdoor and 5 indoor courts as well as a tennis camp.

In the United Kingdom we have the following resorts;

1) Chewton Glen in New Milton. It has 2 indoor tennis courts.

New Milton, Hampshire, England, an English Original…Chewton Glen is a Luxury Country House Hotel.
In the hotel grounds we have a dedicated tennis centre with two indoor and two outdoor tennis courts and on-site tennis professional.

In Switserland we have:

1) Gstaad Palace in Gstaad. It does not have it’s own indoor tennis courts, but they are near the hotel. The hotel itself dates to 1913. At 150 rooms, it is Switzerland’s largest pension.

Among its amenities are indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a spa and fitness center, an indoor squash court, and mountain bike rentals. Golf, horseback riding, clay-pigeon shooting, and river rafting are all nearby.

All these hotels can be booked directly on Tennis Resorts.

What is a universal success recipe in business? Even the most well known business gurus will not give you a definite answer. The problem is that every business is individual and thus requires individual approach. It should be noted that the situation is aggravated by a tough competition. If 30 years ago commercial businesses only had to offer high quality products at competitive prices, now the situation has entirely changed. These days, companies have to win loyalty of their customers. It especially concerns hotels. When vacation season begins hotel start a real fight for customers. Indeed, visitors have a very wide choice of hotels in different price ranges. As already said, hotels compete for customer loyalty. You know that in most cases those hotels win that have well thought and realistic strategy. One of the most common mistakes in strategic planning is that strategy unfortunately remains on paper. There is no problem in designing the most ambitious strategic plan but if they remain on the top management level there is no use in such a strategy. Thats why hotel owners and top managers are strongly recommended to use Balanced Scorecard which is known as one of the tools used for strategic management and performance evaluation purposes. Every strategy in a hotel is definitely customer focused. Sure thing, financial goals matter most of all, but the truth is that they simply cannot be achieved without retention and attraction of new customers. This is the only way a hotel can generate income.

As known, Balanced Scorecard employs very simple principle: it evaluates key performance indicators (KPIs) that represent critical success factors both in internal and external business environment. The four categories of Balanced Scorecard financial, customer, internal business processes, learning and growth cover the most important aspects of inside and outside the hotel. With a Balanced Scorecard it is possible to adjust internal processes in accordance to new market conditions and requirements. It is remarkable that the set of key performance indicators can be changed during evaluation process, as required by external changes. Lets review several key performance indicators used in hotel Balanced Scorecard.

Number of hotel guests per employee. This is a very important indicator that makes it possible to efficiently manage number of hotel employees and optimize personnel quantity. This indicator can also demonstrate group performance of employees. Naturally, the more hotel guests an employee can manage the better.

Net room revenue. This is a very important financial indicator that makes it possible to calculate total revenue for the entire hotel as well as offer valuable information on how to increase revenue without sufficient hike in hotel rates.

Percentage of international guests. This indicator can tell much of hotel quality and services. The more international get choose to visit a hotel that hire its reputation and the international and local community. If there are not many international guests in a hotel, perhaps new services and offers have to be introduced in order to attract such customers that are expected to spend much money.