MANAGING A HOTEL............FOR DUMMIES! ANOTHER TEN-POINT PLAN!

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO RUN A HOTEL SUCCESSFULLY ? WHERE DO YOU START? WHAT DO YOU DO? WITH WHOM DO YOU DO IT?

There are three things that are important for running a successful hotel or resort. No I am not referring to 'location, location, location'. I am referring to the ears, the eyes and the mouth. There is a fourth piece of one's anatomy that is important but I will leave that until later.

Under the assumption that the reader is a complete novice and has inherited a hotel or resort, here are the first ten things that each of the above items of your anatomy should do in the first month of your new career.

For the ears........ a question to the following people. Listen carefully to what they say but as important, listen to what they don't say. The questions might include what do you do? What do you like about this place.........or not like?  What needs to be fixed? What needs to be changed?

1. Chief Engineer.
2. Head Housekeeper.
3. Executive Chef.
4. Bellboy or Doorman.
5. Receptionist.
6. Guest # 1, 2 and 3.
7. Gardener.
8. Financial controller.
9. Bank Manager or Taxi Driver (if different).
10. Chamber of Commerce.

For the eyes.....these are the things that you should look for, look at, look under or peep around.Your eyes are your best weapon and the best times to look are irregularly, unpredictably and judgementally!

1. The bank balance.
2. The cash-flow forecast.
3. The public ashtrays, flower beds & walkways
4. The food displays (guest & staff).
5. A guest room or two per day.
6. The kitchen fridges & garbage area.
7. The financial reports, daily and monthly.
8. The sales reports.
9. The beach and laundry room.
10. The public & staff washrooms.

For the mouth.......here are the things that one should try with the mouth. Dip tongue in brain before using mouth.

1. Taste the morning croissants and the evening bread basket.
2. Taste an employee meal.
3. Taste the soup of the day and determine the contents.
4. Talk to every employee by name without use of the name badge.
5. Call every guest that complains.
6. Make every criticism constructive.
7. Make every compliment public.
8. When smiling, use eyes.
9. When receiving complaint, don't smile.
10. Ensure fresh breath.

For the Nose. The other pieceof the anatomy which is critical to the success of a great hotelier is the nose. It should not be too long or too short, too enquisitive or too blase. While it is great for smelling rats, it should not be a hunter of rats.  Here therefore are the ten best uses for the hotelier's nose,

1. Morning coffee.
2. Employees who quit.
3. Used ashtrays.
4. Room rate pricing.....sniff good here.
5. Staff changing area.
6. Food & Beverage costing.
7. Purchasing process.
8. Best corporate customer satisfaction.
9. Owner satisfaction.
10. Competitors' hotels......sniff often.

Other Parts of the Anatomy. Now there are other parts of the anatomy which I also feel are useful for the successful hotelier. Don't be concerned, this is for all audiences!

1. The legs............for walking around.
2. The arms.......... for embracing.
3. The fingers....... for testing odd places for dust or soap scum.
4. The elbow.........for the front desk while greeting guests.
5. The shoulders...for accepting full responsibility for everything, except compliments.
6. The knees..........for bending to pick up scraps.
7. The feet.............for kicking, or digging in heels
8. The teeth..........for grinding when the owner is mad.
9. The brain..........for creativity
10. The liver...........for support during tough times.

As you can see, there are actually many parts of the anatomy that will be used when running a hotel successfully. Used well and interconnectedly, the successful hotelier can be easily recognised by his 'body language'. You will know who he or she is when they walk through the lobby, the restaurant or the front door. They have an air about them that is instantly recognisable.

Be wary of managers who believe that this can all be done from behind a computer!!

For other more technical aspects of running hotels profitably, contact [email protected]