Accommodation Facilities in Melbourne - Case Study Example

Accommodation Management Student Tutor Course Date Introduction The accommodation industry in Melbourne Australia operates within a challenging economy, in which competitiveness, change, quality and pursuit of customer satisfaction are increasingly becoming significant factors of success (Kapiki 2012). Melbourne has a wide variety of accommodation facilities, ranging from luxurious suites to simple backpacker accommodation for young adventurer, and all kinds of accommodation facilities are available, ranging from five star to one-star hotels (Visit Victoria 2015). The star ratings rank the accommodation facilities in terms of quality of the service they provide (Andrews 2011). This paper discusses three accommodation facilities in Melbourne rated 1 to 3 star and the service quality features that have gained them their ratings. One- Star Rated Hotels: Urban Central Accomodation The one Star rating usually implies a name-brand hotel chain that is independent and pursues the provision of consistent and high quality services to the guests (Charantimath 2011). According to Andrews (2011), it is typically a small or medium size hotel that is found near a moderately costly attraction. While some provide restaurant services to some extent, bellhop and room services are usually absent. A good location contributes to the perception of quality. Good hotels tend to occupy convenient areas of town and having such a location helps in saving money, time and effort for the customers who want to shop, connect transport or reach the attractions available nearby. According to Visit Victoria (2015), Urban Central Accommodation in Melbourne is a short walk from virtually all the main attractions in the locality, as one can take only 15 minutes. It is also about only a half hour away from King's Cross station. At Urban Central Accomodation, breakfast comprising of pasta, rice, tea and coffee is offered free. The beds are very comfortable. One has to pay for the internet, about $4 per hour. The location is good, being close to the South Melbourne market, the shops and the CBD. There is a McDonalds and a night club just across the street. The facility has a tour and activity booking counter where guests are offered assistance relating to their tours. A bar is also provided where there are pool tables and specials for the day. There is also a rooftop terrace where wine treats are served (Urban Central 2015). Urban Central’s four bed maximum dorm rooms are very spacious with storage space. If a guest opts for a private and ensuite room, there is the option of a family, double or twin room. The hotel’s kitchen allows for self-catering. In it there is storage space for both cold and dry food. Laundry facilities are also provided in addition to a bar, internet café, parking facilities and a travel desk to ensure that guests’ needs are fully catered for. For dorm accommodation, the price ranges from $25 to $33 a day, covering breakfast, linen and a weekly meal. For the dorm ensuite, the rates are between $35 and $40, twin or double rooms are between $ 105-115, a family room is between $ 135 and $155. Dorm room ceilings are quite high. Every bed has its own locker with linen and towels. There are also separate female dormitories. The dorm ensuite category comprises of the typical dorm facilities with the added luxury of an individual bathroom. Twin or double rooms contain a television, ensuite bathroom heating and air conditioning. The family room offers the option of two king single beds or one King bed, an ensuite bathroom and a bunk bed. Every room has heating and air conditioning facilities (Visit Victoria 2015). Within the constraints of room features, the hotel has managed to exercise outstanding customer service, especially by considering small aspects that ensure greater satisfaction. For instance, According to Urban Central (2015), each bed in the dorms is assigned a locker and each of these is fitted with a power point for charging. Value for money is also pursued through breakfast, which is free. Employees are generally polite, helpful and friendly and rooms and bathrooms well maintained. Family rooms are also well provided with ensuite bathrooms. They are very large and have each a queen-sized bed and bunk bed, closet, and floor space. According to Visit Victoria (2015), the front-desk operates 24 hours a day, and the guests are provided with a car park, luggage storage, a smoking area, family room, bar, lockers, facilities for the disabled, a library, elevator services, a shared kitchen, vending machines, ATM and tours. Sports and recreation is also catered for by a games room, billiard and table tennis equipment. All public areas have WIFi access and communication is possible in six languages; Italian, English, Chinese, German, Spanish and Swedish. Reception is of high quality, and overall the facility seeks to offer value for money, as every feature of its service is catered for by the price. Two-Star Rating: Tune Hotel Melbourne The Tune Hotel is located at Swanson Street, Carlton, Melbourne. It offers limited amenities but consistent quality that has been established as the objective of the Tune Hotels chain. According to Andrews (2011), two star hotels are usually part of a larger chain. Tune Hotel is medium sized and the rooms all have a television and phone. Even though there is no luxury of room service, there is a restaurant on site for the customers whenever they need it. It pursues a no frills concept. The organizational policy seeks to ensure that guests sleep well at night and end up feeling that they have attained value for their money. According to Smith (2013), Tune Hotel Melbourne is part of the greater Tune Hotels chain that applies the ‘limited service’ model, similar to the no frills model applied by low cost airlines. Extras and services are mostly paid for as one goes. The chain operates outlets in Phillipines, Thailand, Japan, India, Indonesia and Australia. According to Tune Hotels (2015), its rooms have emphasized the quality of beds to ensure maximum comfort. There is also an extensive security system that is functional throughout. The hotel’s location is conveniently situated near popular attractions and transportation hubs, and the fact that it is just slightly away from the Central Business District gives it advantage. Facilities that the guest might not need are may pose unnecessary costs for instance gyms, swimming pools and spa rooms are generally eliminated hence managing costs.   There is the charging of booking fees in addition to room rates that are quoted in Australian Dollars. For instance, a flexi-double room costs AU$400, while an ordinary double room costs AU$300. A twin room goes for AU$300. A double room that does not have access to wi-fi costs AU$300 and a long-stay double room goes for AU$200. Once the guest is booked in, they are able to enjoy services such as food and drink which is served at the restaurant, internet that is available in every area subject to charges. Parking is possible, although one has to pay some charges and reserve it. The front desk is operational throughout and laundry and luggage storage can be done upon request. Lifts are also added features, and shops are available on site for one who wants to purchase a variety of items (Tune Hotels 2015). Entertainment has an increasing role in customer satisfaction (Charantimath 2011). Tune Hotel’s rooms are all complete each with 32-inch flat-screen television set that streams satellite channels. Guests are able to access an indoor restaurant and courtyard, and where paid for, some rooms enable unlimited WiFi access. The hotel’s location is just two tram stops away from the Melbourne city centre, a thirty five minute drive from the Melbourne airport and a ten minute walk from the Queen Victoria Market. Every room is air conditioned and has a sizeable work desk and safety deposit box. It also has a private bathroom ensuite and a hair dryer. A guest is able to meet in the lounge area of the hotel or opt for a meal in the restaurant that is available on site. Guest laundry is catered for and a 24-hour front desk is available. As a locality, Carlton is quite highly rated as a place with friendly people and business activity. Apart from the comforts accessed by guests, the employees at Tune Hotel are trained to handle guests warmly. In high quality hospitality service, non discrimination of guests, for instance avoiding giving special attention to guests in the most expensive parts of the hotel should be upheld (Andrews 2011). Employees in the hotel exhibit warmth that is not as a result of the fact that they are paid to be good to the customers, but rather because it is the treatment that the guests are supposed to get. Service is enhanced in terms of small features such as offering them what they might need during their stay rather than what they have asked for. At Tune Hotel also, there is emphasis on making the guest feel at home (Tune Hotels 2015). According to Andrews (2011), it is always nice if a customer stays in the hotel just like they would at home, waking up and showering, having breakfast ready together with a complementary morning newspaper, cleaned shoes and a smiling housekeeper. Three-Star Rating: Nomads Melbourne Nomads Melbourne has spacious and nice rooms and the lobbies are well decorated. The on-site restaurant is average in size, but offers dinner, breakfast and lunch. There is also room and valet service, together with a pool and small fitness centre (Smith 2013). According to Andrews (2011), three Star hotels usually provide accommodation that is more spacious. There is the notable absence of bellhop services but the lobbies are well decorated and rooms well appointed. Their location is usually close to major business areas or expressways that make them convenient for access to high or moderately priced attractions and shopping facilities. The hotels tend to have medium restaurants which serve the guests for any meal. There is a varied degree of room service, with fitness centres, pools and valet parking being provided in most cases. Nomads Melbourne is located near the Queen Victoria Market, the Melbourne Central and Flagstaff Gardens. It also has the advantage of proximity to the Bourke Street Mall and RMIT University. The facility has a coffee shop and bar. All public areas have access to wi-fi internet. The employees are multilingual at the reception, a guest is able to get ticket and tour assistance. Barbecue grilling is also possible for the guests. Nomads Melbourne has a total of 54 guestrooms. Each of these can access high-speed, wireless internet, although one has to pay a surcharge for this. There is prompt, daily housekeeping. The interiors are also well-made, and every room has a ceiling fan. Bathrooms are however shared and ironing boards, iron boxes and hair dryers are provided to whoever needs them (Smith 2013). The Nomads facility is generally clean, comfortable and quiet. Management has ensured that checking in and out is as easy as possible, and the receptionist can call a cab for the guest if they need it. The staff at the front desk is helpful. Bathrooms and shower facilities are also kept in excellent condition. There is provision of cheap parking right in front of the facility. The location is a walking distance from both the federation square and the free tram, and is only a block away from the Victoria Market. There are small kitchens for the occupants. Internet is also costly, at $4 per hour and $8 a day for wifi. The location of the facility is very convenient, as it places the guests right in the middle of Melbourne’s inner square, implying that one can walk to almost anywhere. It is notably near the Queen Victoria Market. The large rooms provided are quite spacious and clean and have television. The staff offers information on where one can get the best cafes and restaurants of their choice (Visit Victoria 2015). At Nomads Melbourne, employees always seek to ensure provision of assistance in case of emergency. There is appropriate response when a guest has for instance missed a flight and has to stay on for the night. Medical emergencies are also swiftly dealt with. Such incidents may be beyond the service to be provided, but a good hotel experience is defined by how promptly they are handled in case they arise (Smith 2013). In the same way, Koutroumanis (2011) explains that in case the hotel is fully booked, it always helps to arrange for the customer’s accommodation in a nearby hotel. Conclusion As a city, Melbourne city is well served with accommodation facilities of various kinds and ratings. One-star facilities in the area include Urban Central Accommodation. This gets its rating from the location, attention to customer comfort and provision of free breakfast among other issues. There is also a wide variety of choice products for customers, and customer service is enhanced. An example of a two star facility is the Tune Hotel which is upholds the low cost element of its parent company’s global strategy. It most significantly heavily emphasizes customer comfort and genuine concern and feedback by employees. Nomads Melbourne also banks on its proximity to attraction areas, provision of fast internet at a surcharge, proper housekeeping, customer comfort and readiness for emergencies. Bibliography Andrews, S, 2011, Introduction to Tourism and Hospitality Industry, New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Charantimath, P, 2011, Total Quality Management, London: Pearson Kapiki, S, 2012, Current and Future Trends in Tourism and Hospitality. The Case of Greece, International Journal of Economic Practices and Theories, Vol. 2 (1): pp.1-12 Koutroumanis, D, 2011, Technology’s Effect on Hotels and Restaurants: Building a Strategic Competitive Advantage. 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