Hospitality Management Systems at Amalia Athens Hotel - Case Study Example

Hotel Management Systems Name Professor Institution Affiliation. Introduction Amalia Athens hotel a subsidiary of Amalia hotels is one of the oldest hotels located in the Athens city of Greece. Its locality in the Central Business District of Athens city has made it the first choice for the visitors overlooking the parliament building and the national gardens. The hotel extends more than one hundred guest rooms with four different categories of the presidential suit. Amalia hotel was recently awarded the International Green Key Award for its green energy efforts and implementation of eco-friendly technologies (Buhalis, 2003). These have not only saved the energy costs for the hotel but also contribute to the global efforts of greenhouse gas reduction. The hotel management system of Amalia hotel has three subsystems that are meant to design to improve the management of the hotel and achieve the sales target. The reservation and booking subsystem is a computerized system that has given clients a chance to book and reserve the rooms in their homes comfort. This subsystem also has various departments that are involved in customers check in, exit, reservations, billings and the room availability (Sasser et al., 1978). The accommodation and catering subsystem allows the clients to order their preferred food and generate the bills for the orders made. The last subsystem of management services allows the maintenance of the operations of the hotel. This system offers the flexibility and ability to adjust the systems from time to time. The subsystem also allows the administrator to add the new employee’s user profiles for the hotel management systems. There are options for adding, modification and or deletion of all the features of the system. This subsystem is involved in reports generation of any kind hence very essential for the management of the hotel (Go et al., 1995). The system allows the customers, users, and the managers to interact and dispense hotel services in one and off system. The system is connected to the output devices such as the printer that processes the instructions from the user. Operational management Most of the operations In Hotel Amalia have been computerized to increase efficiency, speed, accessibility and the quality of services to t the customers. These have increased the speed with which the information is accumulated, stored, processed and transferred through computer systems. These have allowed the customers to have real tie processing of their requests while searching for a hotel or making a request such as ordering the food (Kandampully et al., 2001). Hotel operational management of Hotel Amalia involves many activities that take care of prospective guests searching for a hotel online. The tangible services that the Amalia hotel offers are the room reservation, accommodation services, catering services, front office, transport and security and human resource management. These processes generate a lot of data that is shared among them, and this has led to the creation of an integrated information management system that that facilitates information sharing among the different operational departments (Zemke and Schaaf, 1990). The process management of Amalia hotel is configured to cope with external variables such as the geographical location. Competitors and suppliers are some of the factors that are given a lot of attention in the management of this hotel. The integrated online system can track these details regarding the variables, and this has enabled the management of the hotel to make timely informed decisions (Rutherford and O’Fallon, 2007). These have still enabled the hotel to remain at the peak of the hospitality industry in Greece capital of Athens. The analytical tools allow the managers analyze the data available and make strategic decisions such as the promotions based on the customer’s preferences. The website gathers critical information regarding the customers and stores in the database and also provides communication tools that allow them to interact with the hotel staff (Hayes & Ninemeier 2012). The database used by the website enables the customers to have a consistent access to the information that relates to the service. The web site ability to collect information on customers not in the hotel directly allows the managers to conduct surveys on the geographical potentials and this important in promotions and to sell the hotel to the global travelers. Amalai.com enables faster processing of information from various departments of the hotel operations, and this is critical in serving the customers in less time and enriching the customer’s experience. The hotel organization structure The hotel has a general manager that coordinates all the functions of the hotel, makes decisions and oversees other systems and subsystems. The manager allocates assignments to the staff and maintenance of proper working relations of all the organs of the hotel. The manager calls and chairs the meetings to discuss business agendas such as the room sales and the maintenance of the budget together with the accounting team is another important role the General Manager plays. The deputy manager assists the general manager in the execution of these duties (Jones et al., 1989). Amalia hotel assistant general manager has additional roles and duties such as fostering group decision making and solving problems. Food and beverage department This subsystem is mandated to offer exquisite catering experience to the Amalia guests by providing food and beverages as per the orders made by the visitors. In this hotel, this department has several sub-units under this subsystem. Restaurant The facility operates the food section of the Amalia Hotel, and the hotel has three restaurants with specialty due to the large number of guests that visit the hotel. The hotel has an expansive area for entertainment that focuses on alcoholic beverage sales. Amalia has exceptional room service section that provides high-class services and generates huge profits for the hotel. The restaurant supervisor welcomes the guests to the hotel restaurant and manages the human resources working in this department. The supervisor organizes the staff as well as job allotment (Sasser et al., 1978). The main job in the restaurant section is ensuring all the orders are available bearing in mind he diverse origins and culture from which the guests origins. The catering department has extended to outside catering and generates a lot of business for banquet rooms. Amalia hotel also has employee feeding program that allows their employees to eat in special facilities designed for them which is operated just like a normal restaurant. The staff takes food orders from the orders and serves the guests with orders and finally generates the bills that are forwarded to the accounting department. The supervisor works in liaison with the laundry department for cleaning services and table clothes. The bar supervisor is in charge of the bar section of the restaurant and is in charge of receiving orders, serving customers and generating bills forwarding them to the accounts department (Walker and Walker, 2012). Room service department The room department has three major divisions, front office, uniformed services, and housekeeping department. The front office is the most vibrant division headed by the principle Guest Service Agent who welcomes the guests and records them and assigns guests rooms and rates and checks them out s]after their vacation is over. Other roles that the GSA attends to are there reservations telephone calls and cashier (Mill et al., 1986). The housekeeping department section of room service department is the largest of all. The laundry of Amalia hotel is carried out by this department by laundry attendants who ensure cleanliness throughout the hotel. Sanitation of guestrooms and all the public spaces of the hotel is then the responsibility of this department. The inspectors supervise the cleaning process and ironing of all the hotel laundry. The uniformed services consist of door attendants, bell staff, and concierge. The bell staff is trained to introduce the guests to the various services available in the Amalia Hotel and assists the guest carry their luggage to their assigned rooms. Valet representative helps the visitors park the vehicles due to reduced parking spaces in Athens town. Maintenance subsystem The head of this department reports directly to the general manager to ensure all the facilities are maintained at the very best levels of operation (Kandampully et al., 2001). Amalia hotel is one of the oldest hotel in Athens established in 1960’s and the management have maintained the property and looks new and more beautiful. The department is maintained by engineers who are tasked with ensuring the safety of the occupants all the time from any risks that posed by large buildings. The budgetary allocation for the maintained department is always 10 % of the total value of the property. The guests rooms are fitted with thermoregulation apparatus, water, and electrical appliances that require constant checks and maintenance. The furniture décor computer systems and all the equipment in the kitchen have to be maintained and to replace the worn out equipment. This department maintains all the technical requirements and operations of the hotel. The department has the responsibility for external maintenance of parking lots, decorations, lightings, and landscaping. Maintenance of water systems, sewer systems, firefighting systems and waste management systems are critical to ensuring efficiency in the building (Go et al., 1995). The department works in synergy with security department that is under the guidance of the general manager. The internal security necessitates policies and procedures meant to protect the property, the guests and the property of the guests. These measures are the lighting; CCTV, fencing and patrolling of outside areas are comprehensive security package of Amalia hotel. Business blue print of Amalia hotel The business blueprint of Amalia hotel has five levels of management that includes the physical, customer actions, onstage and backstage employee’s action and finally supports processes. The physical evidence is the first stage of customer service after the guest arrives in Amalia hotel. This section involves the food, the menu, the desk paperwork among other functions. Room social amenities such as the electricity, Wi-Fi and parking services are in this category of blueprint activities (Buhalis, 2003). The customers actions involve checking in and going to the room allocated to them by the management after vacancy confirmation. The customers’ orders food and make reservations for food and finally eats the ordered food. The guests clear the bill and leave at their pleasure. The onstage contact employee’s actions consist of the process registration and registration of all the guests checking in the hotel. The employees also make write the customers’ orders and make deliveries of the food and beverages to the customers. The employees receive the bags and luggage of the guests and process the discounts of the guests. These levels form a line of interaction of the staff and the customers (Zemke and Schaaf, 1990). The backstage contact employee’s activities include several activities that include coordination of several departments and data processing. The employees make the reservation for guests as per the customer’s interests. The bags are taken to the guest’s rooms and the order food. These are the line of internal interaction between different departments of the hotel. The final process is the support process involves the internet based reservation system that works in synergy with registration systems (Buhalis, 2003). The service blueprint gives the hotel an efficiency platform that gives high-quality services to guests at a recommendable speed. Quality management in Amalia hotel operations Quality management has been achieved in Amalia hotel through various strategies that have won the trust of the customers and thus always attracts the customers again. Amalia hotel has preserved this high level of quality hospitality over the years has made the hotel the preferred destination in Greece from all over the world. Quality management is critical for any hotel to maintain high number of customers throughout the year (Go et al., 1995). The quality management at Amalia Hotel starts with good hiring and professional hiring. The SOP .of employment in Amalia has been hiring the best professionally throughout the years to give the general manager a team that would deliver. The employment policies of Amalia enforce strict scrutiny of references as well as placing new employees on probation. Amalia hotel has the culture of embracing staff members and motivates them to provide quality and professional services and exceptional services. All the employees that work directly with the guests are highly trained and undergo mentorship programs to provide quality and exceptional customer service to all the guests. There are always customer service appraisals that are reviewed routinely by the general managers to ensure all the customers receive quality services. Effective high-quality management leads to a team that retains and maintains the quality of services (Jones et al., 1989). Occupancy rates in Hotel Amalia are peaked throughout the year, and this has been a result of a developed reputation for quality. Effective management of quality is solution oriented management that opts for solutions based management from all level managers. Recommendations Amalia hotel has integrated its operations into a computerized system that allows the users, guests, and the staff to interact with this platform. The administration should upgrade the system to handle huge data and increases the efficiency while serving the guests. The rooms seem too small, and the visitors seem not to have the prestige of space in their rooms. The company should increase the number of lounges to encourage the guests to spend their time outside. The swimming pools are not enough for the guests who arrive at the hotel. Corporate social responsibility is essential for any organization to keep in touch with the customers and give back to the society (Zemke and Schaaf, 1990). These events create a perfect opportunity for the organizers to sell their brand to the attendants. Amalia hotel should partner with tourism ministry into tap tourists from all over the world. These would earn the country foreign exchange as selling the hotel to the tourists. The management should sell the brand to emerging markets such as China, Malaysia, UAE and Africa which has huge potential for growth. The rich history of Greece and Athens is a catalyst for a global audience that can be tapped by proper management. References Hayes, D. K., Ninemeier, J. D., & Miller, A. 2012. Foundations of lodging management. Boston: Prentice Hall. Buhalis, D., 2003. eTourism: Information technology for strategic tourism management. Pearson Education. Go, F.M., Pine, R., others, 1995. Globalization strategy in the hotel industry. Routledge. Jones, P., Lockwood, A., others, 1989. The management of hotel operations. Cassell Ltd. Kandampully, J., Mok, C., Sparks, B.A., 2001. Service quality management in hospitality, tourism, and leisure. Psychology Press. Mill, R.C., Chambers Jr, R., Craig, E., Schneider, M., Fitzgerald, R., Hollenback, H., Hansen, J., Jankura, D.E., Smith, W.K., Lewis, R.C., others, 1986. Operations management., in: The Practice of Hospitality Management II. Profitability in a Changing Environment. World Hospitality Congress II, Boston, Massachusetts, March 25-28, 1984. AVI Publishing Company, Inc., pp. 149–189. Rutherford, D.G., O’Fallon, M.J., 2007. Hotel management and operations. John Wiley Hoboken, NJ. Sasser, W.E., Olsen, R.P., Wyckoff, D.D., 1978. Management of service operations: Text, cases, and readings. Allyn & Bacon. Walker, J.R., Walker, J.T., 2012. Introduction to hospitality management. Pearson Higher Ed. Zemke, R., Schaaf, D., 1990. The service edge: 101 companies that profit from customer care. Plume Books. Read More