Hotels as we know them now with private rooms, elegant lobbies, restaurants, lounges, meeting rooms, banquet rooms, recreation facilities and back-of-the-house components evolved in 1829. Later part of the Nineteenth century marked the beginning of application of technological innovations like centralized heating, indoor plumbing, gas, electricity, lighting, elevators, phones and more. The hotels and resorts became centers of social activity. Then hotel segmentation began. Lodging is a type of residential accommodation. People who travel and stay away from home for more than a day need lodging facility. Lodging is done in a hotel, hostel, a private home (commercial, i.e. a bed and breakfast, a guest house, a vacation rental, or non-commercially, with members of hospitality services or in the home of friends), in a tent, caravan/camper
Facilities of lodging
Lodging facilities include:
- Guest room
- Lobby
- Food and beverage outlets
- Recreational facilities
- Administrative offices
- Food production area
- Back of the house areas
Back of the house:
- receiving and trash
- general storage
- employee areas
- laundry
- housekeeping layout
- maintenance and engineering
- banquets
Lobby: Lobby is one of the most prominent public space in a hotel. It also serves as a gathering spot. A lobby adds to the image of the hotel and also serves many obvious functional requirements. Front desk will be located in the lobby, where check in and check out of the guests happen. Lobby will always be monitored by lobby manager to avoid commotion and to help the guests with directions and with other needs.
Entrance of the hotel
The entrance of any hotel plays a major role in the creating an impression about the property in the minds of valuable customer. There will be more than three entrances to reduce traffic and also to differentiate visitors from guests. All the entrances will definitely demand security officers to uphold the safety of the guests and others in the hotel. Some of the entrances are:
- Main hotel entrance
- Banquet entrance
- Restaurant entrances
- Spa entrance
- Entrance for shuttles
- Entrance for business centre.
Main entrance should have a lot of space which will enable the guests to get off from their vehicle to unload and embark their luggages. Since many hotels are located in the downtown lot of space will help the guests from meeting with accidents. Entrances will be facing the busy street of the city where traffic will be non-stop, adequate space will help the guests with many kids to be at peace. Appropriate decoration for different entrances should be done to portrait the features of that particular place.
Lighting at the entrance as well as in the hotel should be prominent in the same way it should be of contemporary trends with latest technology to attach guests. Adequate and correct signage’s should be put up that are visible to direct the guests, even after the proper signs if the guest are found lost, the employees in the lobby will help them .
Entrance s for the physically challenged people should be designed in such a way that they feel comfortable with their access. Slope should be free from any destruction which will create problems while rolling wheel chairs. The doors should be designed in such a way that it can work mechanically at a button push. That will help the person in wheel chair to open the door without getting up.
Facilities in the Lobby
- Washrooms
- Travel desk
- Information desk
- Express check out area
Elevators
All the hotels will have two separate set of elevators.
Guest elevators
Service elevators
Guest elevators: these elevators are used by the guests.
Service elevators: these elevators are used by the employees only to
Deliver food and beverage for the guests.
Housekeeping will also use these elevators for going back and forth from rooms and their office.
Security personnel will use the elevator when they go on rounds every time.
Floors
Floor plan:
Every floor has two small rooms for housekeeping and the maintenance department. Housekeeping employees use their store room for storing their soiled sheets from the rooms and also new sheets for cleaning the room. They store solutions that are used for cleaning and other cleaning equipments. Each housekeeping employee will have a cart where they store the soiled sheets from the room and new sheets to be used in the room. Cleaning materials will also be kept in that cart. When they have to clean a room the housekeeper will take the necessary items to the room in the cart.
Apart from normal guest rooms there will be other rooms such as:
Maintenance store room
This room is used by the facility management people. These people will store their items such as bulbs and plumbing materials in case of blocks. Electrical items for emergency. Major items will be stored in a room near the maintenance office but necessary items for a floor will be kept in the maintenance store room which will be present in each floor.
These rooms will not be very prominent to the guests as they don’t get access.
Crew Lounge
This lounge is exclusively for airline employees who come and stay at the hotel after their shift. They come in group after every flight those lands into the city. Since these airline employees work odd shifts, while their stay at the hotel they expect absolute tranquility. Hence a separate lounge will be given to them where only airline crew members get access. Internet, drinks, television and dvd players are some of the entertainment available in the lounge.
Entertainment Lounge
This lounge is open to all the guests; they get snacks and drinks in the evening. Guests can relax in this lounge, read news papers. Generally this lounge will be located at a place where guests can get a great view of the city or something happening near the hotel just to amuse the guests. This lounge will operate only for limited hours, mainly in the evenings.
Types of rooms
Room types of the hotel Delta Chelsea, Canada
Delta Room
Approximately 275 square feet equipped with one king, one queen or two double beds. Featuring the Delta “Sanctuary Bed” with luxurious pillow top mattress, white striped bedding, plush duvet, designer cummerbund and accent pillow. Work desk, guaranteed access to high speed internet, ergonomic desk chair, iron and ironing board, coffee/tea maker, hairdryer, curved shower rods with waffle shower curtains. Many rooms have balcony access.
Signature Club Room
Approximately 315 square feet equipped with one king bed. Featuring modern and stylish residential furnishings, designer fabrics, black & white artwork and 37” flat screen LCD television. All rooms feature the Delta “Sanctuary Bed” with luxurious pillow top mattress, white striped bedding, plush duvet, designer cummerbund and accent pillow. Work desk, free high speed internet, Ipod docking clock radio and cordless phone. Iron and ironing board, coffee/tea maker, bathrobes, hairdryer, curved shower rods with waffle shower curtains. Exclusive access to the Signature Club lounge including complimentary continental breakfast, evening hors d’oeuvres and wireless internet. All rooms have balcony access. *The maximum occupancy of all Signature Club rooms is two people.
Kitchenette
Bachelor style apartments, 353 square feet, perfect for those staying in the city for more than a few days. Kitchenettes feature all amenities of a Delta Room with a separate kitchen area. All rooms include a king-size bed and a queen-size pullout sofa. All kitchenettes feature: full-size fridge, stove and microwave, dishes and cooking utensils, full-size sink, toaster and balcony access.
Family Fun Suite
Family Fun Suites provide families with a home away from home when visiting Toronto. The fully equipped two bedroom apartment-style suites are 600 square feet and feature a kitchen, living room and a play area for children. Special amenities include: bubble bath, kid’s bathrobes, step-up stools, children’s chairs, cookie jars, alphabet fridge magnets, in-room DVD and X-BOX with free access to movies and video games at the Kid Centre, bunk-beds, take-home gifts and Kids ConSpacious apartment-style units, 453 square feet with a queen-size bed in a separate bedroom and include a queen-size pullout sofa in the living room. A separate kitchen includes full-size fridge, stove, microwave, kettle, toaster and dishes. One bedroom suites feature all the amenities of a Delta Room. Guaranteed balcony access.
Location: High floor
View: City view
Bed Options: One Queen, One Pullout Sofa Bed
Other room types are
- Business Suite
- Parlor Suite
- Honeymoon Suite
- Premier Rooms with Fireplace
- Premier Rooms with Garden Access
- King Executive Suite
- Deluxe Junior Executive Suite
Communications
All the hotels will have a department for communications, which enable the departments to integrate all the time and work efficiently. Different hotels name this department differently. Communication office will be located in the back of the house and not in the front. Generally this department will be called as CRC , customer resolution centre. Guests can call the communications department directly and inform them their needs and complains which will be addressed immediately with the help of runners.
Switchboard
This is another facility in communications. They dispatch calls that come to the hotel.
Safety and security in the design of Lodging Operation
Properly maintained and adequately illuminated walkways, stairs reduce the likelihood of falls and related injuries. Using slip – resistant flooring materials and finishes helps protect employees and guests from injury due to slippery surfaces. The glass installed in sliding doors to balconies, other patio doors, and exit as well as entrance doors is another source of safety problems. In that case Tampered glass whish is harder to break and when it is shattered it breaks into round pieces should be installed in such locations to reduce the chances for injuries. Hotels should be fully sprinkled or that each floor should have a rescue assistance area. Areas to rescue assistance are designated protected spaces that connect directly to a means of a fire stair.
Safety and security for the people with disabilities
Guests with disabilities may often be at greater risk in emergency situations due either to a diminished ability to hear warning signals or an inability to exit a building quickly. To alert guests who cannot hear audible alarms, Visual alarms should be installed. Especially where an individual might be isolated such as in bathrooms, meeting rooms, and guest rooms. These lights are required to meet certain minimum requirements such as spacing, installation heights. Beds in the rooms specially for people with disabilities will have beds that can vibrate. So that if there is any emergency where guests need to be evacuated, the beds will vibrate and the guests will know that something is wrong, this will help the guests big time.
Fire Safety
Fire room will be located in a corner of the lobby. With all fire equipments apart from the ones present in the floors and other common areas. An audio visual system will be installed in that room. In case of fire alarms manager on duty has to get into that room for announcement regarding the alarm, some hotels do display the alarm that goes off. Security personals will get into the process of evacuating the guests, so stairs should be accessible and well lit always to avoid small accidents.
Illuminated exit signs posted above all primary exits that leads to the exterior
Two exits will be available in all the floors if the rooms in that floors can accommodate more than 10 guests primary exit that leads to the exterior or the structure shall be capable of unlocking from the interior with single action hardware, and free from obstruction.
Any sleeping room shall be equipped with an operable way out window
Each floor will have fire extinguishers.
Smoke detectors
Smoke detectors should be installed in all the places of the hotel. Along with the sprinklers.
Fire pumps and portable extinguisher should be checked once in a while to avoid problems during needy times.
Water supply
Water supply in the hotel should be built in, to avoid any leakages due to breakages. Provision for cold and hot water should be available. Separate pipes for sanitary wastes should be installed . Water stagnation should be avoided by making lot of drainages which will help in reducing small insects that breed in water.
Electrical supply
Power should be maintained and consistent to avoid over loading. Emergency generators should be in place to back up during black outs. Computer network should be safeguarded as they are the main source for information’s. Telephone cabling should be sealed and the junction box has to be placed inside of the hotel to avoid chaos. Back up bulbs and other fittings should be ready in order to switch the old ones when they burst. As lighting plays a major roles delays cannot be accepted.
Back office areas
Receiving dock:
This will be present at the back of the hotel for receiving and docking.
Employee cafeteria and lockers
Linen chute from guestroom floor service areas to soiled linen area.
Mechanical room to allow for eventual equipment replacement.
Conclusion
These are all the various designs of the lodging operations, these may vary from hotel to hotel according to size and space available.
