Business Reading. Importing and Exporting: hospitality industry

Importing and Exporting: Hospitality Industry

The hospitality industry is booming at present. More 5-star hotels are being built, more existing де luxe hotels are being renovated now than in the previous decade. High-tech and multi­media companies bring a lot of corporate travelers and give con­vention opportunities for hotel owners in fast-growing megapolicies.

Some of these business travelers prefer world-known chain hotels, such as Hilton and Sheraton Hotels, others stay at smaller, luxury hotels Occupying buildings of historical value.

All these hotels differ in size and interior design, but they have one thing in common. Through feds and fashions their personnel never forgets its first and foremost mission - making the customer at home. They try to cater to different tastes. Most grand hotels offer their guests single and double rooms, suites and penthouses. Sometimes you may find beautifully decorated suites for newly­wedded couples and president suites. More expensive rooms usually have a lovely view of the sea (of the park). The cheaper ones overlook an inner yard or a noisy street. The guests have a choice of either having their meal in one of the restaurants or having it delivered to their rooms. The room service also takes care of some other wishes of the guests (like fresh flowers, souvenirs, postcards). Those visitors who are short of time can drop in a cafe or in a bar for a quick snack.

Rooms in fashionable hotels are usually fitted in with cable and satellite television, telephones, sometimes even in a bathroom, and with amenities such as a combination printer/photocopier/fax. Rooms in top-class hotels are now upgraded with high-speed Internet access.

For corporate travelers, many hotels now offer dedicated mul­timedia conference suites. Designed for small- to mid-sized cor­porate meetings, conference centers feature state-of-the-art tech­nology, including high-performance sound systerns with wireless microphones and high-speed ISDN lines for Internet connections.

Hotels' health clubs feature fitness centers, salt water pools, whirlpools, steam rooms, outdoor saunas. You can book theater tickets, air and railway tickets at the registration desk.

According to forecasts the average daily room rate will rise dramatically in the next few years. Fortunately for those, who are involved in hospitality industry, many business travelers are ready to accept an increase in prices on condition it _-guarantees them better service.