Completing task 1 Pass point 1 Merit point 1

To know the products and services offered in the different

hospitality settings

Products and services offered in the hospitality industry

• OBJECTIVES:

– To know the products and services offered in the different hospitality settings

PRODUCTS & SERVICES

The three main products that are offered across hotels, restaurants, pubs, clubs and contract catering are:

- Food

- Drink

- Accommodation

The type, quality and pricing of the food on offer varies enormously depending on the type of setting and the type of outlet.

Some outlets are pride themselves on offering a very wide choice of foods, even if their main business is in offering drinks.

FOOD

For example, at Starbucks. The food products they sell fall into the categories shown below:

- biscuits - cakes

- fruit salad - pastries

- sandwiches - paninis

- salads - breakfast

PRODUCTS & SERVICES: FOOD

OTHER OUTLETS may offer a more limited menu because they have worked out exactly what appeals to their customers. For example, a transport café may offer a short menu of all day breakfast food with large portions at reasonable prices.

FINE DINING RESTAURANTS may change menu frequently to offer food that is in season, or specialities.

CONTRACT CATERING BUSINESS provide a wide range of foods to different clients.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES: FOOD

Activity.

• Turn to page 38 in the hospitality book.

• Complete activity: Food products offered by different hospitality settings.

DRINK

Hotels, restaurants, pubs, clubs and catering services all provide the drinks to their customers. Drinks can be broken down into three main categories:

- soft drinks

- alcoholic drinks

- hot drinks

Any hospitality business may sell soft drinks and hot drinks, but only business that have been granted an alcohol licence can sell alcohol

DRINK

PricingPrices for alcohol vary considerably. You are likely to pay more for a drink in a pub, club or restaurant in London than in a smaller town. Here are some examples:-The average price for a glass of wine in a restaurant in London is £7; in Cambridge it is £3.50.- For a pint of lager in London the average is £5; in Cambridge you would pay £3.Prices will differ in the same town; often pubs will charge a little less than restaurants, and clubs will charge more.

DRINK

In pubs, clubs and restaurants drinks are likely to be served in the bar and restaurant areas. In hotels drinks will be consumed in a number of different areas. For example, guests will drink in public areas such as the restaurant, bar and lounge areas, and they can also drink in their bedrooms.

DRINK

There has been a boom in the number of coffee shops appearing in many countries, including the UK’s high streets. Branded shops such as Starbucks, Costa Coffee, Café Nero and independent coffee shops

serve a host of different

coffees, teas and

hot chocolate.

DRINK

ACCOMMODATION

Hospitality settings offering accommodation include hotels, guesthouses, bed & breakfast and hostels. We shall concentrate here on hotels. Hotel accommodation can be divided into the bedrooms and the public areas.

BEDROOMS

The more luxurious hotels will have a number of features in their bedrooms that you would not expect to see in a bed and breakfast or tourist (budget) hotel. These might include:

- trouser press - alarm clock

- minibar - internet points

- satellite TV - private bathroom

- DVD player - CD player

PRICES

Generally speaking the more facilities provided the more expensive the room.

• Rack rate – this is the rate that is displayed in the hotel reception.

• Business rate – this is often a special rate for business users only.

• Internet rate – this is often cheaper than the rack rate but available only to

those booking on line.

PRICES

Hotels will also have different prices for different room types. For example, the Internet rates for different types of bedrooms in a Holiday Inn hotel are:

- single £121.50

- double £121.50

- executive £148.50

PRICES

Hotel room prices can depend on a number of factors, including:

– how busy the hotel is

– location

– season

– day of the week

PUBLIC AREASMost of the larger three – to five-star hotels will have public areas, where customers can come and enjoy these areas of the business without having to stay in the hotel. Hotels such as The Ritz and the Dorchester have public areas where they serve Afternoon Tea. This is available to members of the public who wish to visit these beautiful and luxurious hotels but do not wish to stay at the hotels. Afternoon Tea at Ritz: £40

LEVELS AND TYPES OF SERVICES

Catering services can be:

– silver service

– plated

– self-service

– counter service

BUSINESS SERVICES

Four and five-star hotels will provide a range of business services for their guests. Such services include:

- direct-dial phone - telephone messaging- fax - photocopying- secretarial - stationary- computer and Internet - posting

CONFERENCES• Meetings – some business will hire a room at

a local hotel or restaurant. Facilities they would expect to be provided with include stationary, overhead projector and screen, Internet access, TV and DVD, refreshments.

• Company promotions – include recruitment and careers fairs or the launch of a new product.

• Seminars – business hire rooms to conduct seminars (discussions or training sessions). They may be a need of a large room and several smaller ones.

FUNCTIONS

Private function rooms are offered to guests who wish to have a celebration, such as a wedding.

The facilities that would be provided at a function are:

- tables and chairs - music

- food and drink - decorations

TASK 1 (leads to P2)• You have started working for a magazine called

Meet the Hospitality Industry. You have been asked to produce an article for the next issue about products and services offered in the hospitality industry.

• Investigate the products and services available to customers within three different hospitality settings in your local area. The results of this investigation should be displayed on a map building a picture of hospitality settings in your local area.

M1

• Extend your work further to reach M1 You need to investigate and explain the types of products and services offered in five businesses different from the ones investigated for P1.

• This is 8 in total.