Accomodation

A person checks into a hotel for the first time in his life and goes up to his room. Five minutes later he calls the desk and says, “ you’ve given me a room with no exit. How do I leave?”

The desk clerk says, “ sir, that’s absurd. Have you looked for the door?”

He says, “Well, there’s one door that leads to the bathroom. There’s a 2nd door that goes into the closet. And there’s a door I haven’t tried, but it has a ‘do not disturb’ sign on it.”

What is ‘accommodation’?

• Accommodation sector:– Revolves around where travelers stay (sleep) while

away from home

• What do we need to know about?– Types of lodging– Types of hotels– Types of hotel ownership/management structure– How to price accommodation– Accommodation rating systems

Different Types of Lodging• Hotel:– Where guests sleep and have other services available –

usually having a central lobby, rooms are accessible from the lobby, food and/or beverages are often available, and parking may or may not be available

– Example: Sandman Signature Hotel (Langley)

• Motel: – Simple sleeping accommodations without access to

many other services – targeted towards car travelers – plenty of free parking – rooms accessible directly from outside

– Example: Travelodge (Langley)

• Inn:– Smaller type of lodging found in smaller cities; often ‘homey’

and personal– Ex: Westward Inn & Suites (Langley)

• Bed & Breakfast (B&B)– Lodging found in converted homes and other buildings; offers

accommodation and breakfast the next morning; usually very personal and offers unique cultural experiences

– Ex: Princess and the Pea B&B (Langley) • Hostel:

– Shared bedrooms and bathrooms; usually inexpensive and youth focused

– Ex: The Cambie Hostel (Vancouver)

• Condos:– Privately-owned apartment that may be used by the

owner for some of the year and rented out to tourists the rest of the year

– Ex: Owner Direct Vacation Rentals (various locations)• Time-share:– Travelers buy a vacation segment for a specific period

of time each year– Ex: Delta Grand Okanagan Resort (Kelowna)

• Dude/Guest Ranch– Guests stay and work on a working ranch to experience

the ranching lifestyle– Ex: Wildhorse Mountain Guest Ranch (Summerland)

• Campground (RV Park)– Guests rent ground space to pitch their tent or

park their RV– EX: Fort Camping (Brae Island in Langley)

Classifying Hotels – Services Offered• Budget/economy hotel:– Low cost, few services, no in-house food, near other

amenities• mid-scale:– Coffee shop or some food service, have other amenities

(pool, banquet facilities, etc.) – Ex: Best Western (Langley)

• Upscale:– Many quality services; nice restaurants, salons, pools,

exercise rooms, etc.)• Luxury:– Many amenities; very high levels of service, grand

properties, high priced– Ex: Four Seasons Vancouver

Most Expensive Hotel Suite?

Classifying Hotels: Miscellaneous

• Residential Hotel:– Long-term guests, like an apartment suite– Often downtown or near large employers

(University)– Ex: Sutton Place Hotel (Vancouver)

• Spa Hotel:– Accommodations and amenities to refresh and

rejuvenate; mud baths, massage, exercise programs, healthy food…

– Ex: Sparkling Hill Resort (Vernon)

• Boutique Hotel:– Luxury/upscale hotel with unique features and

amenities; modern conveniences but unique rooms and design

– Ex: Loden Hotel (Vancouver)• Convention hotel: focusing on convention

business or near a convention center• Casino hotel: focusing on casino-style

entertainment• All-inclusive resort: everything included in price– Ex: Sandals Resorts (Caribbean)

Types of Accommodation Ownership and Management

• Individual owner/operator:– Small; often family owned/operated– Ex: Princess and the Pea B&B (Langley)

• Referral Network:– Hotel is individually owned, but belong to a

network for marketing and reservations– Ex: Best Western Plus – Kelowna Hotel & Suites

• Franchise:– Individually owned, but pay $$ to parent company

to use name and systems of parent company– Ex: Holiday Inn Express

• Management Contract:– Individually owned, but contract to professional

hotel management company to run the hotel; management company shares in profits

– Ex: Atlific Hotels

Booking Accommodation

How to Price Accommodations

• Are accommodation prices always the same? NO!• FACTORS AFFECTING PRICING– Location (of hotel and room within hotel)– Room size and amenities– Pricing expectations of target market– Competitors’ pricing– Seasonality– Group purchase discounts– Discounts given to certain groups (seniors, govt

workers, AAA, etc.)– Available meal plans

Accommodation Rating SystemsRATING RATING DETAILS

* Clean, comfortable accommodations

** Clean, comfortable accommodations with some amenities

*** Very comfortable accommodations with a greater range of facilities, amenities, and services

**** Highest standard of accommodations with extensive range of facilities, amenities, and services

***** Exceptional properties – among best in the country in terms of facilities, amenities, quality & service

*Canada Select Accommodations Rating Program Categories