Hotel TBC

Recent government sources from the island have unveiled the countrys intention to build a further 24,000 hotel rooms in order to keep up with growing demand from increasing tourism to the island. With the popularity of Cuba holidays increasing rapidly every year the island has experienced a boom in tourism arrivals, with tourism figures growing every year.

In 2011 the island welcomed around 700,000 more visitors indicating a substantial growth of 7.3 per cent more travellers enjoying holidays in Cuba last year. This figure is expected to keep growing in 2012 and see further growth in the coming years. In addition to the regular tourism markets in Europe and Canada responsible for sending the largest number of tourists to the island, other source markets are emerging, with Russian and South American travellers now leading the way for growth. To cope with the expected ongoing growth the islands tourist infrastructure needs to expand considerably and it is for this reason that tourism officials have decided to start construction plans on new Cuba hotels in order to cater for the increased flow of tourists arriving to the island.

Cubas Vice Minister of Tourism, Alexis Trujillo, has confirmed that the building of these new hotel rooms is being funded by foreign and Cuban investment. He also confirmed that the island plans to increase the diversity of Cubas tourism product with the 13 new golf courses planned, all of which are in different stages of negotiation talks at the moment, as are the construction of new theme parks to spring up around the whole island.

Regarding foreign investment, Mr Trujillo explained that of the currently existing 58,000 hotel rooms in Cuba, 6000 belong to 30 companies of mixed ownership (divided ownership between Cuban capital and foreign capital) and they await further Cuba hotels to be constructed by these kind of consortia companies.

During a press conference called in the occasion of Pope Benedict XVI to Cuba, Trujillo highlighted the increase of foreign tourist arrivals to the island over the last few years, whose figures have experienced an average growth of 10.5 per cent since 1990.

KPI management is as important as implementation process of Balanced Scorecard. Sure thing, the choice of the right key performance indicators and development of the right strategy is vital for BSC success. At the same time maintenance of Balanced Scorecard and management of key performance indicators is a critical success factor for efficient use of Balanced Scorecard. By the way, improper management of key performance indicators is one of the most common mistakes in implementation and maintenance of Balanced Scorecard. Just having a set of key performance indicators is not enough. It is necessary to adequately measure them, exchange obtained information between different managerial levels, as well as use evaluation results in decision making and strategy revision. This also concerns hotel Balanced Scorecard. Hotel industry is known as being extremely competitive. Indeed, there is no lack of options when looking for the hotel to spend the night there or the entire vacations. Hotels are eager to use
Balanced Scorecard since this system can certainly help transform strategic plans into real actions. This is only possible if all rules and norms of Balanced Scorecard maintenance and KPIs management are observed.

As known, Balanced Scorecard consists of four categories: financial, customer, internal business processes, learning and growth. What makes Balanced Scorecard unique? Unlike similar performance evaluation systems of Balanced Scorecard evaluates nonfinancial indicators as well. In terms of a hotel industry these indicators refer to customer satisfaction, improvement of hotel personnel professional level, optimization of internal processes, for example laundry, dining services, housekeeping and cleaning, reception services etc.

No less imagine such a situation hotel top managers have developed a strategy and selected a set of key performance indicators that fall into the above mentioned four categories. Now is the time to start using Balanced Scorecard and evaluate the selected KPIs. It needs mentioning that key performance indicators should be measurable and understood. As time passes by the first results are obtained. This is perhaps the most important stage since top managers have to find out whether are not they have made the right choice and assigned the right weights for indicators. For instance, such a key performance indicator as room occupancy may not matter much as visitors tend to stay for more than three days in a hotel and maintenance of vacant rooms requires little expenses. This is just a hypothetical example.

Having obtained the first results, top management needs to analyze them. KPI evaluation results show progress or regress of a hotel on its way to implement strategic goals. Thus, hotel managers and owners locate problematic areas and make decisions as to necessary improvements. For instance, if your kitchen performance prevents hotel from optimize an overall performance, relevant decisions need to be made (e.g. hiring new chef, changing food supplier etc.). Balanced Scorecard will work only in case the information it provides is actually used to initiate changes. Balanced Scorecard will not change the situation by itself but rather offer important and valuable information for top managers and business owners.

The use of metal keys for opening your hotel room is a thing of the past already. Today, most local and international hotel chains now offer high-tech hotel key cards, which allow their guests easy access to their rooms. For hotel guests, these access cards are also handy and lightweight, and also give hotel managers and owners other cost-effective benefits, as well as a more-improved manner of securing their establishment.

The Use Of Hotel Keycards Has Risen: Many tourist establishments today view the use of electronic key cards as a better and more high-tech option. Many hotels now utilize these electronic cards and their reliability has made them the preferred tool for use in college dorms, resorts and other home stay facilities. What makes this the equipment of choice is that hotel or dorm managers only need to recode the card each time a new guest moves in, especially if the room would be used only for a short stay. These types of cards also limit entry to restricted areas in facilities such as hospitals, colleges, government offices and corporate centers. The use of these plastic hotel key cards and badges provide a much higher level of security and privacy, which is a stringent requirement for most hotels, resorts and dormitories.
Other Key Card Perks: The plastic hotel key cards we see today at resorts and hotels have truly evolved from their conventional white plastic format, and are now also utilized as vital marketing tools for the businesses that use them. These electronically-formatted key cards now come in a wide array of unique designs and colors, and also display messages or advertisements that allow for convenient marketing tools. Today, there are many key card manufacturers, and each offer a different type of printing format or size. Hotels and resorts can choose from many designs and pricing schemes, and ensure that the card formats they agree upon are fully compatible with the existing locking systems of their facilities. Hotel owners and managers could check out each card manufacturer, and review the quality of their materials used, graphic and printing formats, and other advanced technological processes, as well as the quality of materials used in crafting the key card. Hotel guests need to be aware that the hotel will not quickly erase their basic personal information on the room entry cards, but will do so whenever a new guest arrives and checks in the room. The front desk staff will re-issue the card to the next guest, and will make sure that they overwrite the previous information stored. Another good aspect about using these plastic access cards is that they offer environment-friendly alternatives to metal keys, as well as eliminate the need for rewriting personal information on paper. Also, in the event that you lose your card during your stay, you can still access your room with a new keycard which will be issued to you, provided that you can prove to the front desk personnel that you are the rightful person who is checked-in to that room.

Helpful Key Card Options for Guests: Whenever a hotel wishes to implement the use of these electronic plastic access cards, they could have these customized to work well with their existing locking mechanisms and equipment. The cards may also be tested to ensure that they withstand regular wear and tear, and stay durable for as long as possible. You may also imprint the instructions for proper card use on the back portion of each plastic access card. These access cards are indispensable tools for restricting, as well as permitting, access to specific hotel rooms, especially in areas considered off-limits to hotel guests.

Apart from the efficient security features that these cards offer, these cards are also visually appealing, user-friendly and reliable marketing tools, and offer establishments with a wonderful advertising window, to help increase profits and ensure higher satisfaction by guests.

Gatwick is the second busiest airport in United Kingdom. If you are catching a flight from this airport or arriving here affordable stay options are available close by. The cheap hotels offer basic facilities to guests.

Numerous airports are conveniently located close to the airport in Gatwick and can be chosen for an overnight stay by travellers. While most of these high end hotels are expensive, some of them are budget hotels and offer accommodation at affordable rates. Some of these hotels have been recently renovated and are well equipped to provide all the modern amenities to guests. Hotels near Gatwick airport that are available at inexpensive rates have rooms, which are comfortably furnished and designed to suit the needs of a traveller. Central London can also be easily reached from these hotels near Gatwick airport and this is an excellent choice of stay for budget travellers. Passengers having to board an early morning flight or travelling in flights that arrive at the airport late in the night can choose to stay in a hotel close to Gatwick for their comfort and convenience.

Since hotels near Gatwick are well furnished, they offer comfortable beds which are good to have a sound sleep. Travellers do not have to worry about sleeping on a lumpy and hard bed. One of the facilities provided by hotels located close to Gatwick airport is complimentary transfer from the airport. Guests choosing to stay at these hotels are picked up from the airport and are directly transported to the hotel and this service is provided at an extremely nominal charge by the hotel. Return transfer from the hotel is a complimentary service provided by the hotel to all guests. Travellers can reserve a seat for their return journey at the time of check in itself at the reception desk of the hotel. Passengers arriving at the airport can call the hotel from a free phone available at the airport and the vehicle will be arranged to transport them to the hotel.

Complimentary Wi-Fi can be enjoyed by guests in all parts of these hotels and this helps them to stay connected. They can easily access their mails on any of their devices. Round-the-clock reception is available for the convenience of guests who will be checking in late in the night after arrival of their flight. Car parking facilities are also available and can be availed of by guests at a nominal charge. Fax facilities are also available at the business centre of the hotels and are useful for business travellers. Continental or English breakfast is provided on a complimentary basis to all guests staying at the hotels and the services start as early as possible to suit the needs of the early travellers. Some hotels also house a bar and restaurant which are suitable for travellers who want to unwind and sip on a drink after a long flight.

It is possible to book a hotel in Gatwick easily with the click of a button as availability and reservations can be accessed on the website of the hotels. Events and functions can also be organized and arranged in these hotels and facilities are available to host these events.

The writer of this article is associated with Days hotel Gatwick, a budget accommodation near Gatwick airport. This hotel is well furnished to cater to the needs of a traveler and provides a comfortable accommodation option.

If you are thinking to start to start your own hotel business, it is better to plan your business priorities first. It will help you to know what exactly you need in order to achieve your business objective. Every business needs a robust business plan before it gets started whether its matter of raising funds or to run the business. Here are few steps to enable you to start your hotel business successfully.

Raising Funds
Every business needs money to be invested in it to function properly and when you are starting a new hotel, money is the critical element of your planning. Whether you are planning to buy an established hotel or constructing your own from the scratch, you need strong financial planning for it. The best source to raise funds is taking a business loan from a bank. You can approach to any bank of your choice but before that keep your business plan ready. Nearly all banks need a business plan as an integral part of your loan application

Location of Hotel
A right location matters a lot for your hotel to get success. For example if your hotel is located in an area where competitors are unable to fulfill the requirements of travelers your hotel can touch the heights of success and if your hotel is located on a walking distance from the main tourist attraction but there is lot of competition your hotel might not get enough guests. If you hotel is located near to airport or railway station or bus stand, you will get many guest without doing any thing. You also have to think that shopping places and entertainment places are easily accessible from hotel.

Strategy
Business strategy is the foundation of successful hotel business. Your strategy should be very clear in concept without any confusion. It is better to plan your business strategies in advance. Just ask few questions to yourself like How you will fulfill the requirements of families, kids, honeymoon couples, business travelers and international tourists. And What kind of services you will offer to your guest. A good strategy is always a key to success in any business.

Hospitality Experience
If you are new to this industry you might face lots challenges to gain success. You must know How you want your guests to be treated in your hotel. Every guest in your hotel needs highest level of attention and service whether its a family or business traveler. It is better to first get a job in a hotel, learn some basics of hospitality industry and then start your own hotel.

Marketing
Once your hotel is up and running, you need customers. If you will not get enough guests in your hotel your business will fail. To attract guest you must run effective marketing campaign and you must advertise your hotel. You must contact travel agents and franchise to get bookings in your hotel. There are many online hotel booking websites, you must register with them. Your hotel must have an effective website of its own with online hotel booking facility so that your customers can make direct booking with you and you dont have to pay commission to travel agent. You can pass this saving to your guest by lowering down your tariff or by providing then additional services.