AOHT Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lesson 6 Lodging
Teacher Resource 6.2
Presentation Notes: The Wide World of Lodging
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Presentation notes
AOHT Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lesson 6 Lodging
Presentation notes
A lodging is somewhere to sleep or to stay
for a short time, such as on a vacation or a
business trip. Hotels make up the largest
category within the lodging industry. There
are several different types of hotels,
including luxury hotels, resort hotels, fullservice hotels, extended-stay hotels, and
limited-service hotels. Hotels are also
sometimes categorized by their price
range or by where they are located,
including airport hotels, which are near the
airport, and highway hotels, which are
located right off a highway exit. Another
name for a highway hotel is a “motel,”
which is a combination of the words motor
and hotel.
Lodgings can be extremely unusual. In
Sweden and other countries with long cold
winters, you can stay in a hotel made
entirely of ice and snow. There are tree
house hotels, cave hotels, and yurt hotels,
which are like very fancy dome tents.
AOHT Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lesson 6 Lodging
Presentation notes
Luxury hotels offer guests the most
modern, expensive amenities available,
including large bathrooms with expensive
soaps and jetted tubs, sitting areas with
comfortable couches and state-of-the-art
television equipment, and bedrooms with
the finest linens and best views. Luxury
hotels also offer guests swimming pools,
beauty salons, gift boutiques, game
rooms, daily housekeeping, 24-hour room
service, and wedding and banquet
services.
AOHT Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lesson 6 Lodging
Presentation notes
Resort hotels are very similar to luxury
hotels, except they also offer easy access
to additional amenities such as ski slopes,
golf courses, amusement parks, beaches,
or spas. Another type of resort hotel is a
casino, in which guests have access to
gaming and betting rooms. Luxury and
resort hotels are the most expensive. They
offer the complete vacation experience—
you may never leave the hotel grounds
during your whole vacation, because every
activity or amenity you could want is there
at your fingertips.
AOHT Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lesson 6 Lodging
Presentation notes
Full-service hotels are a step down from
luxury hotels. They still offer many
amenities, but they aren’t as fancy. Guests
at full-service hotels typically enjoy
restaurants or coffee bars inside the hotel,
housekeeping, laundry services, and
swimming pools or fitness rooms. Rooms
are usually smaller than those in luxury
hotels. Full-service hotels may also be
referred to as “mid-range,” because they
are in the middle of the price range. Some
full-service hotels specifically target
business people on short “hops” or trips.
These hotels may emphasize their
“business-friendly” features, which may
include in-room wireless or Internet access
or a “business center” with copy machines,
fax machines, and printers.
AOHT Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lesson 6 Lodging
Presentation notes
Extended-stay hotels are designed for
people who have to stay for weeks or even
months. These guests might be business
travelers on a long trip, people who are
moving to a new town, or people who have
had to move out of their home temporarily.
These hotel rooms usually include a full
kitchen with a refrigerator, a stove or a
microwave, and all the kitchen utensils—
pots and pans, plates, glasses,
silverware—you need to cook your own
meals. The rooms also typically include a
living room area and/or a desk and office
space, and some extended-stay hotels are
pet friendly, so Fido and Fluffy can stay,
too. Extended-stay hotels are usually less
expensive than full-service or luxury
hotels.
AOHT Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lesson 6 Lodging
Presentation notes
Limited-service hotels may offer
continental breakfast, which includes
cereal, juice, toast, and fruit. They have
housekeeping service, newspaper service,
and vending machines. They sometimes
offer Internet access and swimming pools.
Highway hotels, or motels, are often
limited-service hotels. Limited-service
hotels may also be referred to as
“economy” or “budget” lodging, because
they are the least expensive option. For a
guest who just needs a bed for the night,
or for the traveler who doesn’t plan to
spend much time in the room, a limitedservice hotel may be the perfect answer.
AOHT Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lesson 6 Lodging
Presentation notes
Different rooms in the same hotel have
different prices. Rooms that are larger or
have two beds, bigger beds, or luxurious
furnishings (such as leather couches,
jetted hot tubs, balconies, or great views)
cost more. Most guests request rooms
based on how many beds they need.
Rooms can cost anywhere from less than
$50 to more than $10,000 per night,
depending on the hotel and location. Also,
Lodging businesses take down your billing the state charges a Transient Occupancy
information when you check in and bill you Tax—a tax on the hotel bed, essentially.
These taxes can be as high as 17%, and
when you check out. You can usually
arrive to check in during the afternoon, and that is added on to the price of the hotel
room.
check out before late morning of the day
you want to leave. This gives
housekeeping time to clean your room and
prepare it for the next guest.
During checkout, the guest receives a bill.
The more services guests use during their
stay, the higher the bill will be. For
example, on the bill above, the couple ate
some candy bars from the mini-bar in their
room. A mini-bar is a small refrigerator that
some hotels have in the room, full of drinks
and snacks that you can buy. The couple
also paid to watch movies at night.
AOHT Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lesson 6 Lodging
Presentation notes
Many travelers look at ratings from the
American Automobile Association, AAA,
before making travel choices. AAA sends
inspectors to rate lodging businesses
every year. They look at television size
and soap quality, count how many hangers
are in closets, and record whether there
are swimming pools, fitness rooms, and
more. They also monitor the service of the
lodging employees. AAA rates lodging
businesses using its diamond system. Five
diamonds is top-of-the-line, the height of
luxury and expense. One diamond is for
the most basic lodging that is still a good
place to stay. If a business doesn’t receive
a rating of any diamond, AAA doesn’t think
it’s a place travelers should stay.
Another well-known lodging rating system
is the Mobil Travel Guide, which rates
lodging options by stars instead of
diamonds. Although its rating system is
similar to AAA, many believe it is slightly
stricter. Hotels are inspected once every
18 months for acceptable price range in
accordance with quality of food, décor,
amenities, services, etc. When you hear
someone say they stayed at a “four-star
hotel,” they are talking about Mobil’s rating
system. Most of the world uses the star
system in their hotel ratings.
AOHT Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lesson 6 Lodging
Presentation notes
The most unique part of bed and
breakfasts (and where they get their
name) is that innkeepers cook breakfast
for all the guests every morning. This often
includes eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes,
waffles, and more. All the guests eat
breakfast together, and because the B&B
is usually a house that has been converted
to an inn, you are likely to run into your
fellow guests on a regular basis. This can
be a terrific opportunity to learn about
Bed and breakfasts are usually smaller
other guests’ experiences and get some
and family owned. They are often houses
inside information about the best places to
that have been converted into inns.
Innkeepers are typically couples who enjoy eat, explore, or visit in this community.
hosting guests in their home. In North
America, bed and breakfasts are usually
located in areas of “high amenity,” or
places of considerable tourist interest and
are often housed in converted historic
homes.
Rooms and amenities are often very
similar to people’s own homes. Rooms
often include personal touches such as
flower arrangements, handmade quilts,
and cozy fireplaces. In some bed and
breakfasts, there may not be a television
or even a phone in each room. B&Bs, as
they are called, offer other activities, such
as a library of books and board games that
guests may borrow from. Many B&Bs keep
a “room journal,” where guests can write a
note to the innkeepers and to fellow
guests. It can be fascinating to read about
the other people who have stayed in your
room.
AOHT Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lesson 6 Lodging
Presentation notes
Hostels are designed for young travelers
who are on a tight budget. While there are
hostels in most major cities in the United
States, hostels are even more popular in
other countries. In Australia and New
Zealand, hostels are known as “back
packers.” Hostels are like limited-service
hotels, except that travelers often sleep in
bunk beds with up to 15 other people in a
room. They also share bathrooms, and
most include shared social spaces, such
as a reading room, Internet area, and
kitchen where you can cook your own
meals. Hostels frequently have guidelines
their guests must follow—for example,
they might set a curfew, and all guests
must be inside by that time. Many hostels
shut their doors during the day, so if you
have lots of luggage, you’ll have to carry it
with you, because the hostel won’t hold it
for you. Some hostels have separate
sections for men and women. There isn’t
much privacy, but it can be a great way to
meet travelers from all over the world.
Hostel prices are very reasonable, so
using hostels can make the difference
between an affordable trip and one that’s
priced out of reach.
AOHT Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lesson 6 Lodging
Presentation notes
RV parks and campgrounds are designed
for people who are traveling in a
recreational vehicle (RV) or who are
camping in a tent. Campgrounds often
offer toilets, showers, water, barbeque
pits, and a safe place to camp. They cost
less than most other lodging options, but
they offer very few services. In some
instances, however, RV “resorts” offer
many amenities, such as mini golf, game
rooms, and beaches.
Generally, your amenities will depend on
what you bring with you—what your RV
provides or what kind of camping
equipment you own. These types of trips
are also very affected by the weather,
especially camping. However, in the
summer months, or in parts of the country
or world where the weather is mild, RV-ing
or camping can provide a great opportunity
to travel for long periods of time for limited
cost.
AOHT Principles of Hospitality and Tourism
Lesson 6 Lodging
Presentation notes
Or: The receptionist is ready for you and
friendly; she tells you where the nearest
restaurant is. Your room is clean and
quiet; there’s nice shampoo in the
bathroom and lots of channels for free on
the TV. The alarm clock works. The beds
are comfortable. When you wake up you
are refreshed and ready to make a good
impression when you visit the college.
Whether you are only staying overnight on
your way to a business conference or
spending a whole week while you explore
a new place on your vacation, the place
you spend the night is a key aspect of your
experience. A pleasant stay in a nice hotel,
even if it isn’t fancy, leaves you with a
good memory of your trip. An unpleasant
experience can turn a trip into a nightmare.
For example, say you and your Mom have
been in the car all day, on your way to
check out a college that you’re thinking of
applying to. When you arrive at the hotel
where you reserved a room, you’re tired
and hungry. You have to wait a really long
time for the receptionist to come to the
counter and check you in. When you get to
your room, you can’t get the air conditioner
to turn off and the room is too cold. The
bed is lumpy, the springs in the mattress
creak, and there aren’t enough blankets.
You can clearly hear the people in the next
room watching TV until 2 a.m. In the
morning you are totally exhausted and
cranky. You don’t even feel like checking
the college out any more.
So, before you choose a place to spend
the night, do some homework. Look online
for customer reviews; see if the lodging
has received a rating; look at its website.
You’ll be glad you made the effort!