| Hotels and other accommodations are as diverse | | | | parks, campgrounds, and rooming and boarding |
| as the many family and business travelers they | | | | houses provide lodging for overnight guests. |
| accommodate. The industry includes all types of | | | | Bed-and-breakfast inns provide short-term lodging |
| lodging, from upscale hotels to RV parks. Motels, | | | | in private homes or small buildings converted for |
| resorts, casino hotels, bed-and-breakfast inns, and | | | | this purpose and are characterized by highly |
| boarding houses also are included. In fact, in 2004 | | | | personalized service and inclusion of breakfast in |
| nearly 62,000 establishments provided overnight | | | | the room rate. Their appeal is quaintness, with |
| accommodations to suit many different needs | | | | unusual service and decor. |
| and budgets. | | | | RV parks and campgrounds cater to people who |
| Establishments vary greatly in size and in the | | | | enjoy recreational camping at moderate prices. |
| services they provide. Hotels and motels comprise | | | | Some parks and campgrounds provide service |
| the majority of establishments and tend to | | | | stations, general stores, shower and toilet facilities, |
| provide more services than other lodging places. | | | | and coin-operated laundries. While some are |
| There are five basic types of hotels - commercial, | | | | designed for overnight travelers only, others are |
| resort, residential, extended-stay, and casino. | | | | for vacationers who stay longer. Some camps |
| Larger properties offer a variety of services for | | | | provide accommodations, such as cabins and fixed |
| their guests, including a range of restaurant and | | | | campsites, and other amenities, such as food |
| beverage service options - from coffee bars and | | | | services, recreational facilities and equipment, and |
| lunch counters to cocktail lounges and formal | | | | organized recreational activities. Examples of these |
| fine-dining restaurants. | | | | overnight camps include children's camps, family |
| Some properties provide a variety of retail shops | | | | vacation camps, hunting and fishing camps, and |
| on the premises, such as gift boutiques, | | | | outdoor adventure retreats that offer trail riding, |
| newsstands, drug and cosmetics counters, and | | | | white-water rafting, hiking, fishing, game hunting, |
| barber and beauty shops. An increasing number of | | | | and similar activities. |
| full-service hotels now offer guests access to | | | | Other short-term lodging facilities in this industry |
| laundry and valet services, swimming pools, and | | | | include guesthouses, or small cottages located on |
| fitness centers or health spas. | | | | the same property as a main residence, and |
| Conventions and business meetings are major | | | | youth hostels - dormitory-style hotels with few |
| sources of revenue for hotels and motels that | | | | frills, occupied mainly by students traveling on |
| are specialized (commercial hotels) and have | | | | limited budgets. Also included are rooming and |
| banquet rooms, exhibit halls, and spacious | | | | boarding houses, such as fraternity houses, |
| ballrooms to accommodate conventions, business | | | | sorority houses, off-campus dormitories, and |
| meetings and wedding receptions. | | | | workers' camps. These establishments provide |
| Conference hotels are fully self-contained entities | | | | temporary or longer term accommodations that |
| specifically designed for meetings. They provide | | | | may serve as a principal residence for the period |
| physical fitness and recreational facilities for | | | | of occupancy. These establishments also may |
| meeting attendees, in addition to state-of-the-art | | | | provide services such as housekeeping, meals, |
| audiovisual and technical equipment, a business | | | | and laundry services. |
| center, and banquet services. | | | | Increased competition among establishments in |
| Resort hotels and motels offer luxurious | | | | this industry has spurred many independently |
| surroundings with a variety of recreational | | | | owned and operated hotels and other lodging |
| facilities, such as swimming pools, golf courses, | | | | places to join national or international reservation |
| tennis courts, game rooms, and health spas, as | | | | systems, which allow travelers to make multiple |
| well as planned social activities and entertainment. | | | | reservations for lodging, airlines, and car rentals |
| Resorts typically are located in vacation | | | | with one telephone call. Nearly all hotel chains |
| destinations or near natural settings, such as | | | | operate online reservation systems through the |
| mountains, the seashore, theme parks, or other | | | | Internet. |
| attractions. | | | | Hotel operations are becoming diverse and |
| As a result, the business of many resorts | | | | complex, but all positions require employees to |
| fluctuates with the season. Some resort hotels | | | | maintain a customer-service orientation. Hoteliers |
| and motels provide additional convention and | | | | recognize the importance of personal service and |
| conference facilities to encourage customers to | | | | attention to guests; so they look for persons with |
| combine business with pleasure. During the off | | | | positive personality traits and good communication |
| season, many of these establishments solicit | | | | skills when filling many guest services positions, |
| conventions, sales meetings, and incentive tours | | | | such as desk clerk and host and hostess positions. |
| to fill their otherwise empty rooms; some resorts | | | | Many hotel managers place a greater emphasis on |
| even close for the off-season. | | | | customer service skills while providing specialized |
| Residential hotels provide living quarters for | | | | training in important skill areas, such as computer |
| permanent and semi permanent residents. They | | | | technology and software. |
| combine the comfort of apartment living with the | | | | Although the skills and experience needed by |
| convenience of hotel services. Many have dining | | | | workers in this industry depend on the specific |
| rooms and restaurants that also are open to | | | | occupation, most entry-level jobs require little or |
| residents and to the general public. | | | | no previous training. Basic tasks usually can be |
| Extended-stay hotels combine features of a | | | | learned in a short time. Almost all workers in the |
| resort and a residential hotel. Typically, guests use | | | | hotel and other accommodations industry undergo |
| these hotels for a minimum of 5 consecutive | | | | on-the-job training, which usually is provided under |
| nights. These facilities usually provide rooms with | | | | the supervision of an experienced employee or |
| fully equipped kitchens, entertainment systems, | | | | manager. Some large chain operations have |
| ironing boards and irons, office space with | | | | formal training sessions for new employees. |
| computer and telephone lines, fitness centers, and | | | | Many hotels fill first-level manager positions by |
| other amenities. | | | | promoting administrative support and service |
| Casino hotels provide lodging in hotel facilities with | | | | workers - particularly those with good |
| a casino on the premises. The casino provides | | | | communication skills, a solid educational |
| table wagering games and may include other | | | | background, tact and loyalty. People with these |
| gambling activities, such as slot machines and | | | | qualities still advance to manager jobs but, more |
| sports betting. Casino hotels generally offer a full | | | | recently, lodging chains have primarily been hiring |
| range of services and amenities. | | | | persons with four-year college degrees in the |
| In addition to hotels and motels, | | | | liberal arts or other fields and starting them in |
| bed-and-breakfast inns, recreational vehicle (RV) | | | | trainee or junior management positions. |