Hospitality Training
Learn the secret to award-winning hospitality. Engage your entire hotel team from line-level to the executive level with hospitality training that teaches you how to create memorable experiences and exceed guest expectation.
Interested in learning more about our hospitality training?
Hospitality Training Solutions
Hospitality Training Topics
- Building an Effective Team
- Recruiting with Purpose
- Onboarding a New Team Member
- Leading Your Team Through COVID -19 Recovery
- Motivating a Team Through a Global Pandemic
- Coaching & Mentoring
- Development Planning
- Developing a Goals Cascade for Your Team
- Hosting an Effective Meeting
- Shifting Your Strategy for COVID-19
- Understand the Details of Your Market
- Accelerate Trust by Offering Relevant Solutions
- Sales Strategy During and Post COVID-19
- Health and Safety are Top Priorities
- How the Sales Call has and will Continue to Evolve
- Building Strong Partnerships and Successful Relationships
- New Terminology and Essential Travel
- Travel Opportunities RIGHT NOW
- The Art of Shifting Perspective to Overcome Objections
- Communicate Your Health and Safety Standards with Clear Messaging
- Marketing Today
- Construction
- Transportation
- Food & Agriculture
- Emergency Services
- Government Facilities
- Healthcare & Public Health
- Critical Manufacturing
- Energy
- Communications
- Nuclear Reactors, Materials
- Information Technology
- Defense Industrial Base
- Create Memorable Experiences
- Innovate the Guest Experience
- COVID-19 Vaccination Opportunities
- Finding the BEST Leads
- Elevate Your Service from 6ft. Away
- Infiltrating New Segments
- Setting Activity Goals
- QR Codes: Creative Communication
- Google Alerts
- Google Maps for Government Lists
- 60+ Projects from Construction Dive
- Construction
- Agriculture
- Prospecting: Winning
- Business Facilities Tools
- Bidclerk
- Offering Solutions / Area Partners
- Time Management: Stop
- Prospecting: Energy Sector
- Emails with Impact
- Getting Started with Government
Interested in learning more about our hospitality training?
What are the Qualifications Needed for Hospitality?
5 Qualities the Best People in Hospitality Have in Common
From the line-level to the executive level, there are five qualities that the best people in hospitality have in common. For the employer, the next time you are hiring for a hospitality professional use this list to shape your interview questions. For candidates seeking a career in hospitality, do some self-reflection on these attributes to ensure you will be fulfilled in the hospitality industry.
1. Friendly. Being friendly, often translates into being courteous and hospitable. This seems obvious, but you would be surprised how many people in the hospitality industry do not like people, in general. When I am interviewing someone over the phone I am listening to see if I “hear” them smiling during our conversation. In person, this is a bit easier. Is the candidate’s “resting face” a smile? It doesn’t have to be for the entire conversation, but for a good part of it. I want to understand that friendliness just exudes from their person because when a guest is standing in front of them or yelling at them over the phone—a friendly smile can go a long way to diffuse the situation. If the team member is the least bit warm, then any issue becomes less personal and the guest is much more willing to be reasonable.
Think about the best hospitality experience you have enjoyed. Disney is credited often for creating unbelievable guest experiences largely due to their castmates caring and friendly attitudes. The “Happiest Place on Earth” can not afford to have castmates that are not hospitable, and neither can you.
Read More
2. Humility. What does humility have to do with hospitality you may ask? A person who is humble has the capacity to be service-oriented. Their perspective is to seek to understand the other person which makes the individual a better teammate, leader and communicator. They lack the insufferable pride where being right is what motivates them. They can also put their own ego aside because they are more concerned with making the guest happy, compromising for the sake of the team and leading by example.
Books have been written about practicing humility in the workplace and its benefits. Many of the most influential leaders in the world are credited with this quality and hospitality is no exception. Founders of major hospitality brands like Marriott and Hilton grew from humble beginnings and these leaders never forgot this. Bill Marriott, Jr. credits his father’s humility as what launched Hot Shoppes into the Marriott International of today.
3. Curiosity that motivates investigation, a thirst for knowledge, a lust for learning. This is the quality that is the birth of innovation. It is more than just being curious—it is the kind of curiosity that propels action. This type of curiosity more than the child that asks “Why?” a hundred times a day!
Hospitality is an ever-changing industry. It is not stagnant, so we need individuals that are constantly wanting to know more and exploring possibilities. It is also an industry servicing people—so as the currents of individual’s expectations change, we must adjust to exceed those expectations. This type of curiosity can be seen in team members that are excited to learn something new and are open to new ideas.
As technology improves every element of our lives, the best hospitality leaders are like great conductors. They have a desire to understand how all the instruments play individually (i.e., departments or team members) to make an orchestra. Fast Company credits Delta Airlines as one of the most innovative airlines because of their use of technology to improve their customer’s experience.
One of the most respected hoteliers, Horst Schulze, has built brands and defined what a luxury hotel experience should be for our industry. His vision for Ritz Carlton literally shaped service excellence in hospitality and beyond and he supports others quest for learning in his Master Class series. For those that are looking to satisfy this quest, there are countless online hospitality training courses available. Consider partaking in development programs, industry training or an apprenticeship program. Accelerate eLearning is a prime example of online hospitality training for employee development in the hotel industry. Accelerate eLearning is a prime example of hospitality training that is available today for hoteliers.
4. Imaginative. Many of the things that have revolutionized hospitality were born from imagination like the birth of online travel agencies and companies like Airbnb. This individual is going to work on a problem until it is solved. They are creative, innovative and see problems as opportunities to exude great guest service. Imaginative individuals are the team members that will find efficiencies in any process and help the team be more effective. They think outside of the box and don’t understand the word “no”, they push through for the yes. Companies will not survive without team members at every level that are tackling problems and turning those solutions into competitive advantages.
5. Dependable. This is the most overlooked qualities at every level. Whatever the position in hospitality, not possessing this quality is a deal-breaker. Do you want to hire a housekeeper or a night auditor that isn’t dependable? Do you want to work for a leader who isn’t trustworthy? We all need to be team members that do what we say and keep our commitments. This is a quality of employees that care. If they are dependable, they likely will exude responsibility as well.
Responsible means “worthy of one’s trust.” Brands, like Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites have been built upon this premise alone. No matter which city, or country, guests know what to expect from these brands. Their customers are so loyal because these brands don’t disappoint.
The next time you sit down to interview a candidate, or as you look to enter the hospitality field, consider these non-negotiable qualities.
Frequently Asked Questions
The definition of hospitality is the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. The hospitality industry includes any business that is servicing guests. A few examples include hotels, restaurants, cruise lines, airlines, amusement parks and casinos.
Hospitality is the friendly, generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Hospitality training is the education that teaches someone how to execute hospitality. At its core, hospitality requires putting others first. The principle of hospitality is understanding a customer’s expectations and exceeding them, which, at times, can be challenging to do successfully.
Consider your hotel. The customer, your guest, have expectations about service, your brand and what their experience should be before they even arrive. Every team member involved in the guest’s experience require training. This includes marketing to frontline employees, restaurant servers, management and housekeeping. The training is not only how to do their job well, but how to understand each individual that is being received and entertained while exceeding those expectations.
The hospitality industry, like other industries, depend on returning customers. Exceeding customer expectations so their intent to return or their willingness to recommend your hotel to others only happens with excellent hospitality skills training.
Great hospitality can stem from a person’s personality. Are they friendly? Are they problem solvers? Do they smile? Do they have a service attitude? Are they humble? However, the greater portion of delivering great hospitality experiences depend on training. At every touchpoint with the customer, there are dozens of processes that rely on training. Let’s use a hotel as an example, but this can apply to any business within the industry. Creating a memorable experience for the guest starts at the time of booking the reservation. It continues upon arrival as they check in and sets the tone for the entire stay. Consider all of the interactions that occur for any hotel stay, including requests for housekeeping, restaurant experience, front desk assistance, etc. There are countless guest interactions that need to be properly coached. A personality can only take an employee so far; training is crucial for the customer, the employee, and ultimately leads to the success stories of the business.
The benefits of hospitality training are endless. From general industry training for entry level positions, to in depth online hospitality training for topics like diversity and inclusion, compliance training or customized training material, hospitality training at any level, helps with career growth and employee development. Hospitality is a service industry and understanding how to interact with customers, solving problems positively, and applying critical thinking are transferable skills that not only help the employee, but also help their upward mobility in any industry!
Countless studies prove that team member retention is ultimately tied to active learning. Team member morale improves when training is prioritized for the employee. If an entry-level employee can apply training well, regardless of what industry the individual pursues, the training is useful. When an employee feels like they are learning on the job because the organization is investing time for training, then their loyalty to their employer increases.
Consider a skill or hobby you’ve mastered. You likely did not master that skill or hobby overnight but practiced or received training which made you feel more confident in your ability. As an employer, you wouldn’t want an unexperienced dealing with an upset or disappointed guest. This is why hospitality training is crucial.
Absolutely not! There are many different opportunities to receive hospitality training at an affordable price point.
In-person training in a traditional classroom setting is typically the most expensive due to the fact it typically involves time, travel, and content development for the trainer in addition to any costs for attendees.
Virtual instructor-led training are online courses and a lower-cost option dependent on how many receive the training at one time. The bigger the group, often the less effective the training is if you can’t break out into smaller groups to ensure application.
Recorded webinars can be helpful, but there is little to no interaction with the trainer, so effectiveness is solely based on the attendee’s understanding of the material and ability to apply it.
Online eLearning is a very low-cost option, particularly if multiple learning formats are contemplated. Many hospitality brands even provide service training through their learning portals.
The most robust hospitality training for revenue generation for any hospitality professional, especially in the hotel industry is Accelerate.
Anyone who wants to have good interpersonal skills, develop critical thinking, practice problem solving, and improve communication skills is a good candidate for hospitality training. These skills are transferable to any industry. As an employer, an employee that will be in contact with a guest, visitor, or patron need to have training that extends beyond the specific skills needed for the job. True hospitality training teaches how to provide a service experience designed to exceed expectations.
Hospitality sales training is very similar to sales training in other industries. The sales cycle itself from identifying prospective customers to developing and cultivating those relationships, is consistent from industry to industry regardless if you are selling hotel rooms, convention space, or medical equipment. There are numerous options for sales training, depending on overall goals and budget. When contemplating sales training, consider whether the focus is on the sales cycle itself and developing those skills, or if the goals are broader. The most important thing is to determine what the participant needs to know at the end of the training to make it an undisputed successful investment. Training companies that offer courses, should offer a guarantee that specific objectives will be met.
There are critical aspects that should be a part of any sales training–whether in-person, online, or eLearning. First, the learning objectives must be stated for participants so that there is an understanding of what will be taught and what the participant needs to learn to be successful. These objectives guide the outline for the content so there is no mystery to the participant about what will be discussed. The training itself should be broad enough to address all participants–visual, auditory, linguistic, kinesthetic, etc., so that all participants have the potential to be successful. Finally, the training should conclude some form of knowledge check to ensure the participant properly understood the concepts and will be able to apply the concepts in their environment.
RevPAR= Revenue Per Available Room. RevPar measures hotel performance and can be calculated with two different formulas.
- Total Guestroom Revenue ÷ Number of Rooms Available = RevPAR
- Average Daily Rate x Occupancy Rate = RevPAR
Here’s an example of both formulas. Consider these metrics:
Total Number of Rooms: 150, Out of Order Rooms: 25
Total Number of Available Rooms: 125 (150 Total Hotel Rooms – 25 Rooms Out of Order)
Average Daily Rate: $99
Occupancy Rate: 83%
Total Room Revenue: $10,271.25 (125 rooms x $99/room x 83% occupancy)
Total Guestroom Revenue ÷ Number of Rooms Available = RevPAR
$10,271.25 ÷ 125 = $82.17
Average Daily Rate x Occupancy Rate = RevPAR
$99 x 0.83 = $82.17
Keep in mind, period of time is an additional variable that effects the calculation of RevPar. If you were to use the information above to calculate RevPar for the quarter, here’s what it would look like:
Total Room Revenue (for the 90 days) / Rooms Available x Period of Time (90 days)
$843,750/ ($125 x 90) = $843,750/$11,250 = $75.00
Now that you’ve learned the calculation for RevPAR, you can calculate the RevPAR of your hotel.