Executive Summary
The current report explores restaurant and hotel management activities carried out at the Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis, Switzerland. In the report below, the writer has endeavoured to use placement experience gained while at the Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis, classroom knowledge, and available literature related to management practices in the hotel and hospitality industry.
Hospitality management, food and beverage management, and experiential marketing have been explored and applied in the case study. Based on the analysis, Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis provides quality services with the objective of meeting the ever changing demands and expectations of customers. Through food and beverage management, the organisation has been successful in Switzerlandâs hospitality industry.
Introduction to the Report
Background, Purpose and Method of Report
The hospitality industry is one of the most competitive industries because the demand and expectation of consumers are always changing. In order to ensure that the demands and expectations of customers have been met successfully, it is important to have in place the necessary hotel and restaurant management skills.
In addition, food and beverage management skills have found application in different departments of the hospitality industry such as catering which involves food preparation and serving.
In addition, it is also important to manage effective decisions and practices with respect to quality of services and products. Also, practices related to marketing and brand promotion and other operations are also necessary in hotel management.
The current report is a case study carried out at Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis, Switzerland. The report explores the various restaurant and hotel management activities conducted at the restaurant.
The aim of this management in practise report is to relate how Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis operates in relation to the knowledge gained while the writer was undertaking a BA in Hotel and Hospitality Management. The report blends personal experience at the Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis, classroom knowledge, and available literature related to management practices in the hospitality industry.
Profile of Company
Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis is one of the luxurious restaurants in Switzerland. The restaurant which is located on the shore of Lake Lucerne gives a scenic view to tourists as they enjoy mountain views and panoramic lake views (Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis 2012). Some of the special features provided at Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis are free parking, free Wi-Fi, a wellness centre, an outdoor pool, and a lakeside terrace.
In addition, the restaurant provides sunbathing lawn, heated outdoor pool, a solarium, a hot tub, and a steam bath. The restaurant is also famous for its major global delicacies, including international cuisines such as French cuisine, and a variety of fish specialties. In addition, the restaurant also provides additional activities that include horse riding, diving, library, hot tub, fishing, and sauna (Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis 2012).
Some of the key services that the restaurant offers its customers are packed lunches, laundry, banquet facilities, room service and a tour desk, among others.
Theoretical Review (Literature)
One of the biggest challenges faced by managers in the hotel and hospitality industry in the 21st century is to offer customer satisfaction and sustain it in the long run (Williams 2002). The increase in the level of competition and customersâ expectations calls for the provision of quality services and products.
In this case, improving customer satisfaction and providing customers with high quality services have emerged as the major fundamental factors required to boost the performance of hotels and restaurants. Hotels and restaurants that provide good services and products to their customers tend to improve their profitability in the end (Dominici & Gizzo 2010; Yeung, Ging, & Ennew, 2002).
Considering that the hotel and hospitality industry is very competitive, not to mention that it provides homogenous services to customers, restaurants and hoteliers are required to provide services which satisfy customers better than competitors (Kayaman & Arsali 2007; OâNeill & Mattila 2010).
To build customer loyalty, hoteliers are required to provide services which satisfy the demands and the expectations of customers (Zeithaml & Bitner 2000). As a result, customer loyalty is developed which in return improves organisationâs corporate image (Ahmad & Hashim 2011; Mohajerani, & Miremadi 2012).
Research findings by past research studies has revealed that those organizations that manages to differentiate their services and products relative to those of their competitors stand to gain competitive advantage other their competitors. As noted by Petzer, Steyn and Mostert (2008), competitive advantage differs from one hotel to another and it heavily depends on how different resources have been pooled and employed.
Services promotion and marketing are important practices in hospitality and tourism. According to Williams (2006), âmarketing and promotion is clearly essential for successful tourism and hospitality developmentâ (482). Therefore, there is need to market and promote products and services provided by hotelier with the aim attracting customers, creating satisfaction, and brand loyalty.
Given that hotel and hospitality industry has fully blossomed and changed, different promotional and marketing trends are required to promote available services based on the demands and expectations of customers. Moreover, the demands of customers vary because tourism embraces same-day visits, domestic tourism, and international tourism (Middleton & Clarke 2001).
Other than the changes that have taken place from the customer context, changes have been experienced in food and beverage area in restaurant or hotel industry. Skills are required to ensure quality services which provide customers with satisfaction are provided. The skills and knowledge resides in food and beverage management.
According to Riley (2005), the generic heart of food and beverage management is catering. And therefore, managers should have skills and knowledge in food and beverage management. Catering is simply âhaving knowledge of food and cooking and having skills of timing and of sequencing to organise a production process within a compressed time frameâ (O’Fallon & Rutherford p. 252).
The implication made is that skills and knowledge are required to provide the best services and products within the set timeframe. Therefore, hotel and beverage management is necessary in restaurants as people demand variety of services and products.
Just like marketing and promotion, food and beverage management face similar dilemmas. Riley (2005) observes that the major marketing problem faced in food and beverage management is meeting the demand for variety via the use of wider choices or branding restaurants and specialising in a specific variety.
As mentioned above, a dilemma arises as to whether to brand and specialise or to provide customers with choices. The question which arises is whether marketing and promoting for food and beverage management is whether the restaurants or hotels should provide a wider choice to customers and whether it is worth the risk.
Food and beverage especially national cuisine acts as part of attraction to customers and is applied during marketing and promotional activities. Given that marketing is simply a management decision process geared towards influencing customerâs decision (Middleton & Clarke 2001; Hannam 2004), then a successful hotel and beverage outlet should be able to respond to the changing demands of customers (Riley 2005).
Therefore, food and beverage management is important especially when fussed with marketing and promotional activities. For example, a brand can be designed or a variety of choices in terms of food and beverages be designed then promoted as a tourist destination.
On top of skills and knowledge applied through food and beverage management, skills in marketing and hospitality are necessary in ensuring customerâs satisfaction (Williams 2006). Marketing is necessary as it aids in studying customers purchasing behaviours and changes in the hospitality industry.
Experiential marketing of hotels and hospitality products in tourism is necessary as it gives âconsumers in-depth, tangible experiences in order to provide them with sufficient information to make a purchase decision (Williams 2006, p. 485). This means that through experiential marketing, customers are provided with tangible experiences and adequate information required to make effective purchase decisions (Grundey 2008).
Application of Theories in Case Study
Based on my experience at the Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis and the knowledge gained with reference to experiential marketing, food and beverage management, and customer satisfaction a correlation between theory and practical experience exists.
For instance, because of the increased competition, the management of the Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis has gone extra miles to provide services to attract customers as part ensuring competitive advantage. For example, the hotel provides a wellness centre, an outdoor pool, a lakeside terrace, free parking, and fee Wi-Fi as part of attracting customers thus giving customers memorable experiences thus customer satisfaction.
Some activities provided such as free parking and Wi-Fi are offered freely by the organisation which is unlike in other hotels. To the Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis marketing department, this is part of attracting customers as they do not have to look for or pay for parking or pay for internet connection while enjoying a stay in the hotel.
Through these activities, the hotel not only attracts customers but also retains loyal customer (Renganathan 2011). In addition, it is able to create memorable experiences to its customers.
It is to the expectation of customers that hospitality services provided by hotels and restaurants, meet their demands. Therefore, Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis conducts market research to determine the needs of its customers in advance. As earlier indicated the demands and expectations of customers are ever changing and as a result, hotels have to be prepared for these changes.
In addition, the quality of the services provided has become important as it ensures customer satisfaction (Ross 1993). With respect to Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis, the hotel provides fine French Cuisine, fish specialties, and international Cuisine as part of food offered. On top, the hotel provides different beverages to compliment the food served. The food can be taken in the rooms or in the outdoor area.
Therefore, it can be noted that the hotel provide services which satisfy the demands and the expectations of customers. As a result, it has been able to gain a competitive advantage over its competitors in the Switzerland hotel and hospitality industry.
Food and beverage management provides important skills and knowledge to managers in the hotel and hospitality industry. Since Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis is a big hotel and restaurant in Switzerland food and beverage management is very important.
For example, the hotel has invested heavily in food and beverage management as it has top chefs with decades of experience and skills. The team has the best catering skills required to ensure that the hotel achieves the highest potential in food and beverage operations.
As earlier indicated, food and beverage management it is the full âunderstanding of food and wine and other beverages in order to be able to engineer menus, being able to cook to a degree that would facilitate designing production systems, and be able to cost and control foodâ (OâFallon & Rutherford 2011, p. 256).
With respect to Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis, the management has invested in world class chefs who understand food and beverage management in the sense that they can engineer menus and can understand Southern barbecue and Cuisine. In terms of beverages, Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis has employed experts with experience and skills on wine.
For instance, the hotel has more than 350 wine selections which are overseen by the beverage management team to provide the best beverage paring which can be taken together with food provided. In addition, the food and beverage management team has wine tasting skills, creative sales techniques, and marketing savvy techniques provided to promote wine offered in Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis.
Therefore, employees in Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis understand food and beverages offered hence customer satisfaction. Moreover, the company is able to meet the demands and expectations of different customers as it provides variety of choices (Riley 2005).
Through food and beverage, Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis has managed to promote the national cuisine. This has assisted in carrying out marketing campaigns thus promoting Switzerland as a tourist destination. As a result, the organisation is able to meet the demands of international, domestic, and home-stay tourists.
The ability to meet variety of demands, Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis realised customer satisfaction and customer retention. Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis is a brand by itself which ensures service quality. Food and beverage management is fused with experiential marketing.
As earlier indicated this modern form of marketing which gives consumer tangible and in-depth experiences, is geared towards influencing the purchase decision of a customer (Williams 2006). With respect to Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis, the organisation has invested heavily in experiential marketing to ensure that customers get a tangible experience after purchase of available services.
In other words, Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis is able to amplify its products and services into tangible experience. As noted by Williams (2006), when a consumer purchases an experience he is able to enjoy memorable events which personalise the participation of the customer.
For example, Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis provides activities such as horse riding, sauna, fishing, hiking, and outdoor pool which are some of the events which market the organisation. In other words, customers get to feel services in a tangible way.
Marketing has been viewed by Middleton and Clarke (2001) as a management process applied in decision making process to ensure that the purchase decisions of a customer are influenced. Therefore, marketing and promoting for food and beverage management is necessary for organisation such as Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis.
For example, through marketing for food and beverage, Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis has managed to meet the demands and expectations of the customers. Moreover, the organisation has been able to specialise in some delicacies such as French and international cuisines. In addition, the restaurant has been in a position to provide a variety of choices for customers.
This means that Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis consumersâ have a variety of choices to choose in terms of food and beverage. Although Riley (2005) opines that one of the major dilemmas experienced in hospitality industry is meeting the demands of customers with variety of demands and expectations, Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis has been able to meet these demands and expectations.
This is because it meets the demands of international, domestic, and local tourists. Riley (2005) believes that marketing for food and beverage has been one of the major challenges faced by organisations in the hotel and hospitality industry. However, with reference to Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis, that is not the case as the restaurant has been successful in this aspect.
Owing increased and rapid changes in technology and consumersâ expectations, determining what consumers want in this competitive market has become complex. Therefore, there is need to provide customers with sufficient information which is the role played by marketing.
Other than experiential marketing, Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis employs others methods and tools of marketing such as advertising through social media, websites, and search engine optimization. Booking can be carried online and a consumer can view the available services and activities available.
As observed by Williams (2006), marketing and promoting products and services are provided by hotelier with the aim attracting customers, creating satisfaction, and brand loyalty. Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis has been able to achieve these benefits by employing different marketing tools.
One of the major observations made at the Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis workplace is training employees in order to gain skills and knowledge required in hospitality and tourism management. As observed by Riley (2005), hospitality skills are essential as they promote proper application of marketing skills and food and beverage management.
Through training and education on management, human resources are able to meet the continuous management changes and needs in hospitality industry (Valachis 2006). With respect to Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis, the organisation has been training its workforce with the aim of increasing hospitality management skills.
Through training and education on issues related to hospitality and hotel management, an organisation can be able to provide quality services and this has enhanced customer satisfaction and customer retention (Dominici & Guzzo 2010).
With respect to Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis, the organisation has been in a position to provide quality services because its human resources has received training in hospitality management and this has enhanced customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and increase in the organisationâs profitability.
Hospitality management training entails formal learning process that equips human resources with the required skills and knowledge on issues related to quality management, customer satisfaction, customer care services, and other services provision skills.
The reason why Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis emphasise on hospitality management training is because training adds value to employees who in return contribute positively towards the success of the restaurant (Valachis 2006).
Conclusion and recommendations
Based on the case analysis on the application of hospitality management principles in the hospitality industry and its role in customer satisfaction and marketing, it is important to note that Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis has been on the forefront in applying these theories.
Therefore, we can conclude that the use of hospitality management, and food and beverage management theories in the hospitality industry is necessary as it promotes customer satisfaction, retention, and profitability. We can also conclude that Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis has been successful because it has managed to apply the learned management theories.
Moreover, the organisation has been able to create a niche for itself in the Switzerlandâs tourism and hospitality industry. Lastly, through the use of experienced food and beverage management teams in food and beverage skills, the restaurant has been able to provide quality services to its loyal customers. As a result, the restaurant has realised a competitive advantage over its competitors.
It has been recommended that Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis should continue to apply relevant theories related to hotel and hospitality management with the objective of increasing employeeâs performance, enhancing customer satisfaction, and increasing recommendation. Moreover, employees of Hotel Beau Rivage Weggis should be trained and educated occasionally on the relevance of this unit in hotel and hospitality industry.
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