Recent orders
Hilton international Hotel
Name
Professor
Course
Date
Hilton Group.
Hilton international is an operator and franchiser of hotels that is based in the United States of America. The hotel was founded by Conrad Hilton but is now under the ownership of Hilton worldwide. They place an emphasis of marketing on leisure and business travel as well. They are also strategically located in the city centers, near airports as well as many popular vacation destinations all over the world.
New technologies have to be embraced to ensure that industries can match up to the market in which they are in. Thus new designs were adopted by the Hilton hotels which have made them to be in the leading flock over the years. Technological revolutions occurred in the 1990s and this created better opportunities for many businesses that had been established. This had a positive impact on the hospitality and tourism industries which receive a lot of clients. Thus technology has played a fundamental role in ensuring that the Hilton hotels have been in good operations. The use of technologies as well as the utilization of internet has played a key role in marketing of these companies. Internet has improved the means of communication by the industry. Thus they have used the internet since it is an interactive medium that seeks to ensure that the traditional one way methods of communication have been replaced with more interactive and real time methods.
The technological advancements in the hotel have been made in a number of areas. These include: telecommunications, back office management, safety and security, room management, marketing and sales, online reservations, energy management, food and beverage control as well as guest accounting. Thus technologies have been able to improve the efficiency in which services have been offered at the hotels. Methods such as online and interactive websites are just an example. Thus these technological advancements over the years have improved the hotel’s system of wealth creation by enabling them to reach out to many clients even across borders and continents.
The use of computerized networks has enabled the hotel to make important structural changes in the organization. They have adapted the use of a database that enables them to manage their data so that accessibility of information can be improved. Some of the data which is managed include information on regular customers, bookings, offers by the company as well as other information which may differ depending on the location of the company globally.
This system has been integrated with other databases to ensure that a wide variety of information can be obtained by the interested parties. Thus these databases have played a key role in making the hotels to be what they are today. Thus the interlinking ability of the internet has been used to ensure that information is well provide and packaged to achieve proper satisfaction. The World Wide Web has therefore created a platform by which interfaces of a suitable nature are developed for the consumers in that particular industry.
Market Structure
The Hilton Hotels have announced a new structure that will ensure that they venture into the Middle East and Africa. The strategy is to cover new areas in Arab Peninsula, Lebanon, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Algeria, Indian Ocean and Africa. The headquarters are in Dubai. The Middle East is growing as a tourist attraction in the whole world hence this is the key development market that the Hilton hotels have made a target for. Thus the hotels aim to achieve a total of 1,000 new hotels in the next ten years. They have already acquired property for this and they aim to get more signings in the years to come. Thus this is one of the methods that will enable them to grow faster in the years that are to come. Thus the new structure in the organization is vital in ensuring that they gain clear advantages in terms of closeness to their market place as well as achievement of local expertise and understanding. This is also to be supported by product offering and quality.
The environment where the hotel is located contributes to the market structure of the industry. Having an appropriate natural and magnificent environment is important since it makes the company to enjoy a competitive advantage. Some important factors such as the availability of natural water bodies like oceans and seas as well as natural sunshine attracts the target market. Thus the company is able to gain maximum revenues from their ability to attract a higher number of customers.
The choice for a better location for a hotel is important. This means that they will influence the customers in a positive manner hence the hotel enjoys a competitive advantage. It is also important to choose a wise location for a hotel. Better locations can have a positive effect on the customers hence having a competitive advantage. The location of the hotels is also an important element to consider. The factors that are put into consideration include transportation, security and economic situation. In the countries that have political instability, chances are that they would have a negative effect on the company.
Proper pricing of the hotels is an important element to consider thus the hotel has varying costs that target the different needs of the wide variety of customers that they get. Thus they may have varying costs for their rooms. In cases whereby the hotel has high costs, chances are that it would lower their competitive advantage since high prices may keep the customers away from the hotel. The prices are also required to be matched with the quality of services that are being offered.
The hotel also makes careful considerations when employing their personnel since they play a big role in determining the comparative advantage of the company. Thus they ensure that the labor lower the opportunity cost so as to achieve a high comparative advantage. The labor force is also given proper training that ensures that they can deliver services that are of high quality. This plays a big role in ensuring that there are better returns on investment after putting into consideration the market structure.
Customer segmentation
The Hilton Hotels have launched some sites that are aimed at targeting some specific markets segments. Some of these are the Olympics sports organizations and wedding planners. They have made efforts that promote online booking for the hotel. Thus almost 15% of their bookings are made through the websites. Some customers like government employees and military travelers can access the website whereby they could get the displays of the Government rates as well as sector-specific travel resources. The bookings that are made online have almost reached a $ 2 billion revenue mark which means that are they are doing quite well. It is always cheaper to use online booking especially for the prospective clients.
Tourism serves as a great source of income to an economy but this only works if it is properly run. Over 700 million people travel to a number of destinations so as to get leisure. They also travel for business purposes. Thus through tourism, a number of services like promotion of products is achieved. Thus there is potential to achieve development in the tourism sector especially when there is differentiation of products that attract the diverse markets. Some of the incentives that can be offered include large resorts, sport related activities as well as natural water bodies like the sea.
The increased use of the internet has received support from a number of customers. Since customers have the skills by which they can use on the internet, they find this method to be quite effective and convenient for them .In addition, information on the internet has been essential in enabling them to compare different choices and make decisions about what they would like. They are also able to make bookings from wherever they are hence making this to be an efficient method. Thus the social impact has been sensitive since technology allows for interactions between people and the system.
The internet has been used successfully by consumers so as to obtain first-hand information that they may require about the hospitality industry. They can therefore make online reservations, check out and compare the prices and can even arrange for which rooms they would like as well as car rental services. It was discovered that the average number of hotel rooms that were booked online has kept on increasing over the years as the internet becomes more popular. Thus customers can be recruited on a more global basis. Thus the internet has been used to increase the bargaining power of customers. This hotel is present in the Global Distribution Systems (GDS) which has an outreach to thousands of other travel agencies on a worldwide basis.
The internet is effective in that it can always be referred to when need be as compared to other forms of advertising like in television which is some form of interrupt marketing .The use of internet for direct advertising reaches out to a large majority of customers. Thus the information from the technologies is relied on for decision making and provision of guidance.
Frame work
Since the most important function of the Hilton hotels is to ensure distribution of products on a global level to reach many people, computerized systems have been taken with a lot of seriousness. The new structure is aimed at allowing the hotel to continue their focus on achieving excellence in their operations as they realize their own developmental ambitions.
Thus they use analysis methods that determine their strengths and weaknesses in the market. Theses analysis work on matters such as technological change, legislation, socio-cultural changes, competitive position and the marketplace in general. Internal factors are also analyses such as the personnel, finance, capabilities for manufacturing among others. Thus the analysis is done usually to analyze these factors so as to achieve an objective that may be of importance to the organization to particular so as to enable them to make any future plans.
Thus they have established frameworks that ensure that they identify favorable and unfavorable methods for the achievement of the objective. The technologies have been linked together with the back office and other departments to ensure that they work as a whole. This enables them to be able to plan ahead since they can use the reports generated from the database to know about the arrivals expected so that they can prepare well in advance for many aspects such as rooms as well as foods and beverages. Marketing is also done since they create mailing lists for the customers and they send frequent updates about information which the consumer may be interested in knowing. The performance of the hotels is also determined by the use of questionnaires for guest whereby they can fill in any information that they think will be useful in providing feedback to the hotels.
Therefore the use of information technology needs to be seen as a method for strategic palling. The management of the hotel has played a key role in ensuring that they keep up to the changes in the market trends and have implemented this in their business re-engineering processes. The internet has therefore provided an opportunity for a representation on a global scale therefore making the Hilton Hotels Group quite marketable.
This has made the Hilton Hotels to be one of the biggest hotels globally. They have established themselves as a global brand that has rapidly expanded in many areas and continents. The hotel is represented in 80 countries and it operates 530 hotels worldwide. It receives an average of over 8 million guests per year thus they have employed workforce of hundreds of thousands. Thus technology has been able to improve the quality of services that the hotel has been able to offer over the years in which it has been in operation
.
Works Cited
Allen E. & Fjermestad J. E-commerce Marketing Strategies: An Integrated Framework and CaseAnalysis. Logistics Information Management, 2001.
Arden, L. Start Your Own E-Business. Entrepreneur Press, 2009.
Chaffey, D. E-Business and E-Commerce Management: Strategy, Implementation and Practice(5th Edition). Prentice hall, 2011.
Evans, J. The Internet – Illustrated. Course Technology, 2009.
Laudon, K & Traver, C. E-Commerce 2011 (7th Edition) (Pearson Custom Business Resources).Prentice hall, 2010.
Laudon, K & Traver, C.E-Commerce 2009 (5th Edition). Prenice Hall, 2008.
Laudon, K. E-Commerce 2010. Pearson Education, 2009.
Schneider, G. Electronic Commerce. Course Technology, 2010.
Hilton Anaheim hotel
Being the third largest hotel in Los Angeles, California orange county region, Hilton Anaheim Hotel is one of the most prestigious hotels to be accommodated in. The hotel is one of the many in a chain of Hilton hotels that has been established and performing as expected. However, for success to be realized, the hotel operations will depend technically on the competent and culturally adaptable expatriate managers as well as reliable workforce. Lack of competence and negative attitude on the part of the hotel affects its public relations with its clients leading to decreased business opportunities (Hayes, 2007). Management of a vast hotel like Hilton requires a great deal of commitment and efficiency on the part of the managers. A decentralized type of organization like the one used in this premises is useful in getting work done efficiently. The communication lines are open for both top-bottom and bottom-top communications. Lateral communications are further enhanced by the presence of the qualified administrators (O’Fallon, 2010).
Hilton Hotel Anaheim is led by a president who assumes the position of the overall CEO of the property. Under this president is the general manager who ensures smooth flow of hotel operations. He is assisted by an assistant general manager who takes charge of the operations whenever the General Manager is away. Different departmental managers come under the assistant general manager and they perform different functions. The departments include: the front office department, security department, recreation department, human resource department, food and beverage department and the sales and marketing department (Teresa, 2007). These departmental managers handle the problems arising in their departments and the general performance of their groups. This is an important strategy as the departments are what form the whole unit of the hotel. Without the departments, the hotel cannot be well managed. Generally, hotel operation management centers on the key functions of the premise. Food production (includes products, supply and consumption control and menu card playing), food and beverage services (includes rendering services, orders fulfillment and wines and beverage purchases), housekeeping and front office operations are the main phases of business control (O’Fallon, 2010). With this realization, the Hilton hotel in Anaheim chose to decentralize its operations to increase efficiency and reduce backlog of services offered. This has made one of the best hotels in the region.
In this regard, the hotel has 1572 guest rooms and over 30 banquet rooms. These large rooms are under the care of the house keeping department which has an approximate 206 employees under the watch of 6 managers. This makes it the largest department in the hotel. The front office department has a concierge of offices that are operated from therein. It is managed by the front office manager assisted by the assistant manager. In this department, one finds the front desk clerks, bell captain, the lobby area, the night auditor and the switchboard. In the food and beverage department, the director is assisted by an assistant manager (Teresa, 2007). The department has a dinning room supervisor, executive chef, steward, bar manager, and a banquet manager. The banquet department has over two hundred servers including on-call personnel.Managing hotel operations requires qualified personnel who will oversee the duties are done. The main aim is to increase the market shares which will only occur under competent, efficient and effective workforce. Departments should have a way of rewarding their staff to ensure they are always motivated to perform their duties (Hayes, 2007). With the dynamism of clientele needs and advancing technologies, each department should be willing to check on the applicability of different advances to improve their functionality. This will enhance service delivery to the satisfaction of the clients considering the wide range of packages offered in this premise (O’Fallon, 2010). They have packages for the whole family, convention attendees, business travelers and other interested entrepreneurs. It has different restaurants that cater for the clientele and even a Starbucks and a Sabarros (Teresa, 2007). There is also a bar for the patrons willing to enjoy them selves. They offer various special packages which include tour packages, shoe shining, and valet which are meant to make the lives of the visitors comfortable.
They have a total of 864 employees who are always rewarded with a birthday card on their birthdays and other incentives during outstanding occasions. This is a great motivational strategy as they feel well motivated when they are recognized for their efforts (Teresa, 2007). There are about 180 managers with 6 of them in the HR department. The security team consists of 33 employees who work hard to maintain peace within and without the hotel premises. Of these employees, 20 of them are in the laundry department which handles all the washing in the hotel. Due to their efficiency and good training, the hotel occupancy is 100% during Convention times but was at 40% during our visit (Teresa, 2007). The average daily rates at this prestigious hotel vary but average about $132 for this particular year.
That notwithstanding, several recommendations were suggested after our visit to the hotel. The lounge, though it has much sitting area should be set in such a way that visitors cannot get lost when in the lobby. The bar on the other hand should be more secluded to ensure that those not comfortable with it are taken care of. Further, considering that the place is a family attraction, it should be placed in an area that is convenient for the parents and restricted to the children. How furniture is set in rooms is another point of concern. If it was re-arranged to make it more convenient for those using them, it could be much appreciated. Such a hotel should relish the comments and reviews posted by their clients on their website so as to enhance service delivery and at the same time encourage them to come again to check on improvements made.
References:
Hayes D. K. (2007) Hotel operations management, London: Pearson/Prentice Hall
O’Fallon, M. J. (2010) Hotel Management and Operations, New York: John Wiley and Sons
Teresa M.(2007) With Disneyland and Orange County: Fodor’s Los Angeles 2008, California: Fodor’s Travel Publications
Comparing and contrasting two novels (Middle March and Jane Eyre)
Name
Professor
Course
Date
Compare and contrast two novels Middle March and Jane Eyre and terms of realistic narrative style the themes of social classWord essay comparing and contrasting the two novels (Middlemarch and Jane Eyre)
The focus of this paper is to compare and contrast the two books in terms of realistic narrative style the themes of social class and the status of women. The paper looks into the contents of both books and the different messages the authors portray about the cultural aspects of the society. The paper finally provides a concluding sentence that summarizes the content of the paper.
Summary of Gorge Elliot’s “Middlemarch”
George Eliot’s Middle march is a book written in the 1800s predominantly referred to as the Victorian age. The book is based on the character of Dorothea Brooks. Dorothea is a woman of impeccable character and taste. She succeeds in marring her husband who dies immediately after marriage. This experience places Dorothy in a compromising situation due to her position in life. Dorothea has no choice but to face reality and overcome the pressures of being a widow. During her journey, she encounters a number of experiences in regard to social expectations such as morals, religion and conformity. Dorothea manages to persevere the hard times through her interaction with Will, her future husband. She finally finds true love in Will and changes the dynamics of her situation giving new meaning to life (Groundwater, p. 256).
The society at this time is different from the society in present day. This is owed to the cultural norms that are encouraged by the community. Eliot writes on several aspects that affect the relationships in the community. The content of the novel is summarized by the use of different themes which elaborate the message of the author. One of the themes is the concentration of social class; social class is a significant aspect in this era. Society classifies individuals according to their influence in the community. Different classes are encouraged to keep to themselves so as to maintain protocol. The author uses various character traits to show the different classes that exist during this period. The society expects people to conduct themselves in a certain manner. This is determined by the authoritative individuals in the community who set the standards in regard to social conduct. All cultural norms are expected to be followed without restrain. Failure to conform by the rules is met with harsh judgment by the rest of society. Punishment in this case is imposed through harsh criticisms and seclusion. An example of social discrimination is seen through Ladislaw’s character. Ladislaw comes from a different part of the country and thus belongs to a different race. This makes him vulnerable to discrimination in that he is not of a pure breed.
Education is a significant aspect in the community. All people are expected to receive a quality education so that they can improve their social standing. This is one of the features that are used to determine the level of social significance. Fred Vinci chooses to defy the odds by forgoing a university education. This is met with harsh criticism by the rest of the community due to his disregard for all things education. Vinci faces an immense amount of pressure in that his family expects him to become a member of the prestigious clergy. Members of the clergy are highly respected due to the spiritual superiority and guidance bestowed to them by the church. Vinci chooses to follow his heart by pursuing his relationship with his long time love.
The pressure to rise above one’s social class is not uncommon. Being classified in the lowest class is not a desirable aspect due to the hardships that come with this position. People are thus inclined to climb up the class so that they can be recognized by the most influential. Eliot uses Rosamond’s character to show the desperation of the people in the lower social class. She uses all means possible to improve her status making her forget her principles. This in turn, becomes the cause of her downfall due to the enemies she makes during her quest.
Another essential aspect in the novel is the view of gender role in society. Gender roles feature a great deal during the period. Society expects each sex to follow the social norms put forward. Failure to do so makes them prone to ridicule and resentment. Women have for a long time been regarded as the weaker sex. This is due to the social-cultural rules and regulations that define the role of a woman in the society. Women are expected to be submissive to their male counterparts. Due to their gender position, women are expected to be seen and not heard. Their opinion is not as valuable making them subservient to the male gender. The status of women is measured differently from the status of men. For a woman to be significant member of the society, she has to achieve her role as a dedicated wife and mother. Failure to do so makes her an outcast in the society. Dorothea’s character best explains the situation of women during the Victorian era. After the death of her husband, she is left with nothing to live for in that she does not have a child. Dorothea is still expected to show courage when in the presence of her family and friends. Despite her new position as a widow, the society does not have pity on her situation. She is expected to uphold this position with honor and grace (Groundwater, p. 214).
Summary of Jane Eyre
Charlotte Bronte’s, Jane Eyre is based on the life of a girl orphaned at an early age. She is the product of unfortunate circumstances due to the death of her beloved parents. She is immediately placed under the care of her wealthy aunty. Her aunty does not take on her new role as guardian well; she mistreats Jane making her an outcast in the family. This disheartens Jane and makes her seek solace in other members of society. Jane overcomes a number of unbecoming events at the hands of her aunty and cousins. She finally chooses to confront them on their behavior towards her which worsens her situation. This earns her a place in the red room which is identified as the room where her uncle died. Her experience in this room is traumatizing due to the amount of delusion’s she gets of her dead uncle. She manages to leave the protective care of her aunt by getting a position in a boarding school. In the boarding school, she receives love from people around her making them her new family. She becomes a governess and is sent to work for a wealthy family which leads her to the next stage of her life.
Themes used in Jane Eyre
The novel places emphasis on the social divisions in the community. The author uses various characters to make this notion known. Jane is an orphan who has no means of survival; her situation does not get any better due to her parent’s lack of success. Her only affiliation to the high social stature is through her relation to her wealthy aunt. It is evident that a majority of the people marry rich so that they can become a part of a higher class. This is displayed by Jane’s aunt’s marriage to her late uncle Reed. Jane is thus treated different from the rest of the family placing her in the bottom of the pyramid (Francis, and Brontë, p. 135).
Jane takes on the role of being a governess after the completion of her education. This is one of the positions reserved for women in the Victorian age. The number of jobs available for women is limited compared to that of men. This is due to the social roles that expect women to invest in a family as opposed to a career. A governess teaches young ladies on how to behave in accordance with the societies norms. This aspect showcase the pressure put on women on how to conduct themselves in the presence of different people. It also explains the significance of social class and the struggle to uphold the traditional norms (Roberts, p. 301).
Jane’s character displays the perfect example of a woman who seeks to change the view of women in society. There is a significant difference of roles of men and women in the community. Social roles define the way each sex conducts themselves in public. The patriarchal oppression places women under the rule of men. This is seen in distribution of resources in terms of influential position, wealth and education. Women are as a result disadvantaged making them have less influence in the society. Jane tries hard to follow the rules set forth by society. She finds this difficult and as a result chooses to rebel against the norms. Society believes that women have less to offer compared to men. This places men at the top of the society and women at their mercy. Jane has encounters with different male characters who try to keep her in the submissive position. This makes her fight back by making her view known despite the hardships and criticisms she encounters. “Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags. It is thoughtless to condemn them, or laugh at them, if they seek to do more or learn more than custom has pronounced necessary for their sex”.
The following quote is one of the few thoughts that Jane relays to her peers. In the modern era, women are known to state their opinion on the role and treatment of women. This statement is however considered radical according to the Victorian age. Jane is thus placed under the category of a feminist due to her desire for change and equal treatment.
The woman’s role is an ideal theme in the most of the books written during this era. The Victorian age is known for their disregard of equality between the two sexes. In order to maintain this feature, Roles are formed so as to keep women grounded and on the’ right path’. Jane manages to prove her worth by the display of courage in her most vulnerable state. She becomes independent financially which makes her reliant on herself as opposed to the men in her life. This earns her the respect she deserves from people who had defied her for a long time (Roberts, p. 231).
In conclusion, classic English novels are an essential part of the English literature. Most of the books form themes that are reflective of the societal norms. Both books showcase the rich culture that serve as both an advantage and disadvantage to the development of society. Both books represent realist narratives that talk on occurrences that are not surreal or supernatural. The analysis of both books is thus ideal in that it displays the similarities and differences in the themes in the novels. The common themes in this case are the role of women in the society and the observation of social class. Both factors have a special role in the lifestyle of the people in this period. The factors have over the years changed due to the change in culture. The changes are evident in the present society. Society continues to places emphasis on maintaining the two factors. This however is minimal compared to the occurrences in the novel.
Works Cited
Groundwater, Anna. The Scottish Middle March, 1573-1625: Power, Kinship, Allegiance. London, England: Royal Historical Society, 2010. Print.
Francis, Pauline, and Charlotte Brontë. Jane Eyre. London: Evans, 2010. Print.
Roberts, Timothy. Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. St Kilda, Vic: Insight Publications, 2011. Print.