Hotel Blogger
5 Years Experience
Las Vegas, NV
Female, 41
Five years in the Hospitality Industry. Having started as a Front Desk Agent with ambition to build my career; they mentored me aiding my overall success. Proudest accomplishment must be leading a team of hospitality professionals in creating an open and imaginative environment to improve guest service, and to build a trusting team to rely on. Team members have found direction in professional and personal goals with the outcome of taking an initiative that delivers outstanding service.
Lina,
What a complex situation you've gotten yourself into. There are definately going to be challenges but educating yourself and your actions with that knowledge will profound increase profitabilty.
Some questions to consider:
Do you have a business or hotel background?
Do you want your active role in the hotel to be owner who collects a check and pays for all operations? Or do you want your active role to be operator where the day-to-day affairs no matter what good or bad affect the business. And much of this role has to do with quality control, leadership, safety, and Customer Service.. none more or less important.
Please follow the following checklists and follow further steps and over the coming months you will see results.
1. Are you confident in the abilities of your staff to project the right image, presence, and Customer Service for your hotel? If not, organize a staff meeting and ask for open feedback from the staff about the roles and duties. How DO THEY expect the hotel operation to improve and what operational changes are suggested to be made.
2. Immediately call a fire inspector, and a construction company - building inspector to come evalute the property's structure. If the property was foreclosured I would ask: "Why?". Always search "Better Business Bureau" for credible and reliable business practices for whom you choose to work with.
What damage has been created in the hotel from years of operation, previous owner's, structure (old building). fire safety? Did previous owner default on payments? I am trying to lay out a sense of responsibility, ownership, and reasons to care about your investment. I of course want to see your success, but this website does not provide much "character space" to provide details.
3. Take copious notes yourself and with your inspectors. Walk around the exterior part of the property continiously and write in a notebook your findings. Look for any damage on the property from light fixtures, broken signs, broken pavement, cracked walls, trash, landscape, etc. Are there any safety concerns day/night? Do the same in the interior. Is the Front Desk equipped with the proper tools for check-ins and other information? Are there any maintenance inside the building from the lobby to the inside the guest rooms? You get the idea (I sincerely hope).
After you've made your checklists assess the most important issues to be fixed now. Report your findings back to the manager and support staff within each department. Use leadership skills to influence the right decision. Safety and housekeeping are paramount to any hotel so be wise to broken, dirty, dusty, mold, and so on which will then raise the bar for employees to achieve. And makes a huge impression to guests.
4. Hire a company to take care of operational needs even on a trial basis to help guide you to procedures and individual departmental help. No matter your role in the hotel this is extremely valuable. There is a monthly fee involved but you need to prioritize your long list of things to do with the mindset of making money and not draining it. Operations company - Referring to Business & Consulting Hospitality companies. Likewise, good advice for laundry service.
5. Hire a website designer and have a working online reservation system for guests to book online. For value use someone local so there is no issue of productivity.
6. **** Many do not realize that hotel linens, drapery, carpet, anything made from a material must be purchased flame retardant. So when buying these things, consult hotel industries experts such as your hotel neighbors.
I wish you all the success. Please come back and ask anything you need. Hope that I have helped in a big way!
Tara
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I have no experience with NYC or what you are referring to. I am sorry.
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Sorry, it took me so long to answer. I do not have accurate data for you. My research in asking collegues and industry leaders did not give me concise results.
I would guess it is all "big business" so "under the table tranactions" would not shock me but I cannot validate this either.
Hope you continue to enjoy my blog! Keep asking questions.
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Sorry, to be simple but the Front Desk does not approach. Call Security, that is what they are there for. Guests could be routy because of drinking, drugs, or just sex. Whatever the situation, Security has the background and experience to deal with it.
If you are at the Front Desk alone, wait until a co-worker comes back and then knock on the door together and evaluate the situation. Generally, there is more to the "story" than just noise.
Protect your own safety interests first!!
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Border Patrol Agent
Do Mexican authorities help on THEIR side of the border?
Lifeguard
Did you ever have to perform CPR or mouth-to-mouth on a swimmer?
Former IRS Revenue Officer
Are IRS auditors more accommodating when you're polite with them?
Thank you for your question.
lv.host are you living in Las Vegas? So do I.
The previous question will help you in many ways too. There many ways to feel improved and happy.
I will repeat the advice from previous question because it is very helpful and worth knowing that stress of all kinds happens.
1. Take your bad, low energy self on a walk, run or to the gym. Take the aggression out on the workout because it not only is physically healthy, it stimulates the brain and that it what we need here! Then if after the workout, you have not come to any viable solutions talk to a mentor, or buy a self help book about stepping up building a way to feel superior and not inferior. Learn, observe other people, brave the family dynamic and the work dynamic and let's see your progress! If you do manage to feel a lack of accomplishment or confidence write a list of daily self-improvement goals.
If you don't have time for a workout, do a few pushups, run in place, anything physical but NOT sex. Sex is seen as a way to diffuse your feelings like junk-food eating. Mentally awake yourself.
3. Watch a few mediation videos from YouTube. Go to the restroom and watch or take a break and go outside if you are already at work. If you boss confronts you, calmly say; "I am sorry. I am feeling tension and want to make my workday successful. I just needed a few moments to ease and regain control of myself."
Most bosses will see no problem with that and be agreeable to let you do what you need to.
4. Write your feelings down whether on a digital device or paper. It gives away the control of your low feeling, low mood, and elevates your sensory part of the brain which puts you back in the right place.
5. Never talk at the guests. Listen, assess, evaluate, respond kindly.
Guest: "The sun is shining in my room. I don't like it, Change my room now!"
You: "I am sorry for your discomfort. Let me assist you with that. We are having some...
Guest: "Are you changing my room or not?"
You: "There aren't any available rooms for tonight."
I hope you get the idea of my role-playing exercise. Talk with your manager or co-worker about what the outcome might be for your property and how to handle the situation. Every property has different roles and policies for handling this.
6. Do not let the stresses, the responsibility, and the tasks you do not like to let your standards slide. Do what's right to identify and fix the problem. Happiness inspires happiness so please look at yourself and do what makes you happy.
If personal issues, are stressful then do try to resolve them as best as possible before work. Talk to your friends or a mentor to help you through the stress to help resolve your issues.
Thank you. Feel better. You deserve to be a star!
Affirmations:
You deserve to be a star!
No on ever got rich in a day working solo.
Team is not "I" but together.
Team reflects well together not apart.
Happiness is earned by doing positive things and making yourself and others feel joy.
Find a friend to hug!
Great escapes or great experiences? Discuss with someone.
Share Answer: 
I think Las Vegas gets a bad reputation from celebrities thinking they're above the law and trash hotel rooms, damaging property and being a disturbance to hotel security and other guest's.Big cities regardless of tourist appeal will have its share of guest's to disturb your day. Security should handle such issues or Manager's should have security training if hotel offers less than 300 rooms. Las Vegas has its strengths and specifically there isn't a fair comparison between cities.
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Politely inquire about food interests and allergies of person asking me. I try to have a wide range of options from the basic casual to an anniversary fine dining restaurant. Promote with sincerity and secure guest's transportation in getting there so that the safety of your guest is protected.
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