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
Share Answer: 
I have no experience with NYC or what you are referring to. I am sorry.
Share Answer: 
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.
Share Answer: 
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!!
Share Answer: 
Audiologist
Can just one loud concert do serious damage to your ears?
MBA Student
Is business school a party compared to law or med school?
Former IRS Revenue Officer
Are IRS auditors more accommodating when you're polite with them?
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.
Share Answer: 
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.
Share Answer: 
Thank you for your time in explaining the situation and let me record that information at the Front Desk. From there I will stay on top of this and resolve this with the proper department and speak to XYZ person directly.
Insert name and position in place of XYZ
Share Answer: 
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