London Hilton on Park Lane: Managing the International Hospitality Service Experience

London Hilton on Park Lane
Source (http://www3.hilton.com)
Managing the International Hospitality Service Experience
Introduction
The quality of the service offered by hospitality facilities is the key to having competitive advantage in the market. Faced with intense competition, the providers of hospitability services should strive to deliver the best quality of all acute elements comprising a visitor’s experience as well as attempt to fulfil a wide range of required standards. All aspects of the facility should be considered including interior and exterior layout; general ambient conditions such as rooms, suites and other equipment of the hotel; services and conveniences; employee and customer responses; social and individual interactions, customer loyalty and also safety (Wu and Ko, 2013).
Designing a proper valuation scheme for hospitality facilities such as hotels, plays a vital role in reassuring to the public that the hotel is committed to quality. Even though the appraisal aims to support the performance management, studies document that many of the administrators do not appreciate such assessments (Brown et al., 2010). There a few main characteristics that need to be put into emphasis while benchmarking every aspect of the hospitality service experience and measuring the luxury and trust offered by the hotel.
First of all, the concept of design is very important. The actual physical place where the service is performed, the architecture, conditions of the rooms and general ambient conditions will always have an impact on exploiting the potential of the business (Hotel Accommodation Quality Standard, 2016). Furthermore, it is important to measure the efficiency of the service, sometimes measured by the degree of customer contact and interaction. Questions regarding the line of visibility, services witnessed by the customer and the nature of such interactions are crucial for building a good perspective of the service (Jawahar, 2007). Furthermore, this point of the assessment scheme should also focus on the tangibility, consistency, proficiency, politeness, and communication style between personnel and the client (Internationalfivestar.org, 2016). Availability of the staff, the aptitude, expertise and respect they show towards the guests as well as the coaching and motivation of the staff itself (Leamon, 2006; Vasset et al., 2010) are key for the experience the client will have during their stay in the hotel. Moreover, security and safety i.e. safety and lack of risk should be guaranteed, accompanied by any threats related to the hotel. The assessment should be able to identify: crime apprehensions, facility weaknesses, and physical security presence.
The main goal of the study is to focus on assessment of London Hilton hotel on Park Lane on how it has integrated of service quality, marketing, as well as customer management relation in a bid to improve customer satisfaction, customer retention and establishing of a strong competitive edge against the rivals in the hospitality industry, Also, the paper identifies the main issues regarding this facility and its day-to day management activities, while focusing on its main advantages and disadvantages. Lastly, the paper provides a full description of the facility for future potential clients and recommends the main efforts that the hotel should put improving the quality of tourist services.
Organization Background
London Hilton on Park Lane is a 5 star restaurant that is located in the exclusive Mayfair district of London and strategically situated along Park Lane overlooking the Hyde Park. The hotel was started in 1963-1967 after its completion (Hotel Accommodation Quality Standard., 2016). The hotel building is magnificently designed with 453 rooms including 56 suits and 28 storeys that makes it stand 331 fit tall. Many have considered the hotels structures which are made of concrete framed building and a Galvin at Windows restaurant at the top of the building as an intensive intrusion of both Park Lane, Hyde Park and Green Park (Hotel Accommodation Quality Standard., 2016). The hotel is said to be strategically located due to its proximity to the three parks, which are London’s main attractions, This attributes makes London Hilton on Park Lane the best site to explore London’s marvels.
Furthermore, the hotel has diversified its divisions and and operations as it boasts a range of popular bars and restaurant. Concerning operations, the hotel offers its customers a cookery journey that begins with breakfast at Podium Restaurant and Bar, followed by lunch break with a Chocoholic afternoon tea, and finally by champagne in our elegant CC Bar (Hilton Hotels and Resort, 2016). The hotel has magnificent and postmodern facilities that makes it an ISO certified facility. The facilities are categorized as event facilities, general facilities, leisure facilities, room facilities, children facilities, service facilities as well payment facilities (Hilton Hotels and Resort, 2016). Due to its high level general operations and exemplary service delivery, the hotel has won plenty of awards including, "England's leading business hotel 2009" by World Travel Awards Europe, Best Business Hotel in the UK 2011" by UK Business Traveller Magazine and Best Hotel in Europe 2010" by German Business Traveller Magazine (Hilton Hotels and Resort, 2016).
Problems
As much as the hotel seems to be the leading facility in the hospitality industry within the UK, still it has some limitations that have seen customers complaining (TripAdvisor, 2016). First, there is a problem of poor customer’s employee relationship. This is evident by the customers’ reviews from the TripAdvisor where several customers have raised complains about mistreatment in the hotel. For example a couple of customers have criticized the interactions with the receptionists and waiter whereby a group of customers complained about one rude waiter who answered them impolitely when they went to confirm a bill for their drinks (TripAdvisor, 2016). Similarly, another customer complained of mistreatment from a receptionist who ignored and gave no alternative after their booking was cancelled and card declined. However, the two complainants praised the meals for both breakfast and dinner. Second, there is a problem are the hefty fine placed imposed on customers in case of damages inside the rooms and other petty reparations (TripAdvisor, 2016). For example, a customer complained of being fined £100 for moving bottles inside the fridge. Other customers also have complained of being penalized huge fees for damaging room sockets (TripAdvisor, 2016). Third, there is a problem of noise pollution. For example, few customers have complained of the whistling of strong winds by the windows, which disturbed their sleep and relaxation at night (TripAdvisor, 2016). Lastly, there is cleanses problem. One customer raised a cleanness complaint claiming that his room had foul smell, an occurrence common in aging hotels with high occupancy. Lastly few customers have complained about the the food services in the rooms claiming that their experienced some delays and poor service in general.
Service Quality
In the assessment of the hotels service quality, three important service quality models are often examined. The models include technical quality, image quality and function. The technical quality services focuses on the outcome of their services, In other words, this modes evaluates what the customer receive upon their interactions with the hotel. In this respect, the hotel has successfully managed to provide quality end results that have met professionally accepted standard that serves the purpose of the customers (Kattara, et al., 2008). London Hilton on Park Lane customers are set to receive a diversified set of quality and modern that always matches their expectation. For example, under room facilities, the segment which is considered the centre product, the hotel have set proper air conditioning, minibar, pay movies, hairdryer, central heating and television, telephones and daily room service (Kattara, et al., 2008). Under service facilities, customers are offered with modern Concierge services, twenty four hours reception, currency exchange, laundry service, night porter and room service as well currency exchange service. Concerning payment facilities, customers are able to make payment through credit cards, debit cards and travellers cheques (Hilton Hotels and Resort, 2016). To the customers who are looking for event facilities, the hotel offers exemplary wedding receptions, wedding services, modern conference rooms, business centres, breakout rooms and car hiring services. Lastly, the the hotel has availed general facilities to the customers such as guest launch, Wi-Fi access, internet access, safe, onsite parking, private lifts as well as good views.
With all the aforementioned facilities, the customers have rate the cognitive values of this facilities basing on their experience with the service delivered. According to Kattara, et al., (2008), the manner in which the hotel offers customers services or the delivery process have an impact on perceived service quality. The process of service delivery is highly determined by employees’ actions who are known to play a vital part in enhancing service quality (Kattara, et al., 2008). In addition, the hotel’s quality of service is measured between the delivery and consumption process. In other words, products and services cannot be labelled as quality at the production level, unless the process of delivery and consumption are of quality as well. It has become easier for the hotel to meet the customers’ expected outcome by learning their perception of service quality from the reviews that reveals their prior experience with a particular service. Based on the thousands of reviews from TripAdvisor website, it is justifiable to conclude that London Hilton on Park Lane services quality. For example, many clients have praised the hotel’s executive lounge that is characterized by afternoon fully flourished afternoon tea (Anon., 2011). One customer wrote on his review that that executive lounge is strangely designed such that the receptionist for the lounge has situated out of the line of sight of the entrance, which favours access card system at the entrance to be efficient (Wu & Ko, 2013). Full open bars, private elevators and reliable pre-booking services. In this respect, several studies have examined that the company that guests enjoy and find it necessary to evaluate the quality of the services performed in a bid to rate and communicate their grievances.
Often, guests tend to examine the level of cleanliness, safety, convenience in terms of location security, physical facilities, value of money, as well as employee empathy and competency as attributes to measure the quality of services (Brown, et al., 2010). Therefore, the hotels website allows customers to review basing on the above mentioned attributes. Studies have suggested that the rational perceived service quality is a customers’ attitude that is related to customers’ satisfaction but they are not the same. The relationship between customers’ satisfaction and quality service are two complicated concepts (Brown, et al., 2010). The hotel treat the customer’s reviews as the expected service and compare it with the perceived service to establish the existing gap between the two.
In addition, the attributes are captured by the SERVQUAL model that also surveys the five service quality dimensions namely, reliabilities, responsiveness, assurance, empathy and tangibles. In relation to reliabilities, the hotel management has have set its operation in manner that convinces customers that the facility has the ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately (Capella University. School of Business, 2010). Concerning responsiveness, the hotel has successfully demonstrated willingness to help to helps its guests and prompt services. It has achieved this from its abundant resources such as well trained employees and ready and wide varieties of facilities to select. In addition, the hotel has built an assurance by ensuring its employee are knowledgeable and and courteous to gain customer’s trust and confidence (Capella University. School of Business, 2010). On the matters empathy, the the hotel has a system of that provides individualized attention to guests to ensure customers see the quality of the services offered (Su, et al., 2016)). Lastly, through tangible facilities such as suits and spa, beauty treatment and fitness centers, the hotel has established a great image quality that has contributed in boosting the company’s brand and reputation in the hospitality industry.
With all the measures that the hotel has put in place to ensure service quality, It has managed to create enjoy both long term and short term benefits....