Free Custom «Hospitality Facilities Management» Essay Paper

In an attempt to create and sustain customer satisfaction, the hotel industry players try to improve their facilities through involving different professionals in the industry for example the hospitality managers, hotel designers and the architects. A good hotel design is the key factor that promotes sales and subsequent profitability. This design involves creativity and the use of current technologies in building a comfortable hotel environment for example the creation of a perfect ambience, good air conditioning system, the lighting system as well as heating system (O'Fallon & Rutherford, 2010).

Air Conditioning System

Providing possible maximum comfort to customers is a major agenda for any hotel management and therefore they have to ensure that their guests or customers who come to stay in their establishments enjoy a cool and comfortable environment. Controlled and suitable temperatures make a comfortable hotel which will create an appeal to clients ensuring customer retention, encourages future visits and the hotel will receive recommendations as well. Hotel air conditioning systems provide such functions for comfortable climate control where space heating and cooling is achieved. Conditioning generally involves maintaining required temperature, humidity, the air flow, odor, room air quality and the noise levels (O'Fallon & Rutherford, 2010).

Air conditioning systems should cover all the sections of the hotels. The customer is the major concern all though the supporting areas such as the kitchen and the service counters should also have air conditioning systems. Achieving a general ambience is hard since human comfort vary from one individual to another. Hotels, motels and resorts therefore should have controlled cooling and heating systems in specific guest rooms to cater for individual preferences and this can be achieved through split air conditioners. The choice air conditioning system will vary according to hotel requirements and standards for example power use (O'Fallon & Rutherford, 2010).

Heating System

Various environments have different and varying weather conditions. The heating system usually work hand in hand with a cooling system and depending on the location of the hotel establishment, the facilities are installed to meet such needs as cold weather. A hotels heating system is necessary to provide customers comfortable stay since hotel rooms need to heated at moderated temperature as well as keeping the air humidity to a required level. Heating systems also include water heaters to provide customers with hot showers as well as that of pool heating systems (McDowall, 2007).

Heating systems may be a centralized system where there is a general central control to regulate the system or may be local where individual rooms have their own regulated systems where visitors regulate as they wish. At the same time, there are smart heating systems that automatically regulate temperatures. The choice of system to be installed may depend on the resources the hotel management would like to invest, the architecture and infrastructure of the hotel as well its size and location (McDowall, 2007).

Air Ventilation System

The ventilation system works hand in hand with the heating and air condition system. It involves creating indoor air quality or a favorable air climate in the hotel building. The design of a good ventilation system in a hotel room is the key to general comfort of the visiting occupants since the system will ensure indoor fresh air as well as keeping away any unhealthy chemicals that might be available for example swimming pool chemicals and other eruptive compounds. Hotel guests in general do enjoy a wide range of hotel choices and it would be of benefit to provide favorable room ventilation since bad odors and stale have been cited by customers as the reason for not returning to some hotels (Nunzio, 2010).

Lighting System

The lighting system is a fundamental concept in the structuring of a hotel environment. Lighting is a secret tool for hoteliers that make a big difference between being successful in the industry and failing. Hotel customers are the most important assets to the hotel and proper lighting solutions should create an appealing ambience to their eyes. In design, lighting range from outdoor decorative lighting to indoor lighting which both must be installed to ensure customer comfort and safety (O'Fallon & Rutherford, 2010).

Different locations in the hotel have different lighting that should correspond with the theme. The foyer and reception area should a welcoming atmosphere since these are the areas guests see first. Hotel room lighting should generate an aspect of comfortable atmosphere and guest should be able to make adjustments as they wish. The restaurant and bar area should also have their contextual subtle lighting and so are the service areas and walkways which should have bright light. Maintenance of these lighting systems should neither be costly nor high energy consuming. Hotel managers should make decisions in the choice of installations to make while putting the customer comfort in consideration (O'Fallon & Rutherford, 2010).

Laundry System

            Hotels have different laundry requirements. Solutions should be centered towards customer satisfaction. Hotel laundry may be centralized although an onsite laundry system like coin or card operated machines at customer convenience and comfort is preferred. The type of equipment and system should have a positive impression to the customer by being hustle free for example tracking down laundry. Choice of equipment should also consider the size the hotel laundry to ensure efficiency. Maintenance of laundry system should be easy, be of less cost and should and to ensure customer convenience (O'Fallon & Rutherford, 2010).