Hospitality - Hotel and Resort Services Management (Co-op) HMT8

Holland Code: E (Enterprising)

What academic skills do I need to be successful in the program?

This list does not replace the admission requirements you must have for admission to the program. Please see website for details.

Arts High school courses in Information and Communication Technology and Hospitality and Tourism would be useful preparation for this program. Speaking an additional language (preferably French) would be useful preparation for this program.

Math Good math skills (need grade 11 or 12 math course). High school courses in Financial Accounting would be useful.

Technology Basic computer skills required (Microsoft Office, email, Internet).

*Note: Students in Hospitality – Hotel and Resort Services Management and Food and Beverage Management share multiple common first year courses.

What personal qualities should someone interested in this career have?

• The ability to adapt to changing customer needs and the unexpected
• The ability to remain calm while under pressure
• Good general health, stamina and mental alertness to cope with the long, irregular hours of work
• Excellent organizational skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• The ability to get along with all kinds of people
• Leadership and decision making skills
• Possess tact and courtesy

Useful background experience for this program would be

Part time work in restaurants, clubs, hotels, etc.

What kind of work could I do when I graduate?

Graduates of this program may go on to become a

Management trainee, front line work in a variety of hotel departments: housekeeping, human resources, marketing and public relations, banquet and catering, purchasing and front office.

Places you may find yourself employed include

Hotels, motels, hostels, inns, and bed and breakfasts.

Typical working conditions for this kind of work:

• Work in close quarters that can be very noisy especially during busy periods
• Must stand for hours at a time and work near hot ovens and grills
• Some lifting up to 10 kilograms routinely is required
• Hours vary – shift work, holiday, weekend work and overtime is common

Tasks a graduate may do in the workplace

Front Desk

• When new guests arrive, desk clerks: welcome and register them, assign rooms and rates, and issue room keys or cards, provide information about services available in the hotel and in the community, verify customers' credit and establish how the customer will pay for the accommodation, promote and sell guest rooms and respond to special requests.
• When guests check out, desk clerks: review accounts with them, inquire about satisfaction with their stay, receive payment for accounts, balance cash accounts, advise housekeeping which rooms have been vacated and are ready for cleaning.
• Desk clerks also may: keep an inventory of room reservations, respond to reservation inquiries, answer telephones and take messages, handle guest mail, provide concierge services, such as making appointments or reservations or calling taxis for guests, record guest comments, deal with customer complaints or refer dissatisfied customers to a manager.

Guest Services

• Greet and escort guests to their rooms
• Transport luggage by hand or on a cart
• Ensure that guests are comfortably settled in their rooms by checking room ventilation, heating, lighting and supplies such as towels and linen
• Provide a quick overview of emergency escape routes
• Explain how the night lock, television, movie system, Internet options or telephone systems work

Hotel Manager

• Establishing and controlling budgets and approving contracts
• Strategic planning
• Setting room rates
• Approving expenditures
• Staff training
• Establishing standards of quality service
• Marketing and public relations

Helpful links for further research into this Fanshawe College program and career opportunity

• Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA)
• Discover Tourism
• emerit (A government website listing national occupational standards for the tourism industry)
• Canadian Hospitality Association
• Jubilee Hospitality Association of Canada (JHA)
• Fanshawe’s library has prepared a subject guide for current students in this program. You may find the links and information provided very useful in learning more about this career.

Opportunities for further development or education

• Exchange opportunities are available in Finland and Ireland. Find out more online.
• Graduates may apply for admission to the Concierge Services - Guest Relations Specialist and Retirement Residence Management graduate certificate programs.

Last Modified: June 4, 2024