Monday, December 29, 2014

Hotels in Athens Greece

4:16 AM No comments

Q. = I made a reservation for a hotel in Athens Greece form a list of Athens hotels or Greek hotels a travel agent or an internet site suggested to me. After getting there to my surprise the hotel did not meet the standards which was told I will be getting. Example there is no swimming pool, no private WC, and no tennis courts. Is the Athens hotel owner or Greek hotel owner responsible?

A. = The responsibility towards the consumer is entirely the organizer's and/or the travel agency's, that is to say the tourist agent, from which the customer bought the organized travel package, and this is even for the services that are not produced or provided by the organizer and or travel agent directly, but by other collaborating enterprises (example, hotels, organized excursions, transportation services, etc). Therefore beware when reserving a Athens hotel from an internet site.

Q. = What is the procedure to reserve a room or an apartment in one of the Athens hotels or in the Greek hotels in general?

A. = Customers should communicate with the owner or management of Athens hotels or Greek hotels and make his reservation request by phone or fax or email or by telegraph.

Q. = What is the usual procedure to make sure that a request has been accepted?

A. = Within 3 days, owners or management of the Athens hotels or Greek hotels in general, who are interested in your reservation should send you an answer to let you know if they accept the reservation for renting any of their rooms or apartments requested by the customers. Owners should answer in writing or by telegraph or email or by fax stating that they accept the reservation requested by the clients.

Q. = I made an inquiry about a couple of reservations I need in hotels in Athens Greece. What is a fair deposit one should pay for reservations in Athens hotels or in Greek hotels in general?
A. = The owners of Athens hotels or Greek hotels can ask an advance of up to 25% of the total of price of the stay for all the days reserved. The deposit though should not be inferior to the rent of one day. The reservation is considered complete with the payment of the deposit that was determined and with the written acceptance of the reservation by the hotel owner.

Q. = I made couple of reservations for different hotels in Athens
Greece. Can I cancel the reservations I made for any or some of the Athens hotels or generally Greek hotels?

A. = When one reserves rooms or apartments part of a complex of any Athens hotels or Greek hotels, to be used for a predetermined time period and the rooms are used for part of the period, the customer has to compensate the Athens hotel owner with half the price that was agreed for the period that was not used by the customer.

Q. = What if the customer informs in writing at least 21 days before the reservation dates that he has changed his plans?
A. = If the customer informs in writing the owner of any Athens hotels at least 21 days before the reservation dates, then the customer is exempted from the compensation he has to pay. The owner of any Athens hotels is obliged to return the deposit that was collected.

How To Negotiate With A Hotel For Your Group Booking

4:14 AM No comments

In the last three decades, I have observed countless organizations that cost themselves, financially as well as in time and energy, by arranging groups with hotels in an amateurish, rather than professional manner. Organizations that have set up a professionally designed approach have better fulfilled the needs of the group, the organization, and the attendees to the meeting, event or conference. Organizations should set up a procedure for contacting hotels with their group that they use whenever they shall be using twenty or more rooms per night. This is even more true when the meeting will also include Food and Beverage requirements. The following are some of the steps that should always be included:

(1) It is essential for the group organizer or coordinator to fully understand the group's needs. There must be a realistic estimate of guest rooms required, as well as any meeting rooms, food and beverage, etc.

(2) The group organizer must prepare a detailed budget, and must fully understand all costs involved. These costs include any needed complimentary rooms, guest room rates including all taxes, service charges and fees, meeting room rental (if applicable). and food and beverage expense (including taxes and mandatory service charges).

(3) A professionally prepared, detailed RFP (Request for Proposal) must be utilized, and must be sent simultaneously to multiple properties that might meet your needs. In the RFP, all needed hotel concessions, group rates offered, food and beverage concerns, and special needs and requests must be requested. The RFP should be accompanied by a cover letter with a brief overview of the organization and the history of this event, if any. In this cover letter, each hotel should be informed that the RFP is being submitted to multiple hotel properties, for competitive bid? The letter should also clearly list a cutoff date for return of the RFP for review. Today, much of the Request for Proposal procedure has been dramatically simplified, as many properties offer online requests.

(4) Much has to do with who is footing the bill for this meeting. Is the full cost being underwritten by the organization? Is the full cost being underwritten by attendees? Are the costs being shared in some manner?

(5) From a budgetary standpoint, is the intent to make money on the event?

(6) If the guest rooms are being paid for by attendees, what is the point where price becomes a major factor, in terms of attracting attendance?

(7) How does the organization pay for the master billing? Is there a need to establish credit? If there is, the organization should be prepared to submit a minimum of three references to establish the needed credit, and these references must be hotel properties that the organization has previously established credit with.

(8) What are the full costs that the organization will incur, per attendee, as well as in total? Is this cost justified in terms of the value of the event?

(9) A procedure must be in place prior to receiving the proposals back. This procedure must be how the proposals will be reviewed, by whom, what checklists to use.

(10) The organization must create a set of internal priorities, so that the competitive proposals can be compared, reviewed and evaluated. Are there any particular issues that might be "deal breakers?"

These ten items are not nearly all the factors that come into consideration in securing a group booking that will be optimum. However, they are a good beginning, and organizations that do not follow a procedure similar to the above, generally either overpay, don't get what's needed, sign a bad contract, etc. In today's competitive market, organizations should carefully review clauses regarding attrition, guarantees, givebacks, etc. Organizations need to have a thorough understanding of factors that impact their group bookings process, including optimizing hotel negotiations, food and beverage negotiations, needed hotel concessions, and letting several hotels compete for your business. If an organization utilizes the steps listed above, in addition to having an understanding of these other relevant issues just mentioned, the organization will get far more "bang for their buck."

Richard Brody has over 30 years consultative sales, marketing, training, managerial, and operations experience. He has trained sales and marketing people in numerous industries, given hundreds of seminars, appeared as a company spokesperson on over 200 radio and television programs, and regularly blogs on real estate, politics, economics, management, leadership, negotiations, conferences and conventions, etc. Richard has negotiated, arranged and/ or organized hundreds of conferences and conventions. Richard is a Senior Consultant with RGB Consultation Services, an Ecobroker, a Licensed Buyers Agent (LBA) and Licensed Salesperson in NYS, in real estate.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5283868

How to Start Your Own Hotel Or a Resort

9:54 AM No comments

Starting or Building a Hotel or a Resort is different from other Real Estate Development, due to the amount of capital investment involved, time required to complete the project and the number of specialties and processes involved.
Hotel Development involves careful planning and coordination of various aspects, ranging from the Selection of Land (which can either be purchased or leased) to the final Grand Opening of the Hotel.
Conducting Market Feasibility study and projecting the financial viability of the project is very important to ensure if the project can really generate expected return on investment (ROI).
Formulation a well prepared Business Plan plays a vital role in giving the right direction to the business and also in convincing potential investors, to raise finance from different sources, for Hotel Development, Construction and Operations.
Another important aspect is to contemplate, if the hotel can be run and managed on its own, under its own banner, or is it beneficial to have a Franchise or a Hotel Management Agreement/Contract with a reputed Hotel Operator and the benefits/drawbacks associated with it.
This is followed by getting the whole Project Team on board and formulating and developing a concept, which uniquely identifies the property in the target market and to finally get the preliminary sketches and drawings done for the project.
Hotel Development and Construction process involves various Approvals, Permits and Licences at various stages of the project: before, during and after Hotel Development and Construction.
Next step is designing the various Front and back house areas of the proposed Hotel, including Hotel Exterior, Hotel Entrance, Lobby, Guest Floors and Guest Rooms, Food and Beverage Outlets, Kitchen, Laundry, Technical Areas, Swimming Pool, Spa and other Front and Back of House Areas.
That's only half way through, which is followed by Hotel Project Cost Estimate, to stay with in Budgets, which subsequently leads to Hotel Construction Scheduling and Planning, to the actual Hotel Project Management.
The whole construction process ends with the handing over of the Project to the Operations Team from the Projects Team, after the clearance of Punch /Snag List.
Selection, Procurement and Installation of various Furniture's, Fixtures and Equipment (FF&E) for various departments of the hotel is very important too.