Hospitality is the relationship between guest and host, or the act or practice of

being hospitable. Hospitality is also known as the act of generously providing care
and kindness to whoever is in need. According to Dictionary.com hospitality
means the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers. Specifically,
this includes the welcome, reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or
strangers in a warm, friendly and generous way. In India, hospitality is based on
the principle Atithi Devo Bhava, meaning "the guest is God."
Hospitality is defined as the friendly reception and treatment of strangers". For
most people, hospitality means entertaining guests with courtesy and warmth.
Hospitality is also an industry made up of businesses that provide lodging, food
and other services to travellers. The main components of this industry are hotels,
motels, inns, resorts and restaurants. In a broad sense, the hospitality industry
might refer to any group engaged in tourism, entertainment, transportation or
lodging including cruise lines, airlines, railways, car rental companies and tour
operators.
However the two main segments of the hospitality industry are the lodging
industry (also called hotel industry), and the food and beverage industry (also
called restaurant industry).
The word hospitality derives from the latin hospes, which is formed from hostis,
which originally meant to have power. The meaning of host can be literally read
as lord of strangers
Defining hospitality
The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) (1968) defined it as 'establishments
(whether or not licensed for the sale of intoxicating liquors) providing meals, light
refreshments, drink or accommodation. . Knowles (1996) further describes the
hospitality industry as 'any combination of the three core services of food, drink
and accommodation...a blend of 'tangible and intangible elements - and the
service, atmosphere and image that surrounds them.
The hospitality industry is part of a larger enterprise known as the travel and
tourism industry. It is one of the oldest industries in the world. In early days,
traders, explorers, missionaries and pilgrims needed a break in their journeys
requiring food, shelter and rest.
History of Hospitality Industry
Early History
The concept of hospitality is extremely old; it is mentioned in writings dating back
to ancient Greece, ancient Rome and Biblical Times. In ancient times people felt
that hospitality to strangers was necessary to their religious well-being. Religion
was the principal motivating force in the concept of hospitality. In ancient Greece
missionaries, priests, and pilgrims formed a very large part of the travelling
public. Often they were journeying to holy places, perhaps oracles or temples that
had a dominant position in their religion. During the Roman era, travellers who
were not on the road for religious reasons were usually on military, diplomatic or
political missions. Many military travellers disdained using the accommodations
that were available along the route. Inn in the cities was of bad reputation and
detrimental to travelers; outside the cities, they neither existed nor were needed.
The military travelers preferred, therefore, to sleep in the tents they carried with
them. In ancient Persia, travelling was done in large caravans, which carried
elaborate tents for use along the caravan routes. However, at certain points on
these routes, accommodations known as Khans were constructed. These were

simple structure consisting of four walls that provided protection not only against
natural elements but also against enemies who attacked under cover of darkness.
Early history of accommodation for travellers can be traced back to the Greek
word 'xenia' which not only meant hospitality, but also the protection given to a
traveller from discomforts. The city was bound to traditions of hospitality. In
Sparta city, despite rigorous customs restricting visitors, goddess Athena was
considered a 'protector of strangers' and hence her name, Xenia Athena. In this
period travellers were mainly diplomats, philosophers, intellectuals and
researchers. Guests were invited to stay with the nobleman. In ancient Olympia,
buildings constructed with the aim of accommodating strangers are still visible.
They were called 'Leonardo' and were built in fourth century BC. The concept of
hospitality can also be traced back to ancient times. Mention of it is found in Iliad
and The Odyssey by Homer. Hotel keeping can also be traced back to many
centuries and its evolution through the ages has been brought about by Britain's
economical and industrial changes and developments. The next stage in the cycle
of evolution of the hotel industry was the coming of the motor car. It enabled
people to visit those parts of the country which could not be reached by railways.
This gave birth to inland resorts and the hotel industry began to flourish.
International air travel has helped create the modern stop-over hotel. With the
increase in this form of travel, the number of hotels built close to airports has
multiplied. Another trend in hotel keeping is the Motel, which is the twentieth
century version of the old Coach Inn. People travelling the country by car,
stopping overnight here and there; require not only refreshment for themselves,
but also safe parking for their cars. Post houses, developed by the Trust houses
Forte Group, are in fact the modern version of the old coaching inns. This is
probably why Great Britain is considered as the 'motherland of hotel industry'.
Middle Ages
During the Middle Ages religion was the driving force for hospitality. It was
considered as the duty of the Christians to offer hospitality to travellers and
pilgrims. Monasteries functioned as inns, providing accommodations and food for
the weary traveller. Some monasteries and churches, constructed a separate
building to accommodate travellers. These building were known as
xenodocheions, a Greek word meaning inns or resting places.
Charlemagne during his reign enacted laws setting out the duty of a Christian to
provide a free resting place for a traveller. However, in consideration perhaps of
the possibility that a traveller might overstay his welcome, and also the burden or
providing free food for an indefinite period of time, the law limited the stay of any
traveler in any place to three nights.
In 1282 in Florence Italy, the great innkeepers of the city incorporated an
association for the purpose of turning hospitality into a business. Inns became
licensed and were permitted to import and resell wine. The inns themselves
belonged not to the innkeepers but to the city, and they were operated under
three-year leases, which was sold by auction. In the year 1290, 86 inns in
Florence were members of the guild. Shortly thereafter, the business of
hospitality spread to Rome and other Italian cities. It is interesting to note that
during that period many of the innkeepers were German rather than Italianpossibly because many of the merchants who were travelling themselves German
and were eager to find accommodation where they would find their own language
and food they were accustomed to.
In the 18th century, coffeehouses became extremely popular in Europe and were
incorporated into many of the inns.
Till the industrial revolution of the 1700s, no significant improvement was made
in the inns and taverns, and they were not very suitable for aristocrats. To
accommodate wealthy travellers, luxurious structures were constructed with
private rooms, individual sanitation and the comforts of a European castle. These

elegant new establishments adopted the French word for mansion - 'Hotel'. Not
surprisingly, their rates, too, were beyond the reach of an ordinary person. In
America early inns were modelled after European taverns, with sleeping quarters
shared by two or more guests.
During industrial revolution 1750-1820 English inns were considered finest in the
world . Hotel de Henry was one of the first European hotels built in 1788 with
capacity of 60 rooms. Growth of hotel inns took place with concept of family
hotels i.e run by the families were called mom & pop in England. Industrial
Revolution in England brought ideas and progress in the business of inn keeping.
The lead in hotel keeping was taken by the emerging nations of Europe,
especially Switzerland. It was in Europe that the birth of an organised hotel
industry took place in the shape of small hotels which provided services to the
aristocrats. The word hotel was used in England in about 1760.
The real growth of the modern hotel industry took place in the USA with the
opening of City Hotel in New York in 1794. Termand house was first class hotel
made in Boston 1829 which provided private guest room, door with lock, free
soap bellboy service. It is called Adam and Eve of modern hotel industry. Mr.
Ellsworth M Statler started new chain and made his first hotel Buffalo Statler on
18 Jan 1908. He gave a slogan" room and a bath for a dollar and a half".
Origin of Indian hospitality industry
In India the concept of shelter for travellers is not new. In fact, it is as old as its
recorded history. The historical records are replete with mention of viharas,
dharamshalas, sarais, musafirkhanas, etc.
These establishments provided a home to all wayfarers, be they pilgrims,
scholars, adventurers or merchants. The shelters under various names have
always been a part of Indias culture as a valuable institution providing a vital
service.
The ancient Buddhist monks were probably the first to institutionalise the concept
of a shelter in India. The cave temples scattered all over the south-western region
of India have both a chaitya (sanctuary) for worship and prayer and a vihara
(monastery). These monks, although living in their quiet retreats, away from
towns and villages, were nevertheless mindful of the needs of travellers and
pilgrims who found shelter and food at these monasteries. It is interesting to note
that these monasteries are located on the ancient trade routes between
important deities of the region. Mere charity was obviously not the motivation in
these displays of generosity. The trader travelled with their merchandise and
money on these routes and the viharas were their hotels.
In the medieval period this ancient institution gradually assumed a more secular
character. Although religious centres invariably had dharamshalas and
musafirkhanas attached to them, the caravanserai appeared as an exclusive
travelers lodge with a nanbai or cook attached with it.
Sher Shah Suri, the Afghan Emperor and the builder of the Grand Trunk Road, is
credited with having built caravanserais at regular intervals all along this highway
creating favourable conditions for commerce and travel. However, he was not
alone in this venture. The Mughals built such facilities all over their empire. Later
kings, rajas, navabs, rich businessmen and philanthropists built sarais making
travel less arduous. At approximately the same time, the inn was the Western
counterpart of Indias sarais. With the expansion of commerce, travelling became
profitable and with it emerged the business of providing comfortable shelter and
good food to the growing number of travellers.
The sarais in India like inns in Europe or the stagecoach stations in the USA of the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries stood all along the well-travelled routes.
They provided food and shelter to the travellers and fodder to their horses.

The amenities these early hotels offered would seem to us to be primitive but
they conformed to the lifestyle of that age.
With the passage of time the age-old institution of the sarai or the inn adapted
itself to the ever-changing and constantly growing requirements of the market
and has evolved into the modern hotel.
From the age of the bullock cart and horses through the age of the rail road into
the era of the jumbo jet and supersonic aircraft, the hotel industry developed with
the simultaneous development of transportation systems. It also reflects the
standard of living and the lifestyle of the society in which it operates.
The development of hotel industry in India is also continuous and satisfactory. The
British introduced hotels in India mainly for their own use or for foreign visitors.
Some seventy years back, baring the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, almost all hotels
in India were owned and operated by the Britishers and the Swiss. There were
Albion Hotels, Victory Hotel and the Hope Hall. The arrangement in these was an
excellent one. Western-style residential hotels are comparatively of recent origin
in India. These hotels were first started about 160 years ago mainly for princes
and aristocrats and high dignitaries.
The credit for opening the first Western-style hotel in India in the name of British
Hotel in Mumbai in 1840 goes to Pestonjee who is the pioneer of Western-style
hotels in India. The Auckland Hotel was started in 1843 and in 1858 it was
renamed as the Great Eastern Hotel. Today there are a number of western-style
hotels in Kolkata Great Eastern, Oberoi Grand, Kenilworth, Park, Hindustan
International, Taj Benga! Etc.
By the end of the 19th century, there were many western-style hotels in South,
like Imperial, Albany, New Woodland, Elphinstone, Napier, Pandyan (Madurai),
Bangalore International, West End (Bangalore), Savoy, Ritz (Hyderabad), Palm
Beach (Visakhapatnam) etc.
The twentieth century can be called the turning point in the history of the hotel
industry in India. It was during this period many big business owners entered into
the field.
In 1904, Jamshedji Tata opened the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai. Front facing the
Mumbai harbour and overlooking the Gateway of India, it was until recently, the
largest hotel in the East.
It is rated among the top ten hotels in the world. Jamshedji felt that it was
essential for the advancement of the country that it should have an up-to-date
hotel to provide facilities and comforts to visitors from all parts of the world.
Today there are many hotels in the chain including the President Hotel, the Fort
Auada Beach Resort, the Lake Palace (Udaipur), the Rambagh Palace, Taj Palace
(New Delhi), Taj Bengal (Kolkata) and many more.
The Indian Hotels Company Limited, owned by Tatas manages the famous Taj
group of Hotels. This chain has fifty-five properties in India and abroad.
Another entrepreneur who entered the field of hotel industry is Rai Bahadur
Mohan Singh Oberoi who opened a chain of Oberoi Hotels in India and abroad. Mr.
Oberoi started his career as a clerk but later became a partner in the Clarks
Hotels, Shimla.In 1933, Mr. Oberoi took over the Grand Hotel, Kolkata on lease
and gave it a new look and new life. Mr. Oberoi built a hotel on Gopalpur on sea,
in Orissa, Mount Everest in Darjeeling, the Mount View in Chandigarh and the
Palace in Srinagar to his chain of hotels. Oberois School of Hotel Management in
Delhi recognised by the International Hotel Association, Paris, trains up young
people from different countries.
What is Hotel?
A 'hotel' or 'inn' is defined by the British law as 'the place where a bonafide
traveller can receive food and shelter, provided he is in a position to pay for it and
is in a fit condition to be received'. Hence a hotel must provide food and lodging

to a traveller on payment and has, in turn, the right to refuse if the traveller is
drunk, disorderly, unkempt or is not in a position to pay for the services.
Characteristics of the hospitality industry
Intangibility: The hospitality products cannot be seen, tasted, felt, heard or
smelled before they are purchased. When the sales representative of a hotel goes
to sell hotel room they do not take hotel room with them. In fact they do not sell a
room. Instead, they sell the right to use a room for a specific period of time.
Inseparability: In most hospitality services, both the service provider and the
customer must be present for the transaction to occur. The food in a restaurant
may be outstanding, but if the service person has a poor attitude or provides
inattentive service, customers will down-rate the overall restaurant experience.
Variability or heterogeneity: Services are highly variable because their quality
depends on who provide them and when and where they are provided. In service
delivery high level of human involvement is required. This makes it vary every
time the consumer is availing the service. Hotel room will remain the same but
the service and facilitation in the room will depend upon the housekeeping staff.
The cleanliness of a hotel room may have different standards if the housekeeping
supervisor or the room cleaner is changed.
Perishability: Services cannot be stored. Vacant rooms are perishable. The
unsold room tonight can never be sold again. Like empty airline seats, Theatre
seats or sport arena seats, hotel rooms cannot be stored, cannot be saved and
cannot be used a new.
Fixed Supply: Supply of rooms in a hotel is fixed. Airlines adjust to demand by
temporarily adding or removing flights. This is not so with hotels.
High Operating Cost: Unlike manufacturing industries, which offset labour with
large capital investments, hotels are both capital and labour intensive. The result
is high fixed costs, which continue whether or not the hotel has business. Thus a
high percentage of occupancy is needed just to break even.
Seasonality: Seasonality means changes in business, employment or buying
patterns which occurs predictably at given times of the years. On a business site,
seasonality is defined as seasonal fluctuation in economic or business activity
which occurs again and again regularly during a year as a result of changes in
climate, holidays and vacations (Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms
2011). Seasonality indicates the subject matter of fluctuations of demand or
supply in the tourism industry which are effected due to weather conditions,
public and school holidays. (Cooper, Fyall, Gilbert & Wanhill 2005, 279.).
Seasonality in hotels involves fluctuations in number of guests, occupancy rates
and bed nights.
Structure of the hospitality industry
The hospitality industry is a billion dollar industry and is a cluster of industries
comprising of lodging, food services, recreation, entertainment, amusement and
travel sectors. These organizations offer comfort, entertainment and guidance to
strangers.

The hospitality industry can also be divided in different ways:

Commercial or service sector: Most of the hospitality operations are being run
as business to earn profits.
Profit making or working within a budget: Most hospitality operations need
to make profit but some need to work on specific budget. For example school
canteens.
Restricted customer or open to the general public: Most hospitality
operations can sell to anyone but some are restricted to selling to a small part of
the public. For examples customers on train, cruise.
Hotels are of various types depending on number of factors like the nature and
facilities offered, size, location etc. Classification in the real sense separates
accommodation into different categories or class on the basis of objective criteria,
for example, by the type of accommodation, such as hotels, motels, tourist
lodges, holiday camps etc. It seeks to present information about tourist
accommodation units in a form, which enables the user to find information he
requires. Information thus obtained will help to compare with identical
classification and thus, separates accommodation according to physical features.
The main reasons for classifying hotels are:
To analyse the market sector and so aid:
(a) Comparisons.
(b) Analyses of performance.
(c) Identifying market gaps.
(d) Marketing strategies.
(e) Customer requirements
The accommodation industry may be divided into three broad categoriesConventional or traditional International hotel, commercial and business
hotel, Resorts, floating hotels, roatel. Palace and heritage hotels, budget hotels,
luxury hotels, all suite hotels, motel,
Supplementary Accommodation- Bed and breakfast, Forest/jungle lodges,
Hostel, youth hostels, limited hostels, Extended stay, train cabin and retiring
room, Caravans, Ryokan and minshuku, boutique hotels, cave hotel, undersea
lodge, tree lodge, Government accommodation(rest house, dak bungalows, circuit

houses, public works department and forest rest houses), Homestays, YMCA,
YWCA./
Customized Accommodation- Timeshares and condominiums, capsule hotels,
Ice hotels, apartment hotels, camping.
CLASSIFICATION OF HOTELS
In a system of classification, hotels are ideally grouped into reasonably
homogenous sections according to their important general characteristics. Any
classification of the industry into its component sections is bound to be rough one
as has been observed that hotels and catering services are in joint demand.
Therefore, an attempt is made here to create such groups of undertakings which
only share some common characteristics.
Hotel is an establishment selling service: food, drink and shelter. The value and
the potentiality of a hotel are assessed by the size, location, number of rooms and
other revenue earning points it possesses. The classification of hotels within the
industry is a complicated task. Hotels can be classified on different basis.
Classification According to Facilities and Amenities
Based on the facilities and amenities provided by a hotel, they are generally
classified into five main types:
1. Economy / Limited Service Hotels - These types of hotels provide efficient,
clean, private rooms with attached bath. The furnishings and decor are moderate.
Initially these hotels did not have telephones or television in the rooms; but now
most of them have it. Food and beverage service may not be available, and bell
attendants, door attendants and concierge facilities are absent. To maintain these
economy hotels, they are located on inexpensive real estate areas and
constructed at relatively low cost. Operating costs are kept low by eliminating
food and beverage service and employing minimum staff to service the guests.
2. Mid-Market Hotels - The modem mid-market hotel is a descendant of the
first commercial hotel, offering comfortable accommodation with private baths,
on-premises food and beverage service and uniformed bell staff. These hotels,
also called standard or tourist class hotels, offer above average luxury and
comfort, professionally designed decor and may also have scenic views or
advantageous locations.
3. All-suite Hotels - The all-suite hotel was invented to compete with first-class
hotels by offering above-average facilities at mid-market rates. A typical all suite
hotel offers separate sleeping and living areas, along with other benefits like a
kitchenette and a stocked bar. Some hotels offer food and beverage service and
employ bell staff. A variation of the all-suite hotel, the condominium hotel is a
fully equipped apartment complex that rents accommodations for a short period.
A typical condominium hotel is located in a resort area and marketed as an
alternative to full-service hotels.
4. First-Class or Executive Hotels - A typical first-class hotel is luxurious or
semi-luxurious, with exceptional comfort and decor, highly trained staff and
above average food and beverages. These hotels are also referred to as executive
or superior hotels, often having luxury suites, two or more dining rooms and a
cocktail lounge. Many accommodations have excellent views, refrigerators and
fully stocked bars.
5. Luxury or Deluxe Hotels - These hotels represent the highest standard of
excellence in the level of luxury and comfort, cleanliness and efficiency, staff
specialisation, competence and courtesy, diversity and quality of food and
beverage service. A typical deluxe hotel has at least 10% of its space reserved for
luxury suites, two or more dining rooms, usually a gourmet-style dining room, and
a family style restaurant. Most of these hotels have excellent views, location and

ambience. Some hotels offering a very high level of luxury are referred as granddeluxe.
Classification According to Star Ranking
The Department of Tourism classifies functioning hotels under the star system,
into five categories from 1-star to 5-star. For this purpose a permanent
Committee, the Hotel and Restaurant Approval and Classification Committee
(HRACC) has been set up which inspects the applicant hotels to assess their
suitability or otherwise for award of the star category applied for. Based on the
recommendations of the HRACC, deserving hotels are awarded the appropriate
star category and are placed on the approved list of the Department. Approved
hotels become eligible to various fiscal reliefs and benefits. The Department
intercedes on behalf of such hotels whenever necessary to ensure that their
needs get priority consideration from various concerned authorities. These hotels
also get worldwide publicity through tourist literature published by the
Department of Tourism and distributed by the Government of India Tourist Offices
in India and abroad. Approved hotels become eligible for obtaining foreign
exchange for their import of essential equipment and provisions and for their over
seas advertising, publicity and promotion under the Hotel Incentive Quota
Scheme. To be eligible to apply for classification, a functioning hotel must fulfill
the following minimum basic requirements:
i) The hotel must have at-least 10 lettable bedrooms.
ii) All rooms should have proper ventilation and ceiling fans.
iii) Carpet areas in respect of rooms and areas of bathrooms should by and large
adhere to the following limits prescribed:
Failure to satisfy these conditions will disqualify a hotel for consideration. The
general features, facilities and services expected of hotels in the different star
categories are broadly described here:
Category
of
Hotel
Area
Standards
Single Room
180 sq.ft
Double Room
200 sq.ft
5-Star / 5-Star Deluxe
Hotels (Fully Air conditioned)
Bathrooms
45 sq.ft
Single Room
120 sq.ft
Double Room
140 sq.ft
4-Star & 3-Star Hotels
(Air-conditioned/ Non-A/c)
Bathrooms
36 sq.ft
(Extra area may be provided if twin
beds are to be provided)
Single Room
100 sq.ft
Double Room
120 sq.ft
2-Star & 1-Star Hotels
(Air-conditioned / Non-A/c)
Bathrooms
30 sq.ft or subject to
local bylaws
Five Star Category
General Features - The facade, architectural features and general construction
of the hotel building should have the distinctive qualities of a luxury hotel of this
category .The locality, including the immediate approach and environs should be
suitable for a luxury hotel of this category and there should be adequate parking
space for cars. The hotel should have at least 25 lettable bedrooms, all with
attached bathrooms with long bath or the most modern shower chambers. All

public rooms and private rooms should be fully air-conditioned and should be well
equipped with superior quality carpets, curtains, furniture, fittings etc., in good
taste. It would be advisable to employ the services of professionally qualified and
experienced interior designers of repute for this purpose. There should be an
adequate number of efficient lifts in the building of more than two stories
(including the ground floor) with 24 hours service. There should be a welldesigned and properly equipped swimming pool. There should be a welldesignated lobby and ladies' and gentlemen's cloakroom equipped with fittings
and furniture of the highest standard.
Facilities - There should be a reception, cash and information counter attended
by highly qualified, trained and experienced personnel and conference facilities in
the form of one each or more of the conference rooms, banquet halls and private
dining rooms. There should be bookstall, beauty parlor, barbershop, recognised
travel agency, florist and a shop for toilet requisites and medicines on the
premises. There should be a telephone in each room and telephone for use of
guests and visitors and provision for a radio or relayed music and a TV set in each
room. There should be a well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained dining
room / restaurant on the premises and wherever permissible by law, there should
be an elegant, well equipped bar / permit room. The kitchen, pantry and cold
storage should be professionally designed to ensure efficiency of operation and
should be well equipped. Services - The hotel should offer both International and
Indian Cuisine and the food and beverage service should be of the highest
standard. Glassware, cutlery, silver, table-wear and all necessary accessories
should be of best quality and standard. There should be professionally qualified,
highly trained, experienced, efficient and courteous staff in smart, clean uniforms,
and the staff coming in contact with guests should understand English. The
supervisory staff knowing at least one continental language should be rotated on
duty at all times. There should be 24-hour service for reception, information and
telephones. There should be provision for reliable laundry and dry cleaning
services. Housekeeping, at the hotel, should be of the highest possible standard
and there should be plentiful supply of linen, blankets, towels etc., which should
be of the highest quality available. Each bedroom should be provided with a good
vacuum jug/ thermos flask with ice cold boiled drinking water except where
centrally chilled purified drinking water is provided. There should be a special
restaurant / dining room where facilities for dancing, orchestra are available.
Four Star Category
General Features - The facade, architectural features and general construction
of the building should be distinctive and the locality including the immediate
approach and the environs should be suitable for a hotel of this category. There
should be adequate parking facilities for cars. The hotel should have atleast 25
lettable bedrooms all with attached bathrooms. At least 50% of the bathrooms
must have long baths or the most modern shower chambers, with 24-hour service
of hot and cold running water. All public rooms and private rooms should be fully
air conditioned and should be well furnished with carpets, curtains, furniture,
fittings etc, in good taste. It would be advisable to employ the services of
professionally qualified and experienced interior designer of repute for this
purpose. There should be an adequate number of efficient lifts in building of more
than 2 stories (including the ground floor). There should be a well-designated
lobby and ladies: and gentlemen's cloakrooms equipped with fittings of a
standard befitting a hotel of this category.
Facilities - There should be a reception, cash and information counter attended
by trained and experienced personnel. There should be a bookstall, recognised
travel agency, money changing and safe deposit facilities and a left luggage room
on the premises. There should be a telephone in each room for the use of guests

and visitors and provision for a radio or relayed music in each room. There should
be a well-equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained dining room / restaurant
on the premises and wherever permissible by law, there should be an elegant,
well-equipped bar / permit room. The kitchen, pantry, cold storage should be
professionally designed to ensure efficiency of operation and should be well
equipped.
Service - The hotel should offer both international and Indian cuisine and food
and beverage service should be of the highest standards. There should be
professionally qualified, highly trained, experienced, efficient and courteous staff
in smart, clean uniform and the staff coming into contact of the guests should
possess good knowledge of English. It will be desirable for some of the staff to
possess knowledge of foreign language and staff knowing at least one continental
language should be rotated on duty at all times. There should be 24 hours service
for reception, information and telephones. There should be provision of reliable
laundry and dry cleaning services. Housekeeping at the hotel should be of the
highest possible standard and there should be plentiful supply of linen, blankets,
towels etc. that should be of the highest quality available. Similarly, the cutlery
and glassware should be of the highest quality available. Each bedroom should be
provided with a vacuum jug (flask with ice cold, boiled drinking water. There
should be a special restaurant / dining room where facilities for dancing, orchestra
are provided.
Three Star Category
General Features - The architectural features and general construction of the
building should be of a very good standard and the locality, including the
immediate approach and environs should be suitable for a very good hotel and
there should be adequate parking facilities for cars. The hotel should have at
least 20 lettable bedrooms all with attached bathrooms with bath tubs and / or
showers and should be modern in design and equipped with fittings of a good
standard with hot and cold running water. At least 50% of the rooms should be
air-conditioned and the furniture and furnishings such as carpets, curtains, etc.,
should be of a very good standard and design. There should be adequate number
of lifts in the building with more than two stories (including the ground floor).
There should be a well furnished equipped lounge and separate ladies and
gentlemen's cloak rooms equipped with fittings of a good standard.
Facilities - There should be a reception and information counter attended by
qualified and experienced staff and a bookstall, recognised travel agency, money
changing and safe deposit facilities on the premises. There should be a telephone
in each room (except in seasonal hotels where there would be a call bell in each
room and a telephone on each floor for the use of hotel guests) and a telephone
for the use of guests and visitors to the hotel. There should be a well-equipped
and well-maintained air-conditioned dining rooms / restaurant and where ever
permissible by law, there should be a bar / permit room. The kitchen, pantry and
cold storage should be clean and organised for orderliness and efficiency.
Service - The hotel should offer good quality cuisine both Indian as well as
continental and the food and beverage service should be of good standard. There
should be qualified, trained, experienced, efficient and courteous staff in smart
and clean uniforms and the supervisory staff coming in contact with the guests
should understand English. The senior staff should possess a good knowledge of
English. There should be provision for laundry and dry cleaning service.
Housekeeping at the hotel should be of a very good standard and there should be
adequate supply of linen, blankets, towels etc., of good quality. Similarly, cutlery,
crockery, glassware should be of good quality. Each bedroom should be provided
with vacuum jug / thermos flask with cold boiled drinking water. The hotel should

provide orchestra and ball room facilities and should attempt to present specially
choreographed Indian Cabarets.
Two Star Category
General Features - The building should be well constructed and the locality and
environs including the approach should be suitable for a good hotel. The hotel
should have at least 10 lettable bedrooms of which at least 75% should have
attached bathrooms with showers and a common bathroom for every four of the
remaining rooms and should be with modern sanitation and running cold water
with adequate supply of hot water, soap and toilet papers. 25% of the rooms
should be air-conditioned (where there should be heating Arrangements in all the
rooms) and all rooms must be properly ventilated, clean, and comfortable with all
the necessary items of furniture. There should be a well-furnished lounge.
Facilities - There should be a reception counter with a telephone. There should
be a telephone or call bell in each room and there should be a telephone on each
floor unless each room has a separate telephone. There should be a wellmaintained and well equipped dining room / restaurant serving clean, wholesome
food and a clean, hygienic and well-equipped kitchen and pantry.
Service - There should be experienced, courteous and efficient staff in smart and
clean uniforms. The supervisory staff coming in contact with guests should
understand English. There should be provision for laundry and dry cleaning
services. Housekeeping at the hotel should be of a good standard and good
quality linen, blanket, towels etc., should be provided. Similarly, crockery, cutlery
and glass-wares should be of a good quality.
One Star Category
General Features - The general construction of building should be in a good
locality and environs, including immediate approach should be suitable. The hotel
should have at least 10 lettable bedrooms of which at least 25% should have
attached bathrooms with a common bathroom for every four of the remaining
rooms. At least 25% of the bathrooms should have western style W/Cs. All
bathrooms should have modern sanitation and running cold water with adequate
supply of hot water, soap and toilet paper. The rooms should be properly
ventilated and should have clean and comfortable bed and furniture.
Facilities - There should be a reception counter with a telephone and a
telephone for the use of guests and visitors. There should be a clean and
moderately well equipped dining room / restaurant serving clean, wholesome
food and there should be a clean, well-equipped kitchen and pantry.
Service - There should be experienced, courteous and efficient staff in smart and
clean uniforms and the senior staff coming in contact with guests should possess
working knowledge of English. Housekeeping at the hotel should be of a good
standard and clean and good quality linen, blankets, towel, etc., should be
supplied. Similarly, crockery, cutlery and glassware should be of good quality.
According to Ownership and Management
1. Independent Hotels (hotel consortia / cooperation) These hotels are on
ownership basis and do not have any affiliation or contract through any other
property. And also they do not have any tie-up with any other hotels with regards
to policy, procedures and financial obligations. The advantage in this type of hotel
is that they need not maintain a particular image and they are not bound to
maintain any set targets, but can independently adapt quickly to the changing
trends.
2. Chain / Group Hotels (public owned / franchise) - There are many single
owner hotels, yet more and more hotels and motels are now getting affiliated to
each other. This gives them the advantage of a large central organization

providing reservation system, management services, financial strength,

expertise, manpower specialities, merchandises and promotional help.
3. Management Contractual Hotel is another type of chain organization
which manages properties owned by other individuals or partners. The contract is
entered on long term basis between the owner and the operator and usually as
per the contract:
owner retains the legal and financial responsibilities
operator pays for the operating expenses and collects from the owner an
agreed upon fees
owner is responsible for paying taxes, insurance and servicing debt.
4. Franchise and Referral Group: Franchising is a method of distribution
whereby on entity that has developed a particular pattern or format for doing
business. Franchise organisations typically have set standards for designing,
dcor, equipment and operating procedures to which all its properties must
adhere. Referral groups consist of independent hotel which have branded
together for some common purpose, there is sufficient consistency in the quality
of service to satisfy guest expectations.
According to Type of Plan (Tariff Pattern)
1. European Plan - In this case only the lodging i.e. bed is offered. Thus the
charges are made for lodging only. The guest is free to take or not to take teas,
breakfast, and meals in the hotel. He has a choice of eating out at any other good
restaurant. The guest is booked to pay for lodging only and is charged separately
for all other things or services he enjoys or consumes. This system is generally
followed by youth hostels or hotels which are situated in metropolitan cities. In
India most of the hotels are being run on European plan. Almost all the public
sector hotels are run on this basis.
2. Continental Plan - In the case of continental plan, bed and breakfast are
included in the tariff charges. Thus bed is offered along with breakfast and the
guest is, however, free to take his meal and tea as he likes. Thus the guest tariff
includes lodging and bed and breakfast and for other he is separately billed.
3. American Plan - Hotel where American plan is prevalent, boarding and
lodging is provided in the charge. The tariff fixed includes board and lodging. It is
an all inclusive full board tariff. Accommodation and three meals daily are
included in the price of the room. It includes bed, breakfast and two principal
meals and evening tea. It does not include EMT or coffee after lunch, or dinner.
The needs are usually 'table d'hote menu'. It is also known as 'full pension'. This
analysis is mostly used at those tourist resorts, which are not situated in big
cities.
4. Modified American Plan - The tourists mostly prefer this plan, as it is
comparatively more flexible. It is offered in most of the good hotels and is
normally by arrangement. It includes hotel accommodation, breakfast and either
lunch or dinner in the price of the room. Thus, in this type of accommodation bed
and breakfast and along with it one principal meal, lunch or dinner at the
discretion of the guest is also included. It generally includes continental breakfast
and either 'table dhte lunch or dinner in the room rates. It is also known as
'demi-pension'. It has been observed that the Indian style local hotels in India
follow the European plan. However, and the western style hotels operating in
India which cater the foreign tourists, operates on the American plan.
According to Size
Classification is made based on the number of lettable rooms. It can be indicated
either by rooms as is done in America or by the number of beds as is done in
Europe.
Small hotels: 25 rooms or less

Average hotels: 25 rooms to 90 rooms

Above average hotels: 80 rooms to 250 rooms
Large hotels: 250 rooms and above
Very large: More than 600 rooms.

According to Visitors Stop-over

1. Residential Hotels - Residential hotels are also called as apartment hotels or
apartment house. Room in a residential hotel is sold on a monthly or yearly basis.
Rooms may be furnished or unfurnished, single or suite. Almost all residential
hotels operate a restaurant, offer telephone service, laundry and valet service.
Advance rents are usually collected while other charges are billed weekly. These
types of hotels normally operate on European plan. Cooperative hotels and
condominiums in which the tenants own the apartment and pay the management
a fee for maintenance are new entrant.
2. Semi Residential Hotels - These hotels provide accommodation to guests on
weekly or monthly basis like residential hotels as well as on per day basis like
transient hotels. Reduced rates are provided to long staying guests. Transient
guests who want to take advantage of reduced rates for longer stay also come to
such establishments.
3. Transient / Transit Hotels - Hotel guests who fall under the category of
transient guests are those who are en route guests i.e. who are in the process of
moving from one destination to another and stop at the hotel for a short period of
time as against a terminal guest who has reached his final destination. Hence
hotels, which cater to a transient / transit guest are called transient hotels. They
find their origin in olden days inns. Examples of transient hotels are motels, motor
hotels, airport hotels etc.
4. Resort Hotels - Resort hotels are located at resort places such as islands,
exotic locations, hill stations, beaches and health resorts and spas i.e. summer
resorts, winter sports resorts and all season resorts etc. with breathtaking beauty
and typical scenery. People go to these places for relaxation, to enjoy themselves,
and to get away from the hectic and demanding city life or for health reasons
away from hectic city life or to pursue a specific interest / activity.
According to its Relationship with Transport
1. Motels - Motels, motor hotels and motor courts are designed to serve the
needs of motorists. They must provide car parking, garage, accommodation, rest
facilities and recreational facilities and hence motels are generally equipped with
filling stations, motor garage, service stations, accessories, elevator service to
automobile entrants, restaurants etc. The tariff is very low as compared to city
hotels. They have easy access from highways, being located on highways or at
road junctions. Motel accommodation is ranked with hotels in general in many
countries.
2. Railway Hotels - These type of hotels are located near the railway stations.
These hotels provide temporary lodging and food to the railway passengers.
Mostly owned by the railway authorities.
3. Airport Hotels - The location of airports far away from cities, the growth of
the airline industry, the increase in air traffic and the postponement or
cancellation of flights has made the airlines companies responsible to take care of
hundreds of transit passengers and built the hotels near the airports. The glaring
example of such hotels is the Centaur Hotel at Delhi and Bombay owned by Hotel
Corporation of India, a, subsidiary of Air India. These hotels get business from
other travelers who require a place to rest while waiting for connecting flights.
Many travelers prefer to arrive at the airport the night before and get a good
night rest at these airport hotels. In addition to room, restaurant facilities, coffee
shop and main dining room, most hotels have added banquet and meeting rooms

to attract the social functions and meetings from companies located nearby, in
order to run their business profitably. In most of the big cities these hotels are
favorite location for area meetings
4. Floating Hotels - This type of hotels are located on the surface of water such
as sea, lake etc. Such hotels provide exclusive and exotic atmosphere. All the
facilities of a first class hotel are there in this category of hotels. In many
countries old luxury ships have been converted into floating hotels. In India in
Kashmir valley, houseboats are used as first class luxury hotels. They provide
wonderful experience to a tourist. The First Floating Hotel of India, a Rs. 31 crores
hotel with four storeys, will be operational in Kolkata very soon. The hotel with a
coffee shop and 73 rooms and three suites can be called as the First Floating
Hotel of India.
According Type of Patronage
Hotels catering to women only
Hotels catering to families only
Hotels catering to commercial men only
Hotels catering to high society or affluent category only
Hotels catering to retired people only
Hotels catering to students only
According
to
Length
of According to Location
Operating Period
Resort hotels. Suburban hotels
Airport hotels (Airtel)
Seasonal hotels
Sea side hotels or Beach hotels or
Two-seasonal hotels
Coastal hotels
Year around hotels
Transient hotels
Country hotels
According to Purpose
Floating Hotels
o International hotels
City hotels
o Commercial hotels.
Highway hotels
o Hostels
Town center hotels (down-town hotels)
o Business hotels
Space resorts
o Holiday hotels
Hill or mountain hotels
o Transient hotels
Ski resorts / Ski lodges
o Resort hotels
Boatels
o Motels
Hotels
o Inns
Inland hotels
o Convention hotels
According to rates and meal plan
The main source of income for a hotel is by the sale of room space. In the hotel
industry, all rooms are not the same. There are various types of rooms depending
on the size, location and category of the hotel. The types of and rates of rooms
not only differ from hotel to hotel but also within the hotel, depending on real
estate and construction costs. The level of luxury and the type of bedding also
determines the room rate to be charged. Various terms, codes and descriptions
have been created by various hotels worldwide to represent room tariffs and
types. In the past it was difficult as different hotels used different codes. Due to
computerisation the room types and codes have become standardised. Normally,
hotels have four rate categories:
1. Rack Rates Rack rates are normal room rates. It is based on the category of
the room, type of bedding and occupancy. Unless specified, guests are quoted the
rack rates and are charged for the same.
2. Group and Tour Rates

Group and Tour rates are a discounted room rate for an organisation, which has
blocked a large number of rooms. Most hotels have group rates that are lower
than the rack rates. This rate is generally extended to a trade association or
fraternal organisation that has scheduled a meeting, seminar or conference at the
hotel. Discounts are also offered to a tour operator, in return for a commitment to
purchase a minimum number of rooms over a given period of time. They are
usually regular customers for the hotel.
3. Special and Promotional Rates
Special and promotional rates are offered to corporate travellers, traveling sales
representatives, military personnel, airlines staff or other regular clients. Some
times special rates are also offered along with an advertising campaign or to
promote the hotel during lean periods.
4. Package Rates
Package rates are offered to the public along with other services such as banquet
or a ball, or recreational facilities or a special event. Such a package normally
includes accommodation, tickets to the concerned event, transportation from
hotel to the venue and back and pick-up service. Other popular packages offered
by hotels are honeymoon, weekend, Christmas, New Year or any other special
event and sports activity. The package rate is normally lower than the combined
component or rack rate.
According to Tariff Based on Room Category
The tariff also varies as per room categories. Every hospitality establishment has
different types of rooms available but the most common type of rooms available
in large hotels are
A - Deluxe (Maximum Rate), B - Superior (Moderate Rate), C Standard
(Minimum Rate), D - Economy (Promotional rate).
The accommodation is also categorized depending on occupancy rates charged
accordingly. Su - Suite, S - Single occupancy, D Double occupancy.
Category Type of Accommodation
1. Deluxe Room: offers the best location in the hotel and offers best view,
highest level of comfort with matching furnishings and decor. The amenities
include a fully stocked bar or refrigerator and the room has king or queen beds.
2. Superior Room: is a medium rate room usually located on the ground floor
with a good view and may have a double king or queen bed.
3. Standard Room: is a regular room consisting of one or two double beds, a
queen bed or two twin beds. They may not have either a good view or a good
location.
4. Economy Room: generally a room reserved for promotional or discounted
rates and may have under sized beds, small floor plan or a mediocre location.
5. Suite normally consists of two rooms -a living room and a sleeping room. It
may some times also have a kitchenette or conference room. The other amenities
provided are a stocked bar and refrigerator.
According to Tariff Based on Bedding
Besides the variation in the rooms and tariff, the bedding also normally has
following categories. They are K-King-sized bed; Q- Queen sized bed, D-Double
bed, T-Twin bed and S-Single Bed.
1. King-sized Bed: is the latest style and is equal to two twin beds side by side.
One or two king beds are normally provided in deluxe rooms or suites.
2. Queen-sized Bed: A queen bed is about 10 to 25% smaller than the king
sized bed, but 25% bigger than the standard bed. A queen bed may be provided
in any category of rooms, as some hotels do not distinguish between queen beds
and double beds.

3. Double Bed The standard sized double bed is about 25% smaller than the
queen bed and is provided in any room category.
4. Twin Bed The twin bed is about half the size of a king bed and a room
normally has two twin beds.
5. Single Bed A single bed may refer to one twin bed or one bed of any size
provided in a room, which is rented out for single occupancy.
According to Tariff Based on Special Rates
A number of hotels offer special discounted rates as under:
1. Corporate Rate: This rate is given to corporate travellers, who normally form
the cream of a hotel's occupancy. To earn this discount, the company may have to
guarantee a minimum number of rooms to be occupied during a particular period.
Some hotels offer this corporate rate to any business traveller irrespective of the
employer.
2. Government Rate: This rate is normally given to employees of the
government, usually on the basis of a contract between the government
department and the hotel. Discounted rate may also be given to government
personnel holding a valid ID to encourage regular business.
3. Military Rate This is offered to personnel of the armed forces, either on the
basis of a contract or to encourage repeat business.
4. Agent Rate This rate is offered to travel agents and airline personnel, which
may not be valid during the peak seasons.
5. Salesperson Rate: These rates are mostly offered at motels to traveling
salespersons during the off-season.
6. Local Business Rate: These rates may be offered to preferred business
houses in the local community, which includes a discount and guaranteed
availability.
7. Day Rate This rate is applicable to guests who stay only during the day
without staying overnight.
8. Package Rates :These rates are often offered during the lean season or as a
promotional venture. These include weekend packages or promotional packages
like a three nights and two days stay which include meals and other recreational
facilities.
9. Group and Tour Discount: The hotel, normally offers group and tour
discounts to increase or maintain occupancy throughout the year in return for a
commitment to purchase a fixed number of rooms.
10. Guaranteed Availability : If a hotel normally has a high occupancy rate,
the group rate offered may be only guaranteed availability of a fixed number of
rooms, without offering a discount.
According to Tariff Based on Meal Plan
The meal plans are usually of five types.
1. European Plan: Under this plan the room rate charged does not include any
meals, which must be purchased separately.
2. American Plan : This has two types:
Full American Plan under this plan the room rates include all three meals, but
exclude beverages, which must be purchased separately. Modified American Plan
- Here the room rate includes two meals (normally continental breakfast and
dinner), excluding alcoholic beverages, which must be purchased separately.
3. Continental Plan: Under this, room rate includes continental breakfast.
4. Bed And Breakfast Plan: Under this plan, the room rate includes a full
breakfast.
According to hotel guests: A hotel customer or client is called a guest because
the hotel offers homely and professional service to him, and establishes an

intimate relationship with him during his stay. Hotel guests may be defined as
people who have, who are, or who will be availing the services of hotel, for a
particular period in order to satisfy their demand for accommodation, food and
beverage or entertainment, for which they are willing and able to pay. Guest
relation is the integral part of the hotel industry. It is a means for the
management to reach out to the guest and convey to him the feeling of warmth
and welcome.
Guest Classification
A guest may be classified under following headings:
1. Guests on the basis of presence in the hotel: an expected guest, an inhouse guest and check out guest.
2. Guests on the basis of recognition: regular guest, V.I.P., special attention
and distinguished guest and new guests
3. Guests on the basis of revenue: paying guests and Complimentary
Guests
TYPES OF ROOMS
The size and furnishing of a room solely depends on the type of the hotel and the
classification of rooms.
1. Single Room A single room has a single bed for single occupancy. It is a
standard room having a dressing-cum-writing table.
2. Double Room It is a room with one double bed meant for two people. It is a
standard room having a dressing-cum-writing table.
3. Deluxe Room This room is well furnished, carpeted and more suitable for
single persons and small families. Deluxe Rooms are available with Single and
Double beds.
4. Twin Room A room with two single beds meant for two people having only
one bedside table between the two beds.
5. Hollywood Twin It is a room with two single beds and one single headboard
meant for two people. When need arises, the two beds can be bridged together to
make it appear as a double room.
6. Studio The studio room is the room for the guest with option of self catering.
It has a queen size bed, air conditioning, fan and screens. There is also a dining
area and a seating area.
7. Suite A suite in a hotel mostly denotes a class of luxury rooms. Suites offer
more space and furniture than a basic hotel room. In addition to the standard bed
and bedroom fixtures, a suite will typically add a living room, usually with a couch
that folds into a bed. Dining, office and kitchen facilities are also added in some
suites. Many large hotels have one or more "honeymoon suites", and sometimes
the best room is called the "presidential suite". Some hotels now offer only
regular suites. Regular suites are particularly aimed at business travelers who
would both appreciate additional space and may use it to host small meetings or
entertain guests.
8. Penthouse Suite A penthouse suite i s mostly on the highest floors of hotel
building. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other rooms by luxury
features. A penthouse suite may also provide occupants with private access to
the roof space above the suit, instead of or in addition to terrace space created
by an adjacent sitback.
9. Parlour A parlour is a room equipped and furnished for a special function or
business. It is generally a lavishly decorated room with more facilities like bar,
pantry, massage. Usually the room is sold on hourly basis.
10. Executive Room It is larger bedroom with a sitting area provided with
chairs and usually sofa. There is a dressing table as well as a writing table.

11. Duplex Room A set of rooms not on the same level but it is connected by an
internal staircase. Generally, the parlour is at the lower level and the bedrooms
are at the upper level.
12. Interconnected Rooms Two rooms adjacent to each other having an
interconnecting door allowing entry from one room to another, without having to
go through the corridor. The interconnecting doors can be opened or locked as
per the guests choice.
13. Efficiency Room It is a room with some kitchen facilities found in motels and
residential hotels.
14. Cabana Cabana is generally a shelter on a beach or at a swimming pool used
as a bathhouse. But now some hotels provide cabana with contemporary beauty,
comfort, protection and privacy with all basic facilities alongside the swimming
pool, on the beach, in the garden and in any lounging area to individual guests for
occupation. The rent for cabana is usually less as they would not have luxurious
dcor.
15. Sico Sico room is a smart solution to space efficiency. Sico rooms usually
have special beds which can be folded according to the guests need. Guests get
a meeting room by day and a sleeping room by night, with the comfort of a real
mattress. With most meetings today consisting of ten people or less, Sico rooms
offer the flexibility to accommodate small meetings without tying up large
meeting rooms.
HERITAGE HOTELS
Heritage Hotels cover running hotels in palaces/castles/forts/havelies/hunting
loges/ residence of any size built prior to 1950. The facade, architectural features
and general construction should have the distinctive qualities and ambience in
keeping with the traditional way of life of the area. The architecture of the
property to be considered for this category should not normally be interfered
with. Any extension, improvement, renovation, change in the existing structures
should be in keeping with the traditional architectural styles and constructional
techniques harmonizing the new with the old. After expansion/renovation, the
newly built up area added should not exceed 50% of the total built up (plinth)
area including the old and new structures. For this purpose, facilities such as
swimming pools, lawns etc. will be excluded. Heritage Hotels will be sub-classified
in the following categories:
Heritage:
This
category
will
cover
hotel
in
Residences/Havelies/Hunting
Lodges/Castles/Forts/ Palaces built prior to 1950. The hotel should have a
minimum of 5 rooms (10 beds).
Heritage Classic:
This
category
will
cover
hotels
in
Residences/Havelies/Hunting
Lodges/Castles/Forts/ Palaces built Prior to 1935. The hotel should have a
minimum of 15 room (30 beds).
Heritage Grand:
This
category
will
cover
hotels
in
Residence/Havelies/Hunting
Lodges/Castles/Forts/ Palaces built prior to 1935. The hotel should have minimum
of 15 rooms (30 beds).
Front Office
What is the front office?
When people decide that they want or might want, to stay in a hotel, they may.
Check out the hotels, and e-mail the reservation department to ask about
room rates and availability

Telephone the hotel or switchboard and ask to speak to someone(perhaps

in the reservation
department) about room rates and availability, the facilities and location of the
hotel and other information that will help them make the decision to book.
Walk in off the street and approach the front desk to ask about room rates
and availability (perhaps test out the friendliness and general look of the
hotel).
When the guest make the decision on the exact room to book with the given
number of nights, there
may be some follow up
correspondence to confirm
the booking, give extra
information (such as maps
on how to get to the hotel)
or make adjustments to the
booking as the guests
plans change.
When the guest arrives,
(s)he will go to a reception
desk
to
register,
be
allocated a room & receive
a
room
key
(with
information
about
the
facilities and service of the hotel). There may be a porter to help the guest with
luggage or to show the room to the guest.
In a small hotel, front office functions may be carried out by a single person at a
reception area or front desk: answering the switchboard, taking bookings,
welcoming and registration guests, billing and processing payment and so on. In a
large hotel, there may be separate departments dividing these responsibilities,
including:
Switchboard: taking and routing telephone calls
Reservation: taking bookings

Reception (or front office):

welcoming and registering guests
at the main reception desk
Concierge / enquiries: answering
guests and visitors questions;
handling mail and guest keys;
perhaps also handling car hire,
tour booking and entertainment
tickets for guests

Billing office: preparing guests

accounts and bills

Cashier:
receiving
guests
payments and processing other
financial transactions (currency
exchange)

Uniform staff: luggage porters,

lift
attendants,
doormen,
cloakroom attendants, garage attendants or valet parking etc.
Guest cycle:

Pre-arrival: During the pre-arrival stage the prospective customer makes a

decision as to which hotel to patronize. Arrival: This is the second major stage of
guest contact with hotel. The major activities at this time are registration and
rooming and both the guest and hotel enter with a binding contract. During
stay: This is the third stage and major activities during this stage are guest
accounts keeping, his complaints and suggestions handling etc. also refered to
On going responsibilities stage for hotel. Departure: This is the fourth stage. It
involves mainly the bill settlement of the guest.
Food and Beverages
The food & beverage cycle
Most food & beverage businesses operate within the cycle & the different stages
of the cycle
present both challenges & opportunities for
operators

TYPES OF CATERING
There are two main types of
catering
on-premises
and
offpremises catering that may be a
concern to a large and small
caterer. On-premise catering for
any function - banquet, reception,
or event - that is held on the
physical
premises
of
the
establishment or facility that is
organizing
/
sponsoring
the
function. On-premise catering differs from off-premise catering, whereby the
function takes place in a remote location, such as a clients home, a park, an art
gallery, or even a parking lot, and the staff, food, and decor must be transported
to that location. Off-premise catering often involves producing food at a central
kitchen, with delivery to and service provided at the clients location. Part or all of
the production of food may be executed or finished at the location of the event.
A restaurant is a retail establishment that serves prepared food to customers.
Service is generally for eating on premises, though the term has been used to

include take-out establishments and food delivery services. The term covers
many types of venues and a diversity of styles of cuisine and service
TYPES OF RESTAURANTS
Restaurants often specialize in certain types of food or present a certain unifying,
and often entertaining, theme. For example, there are seafood restaurants,
vegetarian restaurants or ethnic restaurants. Generally speaking, restaurants
selling "local" food are simply called restaurants, while restaurants selling food of
foreign origin are called accordingly, for example, a Chinese restaurant and a
French restaurant.
A cafeteria is a restaurant serving mostly cooked ready to food arranged behind
a food-serving counter. There is little or no table service. Typically, a patron takes
a tray and pushes it along a track in front of the counter.
Fast-food restaurants emphasize speed of service and low cost over all other
considerations. A common feature of newer fastfood restaurants that
distinguishes them from traditional cafeteria is a lack of cutlery or crockery; the
customer is expected to eat the food directly from the disposable container it was
served in using their fingers.
A casual dining restaurant is a restaurant that serves moderately-priced food
in a casual atmosphere. Except for buffetstyle restaurants, casual dining
restaurants typically provide table service. Casual dining comprises of a market
segment between fast food establishments and fine dining restaurants.
Cafs and coffee shops are informal restaurants offering a range of hot meals
and made-to-order sandwiches. Cafs offer table service. Many cafs are open for
breakfast and serve full hot breakfasts. In some areas, cafs offer outdoor
seating.
Coffeehouses are casual restaurants without table service that emphasize
coffee and other beverages; typically a limited selection of cold foods such as
pastries and perhaps sandwiches are offered as well. Their distinguishing feature
is that they allow patrons to relax and socialize on their premises for long periods
of time without pressure to leave promptly after eating.
A pub (short for public house) is a bar that serves simple food fare. Traditionally,
pubs were primarily drinking establishments with food in a decidedly secondary
position, whereas the modern pub business relies on food as well, to the point
where gastropubs are known for their high-quality pub food. A typical pub has a
large selection of beers and ales on tap.
Bistros and Brasserie: A brasserie is a caf doubling as a restaurant and
serving single dishes and other meals in a relaxed setting. A bistro is a familiar
name for a caf serving moderately priced simple meals in an unpretentious
setting. Especially in Paris, bistros have become increasingly popular with
tourists.
Ethnic Restaurants: They range from quick-service to upscale. Their menus
usually include ethnic dishes and / or authentic ethnic foods. Specialize in a
particular multicultural cuisine not specifically accommodated by any other listed
categories. Example: Asian Cuisine, Chinese cuisine, Indian Cuisine, American
Cuisine etc.
The housekeeping is the department of a hotel charged with cleaning and
maintaining rooms and public spaces. From the time a guest checks-in in a hotel
till he checks out, it is the housekeeping department which takes care of the
guest by making his / her stay pleasant and comfortable.

Cooking is an act of
preparing food for eating. It
encompasses a vast range of
methods,
tools
and
combinations of ingredients
to improve the flavour or
digestibility
of
food.
It
generally
requires
the
selection, measurement and
combining of ingredients in
an ordered procedure in an
effort to achieve the desired
result Culinary art is the art
of cooking. The culinary arts
profession is made up of
people who work either directly or indirectly in the preparation and service of
food items in the public or private sector. Cuisine is a specific set of cooking
traditions and practices, often associated with a specific culture
Kitchen organization
Partie system is a method of kitchen organization which is formal, structured
brigade and in most cases, only found in high quality kitchens and restaurants.
Executive Chef
The executive chef is in charge of everything related to the kitchen, including
menu creation, staff and business management aspects. While the position
requires extensive cooking experience and often involves actively cooking, the
staff of benefit, it also involves a high level of management and business skills of
the kitchen. They can also be referred to as the "chef" or "head chef". Although
"head chef" may seem redundant, the word "chef" has come to be applied to any
cook, kitchen helper or fast food operator, making the distinction necessary.
Responsibilities of Executive Chef:
Full supervision of kitchen brigade
Kitchen staff recruitment and training
Menu planning
Supervision of inventory and stock control
Maintaining budgetary targets
Supervision of health & safety (HACCP)
Sous Chef
The sous-chef de cuisine (Deputy-chef of the kitchen) is the direct assistant of the
executive chef and is second in command. He may be responsible for scheduling,
and filling in for the executive chef when he or she is off-duty. The Sous Chef will
also fill in for or assist the chef de partie (line cooks) when needed. Smaller

operations may not have a sous chef, while larger operations may have multiple.
The term "sous-chef" is pronounced like "su chef". Some sous chefs act as an
expeditor. This means that they serve as the liaison between the restaurants
customers and its line cooks. They deal with complaints regarding food quality.
They also are in charge of coordinating cooking so that the wait staff delivers all
food to the customers in a timely fashion and so that everyone sitting at a table is
served at the same time.
Responsibilities of Sous Chef:
Supervising the kitchen staff
Preparing and cooking meals to order
Demonstrating cooking techniques and proper equipment usage to the kitchen
staff
Some menu planning
Some ordering of food and kitchen supplies
Expediter or Announcer (Aboyeur)
The expediter takes the orders from the dining room and relays them to the
stations in the kitchen. This person also often puts the finishing touches on the
dish before it goes to the dining room. In some operations this task may be done
by either the executive chef or the sous chef.
Chef de Partie
A chef de partie, also known as a "station chef" or "line cook", is in charge of a
particular area of production. In large kitchens, each station chef might have
several cooks and/or assistants. In most kitchens however, the station chef is the
only worker in that department. Line cooks are often divided into a hierarchy of
their own, starting with "First Cook", then "Second Cook", and so on as needed.
Chef Saucier (sauce chef) is responsible for all sauted items and their sauce.
This person prepares sauces, stews and hot hors d'oeuvres and sauts food to
order. Although it is the highest position of the station cooks, the saucier is still
considered subordinate to the chef and the sous-chef.
Chef Entremetier prepares hot appetizers and often prepares the soups,
vegetables, pastas and starches. In a full brigade system a potager would prepare
soups and a legumier would prepare vegetables. Chef entremetier is also
responsible for peeling and cutting vegetables.
Chef Garde Manger (Larder) is a French term meaning "keeping to eat" or
"keeper of the food", refers to the task of preparing and presenting cold foods.
These typically include such food items as salads, hors d'oeuvres, cold soups,
aspics, and charcuterie. Larger restaurants and hotels may have the need for the
garde manger to perform additional duties, such as creating decorative elements
of buffet presentation like table arrangements and edible centerpieces made from
materials such as ice, cheese, butter, salt dough or tallow. In most modern
kitchens however, the garde manger is synonymous with pantry chef, having
duties focusing on salads, soups, cold food items, and dessert platings. It is
usually the entry-level line cook position within a restaurant.
Chief Butcher is responsible for the preparation of meat. The butcher has the
techniques of cutting, slicing and removing the bones from the meat.
Chef Poisonnier prepares fish dishes and often does all fish butchering as well
as appropriate sauce. This station may be combined with the saucier position.
Chief Steward is responsible for the washing of dishes and cleanliness of the
kitchen and looking for the good hygiene.
Pastry Chef (Ptissier) is a station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the
making of pastries, desserts, and other baked goods. The responsibilities of a
pastry chef can include duties such as menu planning, costing, and ordering. Dayto-day operations can also require the pastry chef to research recipe concepts
and develop and test new recipes. The pastry chef is often in charge of the

dessert menu, which besides traditional desserts may include dessert wines,
specialty dessert beverages, and gourmet cheese platters.
Chief Baker is responsible for the supervision of the baker staff as directed by
the Pastry Chef Supervisor. Assists in the preparation and cooking of all bakery
products, follow the HACCP procedures as set by the company.
Chef Tournant is responsible to replace those who are absent. Have to know a
bit of all work to be able to replace them.
Kitchen Assistants
o An apprentice or (commis) in larger kitchens would work under a chef de partie
or station chef in order to learn the station's responsibilities and operation.
o A communard would be in charge of preparing the meal for the staff during a
shift. This meal is often referred to as staff or family meal.
o The escuelerie-dishwasher is the keeper of dishes, having charge of dishes and
keeping the kitchen clean.
BACK OFFICE
A hotel back office is a room or space in a hotel that is set up to deal with some of
the higher-level financial work and other issues facing this type of business. This
section of the hotel also usually houses the offices of higher-level
management personnel. Larger hotels or franchises in a chain may have more
elements set up in the back office than smaller independently run hotels, which
sometimes might not have a back office at all.
One of the most important functions of a hotel back office is a setup to deal with
long-term financial information. Software companies commonly sell back office
software for hotels that will help provide annual accounting reports or organize
long-term financial details. This is in contrast to the front office, or front desk, of a
hotel, where lower-level workers generally keep cash received from guests, and
maintain current information on nightly or weekly financials, as well as credit
card data for recent guests

Transport or transportation is the movement of people, animals and goods

from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, rail, road, water,
cable, pipeline and space. Transport infrastructure consists of the fixed
installations including roads, railways, airways, waterways, canals and pipelines
and terminals such as airports, railway stations, bus stations, warehouses,
trucking terminals, refueling depots (including fueling docks and fuel stations)
and seaports. Passenger transport may be public, where operators provide
scheduled services, or private. Freight transport has become focused on
containerization, although bulk transport is used for large volumes of durable
items.
Human powered transport, a form of sustainable transportation, is the transport
of people and/or goods using human musclepower, in the form of walking,
running and swimming.
Animal powered
transport is the use of working animals for the movement of people and
commodities. Humans may ride some of the animals directly, use them as pack
animals for carrying goods, or harness them, alone or in teams, to pull sleds or
wheeled vehicles.
Pipeline transport sends goods through a pipe most commonly liquid and
gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes can also send solid capsules using
compressed air. For liquids/gases, any chemically stable liquid or gas can be sent
through a pipeline. Short distance systems exist for sewage, slurry, water and
beer, while long distance networks are used for petroleum and natural gas.
Cable transport is a broad mode where vehicles are pulled by cables instead of
an internal power source. It is most commonly used at steep gradient. Typical
solutions include aerial tramway, elevators, escalator and ski lifts some of these
are also categorized as conveyor transport.
Spaceflight is transport out of Earth's atmosphere into outer space by means of
a spacecraft. While large amounts of research have gone into technology, it is
rarely used except to put satellites into orbit, and conduct scientific experiments.
Rail transport is where a train runs along a set of two parallel steel rails, known
as a railway or railroad. The rails are anchored perpendicular to ties (or sleepers)
of timber, concrete or steel, to maintain a consistent distance apart, or gauge.
The rails and perpendicular beams are placed on a foundation made of concrete,
or compressed earth and gravel in a bed of ballast. Alternative methods include
monorail and maglev.
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods on wheeled
vehicles running on rails. It is also commonly referred to as train transport. In
contrast to road transport, where vehicles run on a prepared flat surface, rail
vehicles ("rolling stock") are directionally guided by the tracks on which they run.
Track usually consists of steel rails, installed on ties (sleepers) and ballast, on
which the rolling stock, usually fitted with metal wheels, moves.
The earliest evidence of a railway was a 6 kilometre (3.7 mi) Diolkos wagonway,
which transported boats across the Corinth isthmus in Greece during the 6th
century BC. Trucks pushed by slaves ran in grooves in limestone, which provided
the track element. By 1550, narrow gauge railways with wooden rails were
common in mines in Europe. By the early 17th century, wooden wagonways were
common in England and Wales for transporting coal from mines to canal wharfs
for transshipment to boats. The world's oldest working railway, built in 1758, is
the Middleton Railway in Leeds. In 1764, the first gravity railroad in the United

States was built in Lewiston, New York. The first iron plate railway, made with
wrought iron plates on top of wooden rails, came into use in 1768.In 1803,
William Jessop opened the Surrey Iron Railway in south London, arguably the
world's first horsedrawn public railway The first permanent tramway was the
Leiper Railroad in 1810. The invention of the wrought iron rail by John Birkinshaw
in 1820 allowed the short, brittle, and often uneven, cast iron rails to be extended
to 15 feet (4.6 m) lengths.These were succeeded by steel in 1857.
India.
The core of the pressure for building railways in India came from London in 1840s.
For a century thereafter the basic policies and ultimate management of the Indian
Railways were issued from London. The British built railways in India in order to
intermesh the economies of the two countries. The first proposals for construction
of railways in India were presented in 1844 to East India Company in London by,
(a) East Indian Railway Company headed by R.McDonald Stephenson, and (b)
Great Indian Peninsula Railway Company. Both E.I.R. and G.I.P.R were
incorporated in England for the purpose of constructing railway lines in Calcutta
and Bombay presidencies respectively. Though GIPR company was formed in
1844. George Stephenson could not see his Locomotives run on Indian soil as he
died in 1848. The Railway Age dawned in India on 16th. April 1853, when the first
train ran from Bombay to Thana, a distance of 21 miles(33.81 Km.) and took
approximately 45 minutes, a 14 carriage long train drawn by 3 locomotives
named Sultan, Sindh and Sahib.
Road: A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places.
Roads are typically smoothed, paved, or otherwise prepared to allow easy travel,
though they need not be, and historically many roads were simply recognizable
routes without any formal construction or maintenance. In urban areas, roads
may pass through a city or village and be named as streets, serving a dual
function as urban space easement and route.
Road Transport provides basic infrastructure in connecting people of remote
villages to the mainstream of national life. Mobility can perhaps be one of the
major advantages of road transport
over rail and sea transport. The motorcar provides the actual mobility so that
people are no longer anchored to a particular holiday center, as they tended to be
when they mostly travelled by train or ship. Speed is yet another factor which
helps tourists to economize on time. The gradual spread of a network of roads
has made hitherto not very accessible areas, easy to get to.
The development of road transport is bringing about a fundamental change in the
development of tourism in the growth of Resorts, Hotels and other services. The
automobile provides greater freedom of travel and choice of destination. The
provision of a good, well-linked road network, roadside services and facilities is a
pre-requisite for the development of both domestic and international tourism.
Indian roads are classified into the following five categories:
National Highway: - These are principal arterial routes connecting the union
capital with the state capitals, major parts of various highways.
State Highways: - State highways connect state capitals with district
headquarters, important cities and towns within a state, the national highways
and the highways of adjacent states.
District Roads: - District roads take the traffic from the main roads to the
interior of each district and to rural areas.
Classified Village roads connect villages or groups of villages with each other
and to the nearest district road and other main highways.
Unclassified Village roads: - These are mostly earthen roads.

Land transport
There are many machines that we use for transporting people and goods on land.

Cars: the first cars were developed in 1885 in Germany but became very
popular in 1908 when Henry Ford invented the Model T car. Henry Ford
developed mass production methods that made the car more affordable. By
1913, Ford's factory in Detroit in the United States could make a complete
Model T car in 93 minutes and it sold for $500.

Buses or coaches: the first buses were horse-drawn but now they are
now powered by petrol, diesel, gas or electricity. There are local buses to
travel around cities and towns and there are also buses, called coaches,
which travel long distances.

Trucks: trucks and semitrailers are used to transport most goods. In

Australia, road trains are used to transport cattle or sheep or other goods.
Road trains consist of several trailers being pulled by a diesel engine.

Trains, including light rail, electric trains, freight trains, monorails and
magnetic levitated (maglev) trains. Maglev trains use powerful
electromagnets that lift the train above or below the track. Other magnets
propel and guide the train. Maglev trains can travel very fast as there is no
friction between the tracks and the train. See image 1

Trams: the first trams, called streetcars or trolley cars, appeared in

American cities in the 1830s. The first trams were horse-drawn but were
later powered by electricity.

Motorcycles, including mini-bikes. The first successful motorbike was

produced in 1897 and the first sidecar in 1903.

Bicycles: the first pedal bike was invented in 1863.

Skateboards, scooters, segways and roller skates are mainly used for
pleasure and for travelling short distances.

There are also carts, coaches, buggies and other vehicles that are pulled by
animals.

Water transport is movement by means of a watercraft such as a barge, boat,

ship or sailboatover a body of water, such as a sea, ocean, lake, canal or river.
The significant achievements in water transportation history highlighted in this
infographic are:
The first sailing vessels, created more than 6,500 years ago
The construction of dams in ancient Egypt
The advent of the first rudders in Asia
Nautical innovations by the Dutch
The creation of reliable submarines in the 19th century
The opening of the Chunnel between England and France in the early 1990s

Water transport0
Water transport consists of:
(i)
Inland water transport (ii) Ocean-transport
Inland Water Transport: As shown in the chart, inland water transport
consists of
transport by rivers, canals and lakes.
Rivers:
Rivers are a natural waterway which can be used as a means of transport. They
are suitable for small boats as well as big barrages. River transport played a very
important role prior to the development of modern means of land transport. Their
importance has gradually declined on account of more reliable and cheaper
transport services offered by the railways.
Canals:
They are artificial waterways made for the purpose of irrigation or navigation or
both. Canal transport requires a huge amount of capital investment in
construction and maintenance of its track i.e., the artificial waterways. The cost of
the canal transport is, therefore, higher than that of river transport. To add to it,
the cost of providing water for the canals is also a very big problem of canal
transport.
Lakes:
Lakes can be either natural like rivers or artificial like canals.
Ocean transport includes:
1. Coastal Shipping
2. Overseas Shipping
1. Coastal Shipping: It is one of the most important means of transport for
carrying goods from one part to another in a country. It is a cheaper and quicker
mode of transport and is most suitable for carrying heavy, bulky and cheap traffic
like coal, iron ore, etc. to distant places. But it can serve only limited areas.
Earlier, coastal shipping in India was mainly in the hands of foreign shipping
companies. But now from 1951 onwards, it is exclusively reserved for Indian
ships.
2. Overseas Shipping:
There are three types of vessels employed in the overseas shipping:
(i) Liners,
(ii) Tramps,
(iii) Tankers.
(i) Liners: Liners are the ships which have regular fixed routes, time and charges.
They are, usually, a collection of vessels under one ownership, i.e., a fleet. They
provide a uniform and regular service. Liners sail on scheduled dates and time,
whether full of cargo or not.

(ii) Tramps: Tramps are ships which have no fixed routes. They have no set rules
or rate schedule. Usually, they do not sail till they have full cargo. They can be
chartered by exporters and are ready to sail anywhere and at any time. They are
not as fast in speed as liners. Tramps are more suitable to carry seasonal and
bulky goods.
(iii) Tankers: Tankers are the vessels which are specially designed to carry oil,
petrol and such other liquids. They have a large capacity, 2 to 3 lakh tons of oil,
and very shortly, we may have super tankers with a capacity of about 10 lakh
tons of oil.
A number of machines are used for transport on the ocean and waterways.

Ships, including cruise ships and steamships. Steamships began to take

over from sailing ships in the 1850s. They are used to transport passengers
and freight across the seas and waterways.

Paddle-steamers: these were mainly used to transport products along

inland rivers. River transport declined from the 1880s but is still used in
some areas today.

Ferries, including passenger ferries and car ferries.

Cargo ships, including container vessels, tankers and bulk carriers. These
allow large amounts of freight to be transported across the ocean. The
containers are large metal waterproof boxes which can be carried by train
or semitrailer to the port. Oil and other liquids can be transported by ships
called tankers.

Naval ships: are used to defend countries and in war.

Hydrofoils, hovercrafts and catamarans: mainly used to transport people.

Speed boats and other pleasure craft are used for water-skiing and fishing
and so on.

Houseboats

Submarines: mainly used in the navy.

Boat-cars, such as the Aquada: a recent invention in 2003 that drives on

both land and water.

Based on the data available on navigable waterways, compiled by the ministry

of statistics and programme implementation, 101 water bodies with a
minimum length of 25 km is to be declared as national waterways.
National Waterway 1
AllahabadHaldia stretch of the GangesBhagirathiHooghly river system.
Estd = October 1986.
Length = 1620 km
Fixed terminals = Haldia, BISN (Kolkata), Pakur, Farrakka and Patna.
Floating terminals = Haldia, Kolkata, Diamond Harbour, Katwa, Tribeni,
Baharampur, Jangipur, Bhagalpur, Semaria, Doriganj, Ballia, Ghazipur,
Varanasi, Chunar and Allahabad

Cargo Movement = 3 million tonnes

National Waterway 2
Sadiya Dhubri stretch of Brahmaputra river.
Estd = September 1988.
Length = 891 km
Fixed terminals = Pandu.
Floating terminals = Dhubri, Jogighopa, Tezpur, Silghat, Dibrugarh, Jamgurhi,
Bogibil, Saikhowa and Sadiya
Cargo Movement = 2 million tonnes
National Waterway 3
KottapuramKollam
stretch of the West Coast Canal, Champakara Canal and Udyogmandal Canal.
Estd = February 1993
Length = 205 km
Fixed terminals = Aluva, Vaikom, Kayamkulam, Kottappuram, Maradu,
Cherthala, Thrikkunnapuzha, Kollam and Alappuzha
Cargo Movement = 1 million tonne
National Waterway 4
KakinadaPondicherry stretch of canals and the Kaluvelly Tank, Bhadrachalam
Rajahmundry
stretch of River Godavari and Wazirabad Vijayawada stretch of River Krishna.
Estd = November 2008
Length = 1095 km
National Waterway 5
TalcherDhamra stretch of the Brahmani River, the Geonkhali Charbatia
stretch of the East Coast Canal, the CharbatiaDhamra
stretch of Matai river and the Mangalgadi Paradip
stretch of theMahanadi River Delta.
Established = November 2008
Length = 623 km
National Waterway 6
NW6 is a proposed Waterway.
In Assam, Lakhipur to Bhanga of river Barak.
Established 2013
Length = 121 km
Air
A fixed wing aircraft, commonly called airplane, is a heavier than air craft where
movement of the air in relation to the wings is used to generate lift. The term is
used to distinguish this from rotary wing aircraft, where the movement of the lift
surfaces relative to the air generates lift.
Air transport
Many machines are used for transport through the air.

Passenger planes: after the first flights, people realised that air travel
could be used for regular passenger services.

Freight planes: used for transporting goods quickly over long distances.

Fighter planes: used in the air force.

Hot-air balloons: aviation began in Australia in 1858 when William Deane

flew over Melbourne in a hot air balloon.

Airships, sometimes called the zeppelin. These were primarily used before
1950 and were filled with hydrogen gas that weighs less than air, so they
floated. They are no longer used to transport people.

Helicopters: these can fly straight up, forwards, backwards or hover in one
place.

Sea-planes

Jump jets: these do not need a runway to take off and land.

Hang gliders and other gliders.

Spacecraft including rockets and the space shuttle. Space travel is a

relatively new form of transport, which began in the 1960s.

Scheduled = flight itineraries are known in advance (i.e. - commercial)

Non-scheduled = flight itineraries are scheduled as needed (i.e. - charter)
An air taxi is a small commercial aircraft which makes short flights on demand.
In 2001 air taxi operations were promoted in the United States by a NASA and
aerospace industry study on the potential Small Aircraft Transportation
System (SATS) and the rise of light-jet aircraft manufacturing
Airlines traditionally have three travel classes, First Class, Business Class, and
Economy Class. Depending on the cabin configuration will determine how many
classes of service are offered. Heres a breakdown of the classes of service:
First Class, generally the most expensive and most comfortable
accommodations available.
Business Class, high quality, traditionally purchased by business travelers
(sometimes called executive class)
Premium Economy, slightly better Economy Class seating (greater distance
between rows of seats; the seats themselves may or may not be wider than
regular economy class)
Economy Class (also known as coach class or travel class), basic
accommodation, commonly purchased by leisure travelers
Luxury trains are special trains designed specifically to offer an elegant train
ride, and evoke a strong sense of association as in history, heritage and
decadence of a leisurely ride. Luxury trains operate in several countries and offer
a luxurious and comfortable traveling option to luxury travelers.

Since the time of introduction of Pioneer in 1864 by American industrialist George

Mortimer
Pullman, luxury train travel has come a long way. In 1867, "Hotel Cars" were
introduced. Pioneer was the first railway carriage to introduce dining cars and
sleeping cars in train leading to more comfort during travelling, especially on long
distance journeys. Pullman Car Company was founded in1880 and was one of the
leading luxury passenger railroad car providers.
Palace on Wheels:
The Palace on Wheels is a luxury tourist train. It was launched by the Indian
Railways in association with Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation to
promote tourism in Rajasthan. The Palace on Wheels started on January 26 in
1982. The concept of the Palace on Wheels was derived from the royal
background of the coaches, which were originally meant to be the personal
railway coaches of the erstwhile rulers of the princely states of Rajputana,
Gujarat, the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Viceroy of British India. It is a train
introduced in early eighties and consists of state carriages of the former
Maharajas and special saloons used by Viceroys of India. It is very popular among
foreign tourists. This is being diverted to Gujarat as Royal Orient Express and a
new 14-coach train, a replica of the old one, has replaced it, which operates
weekly every year from October to April. The ambience is of 18th century lifestyle
of Rajasthani Maharajas. Rajasthan Tourism does the catering. The train service
was refurbished and relaunched in August 2009 with a new decor, itinerary and
cuisine. It was voted the 4th luxurious train in the world in 2010. The Indian
Railway has decided to start eight more trains like
Palace on Wheels in different parts of India. It leaves Delhi Cantonment and halts
at some of the royal cities including Jaipur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittaurgarh,
Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur and Agra. There are 23 coaches in the
train. 104 tourists can travel in train. Each coach is named after former Rajput
states and matches the aesthetics and interiors of the royal past: Alwar,
Bharatpur, Bikaner, Bundi, Dholpur, Dungargarh, Jaisalmer, Jaipur, Jhalawar,
Jodhpur, Kishangarh, Kota, Sirohi and Udaipur.Each coach has four cabins (named
chambers or saloons by the company) with luxury amenities and WiFi internet.
The train has two restaurants, The Mahrja and The Mahrni, with a Rajasthani
ambiance serving continental, Chinese cuisine, one bar cum lounge, 14 saloons
and a spa. Route: The train has a 7 nights & 8 days itinerary departs from New
Delhi (Day 1), and covers Jaipur (Day 2), Sawai Madhopur and Chittaurgarh (Day
3), Udaipur (Day 4), Jaisalmer (Day 5), Jodhpur (Day 6), Bharatpur and Agra (Day
7), return to New Delhi (Day 8).
Royal Orient Express:
The Royal Orient Train is an Indian luxury tourism train that runs between Gujarat
and Rajasthan, covering important tourist locations in the two states. The train
started in 1994-95 as a joint venture of the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat and
the Indian Railways. The livery follows a blue scheme to differentiate it from the
Palace on Wheels.
There are 13 coaches in the train, named after erstwhile kingdoms of Rajputana.
The coaches provide fivestar hotel comforts to passengers. Cabins are furnished
in a palatial style and have spacious baths attached. There are multicuisine
restaurants that offer Rajasthani, Gujarati, Indian, Chinese and continental
cuisine. The Royal Orient train also has a bar on board, as well as a lounge in
every coach where passengers can read books and magazines, watch television,
listen to music and interact with other passengers. Other facilities include an
intercom, channel music, TV, DVD system and a massage cum beauty parlor.

Route The Royal Orient offers a 7day/ 8night package that covers important
heritage tourist locations in Rajasthan and Gujarat. The train starts from Delhi
Cantonment railway station and has stops at Chittorgarh, Jaipur, Udaipur,
Ahmedabad, Mehsana, Junagarh, Veraval, Sasan gir, Ahmedpur, Mandvi, Palitana
and Sarkhej.
Some of the tourist spots covered are the Qutub Minar, Red Fort and Jama Masjid
in Delhi, Chittorgarh Fort and Rani Padmini's Palace in Chittorgarh, Sabarmati
Ashram in Ahmedabad, Lake Palace in Udaipur, the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary in
Gujarat and the Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar in Jaipur.. The tariff for Royal
Orient Express is US $ 350 per person per night on single occupancy.
Maharajas' Express
The Maharajas' Express is a luxury train owned and operated by Indian Railway
Catering and Tourism Corporation. The luxury train service was started in March
2010. The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) and
Cox and Kings India Ltd., had signed a joint venture to set up a company called
Royale Indian Rail Tours Ltd. (RIRTL) to oversee the functioning and management
of the Maharaja Express. This joint venture was terminated on 12 August 2011
and the train is now being operated exclusively by IRCTC. It runs on 5 circuits
covering more than 12 destinations across NorthWest and Central India, mainly
centered on Rajasthan between the months of October to April.
The train comprises 23 carriages which include accommodation, dining, bar,
lounge, generator and store cars. Accommodation is available in 14 guest
carriages with total passenger capacity of 88. The train also has a lounge called
the Rajah Club with a private bar, two dining cars and a dedicated bar car. An
onboard souvenir boutique offers memorabilia for passengers.The train is also
equipped with a water filtration plant.
Itineraries
In the year 2012, IRCTC introduced five new journeys of the Maharajas' Express,
of which two are shortterm Golden Triangle (Delhi, Jaipur and Agra) tours and rest
three are weeklong panIndian voyages.
Heritage of India
Duration: 7 Nights / 8 Days
Destinations Covered: Mumbai Ajanta Udaipur Jodhpur Bikaner Jaipur
Ranthambore Agra Delhi
Treasures of India
Duration: 3 nights / 4 days
Destinations Covered: Delhi Agra Ranthambore Jaipur Delhi.
Gems of India
Duration: 3 Nights / 4 Days
Destinations Covered: Delhi Agra Ranthambore Jaipur Delhi
Indian Panorama
Duration: 7 Nights / 8 Days
Destinations Covered: Delhi Jaipur Ranthambore Fatehpur Sikri Agra
Gwalior Orchha Khajuraho Varanasi Lucknow Delhi
The Indian Splendour
Duration: 7 Nights OR 8 Days
Destinations Covered: Delhi Agra Ranthambore Jaipur Bikaner Jodhpur
Udaipur Balasinor Mumbai
Indrail Pass:
The Indian Railways doesnt pay commission to its agents at domestic level.
It charges service-tax from its clients. Indian Railways pay 10% commission on
Indrail Passes sold by travel agents against foreign exchange. To encourage its
sales, Railways has appointed GSAs in some countries. Tourist can book tickets
through GSAs 360 days in advance.

ITDC INDIAN TOURISM DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

The 3. 89 percent decrease in the number of tourists in the year 1962 for
the first time from 139804 to 134360 against an increase of eight percent
in the case of world arrivals and fourteen per cent in the case of Pacific region,
prompted the government of India to appoint an Ad-hoc Committee on Tourism in
1963 under the chairmanship of Jha and the committee is popularly referred to as
Jha Committee On 21st January 1965, as per the recommendation of the Jha
Committee the India Tourism Hotel Corporation was established to construct and
manage hotels in the public sector. On 31st March, 1965 Indian Tourism
Corporation Ltd., was established to produce material for tourist publicity. On
December Ist, 1964, Indian Tourism Transport undertaking was established to
provide transportation facilities to tourists. In 1966 these three corporations were
amalgamated and India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC) was formed on
1st October, 1966. First travel agency of ITDC out side its head quarters was
opened in Gangtok, Sikkim, in 1982.
ITDC concluded its first joint sector project agreement with Sima Hotel and
Resorts Ltd., to set up the country's first family beach resort at Goa which has
been named as the Canacona Ashok. The concept of "time sharing" in the country
was introduced by ITDC at the family beach resort at Goa.
ITDC is a public sector corporation created by the government to undertake
major responsibilities in areas which the government, due to its own limitations,
could not participate actively. It was set up in the year 1966 with the aim to
undertake development, expansion and promotion of India as a tourist
destination. It has the largest hotel chain in India that caters to travel,
accommodation, duty free shopping, entertainment and restaurants under a
single window. It can boast of having four thousand rooms in ITDC(s) 35 Hotels,
Motels and Resorts. Its Hotels have been divided into the following three
categories:
Elite
Classic
Comfort

IATA International Air Transport Association

The International Air Transport Association is an international trade organization
of airlines headquarted in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. IATA was formed just after
World War II in April 1945, in Havana, Cuba. It is the successor to the International
Air Traffic Association, founded in The Hague in 1919, the year of the worlds first
international scheduled services. At its founding, IATA had 57 members from 31
nations, mostly in Europe and North America. Today it has over 270 members
from more than 140 nations in every part of the globe.
The main objective of the organization is to assist airline companies to achieve
lawful competition and uniformity in prices. For fare calculations IATA has divided
the world in three regions:
1. South and North America.
2. Europe, Middle East and Africa. IATA Europe includes the geographical Europe
and the countries Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
3. Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the islands of the Pacific Ocean.
IATA has developed the commercial standards that built a global industry.
Currently the IATAs mission is to do the following:
Represent

Lead
Serve the airline industry
Its members comprise of 265 airlines the Worlds leading passenger and cargo
airlines among them representing 94 percent of international scheduled air
traffic. It is a global non-governmental organization that came into existence in
Havana, Cuba in April 1945. The organization is a common platform for interairline co-operation in promoting safe, reliable, secure and economical services to
the consumers.
The mission of the lnternational Air Transport Association (lATA) is to represent
four groups: airlines, the general public, governments and third parties such as
travel and cargo. For the airlines, lATA offers joint means -beyond the resources of
any single company -for developing opportunities and solving problems. Airlines
knit their individual networks into a worldwide system through the association,
despite differences in language, currencies, laws and national customs. For
governments, industry working standards are developed within lATA. lt is thus the
most effective source of airline experience and expertise upon which
governments can draw. ln fostering safe and efficient air transport, the
association serves the stated policy of most of the world's governments. lATA
saves much effort and expense otherwise expended in bilateral negotiations on,
for example, tariffs.
For third parties, lATA serves as a collective link between them and the airlines.
Passenger and cargo agents are able to make representations to the industry
through the Association and derive the benefit of neutrally applied agency service
standards and levels of professional skill. Equipment manufacturers and others
are able to join in the airline meetings which define the way air transport goes
about its business. For the general public, lATA simplifies the travel and shipping
process. By helping to control airline costs, it contributes to cheaper tickets and
shipping costs. Thanks to airline cooperation through lATA, individual passengers
can make one telephone call to reserve a ticket, pay in one currency and then use
the ticket on several airlines in several countries.
The modern lATA is part of the structure of post Second World War aviation which
grew out of the Chicago Conference of 1944 (it replaced the lnternational Air
Traffic Association of 1919). ln both organisation and activity, lATA has been
closely associated with the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the United
Nation's specialised agency for civil aviation. lATA's headquarters is in Montreal,
with its main executive office is in Geneva and regional offices in Amman,
Brussels, Dakar, London, Nairobi, Santiago, Singapore and Washington DC. ln
addition, there are fifty seven offices around the world responsible for agency
services, billing and settlement plans and cargo account settlements.
International Civil Aviation Organisation
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is a United Nations-related
organisation that encourages the development and application of quality air
travel Established in 1944 this is a specialised agency of the United Nations
whose purpose was set forth at the Chicago Convention which was originally
signed by fifty-two countries The Convention agreed on certain principles and
arrangements in order that civil aviation might be developed in a safe and orderly
manner and that international services might be established on the basis of
equality of opportunity and operated soundly and economically Although
responsible for developing international rules governing all areas of civil aviation
ICAO essentially exists to allow anyone to fly safely and comfortably in a
commercial aircraft anywhere in the world
The specific goals of ICAO include facilitation of civil air travel by reducing the
obstacles placed on the passage of people and cargo across international borders

by immigration customs and public health; the establishment of international air

transport that is based on equality of opportunity and operated both soundly and
economically; the standardisation of each technical field within aviation; the
development of technical cooperation that will assist developing countries in their
opportunities for access to safe civil aviation; regional planning for aviation
problems that cannot be dealt with on a worldwide scale; development of a
standard code of international air law which covers rules governing the
environment; and development of a satellite-based system concept to meet the
future communications navigation and surveillance/air traffic management needs
of civil aviation
According to the terms of its constitution ICAO is made up of an Assembly a
Council of limited membership with various subordinate bodies and a Secretariat
The chief officers are President of the Council and General Secretary As the
governing body the Council gives continuing direction to the work of ICAO It is in
the Council that standards
and recommended practices are adopted and incorporated in the existing rules.
The Secretariat is divided into five divisions: the Air Navigation Bureau, the Air
Transport Bureau, the Technical Cooperation Bureau, the Legal Bureau and the
Bureau of Administration and Services.
ICAO works closely with other members of the UN organisation, which include the
World Meteorological Organisation, International Telecommunication Union,
Universal Postal Union, World Health Organisation and International Maritime
Organisation. ICAO has numerous publications which fall under the following
categories: conventions and related acts; agreements and arrangements; rules of
procedure and administrative regulations; annexes to the convention of civil
aviation; and procedures for air navigation services
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is the principal regulatory body in
the field of civil aviation. It is not only responsible for regulation of air transport
services to/ from/ within India, for formulation and enforcement of civil air
regulations, air safety and airworthiness standards but also co-ordinates all
regulatory functions with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has its Headquarters in New Delhi. This
organization is headed by the Director General of Civil Aviation who is assisted by
Joint Director General and Deputy Director General. The Director General has the
following Directorates under him:
There are 14 (fourteen) Regional Airworthiness Offices located at Delhi, Mumbai,
Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Trivandrum, Bhopal, Lucknow, Patna,
Bhubaneswar, Kanpur, Guwahati and Patiala

Apart from the Regional Airworthiness Offices, there are 5 (five) Regional Air
Safety offices located at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderebad and 1
(one) Gliding Centre at Pune. Representative of Research & Development
directorate is also deputed to NAL, Bangalore for Research & Development
activities. India is participated in ICAO by the Representative of India.
FUNCTIONS:
The main function of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation is to regulate all
civil aviation matter. Some of the salient functions are as under:

Regulation of air transport services to/from/within India in accordance with

the provisions of the Aircraft Rules, 1937, including bilateral and multilateral with
foreign countries and the policy pronouncements of the government;
Registration of civil aircraft;
Laying down airworthiness requirement for civil aircraft registered in India
and grant of Certificate of Airworthiness to such aircraft;
Licensing of pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers and monitoring of flight
crew standards;
Licensing of aerodromes and air carriers;
Rendering advice to the Government on matters pertaining to civil aviation;
Processing amendments to Aircraft Act, 1934 and the Aircraft Rules, 1937,
and other Acts relating to aviation, with a view to implementing in India the
provisions of the Chicago Convention and Annexes thereto and other International
Convention relating to aviation;
Co-ordination of the work relating to International Civil Aviation
Organisation and sending replies to state letters after consulting the concerned
agencies;
Investigation of minor air accidents and incidents and rendering technical
assistance to the Courts/Committees of Inquiry;
Supervision of training activities of Flying/Gliding Clubs;
Development of light aircraft, gliders and winches;
Type certification of aircraft.

INDIAN HOTELS COMPANY LIMITED Incorporated, in 1902, by Jamshed N. Tata

of the Tata group, Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) is Indias largest
hospitality company. IHCL and its subsidiaries are collectively known as the Taj
Hotels, Resorts and Palaces. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces comprises of ~112
hotels (excluding Ginger properties) with 13,606 rooms at over 55 locations
across India and globally (in the Maldives,Malaysia, United Kingdom, United
States of America, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Africa, the Middle East and Australia).

The Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces is grouped into four distinct business segments
- Luxury (Taj Mahal/Exotica), Upper Upscale (Vivanta), Upscale (Gateway), and
economy/budget (Ginger) categories to provide consistency across the different
hotels and standardise offerings. Of these, the luxury properties in metro and key
leisure destinations are largely in the books of IHCL while the rest are held
through subsidiaries and associates. The Group also operates a number of
properties on pure management contracts.
EIH LIMITED EIH Limited, founded in 1949 by Mr. P.R.S Oberoi, is the third largest
hospitality company in India after Indian Hotels Company Limited and the ITC
Welcome Group. It is the flagship company of the 1934 founded Oberoi Group
which owns/manages luxury hotels across five countries under The Oberoi brand
in the 5-star Deluxe category and the Trident brand in the 5-star category. EIH has
a portfolio of 24 luxury hotels with an inventory of 3,721 rooms (March-11), three
luxury cruises, Oberoi printing press and Oberoi Flight Services (a division that
provides commercial in-flight catering and operates airport lounges and
restaurants in India, Mauritius, Egypt and Indonesia). EIHs associated businesses
include Mercury Car Rentals for car rental operations, Corporate Air Charters and
Mercury Travels for travel agency operations.

Hotel Leelaventure Limited Hotel Leelaventure Limited, founded by Capt. C. P.

Krishnan Nair and headquarterd in Mumbai, owns the hotel chain The Leela
Palaces, Hotels and Resorts which manages seven hotels in India with a total
inventory of 1,869 keys including business hotels in Bangalore, Gurgaon, Mumbai,
New Delhi and leisure properties in Goa, Kovalam and Udaipur. While the
properties at Bangalore, Mumbai, New Delhi, Goa and Udaipur are owned by the
company, Gurgaon is a management contract. The resort at Kovalam was also
earlier owned by the company however it has been sold off in August 2011 while
still remaining under a long term managmeent contract with Leela. Properties
under development include Chennai followed by Agra, Jaipur and Ashtamudi,
Kerala

TAJGVK HOTELS & RESORTS LIMITED Incorporated in 2000, TAJGVK Hotels &
Resorts Limited (TAJGVK) is a joint venture between Indian Hotels Company
Limited (IHCL) and the Hyderabad based GVK Group. IHCL holds 25.5% stake in
TAJGVK while the GVK group holds 49.5% stake; the balance is held by the public.
TAJGVK currently has six 5-star/D properties with a cumulative inventory of 1,083
rooms. Of these four 5-star hotel properties are located in Hyderabad - an
inventory of 717 rooms, viz. Taj Krishna, Taj Deccan, Taj Banjara and Vivanta by
Taj Begumpet. The company also owns a 150 room hotel in Chandigarh (Taj
Chandigarh) and a 220 room property in Chennai (Taj Club House) which opened
in December 2008. The most recent addition to the inventory is the 181 key
Vivanta at Begumpet launched

ORIENTAL HOTELS LIMITED Promoted by Mr. D.S. Reddy, a Chennai-based

industrialist in 1970, Oriental Hotels Limited (Oriental Hotels) is an associate of
Indians largest hotel company Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL). IHCL is the
largest shareholder with 34.4% stake followed by the Reddy family with 22.8%
stake. OHL has a portfolio of nine hotels with a room inventory of 1,016 rooms,
located in three states in South India. The portfolio has a mix of 5-star D, 5-star
and 4-star properties targeting the higher end business and the leisure traffic.
Besides these domestic properties, Oriental Hotels has interests in various
overseas properties like Taj Samudra (Sri Lanka), Taj Coral Reef Resort (Maldives),
Taj Exotica (Maldives), St. James Court (London), through investments in its
overseas subsidiaries, associates and joint venture companies. Most of these JVs
and associates are in collaboration with IHCL

KAMAT HOTELS (INDIA) LIMITED Kamat Hotels (India) Limited (Kamat Hotels),
incorporated in 1986 by the late Mr. Venkatesh Krishna Kamat is a hospitality
company engaged in running hotels, restaurants and resorts. The company has
established four hotel brands viz. The Orchid An Ecotel Hotel in the 5-Star
segment and VITS - Luxury Business Hotel in the 4-Star segment, Gadh Hotels
and Lotus Resorts. The company currently has 16 hotels with a total inventory of
1,149 rooms spread across these four brands.Majority of these properties are
either under franchisee or management contracts

ROYAL ORCHID HOTELS LIMITED Incorporated in 1986, Royal Orchid Hotel

Limited (Royal Orchid) is the flagship company of the Royal Orchid Group of
Hotels. The group, comprises of 14 subsidiaries, five joint ventures and one
associate company, with an inventory of 1,724 rooms and 20 operational
properties pan India. The flagship five star property of the company, Hotel Royal
Orchid is located in
Bangalore. Historically
skewed towards the
Bangalore market, the
company in the last
few years has been
setting its foothold in
other
cities
(viz.)
Mysore, Pune, Jaipur,
Goa, Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Mussorie, Gurgaon Shimoga, Vadodara and Hospet.