The Facilities Offered to Meet the Diverse Needs in a Hospital - Coursework Example

Facilities Management Name: Tutor: Course: Date: Introduction Hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the economy world wide. It involves the organizing, planning and directing both human and monetary resources within the tourism, restaurant, travel and lodging in order to deliver satisfactory services to guests. This paper will be looking at various hospitality facilities namely hostels, hotels and hospitals. It will explore the different amenities offered by accommodation establishments and how they have evolved to meet the needs of the customers. Hospitals A hospital is an institution for healthcare for patient’s treatment. This is done by specialized staff and equipment. This can be for shorter or longer stay depending on the ailment. Today hospitals are catered for or funded by the public sector, different organizations often dealing in matters of health, companies and charitable donations. Traditionally, hospitals were often founded and funded by religious groups or charitable individuals and leaders. In today’s hospitals, they are staffed by professional physicians, surgeons and nurses. However in history, this work was usually performed by the founding religious orders or by volunteers. Today, you will also find various catholic religious orders which focus on hospital ministry. Globally, there are more than 17,000 hospitals catering for various peoples with various backgrounds. Types of customer they cater for Patients attend to hospitals for various illnesses. Some visit for diagnosis, then they get treatment and then leave. They are referred to as the out patients. They do not stay overnight. Others stay overnight for further treatment and observation, and this can go for several weeks or months depending on the level of ailment. This group of people is referred to as the ‘inpatients’. I have visited hospitals for various illnesses ranging from headaches to flu. Hospitals have the ability to admit and care for inpatients and this usually distinguish them from other medical facilities like clinics. The facilities offered to meet the diverse needs in a hospital The general hospitals deal with diseases and injuries. They normally have emergence department which normally receive immediate and urgent cases. In big cities, you will find several hospitals of varying sizes and facilities. Some hospitals have their own ambulance service. Several health care facilities have large numbers of beds for intensive care and long-term care. In addition, they have facilities for special care like surgeries and childbirth. Comparisons between hospital’s service provision and how this relates to their target market Hospitals vary differently in their services. This is also distinct in the departments they have. They have emergency departments for immediate case. Relatively they have trauma center to cater for those patients with trauma. In addition, they have a department that caters for burns and surgery which sometimes require urgent care. Hospitals like wellington hospital have an international reputation for outstanding care in areas of medicine including cardiac services, neurosurgery and rehabilitation and many other facilities (thewellingtonhospital, 2011) Some hospitals will have outpatient departments which cater for those patients that come and go the same day after receiving their required treatment. Other hospitals will have chronic treatment units for example the behavioral health services, dentistry, dermatology, psychiatric ward, rehabilitation services, and physical therapy all these catering for different needs for their target market. Relatively, they have common support units which include a dispensary or pharmacy, pathology, and radiology. Most hospitals have the non-medical side where medical records departments are kept and this information is released to various departments like the facilities Management, maintenance, dining services, and security departments. Hotels Hotels offer one of the oldest industries in the world seeing that individuals have always engaged in leisure activities such as eating out or travelling. Some of the establishments where clients can seek comfort and guidance services include resorts, casinos, hotels, amusement parks and lodgings. It is highly profitable and it is dependent on leisure availability as well as disposable income. Regarding accommodation services, hotels have moved away from the traditional rooms with a bed, table and cupboard have been replaced by contemporary amenities namely suites, bath tubs, television, room service, a mini-bar as well as air conditioning. For larger hotels, facilities such as Jacuzzi, fitness centre, conference room, childcare and business centre are offered. When searching for a hotel, there different things to consider especially the price and type of services available. Hotels and types of customer they cater for Business travellers Business travellers take a trip for business interest only. Unlike pleasure travellers, they travel all year long except during public holidays and summer. Most business trips are unplanned for hence individuals form close ties with hotels to ensure that they can book for accommodation at any convenient time and to avoid the lengthy reservation procedure. They expect to access an office-like environment hence they carry their laptop, headset and mobile. In this effect, the hotelier must provide extra amenities which include wireless internet connection for the reason that a business traveller will require free accessibility to wireless internet connection which can allow him to consistently work in their rooms. Business travellers also tend to carry wide range electronics which are charged hence the hotelier must provide vast outlets. A chair desk and an official desk on the other hand are available in every room to ensure that the client can conduct paper work comfortably. It is equally notable that most business travellers prefer a task lamp to a bedside lamp or room light hence the hotel has installed a task lamp in all rooms. Another essential service is a teapot as well as free local call service seeing that business personnel require making frequent calls and they might get frustrated if they are charged for these kinds of services. Family Hotels attracts corporate as well as family guests because of the outdoor swimming pool. Families can also access a fully equipped kitchen with refrigerator, oven, and microwave as well as a one-bedroom suite which has a dining area and sofa bed. For those travelling with their pets the hotel is pet friendly as the guestrooms are spacious. Families prefer to stay in this hotel because it is surrounded by shops, attraction sites, beaches and it is minutes away from the airport. For those who are planning to stay in the hotel for five days or more, there is an office fully equipped with a computer and a telephone line and it also has entertainment systems. What’s more, the hotel has a sitting room or living room besides a bedroom. The staffs also go out of their way to ensure that kids enjoy their stay. Caretakers are always available to make family dimmer reservations as well as to arrange for a baby sitter in case a couple wants to go out. For kids under the age of eighteen, they can share a room with their parents for free. Some amenities for kids include a child-size bathrobe, popcorn, fruit juice, homemade cookies, energy drinks, a coloured short stories book, an activity book with local attraction sites as well as a children’s menu. Parents can also request for protected electrical outlet, baby tubs, bottle warmers, strollers, cribs, high chairs as well as toys. Other kid’s amenities include baby oil, shampoo, powder, lotion and disposable diapers Newly wed For honeymooners, there is a blue pool where they can relax as they get massage services from the staff and a cocktail is available. Other exclusive amenities include a remarkable dining experience, European styled spa and a world-class swimming pool. Guests can also access instant room service or answer to their queries through the ‘Consider It Done’ button whereby by pressing the button they can request for room service or ask questions. For newlyweds looking for a memorable honey moon hotel B should be their choice of destination. On arrival, there is a welcome letter on a fruit basket flowers, a bottle of champagne, rose petals and they can get breakfast in bed. To make the environment more romantic, the hotel has a private beach where lovers can enjoy a quite time away from everyone. Additionally, they can request for a romantic candle lit dinner in the beach accompanied with rose petals and candles to make the atmosphere more serene. In places like Hilton hotels, for couples celebrating their anniversary, they are given a discount to ensure that they return to the hotel every year (Hilton, 2011). They also have free access to the spa, steam room, sauna and Jacuzzi. The facilities offered to meet the diverse needs in a hotel Business centre The business centre has the latest technology including; binding services, audio/visual equipment, computer workstations, express mail, modem, meeting rooms, scanner, printer, photocopier, secretariat service, packaging, and typing. Other services that are available for convenience include an automated teller machine (ATM), elevators, vale services, gift shop, direct billing and baggage storage. The hotel is also adequately prepared in case of emergencies with a doctor on 24 hour call, security cameras and security staff around the premises. Guest rooms Regarding guest rooms, hotels provide different types of guest rooms as per customer’s needs. The rooms have varying decorations, services, facilities as well as views depending on price. Some hotels have an additional type of accommodation for non-smokers, business people and a presidential suite. While newly weds might prefer a single bed or a suite, business partners will prefer double or twin rooms. Hotel guestrooms on the other hand can be classified according to their décor namely furniture, size and location. Another convinient room for business partners is communicating rooms seeing that they might require to conduct room meetings late at night in which case they can access each other room without goig throught eh corridor. The rooms are alsoconvenient for families as aprents can have cinveniet access tot ehir kids. An additional amenity for business guests is a studio room which can serve as a bedroom during the night and a meeting room during the day as it has beds which folds away into the wall. Every guest room has a dual line telephone, data port access, pay-as-you watch movies, voicemail and a wet bar. It also has an exclusive outdoor pool and jogging track and for guests looking for exceptional beverages and delicacies, they can access them on 24 hour basis from room service the restaurant. Hotel staff must be fully aware of types of services available for the customers in order to provide quality services to the guests. They should also learn marketing strategies and different needs for each guest. Accommodation product, for example, encompasses more than a bed. Some guests especially couples will prefer a room with a sea view. Seeing that hotel accommodation can not be purchased before arrival, gusts rely on front desk for an accurate description of their services. In this case, the staffs in the hotels are adequately informed about types of services and also prices. Comparisons between Hotels service provision and how this relates to their target market Accommodation establishments differ according to type of customers they accommodate. While some provide only a place to sleep, others provide long-term services including food services, conference room as well as leisure activities. From the study, it is evident that guests choose hotels depending on types of amenities available. It is also evident that different guests have diverse needs although most of them depend on their budge. While Wealthy and important individuals will to mind paying million of dollars for a single night, students and group travellers are budget conscious hence they are likely to sacrifice some amenities. Hostels and types of customer they cater for Hostels are very essential in today’s world. They provide budget oriented and accommodation where the guests can rent a bed be in a dormitory sharing several amenities like bathroom lounge and in some cases the kitchen. In addition, rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although in some cases private rooms may also be available. Hostels are generally cheaper for both the operator and the occupants as many hostels have long-term residents whom they employ as desk clerks or housekeeping staff in exchange for free accommodation. I have experienced the hostel facilities during one of my years in college. I booked a hostel which we shared with few college mates. It was very convenient from the pay to the facilities provide. The experience of hostel that I have comes from my college. The establishment provided long-term accommodation as we were students The facilities offered to meet the diverse needs in a hostel Outdoor activities were offered at the hostel. These ranged from a well maintained swimming pool to a tennis court where by the students could relax and spend their free time. In addition to that the hostel provided books, DVDS and a common room where the television was kept. These provided a place where we could socialize with different people from different backgrounds. Modern hostels include en-suite accommodation which can be single, double or quad occupancy rooms but. Even though to be considered a hostel, these establishments must also provide dormitory accommodation. Comparisons between hostel’s service provision and how this relates to their target market Most hostels cater more to school-aged children. This is sometimes through school trips and parents with their children. Others offer facilities to traveler’s intending on learning new cultures. There is however some hostels that offer accommodation for outdoor pursuits such as climbing, bicycle touring and hill walking. They are often small friendly hostels which retain much of the original vision and often provide valuable access to more remote regions. There are several differences between hostels and hotels and this makes hotels and hostels establishments unique. Hostels tend to be budget-oriented which means that their rates are considerably lower. For people who prefer an informal environment, hostels do not usually have the same level of formality as hotels. Hostels usually have more common areas and opportunities to socialize distinct from other hospitality establishments. The dormitory aspect of hostels also increases the social factor which is unique. In addition to that, hostels are generally self-catering. Mobile hostels are those without fixed location. However, they do exist inform of campsites, temporary buildings or short term agreement in a permanent building. Mobile hostels are common in large festivals where enough accommodation is not guaranteed. These mobile hostels provide budget accommodation for travelers on a shoe string budget. This is temporary accommodation or also known as unconventional accommodation. Seasonal bed and breakfast and opportunistic locals offer their private dwellings during high season as hostels. These can be during world cup season and carnivals. Conclusion In conclusion, all these hospitality, namely, hotels, hostels and hospitals offer different facilities to meet their client’s demands. They are all important in making sure that they offer the best services and that they satisfy their clients whether it’s for plain accommodation, treatment or for leisure activity. Works cited Hilton, 2011available from 11http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/promotions/hiromance/index.jhtml?cid=OM,HH,Romance,Featured thewellingtonhospital, Wellington Hospital, 2011 available from http://www.thewellingtonhospital.com/ Read More