My name is Arian Florez and I am currently a student at City Tech. I was born in Astoria, Queens and have resided in Queens for the majority of my life. I identify as Colombian as my parents both immigrated to the states where they met and created the little bundle of joy that stands before you today.
Academics have always been important to me as learning must never stop if one expects to continue to grow. Though I graduated from Flushing High School, I spent much of my high school career at the Baccalaureate School for Global Education where I was exposed to a more diverse body of learning and a more personalized high school experience. The French teacher had an especially large impact on my life because he influenced me to continue my studies in the food industry. Fast forward four years, and I found myself making a decision between taking a business oriented career path or deciding to teach. Whether the business path was the better choice for me is yet to be seen. Regardless, I transferred from Hunter College into City Tech and haven’t looked back since.
I hope to graduate with a degree in hospitality management and from there I will assess my options and likely pursue further guidance in terms of entrepreneurship and all things business. While I recognize the importance of academic accolades such as degrees, I realize the importance of learning and growing socially as plenty of useful life lessons aren’t necessarily touched upon in a classroom setting. Ultimately I wish to be as well-rounded as possible so that whether it be for my employer or for myself, that I may be well-equipped to solve any problems that come my way.
In regards to my strengths, I would say it would be my ability to reflect and recognize that there are always areas I can improve in and always a better way to do things. I feel that I am a problem solver as I try not to just see things from my perspective, and put myself in the shoes of others more often than not. I am of the belief that anybody can say they work hard but actions always speak louder than words and that is why I feel that I just need to accumulate the knowledge behind my craft in order to be as efficient as possible.
Personally I want to try foods from all over the world and just be exposed to different cultures and mindsets that exist around the world. I want to know how people think and why they act the way they do. I want to be able to live comfortably while still being in control of my future. Asides from traveling and overindulging in delicious foods, I like to think I have a great sense of humor and try my best my brighten up the days of others with a little humor. The world is filled with money oriented cookie cutter businessmen, but I feel that my humor has helped in getting to know people, help deflate tense situations, as well as interact with people I might otherwise not interact with if not for business purposes. I want to be able to look back and be proud of not only having succeeded academically and financially, but having done so on my terms. Finally, my desire to travel and open my horizons to the entire world is always a nice way to improve my craft so that I may open my restaurants and other businesses with a better grasp of what the people need as a whole, besides my delicious cuisine of course.

Christine Delva

HMGT 1101

October 13^th, 2015

Re: Inside the vibrant New Rooms of Paris Hotel Montana,  September 28^th, 2015

Paris is a place I have to visit with a passion. I love every aspect of it which made eager even more to visit this beautiful place. La Montana was popular Parisian jazz in the 1950s. The hotel Montana suits are inspired by arts from different person or era. One of the room in the hotel was designed as the Blanc Graffiti is themed around “Jean Cocteau”, that is his ideal designer name Vincent Darre. The suite of Blue acide is the homage to Braque and Picasso that is the hotel façade artiest. The room that took my heart was Gris Pans, Mirror D’argent with a private terrace and street level bars which its serve cocktails starting 6pm. All the bathrooms are uniform, slick black titling but the downfall no windows. Throughout the hotels always have the decoration, so visiting this hotel and get an insight of each room would amaze? It gives you the aspects and actually feeling that you were in era. So it safe to safe to say everyone who visits this hotel has a little rock and roll deep down in their soul.

Chapter 3, ‘Rooms Division Operations’ focuses on the responsibilities, and duties of employees and management in a hotel. This includes the main functions of room division departments, property management, yield management, calculating room rates,percentages, and occupancy for potential revenue, importance of guest services and reservation functions, and the role of workers in every major department in a hotel.

Revenue centers: department in the hotel business that produces revenue

Cost centers: department in the hotel that costs money to operate

Executive committee: group of executives who’s involved in major departments of the house. These executives provide information on behalf of their department in the hotel which reflects the GM’d decision making

Room division: Overview of the departments managed by the head of front office.

Yield Management: The analysis of hotel room occupancy and prices in effort to reach maximum occupancy rates and profits

Room rates: The price and demand of rooms varying season or special event

Property Management Systems: operating system used in hotels to articulate and organize reservations, front desk, housekeeping, food and beverage control, & accounting.

Point-of-sale terminals (POS): System used to take record of customer charges.

City ledger: A special account owned by a company or client who’s established credit with hotel. Any credit is due by a specific period of time, doesn’t have to be paid up front

Night Auditor: Employer whom verifies and balances guest accounts receivable.

Daily report: Report which contains room occupancy percentage

Room occupancy percentage(ROP): # of rooms occupied divided by rooms available

Average daily rate (ADR)total of Room revenue divided by rooms sold

Revenue Management: the management who’s in charged of maximizing room revenue

Revenue per available room: total of room revenue by the number of rooms available in a period of time

Call accounting system (CAS): tracks guest room phone charges

Global distribution systems (GDS): electronic markers for travel, hotel, car rental, and attesting bookings.

Central reservation system (CRS): System used within large franchises to connect reservation systems between one chain to another.

Central reservation office: where guest reservations are processed

Confirmed Reservation: Reservations done within a period of time for a confirmation slip without paying.

Guaranteed Reservation: person making and paying for reservation all at once.

Uniformed staff: example; the concierge, bell persons, door attendants.

Concierge: uniformed staff with their own section of hotel. In charge of assisting guests with services

Productivity: measurement of a person hours per occupied room

Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA): administration whom ensures safe and healthful working conditions for employees.

Employees Right to know: Senate bill 198, information which developed awareness of storage, handling, and use of dangerous chemicals

Catastrophe plans: Plan developed to ensure staff and guest safety and to minimize cost of any disaster. To

This chapter focus on the functions of a hotel and the major departments that make sure that a customer received the best services and accommodation that a customer should receive during a stay in any hotel business. Some of the major department that are part of a hotel business are the rooms divisions director, the food and beverage director, the marketing and sales director, the human resources director, and the chief engineer accounting or controller, and the chief engineer or facility manager.

Key Words and Concepts:

1. Application Service Provide (ASP) – Example: Is a system in which you can book a hotel room online with a computer.
2. Average Daily Rate– Example: Is a formula that hotel implements to calculate the division of room revenues by the total number of room sold in a hotel business. Ex: computer database chart.
3.  Call Accounting Systems (CAS) – Example: Is a system that help monitor and track the customer’s phones charges. Ex. Computer database chart.
4.  Catastrophe Plans– Example: is a plan that the security staff developed to ensure the safety of guess and staff from any type of natural disaster. Ex: Hurricane, and earthquakes.
5.  Central Reservation Office (CRO) – Example: is the office where reservation are made by guesses.
6.  Central Reservation System (CRS) – Example: Is an online reservation system that help the guest to reserve a room at any chain hotel company.
7.  City Ledger– Example: Is the accounting of a company that has established credit with the hotel.
8.  Concierge – Example: is a secretary that help the guesses in a hotel with the services that are available during their visits.
9.  Confirmed Reservations – Example: Is a reservation in a hotel that is made by a guess with sufficient time and provide a clearly view of the room view and capacity and provide a confirmation number at the end of his or her transaction.
10.  Cost Centers – Example: The Human Resource department is an example of cost centers because they are responsible for managing the cost of a business for an incorporation, but are not responsible for the revenues or investment decisions.
11.  Daily Report – Example: Is a report that be need to be performed by the accounting at the end of every night shift.
12.  Employee Right to Know – Example: Is the awareness of dangerous chemical used in a business.
13.  Executive Committee – Example: The Executive management is responsible for all the major decision in a hotel business that could affect the business budget in decision making.
14.  Global Distribution Systems (GDS) – Example: is a software that help hotels to obtain reservations through online reservations.
15.  Guaranteed Reservations – Example: Is a type of transaction with the deposit of a credit card that guarantee the reservation of a hotel room, when a guess expected to arrive late or unable to show up.
16.  Night Auditor – Example: Is an accounting or clerk that verify and accurate the customers balanced at the end of the shift.
17.  Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – Example: Is a law that require all employee to be safe and work in a healthy condition.
18.  Productivity – Example: Is the amount of product, good and services produce by an employee.
19.  Property Management Systems (PMS) – Example:
20.  Revenue Management – Example: Is an accouter that is responsible to analyzed and maximize the revenues business when it can be profitable and when the economic is weak by selling discount hotels room.
21. Revenue Centers – Example: The accounting department of a hotel or any business is responsible for the cost and profit of an organization.
22. Revenue Per Available Room (REV PAR) – Example: Is the total revenues that a hotel could get by the divisions of the total room that are available and not reserved in that night.
23. Room Occupancy Percentage (ROP) – Example – Is the total number of room occupy by guesses divided by the total room that are available in the hotel business.
24. Room Rates – Example: Is the various rates charge for a hotel room.
25. Rooms Division – Example: Is the operation of a hotel business that involved the security of a guest from the beginning of a hotel reservation and end with the guest satisfaction during their hotel journal reservation.
26. Uniformed Staff – Example: Are the hotel staff that work in the front desk with the uniform and greet guesses on a hotel. These includes door attendant, the bell person, housekeeping and security.
27. Yield Management – Example: Is the analytical study of a business that help an owner to analyze past reservation in attempt to maximize the profit of a business.

In this weeks New York Times Assignment, i came upon an article in the travel section titled ‘Air Travel News: A Garden at Kennedy; a Forecast for Lower Fares’ by Elaine Glusac. This article exposes Jet Blue’s agricultural development at the Kennedy airport, and air fare predictions through the Hopper app.

JetBlue built a 24,000 square foot garden in New York’s Kennedy airport. This garden is planted with blue potatoes, herbs and vegetables including beets and arugula. These produce will be provided for the restaurants in the terminal, donated to local pantries, and in particular, the blue potatoes will be supplied to the Terra Company. The Hoppers app is an application that involves in the prediction of future air fares. According to Hopper, Airfares fell a remarkable 18 percent in September compared with the same time last year, and were 9 percent cheaper than August. They state that this occurance is due to  the drop in oil prices. Predictions show that domestic fares will average about $211 for the rest of the year, October through December, which would be 17 percent cheaper than in 2014. And, if its forecasts are right, the news gets better in January, when flights will fall to about $204 on average.

I am proud of JetBlues investment in agriculture at the Kennedy airport and it is a brilliant idea. In my point of view, this will be a great way to support the local businesses and produce more capital for the airline itself. If this investment goes well, more gardens can be built in other airports. I am amazed at how the Hopper app can benefit a lot of those whom travel. After reading this article, i recommend that people download the Hopper app. This is a great way to stay updated on when is best to buy fares. This will result in saving money and can do well for your pockets.

This chapter is a brief introduction of how the hotel business evolved in the United States with the grand opening of the first tavern in the states of Boston in 1634 by an entrepreneur named Samuel Coles and finish with the development of luxury hotel in the new millennium. Also this chapter focus on the sub-categories of hotel development and ownership. Some of the sub-categories are franchising, the referral associations, the management contracts and the real estate investment trust. Additionally, this chapter focus on the classification of hotel and how the hotels are rate by the American Automobile Association (AAA) with the raking numbers from 1 to 5 diamonds. Some of the hotel classifications are city center hotels, resort hotels, airport hotels, freeway hotels, and motels, casino hotels, convention hotels, full-service hotels, economy/budget hotels, boutique hotels, extended-stay hotels all-suites extended-stay hotels, condotels and mixed use hotels, and the last category is bed and breakfast inns. To conclude this chapter, the writer talked about the trends in the hotel development in which include capacity control, safety and security, assets and capital, technology, new management, globalization, consolidation and diversification within segment of the lodging industry.

Key Words and Concepts:

1. Capital Intensive – Example: To open a restaurant in the city of New York it’s require an intensive amount of money because for you to survives the first year you need to have a strong capital intensive amount of money.
2. Fair Return on Investment – Example: When you share ownership of a business with the co-owner it is important to share the profit of a business equally among themselves.
3. Feasibility Study – Example: To open a restaurant business in an specific demography area, the owner need to do an intensive feasibility study to see if the business will be profitable in that area.
4. Direct Economic Impact – Example: The war between Iraq, Afghanistan and the United States has a negative direct economic impact to the United States economic.
5. Indirect Economic Impact – Example: The war between Iraq, Afghanistan and the United States has an indirect economic impact on people salary and job stability in the United States.
6. Franchising – Example: McDonald’s and Subway’s restaurants are examples of franchising business.
7. Management Contracts – Example: I want to open a restaurant business and I would like to partnership with a management contracts because I don’t have the knowledge or experience on how to manage a business in the culinary art industry.
8. Real Estate Investment Trust (REITs) – Example: I would like to invest my saving in the real estate trust by buying stocks on REITs and obtain a profitable return on the investment.
9. Referral Association – Example: Some hotels and motel are associate with the Referral Association and most of them use a common image, logo or advertising slogan which are known for providing discounts to members, management training and continuing education program.
10. Vacation Ownership – Example: In the Dominican Republic, tourist and foreign Dominican like to buy vacation ownership in hotels that are associate with the beaches coast like Punta Cana.

In chapter two “The Hotel Business”  the text discusses the fundamental nature and the current state of the hotel and lodging industry. It begins by giving us a timeline of pivotal events and developments that have the concept of a hotel as we know it today. From there it leaps into detailing the various methods used in modern hotel development. This section begins with referring to the popular vehicle of hotel expansion known as franchising which is a double edged sword of sorts due to the contractual limitations it places on both parties. Then they refer to the confederation style arrangement of referral associations and how they incorporate the use of shared branding and a central reservation system. The chapter ends the section by detailing management contracts  and the traditional investor oriented practices of hotel development. They mention the significant positive impact that hotels have on local economies. Furthermore, the chapter delineates the nature of hotel classification, and it gives the example of the American Automobile Association’s diamond award system. According to the chapter, hotel classifications are usually predicated on location, price, and type of services offered. Afterword, the chapter shares certain ongoing trends and development in the hotel industry. The chapter tells of the growing trend of vacation ownership such as timeshares. Then it shifts focus to the growing internationalization and market diversity of the hotel industry. It also notes the increasing emphasis on environmentally friendly sustainable lodging. the chapter concludes by sharing the growing variety of career of options in hotel development and classification along with the employment value they can provide.

Key Terms

1. Capital intensive- Textbook def: Something requiring a lot of capital. My example: Pharmaceuticals is very capital intensive due to all  resources a business must pool to be even remotely successful.

2. Fair return on investment- Textbook def: A reasonable return for the amount invested. My example: Apple’s 40% profit margin is a more than fair return on investment.

3. Feasibility study- Textbook def: An assessment of the viability of a project. My example: an affective feasibility study looks at things like market supply and demand in a specified area.

4. Direct economic impact- Textbook def; The infusion of particular business’ revenue stream into the local economy. My example: The direct economic impact of a restaurant is determined by factors such as product pricing.

5. Indirect economic impact- Textbook def; The potential economic stimulus a local economy can receive purely from the operation of a particular business. My example: A restaurant has an indirect economic impact when it sources its supplies from local vendors.

6. Franchise- Textbook def: 1. The authorization given by one company to another to sell its unique products and services. 2. The name of the business format or product that is being franchised. My example: McDonald’s is synonymous with the concept of franchising.

7. Management contract- Textbook def: A written agreement between an owner and an operator of a hotel or motor inn by which the owner employs the operator as an agent (employee) to assume full responsibility for operating and managing the property. My example: Management contracts  allow for investors to be successful in fields they may not have much knowledge of.

8. Real estate investment trust (REITs)- Textbook def: A method that enable small investors to combine their funds and protects them from double taxation levied against an ordinary corporation or trust; designed to facilitate investment in real estate in much the same way a mutual fund facilitates investment in securities. My example: REITs by nature can be very lucrative because they are obligated to distribute the vast majority of their income to stockholders.

9.Referral associations- Textbook def: Associations that refer guests to other participating members. My example:  A overbooked hotel in referral association will gladly suggest a fellow member hotel to would be guests.

10.vacation ownership- Textbook def: Offers consumers the opportunity to purchase fully furnished vacation accommodations in a variety of forms, such as weekly interval or points in a point-based systems, for a percentage of the cost of full ownership. My example: Timeshares are a popular form of vacation ownership.

Kesso Diallo

Chapter 2 Summary

It’s basically about improved transportation in the hotel industry and how hotels can be classified based on their locations. Also they state how vacation ownerships offer purchasers many opportunities to furnished stay away places. Lately the talk about International perspective; foreign investments .

Capital intensive
– airlines are considered capital intensive .

Fair return on investment
– example you pay $200 for a stock that pays $5 dividend and u sell the stock In one year for $205 , which mean you made a $10 profit .

Feasibility study
– when you start up a company or you know its growing you must do a feasibility study to if the company will gain success

Direct economic impact
– for example you spend all your time making money you make more and you end up spending more than you think . On special holidays people usually earn bonuses and they spend alot of money on companies which helps them grow.

Indirect economic impact
– managers manage all the money that comes in especially making sure it used properly including the salaries earned by workers.

Franchising
– some companies offer franchising to people who are willing to open the same business as them also they would need to meet certain standards.

Management contract
for example someone earns more and now the person has his or her management contract and gets promoted to handle all responsibilities fully.

Referral Association
My mom has a contract with a franchiser for her restaurant but her best friend who have a deal with a referral association , made a change to another franchiser at a lower price.

Vacation ownership
well my dad travels alot with different airlines so he became a VIP and he earns point for free plane tickets and other bonuses.

Chapter 2 focuses on the hotel and lodging business as a whole identity. Descriptions of hotel ownership is listed, along with the development of hotels from the past until present time, and how can hotels be developed into a hotel that can lead to a large attraction which leads to more capital. Methods such as franchising and management contracts are taught. Different classification of hotels are listed, & this chapter teaches the function of each classified hotel. This chapter also discusses vacation ownership and how many can invest to have this kind of privilege. last but not least, trends in hotel development are taught through different key terms.

Management Contracts: Contract between hotel and Hotel management companies. Mainly to form an alliance with owners whom are not able to operate hotels in order to improve their hotels.

Franchising: a concept used for companies to expand by using other investors money. Franchising is beneficial because not only do companies make a profit for selling their rights, but it also gives investors the opportunity to grow financially

Example: McDonalds sell their rights to an investor in order for that investor to run his/her own McDonalds. Both franchisee and franchiser benefit from this because one makes money by selling, the other starts making money from investment.

Capital intensive: any form of development or ownership that requires high capital $$$

Fair return on the investment: Making reasonable profits based on your initial investment

Feasibility Study: The study that indicates markets potential, opponents, demand and supply. This study will determine hotels financial success

Summary Operating Statement: list of revenue and expenses for period of time.

Economic Impact of hotels:

Direct economic impact: Capital made only off of guest that effects local community.

Indirect economic impact: Capital made by anyone other than guests (employees, vendors, firms) that impacts local community.

Vacation ownership: an offer in which someone can invest in having the privileged to vacation in various resorts/hotels, for a short or long period of time; similar to a timeshare

Real Estate investment trusts (REITs): Investors with immense assets in real estate whom invest in the hotel business for a reasonable return on the investment.

Christine Delva

HMGT 1101

Prof. Duchamp

Oct. 6^th, 2015

New York Time Summary

Title: Carnival Announce Ports of Call for Planned Cuba Cruise (Sept 30^th, 2015)

Throughout the world everyone loves to travel and visit many different countries. There are probably thousands of people who love to travel on cruises, but I am a shame to say I haven’t been on cruise yet in my life. Few of my friends provide good review about Carnival cruise ships are wonderful and its nice experience to have with love ones. Carnival made a proposed of a new brand for cruise to Cuba to travel two other colonial outside Havana. This will allowed travel tourist to visit other part of Cuba. They are waiting for the Cuban government approval. I was curious why Cuba would not accept this proposal. As result, Americans cannot travel as ordinary tourist to Cuba anymore because the current U.S regulation doesn’t allow them to take part in certain trips. I was totally unaware of laws was passed. These trips are requested for the supporting cultural exchange and economic development for the Cuban people. I found this really interested. Throughout the world they are people who are really trying to make a difference in each and every country. The Carnival states all these projects and goals will begin in May to help build the volunteer team for the entire destination planned.