Concierge Marketing Assignment
20% of total course grade
Selection of NYC Attraction is Due Before Class Begins, Week 9
Written Assignment is Due in Class, Week 11
Presentations will be Conducted Week 11
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Task
Consider all that New York has to offer visitors and New Yorkers alike. Consider also places in New York that you have never visited but would like to explore; perhaps a museum, an art gallery, a park, a sports arena, a restaurant and so much more. Make a list of these places. Then choose one to visit considering 1) significance to the culture of New York, 2) the attractionâs point of difference and 3) the target demographic of the attraction.
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After your site visit write an essay describing 1) itâs significance to the culture of NY, 2) what makes the attraction unique, 3) who is the target demographic, 4) examples of hospitality you witnessed, 5) areas of improvement in guest service
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Role and Audience
You are the Concierge of an upscale hotel in Manhattan; you will use your research to communicate to your guests about NYC attractions.
Format
Assignment selections
- Post your chosen tourist attraction on OpenLab as a response on the âExperiential Learning Assignmentâ page (do not create a post). Include a brief statement as to why this site is significant to the culture of New York including a reference
- Only one student per attraction
Written portion, 2-2œ page essay (10% of total grade)
- APA format and standards, proper grammar, sentence structure, spellingâŠ
- Minimum of three credible references
- Exhibit the ability to evaluate the importance of the tourist attraction or historically significant location to the New York City hospitality industry
- Provide evidence of the importance of employees as a part of the product and how an employee influences the guestâs experience.
- See writing rubric
Oral presentation (10% of total grade)
- Students will be divided into three groups (each person will work independently)
- Students will conduct a three minute presentation in small group settings of 3-4 people, no questions will be asked at this time (see oral communication rubric)
- Students should be prepared to repeat their presentation 4- 6 times to both classmates and faculty members
- Upon completion of the small group presentations, students will have the opportunity to ask individual questions to their classmates
- Students will nominate their peersâ presentation for a variety of âBest ofâŠâ awards.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this assignment, students will be able to:
- Discuss scope of the hospitality and tourism industry
- Gather information from observation in regard to the hospitality industry from a local, national and global perspective
- Evaluate and examine hotel classifications
- Engage in high impact and industry specific written and oral communication
Grand Central Terminal
When I think about Grand Central Terminal I think about surreal. The History behind this architectural masterpiece goes back to the 1800âs when it was just one rail road connecting the Hudson River, New York Central, New York & Harlem, and New York & New Haven railroads linking the city to communities north and east. During the 1860s, Cornelius Vanderbilt bought controlling stock in the first three railroads, forging all of them into a single rail empire. Today, all four are united as Metro-North. Nowadays, not all passengers are people. The Grand Central Post Office processes much of the cityâs mail through the Grand Central Terminal.
The beauty of the Grand Central Terminal was not always well preserved. Rising crime and declining budgets took a toll on the building. Also, vandalism which increased in the 1960s and 1970s delayed repairs. Decades of grime covered the once-beautiful ceiling, and passengers shared waiting rooms with a swelling number of homeless men and women.
In 1978, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Grand Centralâs landmark status. The building was saved from destruction, but not from neglect. In 1982, Metro-North took over the terminal and launched a four-year, $12 million repair program that stopped further deterioration but didnât erase decades of decay. In 1990, Metro-North announced ambitious plans to restore the stationâs structural, architectural, and decorative glory.
Grand Central Terminal is open to the public daily from 5:30 am until 2:00 AM. It receives about 750,000 visitors daily between commuters of the MTA, Metro North, New Yorkers and tourists. This attraction is unique because it has all the elements for different types of visitors. It is a landmark and historical building and one of the main connection points of transportation inside and out of NYC. It also includes daily tours and has 68 shops that are open until 9:00 pm Monday to Friday and earlier hours on weekends. For the geek visitors, Apple store invested about 90 Million to have an exclusive wing on Grand Central Terminal. Also for foodie visitors, Grand Central has 35 dining options such as Michael Jordan Steak House, Shiro of Japan, Jack Torres chocolates and others. However, for the people on the go the terminal also has a market with fresh food with decent prices. Even though Grand central is centenary, it is perfect for all types of ages, genders, nationalities and budgets. This is why it is on the list of NYC favorite attractions.
As I visited the terminal everybody was courteous and polite. I have visited the market and some stores and everybody was in a great spirit. I also like the extreme security that the terminal implemented after 9/11. All deliveries are inspected by police before entering the premises and checked by the canine unit. Also their security system was reinforced, which made me feel safe while on the premises.
The only area that I think needs more customer service improvement was the information center under the clock in the middle of the terminal. I donât know if it is because the amount of people running from one corner to another one that made the people from the information center nervous, but they were cold and inattentive to listen or answer. Not all of them, since when I tried a second time with another person the service improved. But it should be the same attention from all of them. But in my opinion Grand Central allows you to go there, get lost, dream and admire hidden details around the building. If you pay attention you will notice the stars constellation on the ceiling, which every bulb was placed and changed one by one in an era were scaffolding wasnât invented yet. The clock in the center of the terminal (Information center) is made of Opal and Gold, and if you look closely inside the kiosk there is a hidden staircase going underground. But these are only a few interesting things that can be found in Grand Central Terminal. For more information or a great experience check out the Terminalâs daily tours from 9am to 6 pm.
Ripleyâs Believe It or Not
The New York City attraction, Ripleyâs Believe It or Not is located in Times Square. In this museum there are many attractions such as Lacer Race, exhibits of random and interesting things that have occurred in our world. I chose this attraction to do my project on because I have always wanted to go to this museum; many people have told me that it is fun and interesting. In the museum you are presented with so many interesting things such as the tallest man on earth or the snake with two heads. This museum attracts those who are interested in weird, scary, and fun stuff. Since this museum is located in Times Square, it attracts a lot of tourist. This attraction is unique because it is the only one in New York and because of the things it has inside. The only bad thing about it was, the hospitality was not that great.
I went to Ripleyâs Believe It or Not with my mom. When we entered we were greeted very nicely by the lady who checked our tickets. She told us about the brochure they have that explains every exhibit in the museum. Later, as we were walking around, a man asked my mom and I if we wanted to take a picture. Then he followed by saying âplease, I just want to look like I am doing something for this job.â I was in shock when he told us this, but I just laughed and so did my mom. I understand that you have to always look like you are doing something but telling the customers that you want to take their picture so that they can look like they are doing something is just wrong. There were not a lot of people walking around helping the customers out. When we got to the laser tag, the line was disorganized and little kids kept skipping my mom and me. The lady controlling the line and what goes on in the laser tag room did not look like she was having fun doing her job. I believe this museum needs a lot of help with its employees and they need to hire people who are actually excited to be working there.
Times Square is known for the place where tourists always go. It is full of lights, stores, fictional characters, museums, plays, etc. I believe the owner of Ripleyâs Believe It or Not purposely put the museum in Times Square because it is easy money. This museum is located right next to the wax museum which is also a huge New York City attraction. Not many locals from NY go to Times Square because of all the human traffic. If I had to categorize the people this museum attracts I would say that it attracts people who are interested in weird stuff and science. Once you walk into this museum you would be in shock with all the things they have, you will leave the museum with a complete different mindset and the urge to tell all your friends the new things you learned.
New York City is known for having weird people. Weird as in a unique, crazy, mysterious way. The fact that there is a Ripleyâs Believe It or Not here in New York City makes perfect sense. In one section they have a mirrored image of the empire state building where if you stand on it, it legit looks like your standing on top of the empire state building which is something I am sure all New Yorkers have always wanted to do. They also have a man with horns, a woman with a beard, worldâs tallest man, worldâs tallest woman, etc. They have so many attractions, too many to name. The significance of this museum to New York City is to show people another side of the world many donât believe exists until they leave this museum.
In conclusion, Ripleyâs Believe It or Not is a really fun museum. It attracts those who are into weird stuff. It is located in Times Square which causes it to also attract many tourists. The significance of this museum is to show us things we are not aware that have happened in our world and probably still happening. The customer service needs a lot of help, they need to hire people who actually look like they want to work there.
The New York Aquarium located in Coney Island, originally opened in Manhattan in 1896. Since 1957, it has been re-located to Brooklyn by the boardwalk in Coney Island. The Aquarium is the oldest operating aquarium in the United States, and I believe it is a great alternative to going to the zoo. I will assume that the main reason to enjoy this destination would be to have a great time with your family as that seems to be the major target of demographic as far as the visitors are concerned. When I was there I arrived and was quickly greeted to a lot of children, the amount of people that were there that day was not as much as I assumed would be there, Partly due to the fact that it was an early sunday when I was there. Aside from the aquarium in Long Island and the small area located in the Bronx zoo, this is the only real and best place to view aquatic animals.
With all the positives out of the way, there is a section of the aquarium that was scheduled to be opened in October 2012 called “Ocean Wonders: Sharks!” sadly it has yet to be opened even when I visited. You might think this is a long time, but Hurricane Sandy is the reason for the delay. The damage from the hurricane also caused infrastructure damage to the aquarium so the aquarium was sadly very limited, at least in my opinion, when I visited. As far as the attraction itself, lets begin with the price of entry, for the limited amount of venue that was available I think 12 dollars was a bit much, I went with my fiancĂ© so that was about 25 dollars just for entrance. This was my first experience with hospitality, as the ticket handler was very nice. He had to tell me about the limited venue but he was very nice and I remember my fiancĂ© mentioning that he seemed like a nice person. He informed us that we did have access to the spongebob movie in 4d as well as the Aquatheatre, but those seem great to see if I had a child with me, I assumed I wouldn’t enjoy the movie and sadly I just missed the Aquatheatre and had to wait about 2 hours for the next show, which I did not want to do. With the options that were available, I honestly was very disappointed with the aquarium itself. Truth be told, I can say that I saw all that was needed to be seen in about 15 minutes. The need for more is an understatement, the positives did include the sea otter as that was really the only animal that came out, the penguins were nowhere to be found as well as the walrus in the “Sea Cliffs” area.
As far as the hospitality, I must admit, I feel as if as a whole it was very good. Although everything was overpriced, such as the 5 dollar hotdogs and pretty much everything that was in the gift shop, those behind the register were very nice and courteous. The main incident that I would say was the clear definition of great hospitality was when I was leaving the aquarium and I heard a mom looking for her son, then I noticed the dad doing the same. First thing I said to my fiancĂ© was that they should really contact the people that worked there. Long and behold, the child was crying next to an employee, and the dad finally found his son. This only lasted for about 3 minutes but I’m sure the family appreciated it.
The trip to the aquarium was ultimately a disappointing one, not enough to see in my opinion. When you think of an aquarium you picture many tanks with an abundance of fish, sadly I don’t believe this was the case. I must say that since it was at least a 2 hour train ride to arrive from my home, the trip was not really worth it. With that being said, The fact that this aquarium is the longest running aquarium in the U.S makes this attraction important as far as cultural importance in New York. Families all around New york make the trip to Coney Island and the option to take your family to this aquarium is great. Sadly I did not arrive at an ideal time to catch the Aquatheatre, but I assume that would be a great show to watch.
Have you ever walked through a garden in the sky? Thirty feet in the air, rebuilt and planted on one and a half miles of abandoned, elevated railroad track snaking through Manhattan’s West Side, the High Line turns the dream of escape offered by most urban parks inside out! The New York High Line is a unique elevated celebration of nature. The High Line is runs through the city’s West Side from Gansevoort Street to West 34th street. Although visiting New York’s 1.45 mile park in the sky is rewarding, peaceful, and beautiful, there is another perspective that makes the park’s experience rich; its lengthy, vigorous history, and its newest 4.5 star hospitality addition, The High Line Hotel.
In February 1846, construction of a thirteen mile, street-level railroad was put into place running from Canal Street to Spuyten Duyvil in the Bronx. This railroad was built to ship freight. The lower West Side of Manhattan was always bustling with anarchy of farmer’s markets, sailors, horse carriages, and merchants. Due to the commotion of people in the streets and the railroad on the ground, there were numerous deaths and injuries. So many people were getting harmed by the freight cars that Tenth Avenue came to be called “Death Avenue.” In the 1920âs, the city made plans to elevate the street-level tracks. For almost half a century, trains were traveling through the High Line delivering and receiving endless goods to their destinations. The rail business had run down due to rising air travel, container shipping, and interstate trucking. The last car to run on the tracks was in 1980, and the southern part from Gansevoort Street was demolished in 1991.
The railroads were abandoned for almost two decades before two strangers named Joshua David, and Robert Hammond met. The two met in a meeting about the future of the un-functional rail road. They were so intrigued by the track’s history that they founded “Friends of the High Line,â a non-profit group that studied modern urban landscape and design, and fought to save the High Line. The NYC government gave the group a $50 million budget to build on the railroad, and they raised an additional $100 million through the public.
The park was opened on June 8, 2009, starting on Gansevoort, running through Tenth Avenue. âToday itâs an urbaniteâs playground planted with wildflowers and grasses, offering walkers a panorama of the bustle below that makes the park simultaneously removed from the city and an inextricable part of itâ says timeout.com contributors. This park is one of the top tourist attractions, in NYC with nearly 5 million visitors every year! When I arrived to the entrance of the park, I was greeted with a steel staircase. To preserve some of the structure that was once there, I noticed that the staircase was made from beams that were a part of the old elevation, these stairs were called the “slow stairs.” The park overlooks the Hudson River, and the west side of New York. As you walk along, you will see trees, plants, flowers, and shrubs; when you look down you can see the railroad tracks that were once in full operation. The park also contains food vendors, lawn benches to sunbathe, water fountains to play and wet your feet, and my favorite, the âDeath Avenueâ Amphitheater. The amphitheater provides a priceless New York moment. You are overlooking the traffic congestion in the streets, yet you are sitting stress free, observing.
Just downstairs from the historic structure is the almost two year old boutique hotel, The High Line Hotel. The hotel has a modern 60 Room design with a lively atmosphere. An interesting thing about the hotel is that it 100% smoke free, and includes a library. The front desk staff is very professional, and a top notch bunch, but the bellman on the other hand wasnât very helpful. He just told guest which way the elevators were. According to Jessica B from Albany, New York, she says the hotel provided her with an âExcellent level of customer service; different from the chains.â
One of the areas the hotel can improve in is building an in-house restaurant, being that they only provide a bar/ coffee shop. Another is training the bell staff to help guests to their room instead of pointing out the elevators.
http://www.thehighlinehotel.com/
Walking into Eataly I was greeted with the aroma of coffee at first I thought it was a little cafĂ©, a section where they served gelato, Italian cookies, and coffee. Surprisingly there was more to Eataly right next to a little espresso bar there was a little area with pretty and very appealing desserts displayed in a case that was clean and had bright lighting. Prices for the desserts ranged from $4 to $6 depending on the item, I almost picked me up one. I am a lover for cheese and the variety for cheese was a great amount, the shelves were clean. I must admit from one cheese to the other the prices were $12, $15, $20. I realized why not be high if the cheese was aged for up to a year youâre paying for quality and authenticity, they also had a section where you can get fresh mozzarella. A gallon of milk was $7.40 not the average price in a key food, path mark , or even the supermarket I work in. I am a big fan of produce and I was so shocked to see the large selection from fruit to fresh greens. The fruit colors were bright and just so fresh I couldnât believe it. I felt so weird in Eataly because in many supermarkets Iâve been to I have never seen so many employees wiping the shelves, packing out or helping customers. I do not believe they needed to improve anything because iI was already surprised to see employees so active, one employee brought a women to the item she was looking for. The experience someone gets after going somewhere always makes a customer want to come back or even talk about it to friends. Working in a supermarket I try my best to give the customer good customer service not even for the company ,but because it does feel good to know you made someone else feel good. The significance of Eataly is that it is convenient almost like the shortcut to Italy for authentic food, you see in the food the quality of it.