Hotel hospitality rules. How to receive guests? Useful tips and recommendations for schoolchildren What rules of hospitality do employees need to know?

Let's start with the simple basics of hospitality. We are planning a holiday and we want to share the joy of the upcoming event with loved ones. What do we ultimately want to get? Why in such a situation do we invite guests, feed them and entertain them?

Hospitality is generally accepted rules cultures that must be observed during the meeting of guests, these rules imply care for the guest throughout the entire time of his presence as a guest. (author from the Internet)

The king needs a retinue so that, first of all, everyone understands who the king is, and they also say that “the retinue makes the king.” Invited guests must certainly admire the main character of the celebration, praise his virtues and create a festive mood - as they say, “positively”. These rules of the game are accepted in society and even if those invited do not know about them, they intuitively guess. What in return? According to the law of conservation of energy, each of the invitees wants to receive “bread and circuses” in return. As a rule, guests receive both in the form of a set table and fun. For some, these are pre-planned quizzes and a club of experts; for simpler forms of life, this is a bottle of vodka and stories about vacations. One way or another, providing a good table and fun is the main task of the hostess in response to the admiration and admiration of her person and the place of invitation from the guests.

Hospitality Basics

  1. Festive, impeccable appearance and the same type of place where guests are invited - two interdependent factors (without this, it will be impossible for guests to give compliments and they will not fulfill their main mission)
    It’s worth making a small digression here. Where should you invite guests to your home or to a cafe-restaurant? There is an unwritten rule: Close people are invited home, to their territory. Unfamiliar people are invited to neutral territory, for example, to a cafe or to a picnic in nature. The second rule follows from the first: for close people the hostess cooks herself, for strangers they order food. You need to understand that by inviting guests home, you are opening that part of your life that, without your participation, will tell you about the processes taking place in the family and in the soul of the hostess. Visiting the home territory of a relative, friend, girlfriend is the main step for further rapprochement, without which other steps towards a trusting relationship are not possible. In this situation, it doesn’t matter where you live: in a two-story cottage or in a rented room in a communal apartment.
  2. The table is set. In terms of importance, for the housewife it is always second only to herself. For guests, as a rule, the first thing;) (let’s not forget that part of the program is a discussion of the prepared dishes, and the guests’ mission is to compliment them on their preparation)
  3. Entertainment. The main mistake of any holiday organizer is to believe that guests should entertain themselves. On the one hand, it’s good when among the guests there is a joker whose tongue is boneless and who will entertain everyone gathered with jokes and jokes. Great! But then the hostess of the event remains in the shadows and does not receive satisfaction from the holiday. She won't get any attention. It’s as if a joker came to her territory to celebrate his holiday for free. Therefore, according to the law of the genre, the hostess of the holiday must always be in sight and lead the entire scenario of the feast from seating to serving dessert - independently, to be the main conductor of the event.

Why are guests invited at a certain time and not whenever they can?

There is a certain socially accepted ceremony of introducing guests and involving guests in the communication process. The most difficult part is the beginning of the holiday. The impressions left by the guests about the event depend on how the hostess organizes it. According to unwritten rules, it is customary to stay 15 minutes. from the time of invitation, but no later than 30 minutes. (arriving earlier than the appointed time and being an hour late is unacceptable) The hostess must introduce all guests arriving at the house to those gathered, introducing who is who. Thus, giving the opportunity to grab onto some information to continue the conversation.

If someone repeatedly approaches the hostess with the question: How can I help you? Then this is the next signal: “Everything is bad - you didn’t have time to do anything, you urgently need to be saved!” - usually from very close people. “I’m uncomfortable, I haven’t established contact with anyone, give me the opportunity to at least do something so that I can be busy until everyone sits down at the table - save me!” - from everyone else. Due to different times when guests are late, awkward pauses arise, which can be mitigated, for example, in this way:

Ding-ding! Let those who arrive on time have fun!

A few words about the end. According to the same unwritten rules, guests must leave after 15-20 minutes. after eating dessert. This serves as a powerful signal from the hostess to the guests. At this point, there should be no snacks on the table besides dessert, and only liqueurs can remain from alcohol. As they say, “It’s time and honor to know,” dear guests!

Etiquette is the norms and rules that reflect ideas about the proper behavior of people in society. This concept is close in sound to the word “Ethics”. However, ethics includes a system of moral and ethical standards as a whole. Etiquette regulates precisely the external manifestations of a person in relationships with other people.

Accordingly, hotel etiquette includes:

rules of conduct for guests;

rules for how staff treat guests;

office etiquette that regulates the relationships of employees with each other, managers with subordinates, with customers and partners.

Let's look at them one by one.

Rules of behavior in hotels and inns for guests.

The basis of any rules of conduct, including in a hotel, are the general principles of politeness, tact and respect for others. These norms are universal: they work in any country and apply to absolutely everyone.

As for tourists and the rules of their behavior, friendliness and friendliness will not hurt at all stages of interaction with hotel staff and other guests.

Before calling a hotel to book a room, you must familiarize yourself with the living conditions, services provided, and hotel rules. Especially if an establishment has been operating for many years, it, in addition to general rules and norms, may have its own traditions and principles.

If your plans or duration of stay change, you should notify the administration in advance.

The question that often becomes problematic for tourists is whether to tip and for what. General rule: you should give service personnel a “tip” in cases where they provide additional service, which is not obligatory for him. For example, if a hotel doorman helps carry things from the car to the hotel.

Another important issue of etiquette is how to address staff: “you” or “you”? In most foreign countries, tourists are unlikely to be puzzled by this question, since in many languages ​​there is no difference between these two concepts.

In Russia, the general rule of politeness is to address all strangers as “You”. However, there may be exceptions here too. Currently most tourists are young people who are lenient about both the status of the hotel (“the main thing is that it’s inexpensive”) and issues of etiquette. When communicating, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the interlocutor: national mentality, gender, age and others. This is especially worth paying attention to when visiting countries where Sharia law applies or the way of life is fundamentally different from the usual.

And, of course, in any country one should not forget about general rules decency: say hello when meeting, do not make noise after 22:00, do not smoke in non-designated places, and others. For example, a woman should not open the door in her underwear to the waiter who brought the order to the room. Just like a man, by the way.

In most hotels, it is considered indecent to wear a swimsuit or swimming trunks indoors, much less to visit a restaurant in this form.

Information about the rules in force in each specific hotel, you can always get it from her receptionist.

Rules for how staff treat guests.

The ethical attitude of service personnel towards hotel guests and visitors has a positive effect on the overall quality of service, is remembered by clients for a long time and is one of the decisive factors in shaping the image of a hotel enterprise.

  • 1) In relation to staying guests and visitors, any hotel employee must be attentive, polite and friendly. This is important for all types of interaction: both in person and when talking on the phone. For example, if a client called a hotel to book a room, polite address will leave him with a pleasant impression and confirm his desire to visit this particular hotel.
  • 2) When communicating with clients, staff should adhere to the rule “The customer is always right.” You should not take criticism with hostility, deny your guilt, argue and prove something. If a hotel guest has complaints, it is better to listen to them calmly, agree and offer some kind of solution. The ideal would be to reach a compromise. And if it is impossible, then it is better for the guest to give in.

Studies have shown that one dissatisfied guest takes about four customers with him. But the success and profit of the entire hotel depends on everyone, including the salary of each employee.

  • 3) When meeting guests, it is necessary to help them get comfortable in the room, tell them about the structure of the hotel, the rules of residence and the services provided in it. It is also worth familiarizing the guest with the equipment and equipment of the room. Hotel services should be offered unobtrusively, but in a way that informs and interests the client.
  • 4) The rules of hospitality require meeting and seeing off guests. If the client visited the hotel manager’s office, it is necessary to escort him at least to the door, and preferably to the elevator or exit from the hotel. If the guest had to wait, you should definitely apologize.
  • 5) The staff should thoroughly study the information about their hotel in order, if necessary, to help the guest navigate, as well as resolve any questions and problems that arise.
  • 6) Employees must be sensitive to the personal lives of hotel guests. Do not show immodesty or inappropriate curiosity. The hotel room temporarily becomes a home for the client, so you should always knock when entering the room and observe other standards of decency so as not to violate the right to personal life and space. Do not discuss guests with anyone.
  • 7) The appearance of hotel employees must be impeccable. After all, as you know, one meets people “by their clothes”, and their attitude towards a person is formed from the very first glance at him. The staff judges the establishment as a whole.
  • 8) It is very important to always set yourself up for a positive attitude towards what is happening. He treats his work with love and attention, shows conscientiousness and does not show others a bad mood.

A smile generally relieves stress and can be a solution to many issues.

Office etiquette.

Office etiquette, as already mentioned, is a system of interpersonal relationships in the work team, relationships between employees, between managers and subordinates, with partners, customers and clients. It affects both the relationships between employees, the atmosphere within the team, and the reputation of the hotel among its clients and partners.

Tasks of office etiquette:

determine and ensure a high professional level of reception and customer service in hotels;

assist in solving production issues of the enterprise;

create a favorable moral and psychological climate in the team;

to form a positive attitude on the part of clients and partners, the basis of a good reputation.

Questions of official etiquette arise for every employee already at the stage of placement and hiring.

Every potential hotel employee should realistically assess their strengths when applying for a job at a hotel, including their ability to communicate politely and kindly, and the ability to resolve difficult issues without conflict when interacting with colleagues and clients.

Otherwise, the rules of etiquette for hotel staff are similar to corporate standards of behavior for any other enterprise:

  • 1) each employee must carefully study his duties and treat his work conscientiously;
  • 2) you should be friendly with everyone, do not complain, do not gossip and do not join “cliques”;
  • 3) do not enter into too close relationships with colleagues of the opposite sex;
  • 4) in controversial situations and when solving problematic issues, remain polite and calm, speak only to the point, do not blame, but offer your solution;
  • 5) not engage in extraneous activities during working hours;
  • 6) do not engage in anything that is unpleasant to others;
  • 7) treats colleagues and clients with respect.

There are separate rules for communicating by phone:

  • 1 if the client called to find out about the hotel, clarify details or book a hotel, it is necessary to give him comprehensive information about the living conditions and all services of the hotel;
  • 2) when talking on the phone, you must speak directly into the receiver, loud enough, clearly and intelligibly;
  • 3) before picking up the phone, you need to get rid of irritation (for example, exhale sharply), talk calmly and kindly, smile;
  • 4) during communication, listen carefully and interestedly to the interlocutor, answer the questions posed briefly and specifically;
  • 5) In response to rudeness, be restrained and correct;
  • 6) If during a conversation with a client the connection is lost or you are disconnected, the caller must call back. However, in a hotel it is better for a hotel employee to do this.
  • 7) it is not ethical to tell clients and visitors “I don’t do that.” Polite would be: “I will try to help you” and connect you with the right specialist.

Special rules of etiquette exist for hotel managers. The head of not only a hotel, but also any enterprise, from the first days of his work is under the close attention of his employees, clients and partners. They judge the status and level of the institution by it, and they are not guided by it in their work. Therefore, ethical standards and compliance with official etiquette are necessary for the leader first of all.

Tact, politeness, respectful attitude towards all hotel employees and the duties they perform, equidistance, absence of “favorites” - these are the “golden” rules of a good hotel manager. He is at the head of the process of creating a comfortable psychological climate in the team, sets an example and inspires work.

Visiting tomorrow! Hooray! Or maybe not? We all go as guests and sometimes receive guests. For most this is not a problem. Well, come and come - hello dear guests, behave like you are at home, but do not forget that you are a guest.

In fact, there is a whole etiquette of hospitality that should be observed in order not to seem impolite at best, or even boorish. Hospitality etiquette is a whole science that consists of just one fundamental statement - you welcome guests. If not, then it’s better not to invite anyone to visit, because in this case you will count every minute of guests’ arrival in your house and these minutes will last forever.

Hospitality is demonstrated by the way hosts treat guests from the moment they arrive to the time they leave the house. To some extent, hospitality is a kind of character trait that is formed from childhood and depends on family upbringing. A hospitable person is always sincerely happy to have guests. He will be able to entertain, interest and treat them, even if there is nothing in the house, and will make efforts to make guests feel welcome in his home.

Hospitality is a state of mind. Therefore, in order to be hospitable, it is not enough to learn a set of tips. They can also be taken to the point of absurdity, for example, such a rule as begging guests to try something turns into obsessive torture. Cases are different: someone refuses a delicious cake because of their diet, and someone because of diabetes, but does not want everyone present to know about his illness. Moreover, it is unacceptable to impose alcoholic drinks. This is no longer a manifestation of generosity and hospitality, but of elementary lack of culture.

When we are not talking about a ceremonial feast, then, depending on the purpose of the visit, the person who came to visit is offered food or a cup of coffee or tea. If a guest refuses a treat, you should find out whether the person is really hungry or is doing this out of politeness. In any case, preparing tea will not take much time, and it is better to put it on the table along with light snacks, sandwiches or sweets, rather than asking whether the guest wants to be treated or not.


Previously, even in families where there were no smokers, it was considered necessary to provide an ashtray for guests. Nowadays, a cultured person will not even ask permission to smoke at a party, especially where there are children. If the owners are approached with such a question, a negative answer is not considered impolite.

The rules of hospitality exist not only for the owners of the house, but also for the guests themselves. In our “telephonized” times, it is not customary to visit people without prior agreement. This applies to visiting even close relatives and friends. Their privacy should be respected.

According to the rules of good manners, one should not be late for a visit, but no one is immune from surprises on the road. If the unexpected happens and you appear when the feast has already begun, under no circumstances extend your hand to greet each guest - greet everyone with a nod of your head and sit down at the table, without taking up much of the attention of those present.

Where does hospitality begin |

Kristina Gavrilenko

The reception service is one of the most important structural units of any hotel. Providing quality service largely depends on the professionalism of the employees of this department. They are the ones who interact with customers every day, forming their opinion about the hotel. No matter how well other departments function, if the client does not like the work of the reception service, the hotel experience will be spoiled.

Based on the comments of experts, we will try to figure out how to achieve optimal performance of the reception desk, what knowledge the staff needs and why some mistakes become classic

The main goals of the reception and accommodation service (hereinafter referred to as SP&R) coincide with the main “mission” of the entire hotel, which is to provide High Quality guest services. SPiR is the link between the client and other structural divisions of the hotel.

The primary tasks assigned to SPiR are:

Meeting, registering and checking out guests;
number distribution;
issuing room keys and monitoring their safety;
traffic accounting Money and services on each guest's account;
collection of fees for accommodation, registration of payment upon eviction of a guest;
providing clients with various information services;
maintaining documentation, client database, working with mail and messages;
conflict resolution, etc.

In large hotels of the 4–5* level, the structure of the SP&R, as a rule, includes:

Head of SPiR (front office manager), his deputy;
duty administrators (receptionists);
night auditors;
guest relations manager; - telephone operators;
concierges; - butlers;
luggage carriers (bellmen); - pages (messengers);
doormen.

Often the structure of SP&R includes a reservation service (we have already talked about its work in one of the previous issues, cm."AG" No. 5–2011). However, some hoteliers believe that it is much more correct to classify this division as a sales department.

Welcome, dear guests!

One of the main tasks of SPiR is to organize a warm welcome for guests at any place of their arrival (airport, train station). For a high-class hotel, a sign of good form is the “tradition” of sending taxi drivers who have been cooperating with the hotel for a long time to pick up guests. Formally, the guest encounters SPiR employees before entering the hotel, where he is greeted by doormen and luggage carriers.

Then the next stage of the welcoming meeting begins - registration. “Despite the fact that this procedure is associated with certain bureaucratic issues, they play a huge role, at least from the point of view of the safety of guests. It is important that receptionists conduct check-in quickly, politely and efficiently,” notes specialist in standardization, certification and quality of the hotel operator Premier International Grigory Chernyak. According to generally accepted standards, the registration process should last no more than 5 minutes. In large hotels, chain hotels and for VIPs and loyalty program participants, simplified check-in and check-out procedures are provided (express check-in, express check-out).

“Some hoteliers are confident that guests can a priori understand the features of the hotel’s architecture and the technical equipment of the rooms. Actually this is not true. Some hotels have unique features. For example, in a building with complex architecture it will be difficult for a person to find his room on his own. In addition, there are things that are not intuitively clear (how to turn on the air conditioner, etc.), Georgy Chernyak continues to tell. - A thorough familiarization with the product, on the one hand, indicates high level establishment, and on the other hand, it has practical significance, since the client will not get confused in anything. How does this happen? While the baggage handler or doorman escorts the guest to the room, he tells him where the restaurant, swimming pool, spa, conference room, etc. are located. In the room, the employee shows the minibar, air conditioning, safe, and explains the rules for using the equipment. As a result, the employee simultaneously promotes the hotel’s services and guides the guest.”
While a person lives in a hotel, the task of SP&R is to act as an intermediary between him and all structural divisions of the hotel. Thus, the guest is unlikely to want to bother himself with differentiating his needs. He will not look for highly specialized specialists (electricians, maids, etc.) to solve the problem. The client simply calls the administrator and explains what he needs. And he, in turn, will already know who to contact so that the guest’s desire is realized.

SP&R has another responsibility - to take care of what happens to the guest outside the hotel. There is a concierge service for this. Its main goal is to provide personal service to the client (organizing transfers, leisure activities, solving minor everyday issues). Often guests want something like this: fly on a pleasure helicopter, ride a yacht, go on a picnic, go to a fashionable performance, tickets for which are almost impossible to get... A qualified concierge will do everything to satisfy any client’s requests, even the most unusual. In this case, the employee must be guided by the principle “everything that is not prohibited is permitted.”

Of course, the organization of leisure activities should in no case interfere with the activities of the hotel and other visitors.

It should be noted that the success of concierge work depends not only on their efficiency, ability to quickly navigate a certain situation and find a common language with people. It is very important that staff have established contacts with various service partners: travel companies, excursion bureaus, car rental companies, event agencies, etc.

Practice has proven that the more a home owner cares about the comfort of his guests, the more rental orders he receives and the more more tourists prefer to live with him. Over the course of our work, we managed to find out what guests value most when communicating with homeowners. Therefore, if you want to rent out your apartment continuously and with little or no interruption, we recommend that you follow DubaiApartment's basic hospitality rules.

What hospitality rules should be followed at DubaiApartment to attract more tenants?

Post truthful information about your property

Guests will be disappointed if they do not find the apartment as you described it on the website. And on good feedback It will be difficult to count on tourists after this.

Remember: guests are not looking for the perfect apartment. They will easily survive certain shortcomings if they know about them in advance. Therefore, be honest about your accommodation and be sure that your guests will be satisfied and write good reviews about the premises.

Always check your booking calendar with the calendar on DubaiApartment

Judging by the reviews of tourists, what irritates them most is the return of money due to the fact that the apartment turns out to be booked outside the system. Visitors to our website always want to see up-to-date information about the occupancy of the apartment, and it is good manners for the owners of the premises to provide such information.

Communicate with your guests before booking and after check-out

Treat your guests like new acquaintances who will recommend you to more and more more tourists. Answer their questions if they want to clarify something before booking - this will make it easier for people to make a decision about renting your apartment. Make sure guests have a way to contact you after they move in so they can count on you as a friend. Remember: staying with a friend is much more pleasant than staying in the apartment of someone who doesn’t answer questions.

Meet your guests and help them get comfortable in the new city

Try to make sure that your guests, after arriving in the city, can move into the apartment as quickly and easily as possible. Meet them, show them the accommodation, introduce them to the concierge, explain how to get to shops and the metro station. The faster tourists get used to it, the more pleasant it will be for them to live in your apartment.

You know your city better than your guests. Of course, they will be very grateful to you for a short excursion, a story about the city and interesting places in it, acquaintance with local customs, simply unexpected amenities and attention. Give them an experience, and friends and acquaintances of your guests will come to you.

Keep order

All people love cleanliness and order in their rented premises. Guests respond better to rooms that are regularly cleaned and where appliances and interiors are in good working order. DubaiApartment's hospitality rules mean that your apartment must always be clean and tidy, and you will clean the house at least twice a week and before the arrival of new guests.