Read and translate the following groups of words derived from a common root:

1. economic — economical — economics — economize — econ­omy — economist

2. industry — industrial — industrialized — industrious

3. clean — cleaner — unclean — cleanly — clean-cut — cleanliness — cleanse — cleanser — «Kleenex»

4. dine — diner — dining — dinner

5. classify — classifier — classified — unclassified — classification

 

Reading

Read the texts and translate them. While reading try to find answers to these questions:

1. What facilities, services, and amenities do full-service hotels offer?

2. What success criteria were developed for a new budget concept called Microtel?

3. Why, in your opinion, has the gambling sector become a very important engine for U.S. economic growth?

TYPES OF HOTELS (Part 2)

  (continued)

Full-Service Hotels

Another way to classify hotels is by the degree of service offered: full-service, economy, extended-stay, and all-suite hotels.

Full-service hotels offer a wide range of facilities, services, and amenities, including many that were mentioned under the luxury hotel category: multiple food and beverage outlets including bars, lounges, and restaurants; both formal and casual dining; and meeting, convention, and catering services. Business features might include a business center, secre­tarial services, fax, in-room computer hook-ups, and so on..

 

 

.

 

Most of the major North American cities have hotel chain represen­tation such as Doubletree, Four Seasons, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Hyatt, Mar­riott, Omni, Ramada, Radisson, Ritz-Carlton, Loew's, Le Meridian, Shera­ton, and Westin. Some of these chains are positioning themselves as basic full-service properties. An example of this strategy is Marriott's Courtyard hotels, which have small lobbies and very limited food and beverage of­ferings. The resulting savings are passed on to the guests in the form of more competitive rates. Thus, the full-service market may also be subdi­vided into upscale and midpriced hotels.

Economy/Budget Hotels

An economy or budget hotel offers clean, reasonably sized and fur­nished rooms without the frills of full-service hotels. Chains like Travelodge, Motel 6, Days Inn, and La Quinta became popular by focus­ing on selling beds, but not meals or meetings. This enabled them to offer rates at about 30 percent lower than the midpriced hotels. The average rate for an economy hotel is about $30 to $50 per night.

More recent entrants to this market sector are Promus' Hampton Inns, Marriott’s Fairfield, and Choice'?, Comfort Inns. These properties do not have restaurants or offer substantial food and beverages, but they do offer guests a continental breakfast in the lobby.

Another example of a relatively new budget concept is Microtel. In 1989, despite credit crunch and a weak economy, a group of entrepreneurs developed a new budget concept called Microtel. Success criteria were developed: The group wanted an economy hotel product, the down­side risk had to be limited, and the product would have to demonstrate a competitive advantage over other national budget chains. The result of several months of careful planning and construction was the ninety-nine-room Microtel in Rochester, New York, at a total cost of $2,798,000 or $28,263 per room. The land cost $266,000; construction, interest, taxes, furniture, and equipment cost $2,164,000. The room rates began at $29, and the occupancy was 89.4 percent in the first year. The franchise was sold a year later for a 117 percent return on investment (ROI). This is a remarkable success story that illustrates that entrepreneurs can thrive even in a weak economy.

       After enjoying a wave of growth for most of the 1990s, the economy hotel segment may be close to the saturation point. There are about 20,000 properties in this segment with many markets. The economic law of supply and demand rules; if an area has too many similar properties, then price wars usually break out as they try to attract guests. Some will attempt to differentiate themselves and stress value rather than discount­ing. This adds to the fascination of the business.

Casino Hotels

The casino industry is now coming into the financial mainstream to the point that, as a significant segment of the entertainment industry, it is reshaping the U.S. economy. The entertainment sector has become a very important engine for the U.S. economic growth. As a matter of fact, since the recovery of the economy in 1991, entertainment and recreation have provided the biggest boost to consumer spending, thus creating tre­mendous prosperity in the industry. The fastest-growing sector of the en­tertainment field is gaming [1, 103-104].

(to be continued)

 

Vocabulary notes

in-room computer hook-up                подключение к компьютерной сети прямо в                                                                  номере

upscale (Am. E.)                                      высококачественный и дорогостоящий

upmarket (Br. E.)                                   предназначенный для состоятельных лиц

  frills (pi)                                                  роскошь, вычурность; излишества, ненужные                                                                украшения

hotel chain                                               сеть отелей (обычно широко известной фирмы)

outlet                                                        место отпуска (напитков, продуктов); торговая                                                             точка

midpriced                                                по умеренным ценам (от «middle price»)

per night                                                 зд. за сутки (плата за номер в США и в                                                               ряде других стран взимается за ночь,                                                                   приравниваемую к суткам)

entrant                                                    тот, кто входит куда-либо, т.е. вступает в                                                           какую-либо организацию

crunch                                                     экон. кризисная ситуация

continental breakfast                             легкий завтрак («континентальный», т.е.                                                                                   европейский завтрак в отличие от плотного                                                                   «островного», т.е. британско­го)

downside risk                                          зд. риск, связанный с неустранимыми                                                                              (неизбежными по сути) недостатками

competitive advantage                           конкурентное преимущество; выгодное отличие                                                           от чего-либо

competitive                                              конкурентоспособный; соперничаю­щий,                                                                                   конкурентный

interest                                                     зд. проценты (на капитал)

franchise                                                 «франчайзинг» — специальный вид                                                                           лицензирования, когда компания —                                                                           владелец известной торговой марки                                                                                предоставляет другой компании право                                                                           ставить эту торговую марку на свою                                                                               продукцию, но при этом получает пра­во                                                                                    контроля за качеством и внешним видом                                                                        продукции компании-«франчайзера»

return on investment                              экон. прибыль на инвестированный                                                                     капитал                 

to thrive                                                   преуспевать, процветать

saturation point                                  точка насыщения            

property                                                   зд. отель, гостиница

to stress value rather than discounting зд. делать упор не столько на скидки,                                                                               предоставляемые клиентам, сколько на качество                                                            предлагаемых им услуг.            

fascination                                               привлекательность, притягательность

to reshape                                                преобразовывать; видоизменять

consumer spending (- s)                          экономические потребительские расходы

mainstream                                             основное направление, главная линия,                                                                       господствующая тенденция, «мейнстрим»

gaining                                                     легальный бизнес, занимающийся азартными                                                                 играми; игорный бизнес

 

Vocabulary focus

 

4. Match each word or phrase on the left with the correct equivalent on the right:

 

1) luxury                     a) цена за номер (в гостинице, отеле)

2) supply and demand b) роскошь, роскошный

3) discount                 c) плотная (сытная еда)

4) entertainment and  d) многокомнатный номер
recreation

5) substantial food     e) развлечения и приятный досуг

6) prosperity               f) еда и напитки

7) suite                        g) процветание

8) room rate                h) спрос и предложение

9) food and beverages i) официальный и неофициальный

10) formal and casual   j) скидка

11) similar                    k) сходный, похожий

 

 

5. Match each word on the left with the correct definition on the right:

 

a) tremendous   a) a shop or place where a particular product is sold

b) entrepreneur    b) large objects like beds, tables, chairs, etc which you put in a room or                                                                                                               house so that you can live in it

c) lounge              c) an entrance hall just inside the main door to a hotel, theater, or                                                                                                                         other large building

d) outlet               d) a period of 365 or 366 days divided into 12 month

e) year                  e) a person who uses money to start businesses and make                                                                                                                          business deals.

f)lobby        f) a public comfortable room in a place such as a
hotel, university, or hospital where people can sit and
relax

g) furniture     g) very great in size, amount, or degree [7], [8]

 

Match the synonyms:

1) degree

2) entertainment

3) economy

4) businessperson

5) alike

6) signature

7) formal

8) development

9) price

10) thrive

11) significant

a) entrepreneur

b) recreation

c) budget

d) level

e) official

f) growth

g) rate

h) important

i) prosper

j) similar

k) upscale

 

 

Match the antonyms:

1) north

2) slow

3) upscale

4) demand

5) prosperity

6) casual

7) similar

8) weak

9) spend

10) war

a) different

b) earn

c) south

d) poverty

e) supply

f) strong

g) formal

h) peace

i) fast

j) midpriced

 

Comprehension

8. Answer the questions on the texts:

Full-Service Hotels

1. How may hotels be classified by the degree of service they offer?

2. What services do full-service hotels provide for businesspersons?

3. What North American countries and major cities do you know?

4. What can help a hotel management to offer the guests more |competitive rates?

5. How may hotels be classified by the room rate?

Economy/Budget Hotels

1. What rooms do economy or budget hotels offer?

2. Why have chains like Travelodge, Motel 6, Days Inn, and La Quinta become popular?

3. What enabled them to offer rates at about 30 percent lower than the midpriced hotels?

4. What is the average rate for an economy hotel per night?

5. What success criteria were developed for a new budget concept called Microtek.

6. How can you prove that the hotel business can thrive even in a weak economy?

7. How does the economic law of supply and demand affect the hotel business?

8. Why will the economy hotel segment be close to the saturation point in 2007?

Casino Hotels

1. What makes the entertainment sector a very important engine for the U.S. economic growth?

2. What has created tremendous prosperity in the U.S. lodging in­dustry?

3. What has provided the biggest boost to consumer spending?