INTRODUCTION
Rationale
After the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) forecasts that the global tourism industry will need 3–4 years to recover and operate as in 2019 This is also a task and challenge for Vietnam tourism Therefore, it has been focused and has had strong development recently After the government's decision to allow all markets to open to welcome international tourists and the government's policies to encourage domestic tourism, tourism in 2022 has made significant developments.
Along with efforts to revive and develop the tourism industry, the hotel business is also active Therefore, to be able to maintain and develop, each hotel must have strategies and measures to approach the market proactively and be ready to deal with all pressures from the market To do that, hotels must pay attention to the market's orientation in a specific, flexible, and definitely indispensable way without marketing, an activity that plays a decisive role in the hotel's position in the market.
After having the opportunity to practice at the New Orient HotelDanang, I realized that the policies to attract customers to book banquets at the hotel have been having positive effects However, there are still limitations that need to be changed and overcome That's why I made the topic "An Investigation into the Real Situation and Some Solutions forAttracting Guests to Book the Banquet Event at New Orient Hotel Danang".Hopefully, through my research, some small ideas are given that can contribute to attracting guests to book parties at the hotel in the near future to help the hotel develop more and more.
Aims and Objectives
This study aims to investigate the quality of party organization and the status of banquet reservations at New Orient Danang Hotel and propose solutions to attract guests to choose the hotel for organizing the event.
The purpose of this study is to carry out the following objectives:
Investigating the situation of guests booking events at New Orient Hotel Danang
Finding the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges of the banquet team.
Suggesting some solutions to attract guests to book events.
Scope of the Study
About the content: the topic goes into an Investigation into the Real Situation and Some Solutions for Attracting Guests to Book the Banquet Event at New Orient Hotel Danang.
About space: The theme of New Orient Hotel Danang
About time: The situation, and factors are analyzed and evaluated in
2022 The proposed solutions are applied in the period of 2023.
Method of the Study
To complete my research, I used some of the following methods:
Quantitative method: I conducted a multiple-choice survey with customers and employees of New Orient Hotel Danang.
Collection method: I have collected information on the Internet, books, and study textbooks at Duy Tan University.
Descriptive and analytical methods: I have made comments and
Organization of the Study
This study is divided into six chapters:
THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
Overview of the Hotel Business
To meet the needs of individuals who often move, such as for travel, business, medical treatment, etc., the hotel appeared and became a potential and strongly developed business field in the tourism industry.
According to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism, “a hotel is an independently built structure with a scale of 10 bedrooms or more, ensuring the quality of facilities, equipment, and necessary services to serve tourists."
The hotel sector emerged as a promising and highly developed commercial field in the tourism industry to cater to the demands of people who frequently move, whether for travel, business, medical treatment, etc When the hotel business first appeared, it was just the activity of renting bedrooms to serve the sleeping and resting needs of visitors. After that, the number of customers is larger, the human needs are higher, and the business concept is more expanded.
Hotel business is a business activity based on the provision of accommodation, catering, and additional services to guests This activity meets the needs of dining, rest and entertainment for guests at tourist destinations for the purpose of profitability.
Hotel products are all services and goods that the hotel provides to meet the needs of customers from the time they contact the hotel for the first time to book a room until the customer completes consumption and leaves the hotel.
This is the main product of the hotel, including accommodation services and other additional services such as dining, entertainment, etc It does not exist in physical form, so what the business sells to customers is the feeling and the psychology It does not have the right to transfer ownership In the hotel business, accommodation service is the main product and other services are not required. However, in the current fierce competition, there are many hotels that are developing accompanying services into their strengths, creating a distinct competitive advantage compared to their competitors.
Hotel service products include two types: main services and additional services:
The main services are room service and food service, which satisfy the essential needs of guests when they stay at the hotel.
Additional services are services other than the above two that satisfy secondary needs during the guest's stay at the hotel Additional services are divided into two types: mandatory and optional.
Commodity products are tangible products that the hotel provides, such as food, drinks, souvenirs, and other goods sold in the hotel These goods can be created by hotel employees or finished products from other manufacturing industries This is a characteristic feature of the location of the hotel, the culture and lifestyle of the locality or tourist area.
2.1.3 Characteristics of the Hotel Business
Hotel business depends on tourism resources at tourist destinations: Tourism resources are the motivating factor that motivates people to travel Thus, where there are tourism resources, there will be tourists and where there are no tourism resources, there can be no tourists The hotel business depends on tourism resources because the most important customers of hotels are tourists.
The hotel business requires a large amount of capital investment: Due to the high quality requirements of hotel products, it is also required that the components of the hotel's technical facilities are of high quality The hotel always wants to bring guests the most comfort, so the hotel's equipment and technical facilities must be of high quality to achieve the hotel's goals.
The hotel business requires a relatively large amount of direct labor: hotel products are mainly services and these services cannot be mechanized but must be performed by service staff in the hotel On the other hand, the labor in the hotel is highly specialized; the working time depends on the customer's consumption time, which lasts 24 hours a day.The hotel business is regular like other businesses, it is also sustained by a number of laws: natural laws, socio- economic laws, psychological human laws, etc.
Overview of the Catering Business in hotels
2.2.1 Definition of the Catering Business in hotels
The catering business in hotels is part of the hotel business It includes food processing, selling, and serving customer needs to satisfy the needs of dining and entertainment at hotel restaurants All such activities are aimed at profit.
The catering business in hotels consists of three groups of activities: material production activities, circulation activities, and service organization activities
Material production activities include the processing of food for guests The hotel catering business has taken on production duties From the products of the agricultural and food industries, such as rice, meat, vegetables, fish, etc.,through the hands of the chef, they are processed into hot dishes, cold foods, and beverages They are not only guaranteed for food safety and beautiful decoration, but they are also very delicious.
Circulation activities are responsible for the exchange and sale of finished products, which are processed foods and beverages It transports these goods from the place of production to the place of consumption The production site can be right at the hotel This activity brings in revenue for the restaurant When selling more products, the restaurant's revenue is higher and it promotes the production of more foods and beverages.
In addition to the above two activities, the catering business in the hotel also has service organization activities.
It is the activity that provides the conditions for guests to consume, rest and relax Food and beverage businesses not only sell their own products but also products from other industries and places Therefore, it also serves not only the products made by itself but also the products sold by other industries to guests right at the hotel The catering business in the hotel requires special technical facilities with a high level of equipment and facilities, and the service staff also requires a high level of professionalism and attitude This activity helps guests feel more satisfied when consuming food services at the hotel's restaurant The higher the guest satisfaction level, the more guests the hotel will attract.
2.2.2 Characteristics of the Catering Business in hotels
The catering business is part of the hotel business, so it also has the characteristics of the hotel business In addition to the general characteristics of the hotel business, the catering business in the hotel has the following basic features:
The catering in the hotel is mainly for tourists who are outside the locality They may come from many different places, so they have different habits and customs. Therefore, it is required that hotels organize catering services in accordance with the requirements and habits of tourists Any disregard for the dining habits of guests affects the level of satisfaction in satisfying the needs of guests and adversely affects the business results of the hotel.
Hotels are often built in places far from the regular residence of guests, so the hotel must organize all meals for tourists It includes main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) and beverages.
The hotel must create the most favorable conditions and methods for serving the dining needs of guests They have to organize breakfast and drinks right at the places that guests prefer, such as on the beach, in the sports center, in the meeting room, etc This is called on-site service.
Catering to tourists is also a form of entertainment for guests Therefore, in addition to food services, hotels need to pay attention to the organization of entertainment activities for guests, such as combining traditional ethnic elements in architectural layout, choosing eating utensils, designing uniforms for employees, etc.
3.1 Definition of the Food & Beverage Service
Food and Beverage Service is commonly known by the acronym F&B This is a service that provides food and drink to guests staying at hotels or walk-in guests In addition to meeting the needs of dining (Room Service), F&B also provides additional services such as meetings, parties, entertainment, etc.
For hotels, F&B department contributes significantly to bringing in revenue and promoting the overall brand The F&B department includes the following main services: restaurant, beverage services, banquet service, room service.
2.3.2 The role of the F&B Department in the hotel
The first and most important role of the F&B department is to satisfy the dining needs of customers In addition, this department not only helps bring in a large source of revenue but also provides a place to promote the culture and introduce the hotel's brand widely to all types of customers Besides, if the F&B department of the hotel is organized and operating well, this will be a lever to boost revenue from other services such as meetings, parties, etc.
2.3.3 The mission of the F&B Department at the hotel
Depending on the size and rating of the hotel, each hotel will structure its F&B department to be the most suitable for operation This is the organizational chart of the F&B department commonly used in hotels:
Figure 2.1 Organizational structure of the F&B Department
Each department takes on its own task to deliver a good customer experience Depending on the size of the hotel, the number of employees is allocated to the appropriate departments.
This is the department responsible for the main task of organizing seminars, conferences, meetings, weddings, parties of businesses, companies, etc for customers in need Especially in the low season, when tourism is not really crowded or the number of bookings is low, banquets are also the department that generates a direct source of revenue for the hotel Usually only medium and large hotels of 3 stars or more have banquet divisions.
It is a department that often serves a large number of guests at a hotel event, but the official staff is not large Each hotel has space to organize banquet halls and meeting rooms for banquets, but there are still customers who may have the need to organize parties in other spaces such as lawns, bars, beaches, etc In addition to organizing parties in the hotel, the banquet department of many hotels is also capable of organizing outdoor party services In hotels, there is usually a BEO department to be able to connect and fully update information about customers, party types, time of organization, etc with other departments such as Sales, Housekeeping, etc. Employees of the Banquet department have four main tasks:
Food service: The most important job of a banquet employee is to serve food to event guests Depending on the type of banquet, after welcoming guests, the staff directs them to the banquet space, where food services are provided Employees must always be available to assist and respond to customer requests.
Maintenance: Maintenance is also a task for banquet employees A lot of people will be behind the scenes of the event to keep the party running perfectly.
Marketing
Marketing is an important and indispensable activity for all business activities This activity takes place everywhere and covers many sectors, and there are misconceptions in business.
Marketing is the whole activity of a business to identify the unsatisfied needs of customers, their markets and their requirements On that basis, enterprises offer appropriate products and services in order to meet and satisfy those needs and requirements and accomplish the goals of the business.
Through the process of socio-economic development, businesses are increasingly aware of the role of Marketing in business In the past, people considered Marketing to be on par with other elements of the business, but now the role of Marketing has become more important.
Guide businesses in detecting customer needs and satisfying customers. Marketing orients business activities and creates initiative for businesses.
Marketing helps businesses solve relationships well and reconcile the interests of businesses with the interests of consumers and social benefits
Marketing is a competitive tool that helps businesses establish their position and reputation in the market.
Marketing is very important for all activities in business Other decisions on technology, finance, and human resources depend largely on marketing decisions.
CASE DESCRIPTION
An overview of New Orient Hotel Danang
Picture 3.2 Logo of New Orient Hotel Danang
New Orient Hotel Danang is a hotel under Huu Thanh Limited Liability Company This is a company operating professionally in the field of tourism with many different service models such as short-stay service, travel agent, restaurant, and mobile catering services; other supporting service activities related to transportation; and creative, artistic, and intertainment activities In March 2018, New Orient Hotel was born as a continuation of the success inspired by New Phuong Dong In addition, the establishment of New Orient Hotel Danang is also intended to perfect the strategy of creating a perfect service delivery model that includes accommodation, food, and entertainment.
The New Orient Hotel Danang was established with the hope of contributing to creating more interesting options for tourists when coming to
Da Nang During the opening ceremony of the hotel, Mr Nguyen Hoang Viet, General Manager of Huu Thanh Co., Ltd., shared: "It is not by chance that both of the brains of Huu Thanh Co., Ltd have the word "new." We always want to bring something new and different to the entertainment and travel industries From New Phuong Dong to New Orient is not only a dream to follow, but we also want to create a new bright spot for the dynamic city tourism industry in Da Nang, which is closely related to us."
New Orient Hotel Danang is located at 20 Dong Da, Hai Chau District, Da Nang, about 3 km from the city center, about 4 km from My Khe Beach, about 4.3 km from Da Nang Airport, and about 2 km from Da Nang Train Station New Orient Hotel not only attracts guests thanks to the existing reputation of New Phuong Dong, but it also has its own charms The hotel has a unique architecture with luxurious sandstone layers combined with green space There are 100 rooms and apartments with elegant tones and delicate designs.
Pursuing a model that not only focuses on accommodation services but also a combination of high-class cuisine and entertainment, New Orient HotelDanang also has many rich culinary experiences, such as the space of Italian cuisine at Bistecca restaurant, sipping special drinks at Noh Pool Bar and enjoying lively music with friends at Sevva Sky Lounge In addition, the NewOrient Hotel Danang also owns two banquet and conference centers that can accommodate up to 450 guests: the Saffron Convention Center and the scale parties at the Thien Long Hien party center, which has a maximum capacity of 100 people.
3.1.2 Scale and organizational structure of New
3.1.2.1 Scale of New Orient Hotel Nanang
New Orient Hotel Danang is classified according to the 4-star standard. The hotel has 100 different rooms designed to meet the different needs of customers There are 5 types of rooms:
Superior Room: includes 1 king-size bed or 2 single beds with 27 to 37 square meters of space.
Deluxe room: includes 1 queen bed or 2 single beds The width of the room ranges from 30 square meters to 35 square meters The design of the Deluxe room is luxurious and delicate, with many beautiful views of the sea, lake, river, mountain and Thuan Phuoc Bridge shimmering at night.
Premier Deluxe room: includes 1 large bed or 2 single beds Room sizes range from 39 square meters to 45 square meters.
Suite room: includes 1 king-size bed The room's size is 50 square meters.
Loft & Apartment: Includes 1 or 2 large beds The room area is 60 to
90 square meters It is luxuriously and beautifully designed with modern equipment Each Loft has one bedroom upstairs and a living room.
The hotel provides a full range of services for visitors with a system of modern equipment The New Orient Hotel Danang aims to combine accommodation, cuisine and entertainment Therefore, the hotel provides a full range of services for visitors with a system of modern equipment, such as the Cardio Fitness Center and Elis Spa Center.
The organization structure of New Orient Hotel Danang can be depicted in the chart below:
Figure 3.1 Organizational structure of New Orient Hotel Danang
There are many departments that construct the complete organization of New Orient Hotel Danang And each department has its own missions:
Owner: is the highest authority in the hotel The Owner is responsible for the business results as well as the legal responsibility for the hotel.
General Manager: is the hotel's operator, in charge of managing the department and ensuring the hotel's service situation of the hotel They manage spending and ensure maximum profit for the hotel.
Assistant Manager: is the person who supports the General Manager in monitoring and checking the activities of the departments The Assistant Manager is authorized by the General Manager to be in charge of the hotel's human resources, financial, and investment issues.
Human Resource Department: is responsible for managing and recruiting staff when the ministries have additional manpower needs They evaluate departmental employees and receive comments from superiors They organize, arrange, and issue working regulations.
Front Office Department: is responsible for receiving and processing customer information They are responsible for the check- in and check-out procedures for customers They update and store customer information They are in charge of collaborating with and assisting other departments to address consumer needs.
Food and Beverage Department: is responsible for providing services such as party organization and buffets at the request of customers and ensuring food hygiene and safety.
Kitchen Department: is responsible for production and processing according to the requirements of the menus for all restaurants where food service is used in the hotel.
Accounting Department: is responsible for controlling the entire cost of activities in the hotel, making financial statements on a monthly and yearly basis and making documents to determine the business results of each department.
Chief Engineering: is responsible for planning the operation, maintenance, and renovation of equipment and tools in the hotel and performing stage and sound decoration work for conferences and parties held in the hotel.
IT Department: is responsible for supporting work related to computer technology and the hotel intranet and ensuring the hotel business system is safe and well- functioning.
Sales & Marketing Department: is responsible for planning market and competitor research, planning to find customers and selling products, and surveying customers' opinions to innovate and improve services.
Housekeeping Department: is responsible for preparing and cleaning the rooms every day, as well as cleaning the lobby, public areas, and restaurants and checking the condition of the room, the equipment, and the items in the room.
Chief Securiry: is responsible for controlling the entrance of employees according to the right shift, checking bags to ensure that no employee or hotel property is lost and maintaining responsibility for the hotel's security, order, and safety
Spa Department: is responsible for providing professional treatments and massages to the customers.
3.2 An overview of the F&B Department at New Orient Hotel Danang
The F&B department is one of the most important departments in a hotel Along with accommodation, people's needs for food are also focused on and enhanced today In addition to eating full and delicious meals, customers are increasingly demanding more things in their meals at restaurants They are willing to spend their money to get the best experience As a result, in addition to accommodation services, the F&B department is a significant source of revenue for the hotel.
Banquet Department at New Orient Hotel
New Orient Hotel Danang owns the Camellia Wedding Ballroom, theSaffron Conference Hall and the Thien Long Hien Convention Venue, which are very suitable for organizing corporate events, wedding parties, corporate parties, buffets, other important meetings and conferences The space of the rooms is impressively designed and spacious with a large capacity Moreover,with the most modern specialized equipment, an international standard lighting system and strong wifi coverage throughout the hotel, the hotel is confident of providing the best service and party quality.
Table 3.3 The educational background of staff in the Banquet Department
(Source: HR New Orient Hotel Danang)
The banquet department consists of 1 supervisor, 2 captains and 3 employees Based on the table above, most Banquet department employees are college graduates, with five of the six employees having graduated from college Demonstrate that they are individuals with professional knowledge and a high level of education Working in this department, employees must regularly interact with a large number of customers, so the job requires employees to have professional skills and knowledge to be able to complete it well These six employees are responsible for the three banquet halls of the hotel Because the job requires a large number of service staff but does not require continuous work, most of the employees in this department are seasonal staff.
The Camellia Wedding Ballroom is located on the 5th floor of the hotel and has quite a large space—450 square meters—that can serve 450 guests for the party The ballroom is decorated elegantly, featuring LED lighting addition, the professional sound system is also focused on meeting the needs of customers who enjoy music at the party.
Located on the 7th floor of the hotel and measuring 450 square meters wide, Saffron Conference Hall is available for up to 450 delegates and can be flexibly divided into two or three separate rooms as required Saffron provides state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, quality banqueting facilities, and high- speed internet access for the conference.
3.3.3 Thien Long Hien Convention Venue
Thien Long Hien Convention Venue is 52 square meters with a capacity of up to 100 guests Located on the 10th floor of the New Orient Hotel Danang, Thien Long Hien Convention Venue is suitable for intimate parties, events and conferences of small to medium scale Thien Long Hien Convention Venue is equipped with a modern projector, screen and high-class light and sound system, which can meet all the requirements for various events and conferences The Thien Long Hien Convention Venue is usually used for workshops, birthday celebrations, and wedding ceremonies since it offers a panoramic view of the vibrant Danang City and the picturesque Han River from above.
Picture 3.6 Thien Long Hien Convention Venue
ANALYSIS AND EVALUATION
Investigating the real situation of guests booking
4.1.1 Quantity of events booked in the year
Currently, there are many events held every year with different purposes. Depending on the nature of the event, it is held at different times of the year. Therefore, the number of events more or less depends on the time
Table 4.1 Quantity of events booked in the year
Based on the table above, it can be seen that the number of events is uneven Each month has a different number of events because customers have different needs to organize events depending on the time of year.
December and January: mainly corporate banquets At this time, companies need to organize events to celebrate a year of hard work In addition, there are other parties such as weddings, first birthday parties for babies, etc.
February and March: This time often takes place for new product launches by businesses or seminars In addition, the hotel usually receives requests to organize weddings and first birthday parties for babies.
July and August: often organize seminars and conferences Besides, other events are also served.
Other months: mainly wedding parties Besides, there are other events booked by guests, such as family parties, conferences, birthday parties, etc.
Due to the uneven number of parties booked, Banquet's revenue also varies from month to month In addition, revenue varies a lot from month to month because the size of each event is different.
Figure 4.1 Revenue of Banquet Department
Based on the chart above, revenue changes continuously over the months.Peak event times are in January and December In addition to weddings parties, businesses organize events to summarize the old working year and reward employees Therefore, the revenue of these two months reached the highest level of the year, with each month receiving more than 3 billion VND. The months with fairly stable sales are June, September and November This is the time when many wedding party bookings are received Each month has a turnover of more than 1 billion VND In other months, revenue is just under
1 billion VND, with few events booked In conclusion, there are times when revenue is very high, though there is a need for solutions to help increase revenue for months with few orders.
Factors affecting the attraction of guests
To investigate the factors that influence the attraction of a hotel's former guests, I conducted a survey of 100 guests who had experienced the hotel's services According to the survey results, the service of the Banquet department has advantages and disadvantages that need to be overcome.
Table 4.2 Guest's evaluation of service quality
The facilities are good, full of amenities, from the basics such as Internet, stage, air conditioning, etc to facilities such as tables and chairs, eating utensils, etc Will attract a number of potential customers Because the first thing customers evaluate is whether the facilities are suitable for them or not and meet their needs.
Dissatisfied Normal Satisfied Very satisfied
Figure 4.2 Guests’ Evaluation of Facilities
After conducting a survey of 100 guests who attended the event at New Orient Hotel Danang, the results obtained in the chart above show that the hotel's facilities are rated stable.The percentage of guests satisfied with the facilities at the hotel is up to 53%, which accounts for more than half of the survey participants In addition, 31% of survey respondents were quite satisfied and 7% were dissatisfied This proves that the hotel's facilities are not really good, affecting the experience of customers.
In short, the quality of hotel facilities is quite good. However, it has not been appreciated by some customers. Therefore, in order for customers to have a better experience, the hotel's facilities need to be improved.
It can be said that the waitress is the representative of the hotel because they are the ones who often communicate directly with customers Therefore, the working attitude of the service staff is very important Service staff are skilled, able to communicate and know how to behave Always paying attention to customers and caring about them whenever needed will create an impression among customers about service quality.
Dissatisfied Normal Satisfied Very Satisfied
Figure 4.3 Guests’ Evaluation of Service attitude
The chart above shows the results of the service attitude survey of Banquet staff at New Orient Hotel Danang Based on the chart above, the service attitude of the Banquet department is assessed at a temporary level 67% of customers rated the service attitude as quite satisfactory In particular, 13% of customers are not satisfied with the service attitude of employees This problem is probably due to the fact that the service staff of the Banquet department are mainly seasonal employees Every employee who starts a new job needs time to master that job Therefore, the continuous recruitment of new people causes the quality of service to be adversely affected However, there are still customers who are satisfied with the quality of service when attending the event at the hotel.
In short, the service quality of the Banquet department still has weaknesses Therefore, it is necessary to take corrective measures.
4.2.1.3 Quality of food and beverages
Dissatisfied Normal Satisfied Very satisfied
Figure 4.4 Guests’ Evaluation of Food and Beverages
There are many types of Banquet such as weddings,corporate parties, birthday parties, conferences, etc., and most require food and beverages to be served This is also an important factor that many customers focus on, especially for weddings and family parties Through the results of customer reviews, the quality of food and beverages in Banquet department at New Orient Hotel Danang is highly appreciated Nearly half of the guests rated the quality as excellent The banquet menu is very diverse with different prices for the banquet owner to choose to serve during the event Guests who book a banquet can also taste and receive advice from the hotel staff on choosing the right food and drinks for the party Although each person has different tastes, according to the survey results, only two guests are drinks served are highly appreciated at events, so it is necessary to promote this factor in the near future.
A beautiful and clean space is one of the factors that attract guests to the hotel.
Dissatisfied Normal Satisfied Very satisfied
Figure 4.5 Guests’ Evaluation of Space
According to the customer review chart, the space of New Orient Hotel Danang is preferred by many customers Based on the chart above, it can be seen that out of 100 surveyed guests, there is no one who is dissatisfied with the hotel space Designed in a luxurious direction, combined with many trees, the hotel has successfully made a good impression on customers Especially in Thien Long Hien, customers can enjoy the view of Da Nang city from above while enjoying the party Especially in Thien Long Hien, customers can enjoy the
4.2.1.5 The technical quality of the event
Dissatisfied Normal Satisfied Very satisfied
Figure 4.6 Guests’ Evaluation of Technical quality
To organize any event, techniques such as sound, lighting and LED screens are indispensable Based on the chart of survey results above, the technical quality of the hotel is rated quite well Accordingly, only one customer was dissatisfied and nearly half of the survey participants were satisfied with the technical quality of the event This good result is not only due to the quality of the equipment but also to the reasonable work arrangement At each event, there is always technical staff on duty to control and handle equipment problems promptly In recent times, New OrientHotel Danang has also hosted May Lang Thang, a prestigious music program with the participation of many famous singers selected to organize performances This shows that the
Marketing is an indispensable activity of any business. This activity needs to be carried out excitingly to attract customers to use the products of the business enterprise.
Through the survey, the ways to let customers know about the hotel's banquet service are through recommendations or invitations to events from friends, relatives, colleagues and on social networking sites.
Table 4.3 The way to help customers know about the banquet service of New Orient Hotel Danang
Through the survey results, word-of-mouth marketing activities achieve better efficiency The hotel is better known by the referrals of customers who have used the service. More than three-quarters of customers are aware of the hotel's services through friends, relatives and colleagues. When flyers or advertisements on TV and other devices become boring, customers still trust the advice of friends and relatives before making a choice So, it becomes an effective marketing activity
Nearly a third of guests know about hotel services through social networking sites such as Facebook andInstagram Although not as effective as word-of-mouth marketing, social media also has a lot of benefits for attracting customers Social media posts show customers the space and layout of events at the hotel In addition, comments left by previous customers on posts also work as word-of-mouth marketing
In short, hotel marketing activities are effective However,the proactive spread of the hotel is not diverse Therefore, the hotel needs solutions to make the services more known to customers.
Strengths
Based on a survey of customers who have used the services of Banquet department of New Orient Hotel Danang, there are the following strengths:
Quality of food and beverages.
Food and drink are highly appreciated by customers Food is prepared by highly skilled chefs Food hygiene and safety are priorities for the hotel In addition, the diverse food menu gives customers many choices.
The space of the hotel is luxuriously designed and combined with greenery to create fresh and clean air In addition, the hotel has three event halls suitable for different events A beautiful and comfortable space gives customers relaxation and great experiences.
The 32,000 LED ceiling light system is the highlight of the banquet hall In addition, vivid sound is invested to meet the needs of customers This combination creates an ideal space for customers to enjoy the party.
Weakness
Because you have to regularly serve a large number of customers, mistakes are inevitable According to the results of customer opinions, in addition to the above strengths, the service quality of Banquet department has weaknesses:
The facilities are not perfect Although the facility has been invested in, over a long period of time it will be old and lost Some items, such as tables, chairs, and decorative tables, have shown signs of damage Besides, some old and simple napkins detract from the elegance of the party space.
Due to the influence of seasonality and the workload of the department, they have to recruit seasonal employees Although this is a good solution, seasonal staff are not professionally trained, so it can affect the quality of service In addition, because of the large number of customers, it is difficult to ensure the satisfaction of all customers.
Marketing programs are not diversified Most of the marketing activities for the Banquet division of New Orient Hotel Danang are only available on social networking sites such as Facebook and Instagram The hotel's website also shows very little information These information limitations make it difficult for guests to learn about the quality of hotel services.
DIFFICULTIES AND SOLUTIONS
Difficulties
The Banquet department of New Orient Hotel Danang is active and has many strengths However, they also face some difficulties in attracting customers.
Firstly, the hotel facilities have not really satisfied customers Banquet is a department that must regularly serve a large number of customers Therefore, the facilities are easily damaged, which adversely affects the customer experience.
Secondly, the service staff is not stable Although hiring temporary staff brings optimal efficiency to the work of Banquet department, it also adversely affects the quality of service Seasonal employees often do not have specialized skills and knowledge, so they need time to learn Therefore, it is easy to make mistakes at work in the beginning And if the hotel continuously recruits new seasonal employees, the quality of service will certainly be significantly reduced.
Thirdly, marketing activities are not really good Although it has been effective in recent years, it has not reached many customers The New Orient Hotel Danang needs more optimal solutions to attract more customers.
Fourthly, due to seasonality, the number of guests booking events is uneven This difficulty makes the Banquet department sometimes have to work continuously but sometimes have too much free time.
Solutions
Although the Banquet department of New Orient Hotel is still doing its job well, it is necessary to continuously come up with solutions to make the business more efficient In addition to continuing to promote its strengths, Banquet's department also has to overcome its weaknesses.
5.2.1 Improving the Quality of Service
Service quality is the decisive factor in attracting customers back to use the hotel's services However, the Banquet department also has weaknesses in service quality To overcome those disadvantages, it is necessary to come up with specific solutions Personally, I would like to suggest a few solutions, as follows:
First and foremost, change and maintain old and damaged facilities Constantly check the quality of tables, chairs, stages, etc to promptly change when it is problematic.
In addition to regular cleaning, items such as napkins, chair towels, and tablecloths need to be changed periodically
Besides, update with new decorations and napkin models suitable for the market Trend-catching activities will be a good way to promote the hotel to customers.
In addition, taking advantage of the strength of food quality, the department should be creative and update new dishes for the party menu The variety of dishes and high quality will definitely make many customers come to book events.
Moreover, create incentives for seasonal employees who have worked at the hotel for a long time For example, a would attract employees who are proficient in their work and the quality of service would improve As a result, it can provide a good experience for customers and attract more customers.
5.2.2 Improving the Quality of Marketing program
In addition to improving service quality, hotels need to offer marketing activities.
Nowadays, the number of social media users is huge, so playing ads on social networking sites will be an effective way to reach customers Currently, activities on the hotel's social platforms are few, especially for the services of the Banquet department, which have not been promoted much Therefore, in addition to running ads, it is necessary to post more information about the Banquet department and customer reviews.
In addition, in the months when few guests book events, the hotel should offer some preferential programs, such as arranging hotel rooms for the bride and groom to prepare for the wedding, giving birthday cake for each birthday party booked at the hotel, etc Incentives are always a good way to attract customers.
Marketing is an effective customer attraction activity and an indispensable part of any business Therefore, in order to attract customers,this activity needs to be more active, especially in the months when there are few customers.
CONCLUSIONS AND SUGGESTIONS
Conclusions
After experiencing a difficult time living with the COVID-
19 pandemic, the tourism industry is gradually recovering and continuing to grow Therefore, more and more business enterprises in general and hotel businesses in particular were established To be able to stand firmly in the market and be able to attract customers, each business must have the right and creative strategies and solutions Through "An investigation into the real situation and some solutions for attracting guests to book the Banquet Event at New Orient Hotel Danang" research, I have gained a lot of insight into the hotel business, especially for the banqueting department I have conducted analysis and evaluation to know the difficulties and disadvantages that this department has to endure Basing on the results obtained, I give my personal opinion on solutions to help the department improve and attract more customers in the future.
Due to my limited ability, there are certainly many unavoidable shortcomings in the article I hope that the teachers can contribute more so that I can improve, achieve high results in my studies, and be more stable when entering the profession.
Suggestions
6.2.1 Suggestions for New Orient Hotel Danang
After completing the internship, I realized that I was very lucky to have the opportunity to practice at New Orient Hotel Danang The hotel has provided me with an excellent learning and working environment During the internship, in addition to having practical experience in a professional working environment, I was taught a lot of specialized knowledge about hotels In order to promote those good points, I have a few suggestions:
The hotel should receive training interns with a sufficient number so that the training quality is uniform and produces better results Training many interns at the same time can make it impossible for the department to observe and guide all of them
In addition, interns should be recruited with an appropriate ratio of men and women The fact that interns can work according to their physical fitness will help them work more efficiently and learn faster.
These are my personal opinions and I'm hoping that the New Orient Hotel Danang will find my recommendations beneficial.
6.2.2 Suggestions for Faculty of English, Duy Tan
After 7 semesters of study at the Faculty of English, DuyTan University and the last internship, I am very grateful and satisfied with the lessons and teaching process of the lecturers However, to get better quality teaching and learning results, I have a few suggestions.
Firstly, the student's internship should be extended from
2 to 3 months This time helps students gain more practical experience and the internship period achieves better results Secondly, for students majoring in English for Tourism, there should be practical experience lessons at tourist attractions These sessions provide students with greater exposure to the tourism industry and tourism-related activities For example, students will act as English tour guides to introduce the Da Nang Museum, etc.
Thirdly, the faculty should provide students with a few extracurricular classes so that they have the opportunity to interact with foreigners more These classes will help students practice listening and speaking English effectively In addition, this activity provides an opportunity for students to express themselves and become more confident when using English at work or in communication.
Those are my suggestions for the Faculty of English, DuyTan University I hope my suggestions will help students study more effectively.
[1] Đoàn Mạnh Cương, Nguyễn Vũ Hà (2008) Giáo trình Tổng quan cơ sở lưu trú du lịch NXB Lao động - Xã hội Hà Nội.
[2] Nguyễn Văn Mạnh (2013) Giáo trình Quản trị kinh doanh Khách sạn Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh: NXB Lao động - Xã hội.
[3] CSDL Thống kê du lịch Retrieved from http://thongke.tourism.vn/
[4] Khách sạn New Orient Hotel Danang Retrieved from https://www.neworienthoteldanang.com/vi/
[5] New Orient Hotel – Điểm sáng mới của thành phố du lịch Đà
Nẵng(2018) Retrieved from https://thanhnien.vn/new-orient-hotel-danang- diem-sang-moi-cua-thanh-pho-du-lich-da-nang-185744449.htm
[6] Tổng cục du lịch Việt Nam Retrieved from https://vietnamtourism.gov.vn/
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2.Evaluate the service quality of the Banquet department at New Orient Hotel Danang
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