25 Hotel Management Interview Questions and Answers - Freshers, Experienced

What is adding value?

Adding value can be defined as adding extra item, image, product or service, which adds value to the product. For example a good-looking receptionist adds to the quality of hotel, a garnish on food adds to the value of the food. It can be service tool, service staff, environment, image of the owner or chef, etc. Travel agency adds value to the quality of hotel or vice versa.

Explain Adventure tourism, Attraction, Amenities, Back of the house.

- Adventure tourism - to convert the adventure into pleasure for the purpose of tourism business.
- Attraction - Anything/object/activity, which attracts tourists and attach with it.
- Amenities - Extra facilities, service added with attraction, accessibility and accommodation to create tourism. It includes trust, friendship, hospitality, etc.
- Back of the house- Staffs who are not directly involved in providing service. Guests rarely interact with them.

What is continuously rendered service?

Continuously rendered services are those services, which are prepared and provided only to the customers who are physically present. This kind of service is not finished in instant time; it is a process, which is extended to a time limit. It is a kind of face-to-face interaction. For example reservation service, restaurant service, massage, etc

Define the terms: Excursionist, Front of the house, High-touch service

- Excursionist – This term is used for the temporary visitors, who do not even stay for twenty- four hours in a hotel.

- Front of the house – This term is used for the staffs who are directly involved in providing services to the guests in the hotel. For example receptionist, bellboys, gatekeeper, etc.

- High-touch service - These are those services which are already prepared but the customer receive it only when he wants. For e.g. room reservation, fast food, printed information, housekeeping service, etc.

Explain hospitality in terms of hotel industry

Hospitality actually means, “taking care of guests in the best possible way".

- Organizing, providing services and looking care after guests is included in it.
- It means friendly and generous treatment of guests.
Hospitality industry includes all companies involved in providing services for guests. They provide more mental satisfaction than tangible objects.

Explain the terms Intangibility, Inseparability, Perishability, and Point of contact in hotel management.

- Intangibility- It can be explained as services, which cannot be seen, tested, felt heard or smell or measured before they are delivered and received by customer. For example, travel experience, trust, confidence, hospitality, satisfaction, etc.

- Inseparability- To receive the service customer must be personally and physically present at the point of delivery. Customer cannot be separated from the point of delivery. Service is available at the Point of service Delivery (POD)

- Perishability- Perishable services are those services, which cannot be stored. Unused service of a particular day cannot be sold next day or in advance.

• Point of contact- Place, item, product, staff, service customer contact to receive service. It can be building, service environment, delivery items, staffs, follow travelers which they contact and receive positive or negative feelings.

What is Product formation, Service brigade and The Moment of Truth?

- Product formation – It can be defined as putting different products and services together to form a product for the satisfaction of customer. For e.g. Hospitality is a product formation which is not made from a single item.

- Service brigade - Team of staffs involved in providing service

- The Moment of Truth - It is the actual time when customer interacts with service staff. It is the moment of contact when no management has control. It is the motivation, skill, tools of the service and expectation, behavior, expectation of the customer determines the quality of the service.

What is the difference between Sun lust and Wanderlust in terms of hotel industry?

There is no much difference as both are desire to travel. Sun lust can be defined as travelling in search of sunshine/Adventure activities/Outdoor activities whereas wanderlust is the desire to travel far away and too many different places to explore those places.

Explain: Variability and Village tourism

- Variability - Services are highly variable. The quality of service depends upon how, when where and who provides them. Each time customer receives different levels of satisfaction from the same level of service; same food gives different test to different people.

- Village tourism - To utilize village and villagers for the purpose of tourism. Tourism managed and operated by villagers for the villagers. Tourism managed and operated by villagers for the villagers.

How hotels can be classified?

Hotels can be classified on the basis of:

- Service and supplementary
- Facilities or service (Star / Crown / Diamond )
- Location
- Number of rooms
- Types of clients
- Length of stay of clients, (Star/Crown),
- Economy
- Management
- Plan.
- Chain
- Partnership, Franchise, Marketing, and Management

What do you understand by accommodation?

Accommodation can be defined as a place to stay overnight. There are two types of accommodations namely serviced and non serviced. Some of them are directly related to tourism and some of them are not directly related to tourism but they provide overnight stay facility for the travelers. Service accommodations provide housekeeping facility.

What do you understand by catering?

Catering refers to food and drinks whereas catering industry refers to hospitality industry that provides foods, drinks and in certain section accommodation also. Catering establishment is an organization, which provides food with an objective to satisfy its customer. It includes two aspects:

- One food and beverage
- Other is service

What are different types of accommodation?

There are two types of accommodations, which are mentioned below:

- Service accommodation: This type of accommodation provides housekeeping service. Here service is provided to earn profit.

- Supplementary accommodation: This type of accommodation is not related to tourism and not registered as business organization also. They neither provide housekeeping facility nor they sell their service but they provide accommodation facility.

Explain the importance of an organization?

Organization is actually a process of combining the work of individuals or groups to fulfill a common goal of an enterprise. In a business organization, activities carried out to earn or produce asset or profit. It may be trade, commerce, industry or service.

What are the different types of rooms exist in a hotel?

Various types of rooms in a hotel are:

- Single Room
- Double Room / Twin Room
- Triple Room
- Dormitory
- Cabana
- Studio
- Suits - Single suits, Double suits, Duplex suit, Royal Suit, Pent house

What is the difference between check in and check out?

Action of arriving and registering in a hotel is called check in. There are various formalities, which are involved with check in procedures i.e. allocating a room, taking guest's name, asking the guest to sign the hotel register whereas action of leaving and paying the bill after a stay in a hotel is called check out process. The formalities, which are involved with check out process, are presenting the bill and making sure it is paid, taking the room key, etc.

What do you mean by Concierges, Errand Card, Image building?

- Concierges : It can be an employee of a hotel who serves guests with duties similar to those of a butler.

- Errand Card : It is a task card, which mentions the room number, guest name, and luggage types, which is prepared by the reception and hand over to bellboy.

- Image building : Creating good picture of the hotel and representing positive image of the hotel.

Explain the terms:

- In-house guest
- Personal grooming
- Paging
- Reference point
- Scanty baggage, card.

- In-house guest: Guests who are staying in the hotel.
- Personal grooming: It is the process of grooming the staff in a positive manner.
- Paging: It is a process of identifying and informing about a guest.
- Reference point: It is the source from where the information is received.
- Scanty baggage: This term is generally used for a guest who comes with a light luggage.
- Registration: It is one of the formalities of filling the card at the time of registration.

Explain in your words about Channel of communication, Skipper and Sundry Services.

- Channel of communication – It is a flow of communication within a department.

- Skipper- This term is used for the status of a room, which indicates that a guest has left the hotel room without arranging to settle his or her account.

- Sundry Services – These are the extra services, which are provided to the guests. For e.g. message, handling of guests.

What are the things looked for in a candidate in hotel industry, when selecting a candidate?

Following things are looked for in a candidate:

- Hospitality knowledge
- Personal Hygiene and Grooming
- Physical attributes
- Work related attributes
- Social skill
- Customer friendliness

What are the different kinds of linens used in hotel industry?

Linen tablecloth, cloth napkins, moulton and slip cloth are used in a hotel. There are various kind of linens used in hotel:

- Moulton: it is a thick fabric with lint laid on the surface of the table with pin underneath. It is absorbent, has smooth surface and is sound resistant. It is used to hold tablecloth.

- These are laid over the table on top of moulton.

- Slips Cloth: These are laid over the table on top of tablecloth. Its protects tablecloth from spillage.

Explain the terms Sommelier, Spillage, Flatware, Cutlery and Hollowware.

- Sommelier : He is the person who is in charge of serving the wine in a restaurant.

- Spillage: A liquid falls by mistake

- Flatware: these are all forms of spoons and forks.

- Cutlery: these are the knives, and other equipments which are used for cutting

- Hollowware: These are the items made from silver or china. It is made in a way that it can hold something in it.

Define: Cuisine, Pastry / Bakery, Scullery areas

- Cuisine: It is an art of cooking, preparing food and service.

- Pastry / Bakery: Ice cream, cakes, breads, pies, etc are the products, which are prepared in a bakery.

- Scullery areas: It is a place where cups and pots are washed and cleaned.

Explain the terms Chef, Nutritive, Proteins, Contaminated food

- Chef: Chef is a person who is in charge of preparing food in a restaurant or a hotel.

- Nutritive: That food is necessary for the growth. Nutritive food plays a very important role in hotel industry.

- Proteins: It is that food, which is necessary for growth, maintenance, and repair of the body.

- Contaminated food: Any kind of food that is infected by bacteria, toxin, chemical substance and poison is created.

More practice questions:

1. What are the key skills a candidate requires to excel in the field of hotel management?
2. How will you handle a negative feedback from your irritated or dissatisfied customers?
3. What are the main responsibilities of a hotel management professional?
4. What are the various sectors in the hotel industry? Why are they important?
5. How will you arrange a business meeting or a party for very important clients?
6. What makes a good Hotel Manager?
7. What are the shifts timing at the front desk?
8. Which department is the most important aspect of the hotel? Why?
9. How will you promote your hotel?
10. How will you handle large groups of check-ins?
11. How will you train your employees?
12. Which strategy will you implement to make guests want to stay at your hotel?
13. Have you been to any of our restaurants/properties? What did you think? What would you improve or change?
14. How would you describe your management style? Your personality?
15. Tell me about your cost control abilities? What have you done to help or improve your financial results?
16. Have you ever been involved in confrontation with a guest/employee/supervisor at work? How did you resolve it?
17. What makes you an effective manager/chef?
18. What skills are required to be successful in a hotel?
19. What makes you an effective manager/chef?
20. What are the different types of cutleries used for guests in a hotel?
21. What is the different designation, hierarchy wise in full service hotel?
22. What is the different designation, hierarchy wise in limited service hotel?
23. What kind of work culture is followed in hotel industry?
24. Is it important to have practical experience in hotel industry? Why?
25. What do you mean by the term “Catering” in hotel industry?
26. How a chef checks the quality and freshness of a fish?
27. What are the responsibilities of the staff towards their guests?
28. What should a hotel employee is supposed to do if a guest misbehaves with him/her?
29. What is the official dress code followed in hotel industry?
30. What makes you so enigmatic to join hotel industry?
31. What does the term “blind baking” mean?
32. How to deal with the customers who does not understand the language?
33. What is the use of “Salt Petre” in hotel industry?
34. What does the term “Chaudfroid” means?
35. How a manager can motivate his employees to perform better?
36. What are the skills required for hotel guest service agent?
37. What are the dimensions of a wine glass?
38. What do you understand by term housekeeping in hotel industry?
39. How important are the aesthetic designs of a hotel?
40. C-Form is required for what kind of guests in hotel industry?
41. How important is the word “patience” for a hotel employee? Why?
42. What is the key to maintain “guest relations”?
43. What do you mean by “bad table service”?
44. How are hotels classified?
45. What are the various funtional areas of a hotel?
46. What is the purpose of the registration card?
47. What is an amendment slip?
48. Explain in brief Western & culinary items?
49. Explain the functioning of the food production dept.?
50. Define the organizational structure of the food production dept.
51. Define the various food textures?
52. What are the various cleaning equipments? ( manual and mechanical )
53. What is the hierarchy followed in kitchen stewarding?
54. What do you understand by restaraunt brigade?
55. What are the common methods of layouts of various meals?