Hotels employ many people, from chefs and receptionists, to porters, maids and managers. Here we are going to meet a person who is responsible for most of what a hotel does. His name is Yousif Al-Wagga and he is the Operations Manager for Le Meridien Wardorf.

Let's find out what he does.....listen out for these three words, porter, signage and valet. What do you think they mean?

My name is Yousif Al-Wagga, I'm the Operations Manager of the Waldorf Meridien hotel in London, which is a five star hotel under the brand of Meridien.

My role as Operations Manager...I'm responsible for the day to day running of the hotel. So all the deparment managers of the different departments, for instance, the restaurant, or conference and banqueting or housekeeping report to me. It's my role to set them objectives which they carry out in their departments, which basically all lead to the hotel objectives.

Being part of a brand, there are certain standards that we have to conform to, such as having certain signage in the hotel, certain items in the bedroom. We've got to provide certain services, such as 24 hour room service, 24 hour porterage and 24 hour valet as well. It's my role to make sure these standards are maintained at all times.

Did you work out what those words mean? Well, test yourself with this little quiz. Click on the answers you think are correct and press 'Check Answers'. You can also hear Yousif Al-Wagga's definitions.

	Porterage		A selection of wines from Portugal.
			The carrying of guests' bags in a hotel.
	valet		The cleaning of guests' clothing.
			The top chef in a hotel.
	signage		All the things that display the hotel's name.
			All the things that guests have to pay for.

People can book hotel reservations in a number of ways, including most recently, through the Internet, which is becoming more and more important for hotel bookings. I wouldn't say overall it is going to increase our bookings, we just have to be aware of it, because it's a different method of the way guests can book. So we have to make sure we are offering the right rates at the right time and in simple English, so that everyone around the world can understand, as now it is not just travel agents accessing the hotel information, it's somebody sitting at home. So it is important that we describe the roomsl in easy to understand ways, such as front of the hotel facing the road rather than some code which nobody understands.

The answer was no. The internet is another way that people can book rooms at a hotel, but Yousif doesn't expect that it will increase business.

Finally listen to Yousif's four tips for when you book a room at a hotel.


 
<Tip 1>
When making a booking I suppose the most important thing to remember, if you are a leisure traveller, is to book as early as possible. It's a similar principle for the airlines as well. You'll find, especially during busy times, it's always best to book early because that's when most of the discount or promotional offers will be available.

 
<Tip 2>
When you make the resevation, always, whether you are making it by phone or the internet, always ask for or write down the confirmation number. When you arrive at the hotel, especially if you've made a long journey, if there ever is a confusion or they can't find your booking, always write down the confirmation number and that will then make it easy to find your booking, even if they have spelt your name wrong or something has gone wrong.

 
<Tip 3>
If you have any preferences for a room, such as you'd like a room which is quiet, at the front of the hotel, or it's not near a lift or it is near a lift, then again I would recommend that you make these at the time of booking. That will then give the hotel time to do its best to allocate the room to you well in advance. Once you check in on the day those preferences might not be available when you check in.

 
<Tip 4>
To guarantee your room, hotels in London or in England will ask for a credit card bill or a confirmation which will guarantee that your room is held, basically all night or for late arrival. Most UK hotels will, if it is not guaranteed by a credit card, or some form of payment, will release the room between 2 and 4 pm now. So it is always good to confirm your booking by credit card and reversely, if you are going to cancel your booking, generally the cancellation times, you must cancel your booking by 4 o'clock otherwise you could incur a charge.