HMGT 3700- Hotel Operations Test 1 Review

Seasonality Within The Week (Corporate/Downtown)

On the weekdays, business persons fill properties (80%-100%) On the weekends, huge drop of occupancy (20%)

Seasonality Within The Week (Leisure)

On the weekdays, the property is generally empty (20%) On the weekends, the property is generally full (80%-100%)

Varying Demand

One day, demand may only be able to sell half of the rooms in the hotel and the next day there could be demand for more than rooms you have available. No way to make up lost revenue. No way to increase production to meet increased demand.

Seasonality Solution (Location)

Open properties in areas with counter-season. Shift employees between properties between each season.

Concierge

Originally "Keeper of Keys" or guard Now provider of services from A to Z Concierge Floor -A premium priced exclusive floor with its own keys and concierge

Competitive "Comp" Set

Other hotels in the SAME city, targeting the SAME guests, at the SAME price-point Cannot compare the Ritz Carlton to Motel 6 Measure comparative performance Measures efficiency

Timeshare Membership

Owner buys the right to use for a fixed period each year for a agreed upon number of years -Example: Two weeks every year for 20 years Operator furnishes and maintains the time share Many problems earlier, now well regulated and big brands in the business Moving towards a point system integrated with FGPs

Condominium Ownership

Owner owns and pays for maintenance Units are placed in common rental pool Owners may use part-time, rent out the rest Fees are paid to operators/managers Gets rental income, capital gains on sale Pays condo fees to association for maintenance

Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances

Partnership between different commercial entities -Radisson Hotel in Moscow is a joint venture between Radisson, Russian Ministry of Foreign Tourism and Americom Used when different parties have different expertise/assets to offer

Extended Stay Hotels

People looking for amenities Average guest stays for 18 nights

Leisure Travelers

People traveling for pleasure >Their needs are different from business travelers >Very price sensitive >Many sub-segments of leisure travelers

Baby Boomers

Post-WWII People born from 1945-1965 Bill Clinton 1st president from this group

Market Segmentation

Process of dividing a large heterogeneous (different) market into two or more smaller homogenous (similar) market segments

Bottom Line

Profit

Your index is consistently below 100

Quality of hotels is poor - improve hotel facilities and services You are discounting too much, compared to competitors - consider raising rates Your sales staff is not very productive - change strategies/employees/sales mix

Double Occupancy

Refers to any room in which there is more than one person [#of guests-rooms sold]/# of guests

Corporate Housing

Relocating business persons Long stay apartments with hotel services >May be permitted in residential areas >Exempt from hotel room taxes -Example: Marriott Executive Apartments

The Rooms Manager

Reports to Hotel Manager Supervises reservations, telephone, concierge, and uniformed services In a large hotel, duties may be delegated to "Front Office Manager"

Brand Standards

Requirements of a company to maintain standards of that company

Housekeeping Department (HK)

Responsible for general cleanliness of guestrooms, corridors and public spaces Headed by Executive Housekeeper (EHK) Coordination between FO and HK is esential HK handles linen, uniforms, launtry, Lost & Found

Advantages of Preferred Guest Programs

Retains loyalty of "heavy users" Quickly build up mailing lists Develop guest profiles - then target them Easier and cheaper to administer with computers now

Top Line

Revenue

REVPAR

Revenue Per Available Room The relationship between revenue per room and the total room inventory available Measure how well management fills rooms, without cutting prices Gold standard hotels go off of that bonuses are riding on ROOM REVENUE/ROOMS AVAILABLE

Incentive Travelers

Rewarding top employees with all-expenses paid trips Free vacation is more motivating than more money! Trips are usually first-class Organized by specialists Very demanding business! -The most driven people win these trips! -Top performers expect top performance!!

Factors promoting international travel

Rise in disposable incomes Longer vacation periods Globalization of all businesses More people exposed to international issues through TV, internet, Movies Decrease in international airfares Exchangeable currency, credit cards, ATMs

Continental Plan

Room + "Light" Breakfast "Light" Breakfast=Juice+Rolls+Tea/Coffee Bed & Breakfast

Average Daily Rate (ADR)

Room Sales/Number of rooms sold

European Plan

Room only included

Importance of Front Office

Room sales account for 50% to 100% of revenue Rooms department is far more profitable than F&B Managing Guest Services- Organizational Structure -FO is managed by Manager of Guest Services -This manager reports to the Hotel Manager -These managers need technical, math, and people skills

Modified American Plan

Room+Breakfast+Dinner or Lunch May need to specify which on in advance May use coupons for either meal Depending on the size of the hotel and kitchen

American Plan (A.P.)

Room+Breakfast+Lunch+Dinner No credit for meals not consumed

Occupancy Rate in Percentage

Rooms Sold/Rooms Available for Sale Measures the hotel's "share of the market," so it measures quantity

Adjoining or Connecting Rooms

Rooms that abut along a corridor MAY be connected with a door Popular with families, small groups All CR ajoin but all ADJ rooms do not connect

Developer

Sees the opportunity and puts together the deal Builds hotel, which they want to sell for profit once completed Risk is that no one wants to purchase

Bed Sizes and Symbols

Single Bed (S)- not popular Twin Bed (T) Double Bed (D)- not popular Queen (Q) and King (K) Beds -Most popular, but also most expensive Hollywood Bed- 2 twins with common head board -Can be converted into King Studio Bed (room)- sofa by day, bed by night -Not popular, as bed is uncomfortable Rollaway Bed (Cot)- Portable bed for temp use for 1 Water Bed- not very common in hotels Futon- cotton quilted bed, easily stores, couch use too Murphy bed- folds up into wall, not popular now

Perishability

Single biggest issue in the hospitality industry. At midnight, value of unsold inventory is $0 and the opportunity to sell goes away. Tomorrow we are selling tomorrow's inventory, which puts pressure to sell "now".

Mom-and-Pop Hotels

Small independent roadside motels family owned and operated. Declining in numbers from a high of about 60,000 in the 1960's.

Boutique Hotels

Small, "individual" properties that offer personalized service. Many large properties are starting to call themselves boutique hotels, which is typically not possible for larger properties.

STAR Report

Smith Travel Accommodation Report (STAR) Daily bible of the hotel industry Everyone in the city signs up to be a part of STAR Each hotel, in your comp set, will send in their numbers At the end of each week, STAR will be sent out with the information (no hotel names) Hotels can compare to the number of others in their comp set

SMURF

Societies, Medical, University, Religious, Fraternal >All such groups hold meetings and conventions >Bulk buyers of rooms in hotels

Conference Centers

Specialized in conferences, meetings, etc >Lots of audio-visual equipments >May not accept transients >Bundled rates - Corporate Meeting Package (CMP) >Problem of low weekend occupancy >Hotels with many conference facilities

SOP

Standard Operating Procedures

Floor Numbering

Tend to be numbered upward sequentially Western hotels omit floor 13 and room 13 Asian hotels omit floor 4 and room 4 Americans number first sleeping floor as 1 Others number starting with ground floor as 1

Motor Inns

Tend to have low rices sprawling designs -Emphasis on easy parking next to room

The General Manager

The "Boss" of an individual hotel -Responsible for everything in the hotel -Supervises and controls all the departments -An employee, responsible to the owner(s) From Host to Executive -Was "Mine Host" interacting with guests -Now an executive dealing with business issues Role of support departments is increasing -Legal, Human Resources, Technology (MIS), Marketing issues -Understanding of business issues is critical

Resort

The Megaresort- large, self-contained resorts. Multiple entertainment and recreational facilities. Guests need not leave the property during their entire stay. Too many hotels tack on the Resort name to their properties these days when they are not actually a resort.

Franchises

The buyer (franchisee) acquires rights from seller (franchisor) to the exclusive use of a name, product/s, and a system of a franchisor within a defined geographic area, for a fee >Enables the franchisee to operate as an independent, but still have the benefits of chain membership >Fees are paid for many things and can add up to 8% of gross sales of 40% of net profits >Franchisor can terminate the franchisee for non-adherence to standards >Problems arise when franchisors want to expand too rapidly and franchisees claim that their territory is being infringed upon by other franchisees

Sales per Occupied Room

The dollar amount received for each room sold Measure the quality of the business AKA Average Daily Rate ADR only looks at room sold and can be misleading

Front Office

The place in the lobby where guest-services are managed and coordinated

Operations Manager

The stepping stone to GM -Hotel Manager -Resident Manager -House Manager -Rooms Division Manager -Guest Services Manager These managers: -Responsible for all operating departments except food and beverages -Report to GM -Career stepping stone to GM

Amenity Creep

The tendency of hotels to add new parks and features in an effort to attract more clients and respond to competition.

Service Era (Today)

Travel for both business and pleasure is routine. Development of sophisticated hotel industry worldwide to cater to travelers.

International Travelers

Travel outside one's country of citizenship British most active internationally Trent to spend more money than locals May have specialized culinary/other needs

Needed Occupancy Percentage

Typically, a hotel should be running with an average of 60% occupancy or more to be able to make profits

Low Variable Costs

Variable costs per occupied room are low. Cost of cleaning, replacing linen, utilities used etc

Room Shape

Varies, but rectangular shape most practical and common Size is first increased by adding to depth, then width Balconies and French/sliding doors provide sense of spaciousness

Disadvantages of Preferred Guest Programs

Very costly to set up and administer Accumulates liabilities quickly Does it really attract or retain guests? Ethical issues - companies pay, but individuals benefit

Agricultural Era (Early Civilization Onwards)

Very limited travel by traders and officials. Early beginnings of hotel industry with roadside inns. Problems of safety and security.

Telephone Department

WAS extensively staffed- many operators & supervisors NOW minimally staffed or handled by FO itself Costs and Revenues -Was costly to operate due to labor and equipment -Cost recovery through surcharges- guest complaints too -Now cheaper to operate due to automation -Reduction in revenue flows with calling cards and cell-phones

Logic of segmentation

You can't please all the people all the time. If you try to please everybody, you will end up pleasing nobody! No average guest and no average stay.

Your index is consistently close to 100

Your hotel is competitive in the market place - be on your alert! Improve facilities and services to compete better

Your index is consistently above 100

Your hotel is doing better than competitors Are you leaving money on the table? Consider raising rates or adding more high-priced rooms/suites

Hard Budgets

"Real" Economy Hotels >Microtel Chain, Some Airport Hotels, Capsule Hotels in Japan, Easy Hotels in Europe

ADR Index

(YOUR ADR / AVERAGE COMP ADR) * (100) If your score is over 100, you are faring better than competitors. If your score is less than 100, you are doing worse than competitors.

Occupancy Index

(YOUR OCC %/ AVERAGE COMP OCC %) * (100) If your score is over 100, you are faring better than competitors. If your score is less than 100, you are doing worse than competitors.

REVPAR Index

(YOUR REVPAR / AVERAGE of COMP REVPAR) * (100) If your score is over 100, you are faring better than competitors. If your score is less than 100, you are doing worse than competitors.

Small Hotel

100 rooms or less

Medium Hotel

150-300 rooms

Mega Hotel

1500 rooms or more

The Desk

3.75 feet high, 2.5 feet across in general Lower by 0.5 foot on employee side -Drops equipment below guest eye-level -Permits guest-employee eye-contact Becoming smaller now with computerization Security of hotel and FO personnel are issues in design Needs unobstructed view of lobby/elevators Hotels with heavy group arrivals have separate desk for groups

Large Hotel

300 rooms or more

Pareto Principle

80/20 principle 20% of people of your market segment give you 80% of your business

Economies of Sale

A big business has smaller costs than a small hotel This is why businesses want to get bigger and bigger

Consortia and Membership Organizations

A cooperative structure, where members pays fees and get services that a chain would provide -Best Western International >4000 properties in 100 countries A way for independent operators to get the advantages of a chain, without sacrificing their independence or individuality Different than a franchise Pay much less in fees but still get benefits of franchise You become a partner and buy shares of the company

Convention

A group assembled to promote a common purpose -Meetings, papers, talks given on common subjects -Groups can be as large as 100,000 -They need extensive meeting facilities -Large meeting rooms and dining rooms needed -More complete the property, greater the appeal -Competing hotels cooperate to host large conventions

Bed and Breakfast

A large house, owned by a person or couple, where they rent out rooms to travelers and cook food for the guests. Owners do all aspects of service, due to high labor costs to higher employees. Risky venture to go into, not a smart decision.

Brand

A name and logo recognized by customers A unique package of products, services, amenities, and ambiance at a price point that is associated with that brand.

Spas

A resort based on mineral or curative waters >Now more health/beauty/indulgence based >Current craze - many hotels with "Spas" >70%-80% of market is women

System of Stars, Diamonds, Etc.

A standardized rating system for hotels in the USA. More the stars or diamonds, better and more expensive the hotel. Ratings are only valid WITHIN system or country. A "Five Star" hotel in India is not the same as a "Five Star" hotel in France.

All-Suite Hotels

All rooms with separate living and sleeping areas; may include kitchenette >Can conduct business in the rooms >Appeals to many segments Available in many price categories and brands

Leases

An agreement between a hotel building owner and a leasing company by which leaseholder operates the hotel >Similar to paying for an apartment >No upfront costs to build building >Building (hotel property) owner gets a risk-free flow of lease payments from the operator >Lease holder operates the hotel >Lease payments are made by the hotel operator from operating income, irrespective of profit or loss

Management Contracts

An agreement between a hotel owner and a management company by which the management company operates the hotel within the conditions set down by the contract, for a fee >Happens where owner lacks inclination, time, or expertise to manage >Management companies have grown with the separation of ownership from management >Fees are paid by the owner irrespective of profit or loss >There may be a bonus for profitable operation >Owner gets to keep profits or take losses >Management company may be different from Franchisors

Franchising Company

Big name company signs detailed agreement with owner Owner must abide by all the rules and standard operating procedures Lowers cost for owner because franchising company has more purchasing power

Trophy Hotels

Big name hotels often bought for prestige rather than for profit. Hotels that are well-known worldwide. Typically bought and sold because of poor investment. Ex. Waldorf-Astoria in New York City

Tour Packages

Bought by wholesaler, who buys rooms, airline seats, travel arrangement in bulk, packages it, and sells it to groups and individuals Cheaper for guest than components bought individually Wholesaler gets benefit of "breakage"

BRIC

Brazil, Russia, India, China 10% of population has means to travel Underdeveloped countries with huge amount of economic development

Business and Professional Travelers

Bread and butter of industry >20% of population doing 80% of travel Year-round, with limited seasonal fluctuation Less price sensitive than leisure market Increasing number of females Profitable, but demanding >Do you have the resources to cater to their needs? Very competitive Globalization of business is expected to increase business travel considerably

Seasonality Solution (Seek New Markets)

Bring in new customers. Disney gets families in summer and winter holidays and targets conventions, "empty-nesters" year round.

Break Even Point

Bringing in enough money to pay the bills. Hotels need to make or exceed the break even point. High profits are made after the break even point is exceeded.

Seasonality Within The Month

Business fluctuates from early to mid to late part of the month. During months of holidays, low occupancy weeks away from the holiday and high occupancy during the holiday weeks.

Seasonality Solution (Mixed Use Development)

Busy all week long. Build hotel in area with multiple sources of guests. Ex. Westin Galleria in Dallas gets corporate crowd on weekdays and tourist/shopper crowds on weekends

Equity/Ownership

Buy property Pay off bank Make profit Risk: Can pay bank and lose property to bank

Individual Ownership

Can be individuals, family or a group Combination of personal wealth and borrowed capital More likely with smaller properties, as less capital is needed Larger properties are more capital intensive and need complex financing schemes

Elastic

Change prices - Demand changes >As prices drop, demand rises >As prices rise, demand falls True for MOST products and services **Certainly true for leisure travel**

Inelastic

Changes prices - Demand is static True only for a LIMITED range of products **True for business travel to a large extent** **True for medicines or surgery**

Casino Hotels

Completely different market than regular hotels Income from gaming (Wins) Rooms/Food & Beverages may be "loss leaders" to bring in guests **Occupancy % more important than ADR**

Benefits of a non-guest buyer to hotelier

Deal with one person - lower costs & hassles Saves commission to credit cards, travel agents, etc. Saves costs and hassles of individual bad debts Free advertising Bulk buy in advance - peace of mind, steady income Risk shifted to intermediary

Security Department

Deals with: -Safety, fire control & prevention, loss-control, accidents, death, suicides, crimes, scams, drunks, prostitutes, drugs, etc Serves as a deterrent, then restraint, rarely as a police force Should be an iron hand in a velvet glove NOW high-priority and extensively staffed -Liability issues -Increased crime in hotels -Provision of electronic locks, in-room safes, better lighting -Improvements driven by insurance cost and PR issues

Food and Beverage Department (F&B)

Deals with: >Production and service of food and beverages >Needs to work in close coordination with Front Office Headed by food and beverage manager >Service and production are two sub-departments >Service- supervises restaurant, banquet, and bar managers >Food production is headed by a "chef"

Room Numbering

Depends on the hotel design - often arbitrary May be numbered odd and even along opposite sides of corridor Can get very confusing if new wing is added

Cashiers

Duties centered around: -Billing -Posting -Cash and credit transactions May report to accounting or FO manager Reduced role due to increased credit card use, reduced cash advances, check cashing etc

High Fixed Costs

Even at low/no occupancy we incur fixed costs. Mortgage, utilities, salaries, marketing, etc. Fancy hotels are the first to go out of business during droughts due to high fixed costs.

Trade Shows

Exhibits of product lines shown by purveyors to potential buyers -May be done in guest room itself -May require large exhibit space with special requirements

Front Office Hours

FO should be manned around the clock The shifts (or wathces): -Day shift: 730AM-330PM -Swing shift: 330PM-1130PM -Graveyard shift: 1130PM-730AM Issues to consider: -Night shift is not preferred in general -Employees must be rotated through shifts -Overlap shifts if possible -With multiple employees, stagger changes Schedule more employees based on reservation forecasts Cross-train employees for more flexibility

Other departments

Facilities maintenance, shops, doctor, pool, spa, golf, etc -depends on size and complexity of the operation

Preferred Guest Programs (PGPs)

Freebies given to guests to "reward" stays First started by American Airlines as "Frequent Traveler Programs" (FTPs)

Top of Mind

Getting the customer to think of a particular brand off the top of your head or instantly **Achieved through branding**

Single Travelers

Growing segment, this day and age A person who lives alone and travels with or without a companion Come in all shapes, sizes, and sexual orientations Many social trends have increased number of singles Single supplement make traveling alone constantly Internet is helping singles link up for travel purposes

FO Clerk

Guest Service Agent/Receptionist Duties centered around: -Rooms Sales -Guest Relations -Record Keeping -Coordination -Increasing automation is changing roles -Hardly any mail, message handling -Reduced key handling, info dissemination Reduced credit issues due to use of credit cards

Room Reservations

Handles requests for rooms from prospective guests arriving in the future -Reservations come by phone, fax, email, in-person, etc -Can be for a day ahead to years ahead -FO person matches request with availability -Balances needs of groups and individuals -Maximizes revenues for hotel -Computerization has: >Increased accuracy, improved revenue management, increased speed of response, reduced paperwork

Disadvantages of a non-guest buyer to hotelier

Have to discount heavily to get bulk business Will get blame/liability for intermediaries problems

Labor Intensive

High labor costs. Hassles of dealing with labor. Costs of dealing with labor.

Management Company

Hired by owner to run hotel Runs the hotel for a fee Does everything from an operational standpoint Must meet requirements of contracts or would be let go from contract

The Global Village

Hotel industry is dominated by global players Nationality of buyers shifts with currency values

Mixed-Use Projects

Hotel is part of a complex of offices, retail, housing, entertainment and recreation >Provides access year-round to multiple market segments -Example: MGM Grand's $7 billion City Center in Las Vegas

Capital Intensive

Hotel start up take a large capital. Cost per room is $50,000 to $1 million to build.

Food service in hotels in the past

Hotels always served meals in the past. Travelers had no other options.

Residential Hotels

Hotels built with a residential complex as well. Landlord/Tenant relationship between hotel and guest.

Inclusive Tour Packages (IT)

Hotels doing own packaging Eliminates costs of middlemen Hotel gets benefit of "breakage" Marketed to individual guests Hotel is competing with itself - marketing is tricky

Commercial/Business/Corporate Hotels

Hotels in cities geared toward housing business people during the week for work functions.

Fixed Supply

Hotels only have so many rooms to sell and cannot sell anymore than that. Major problem in the hotel industry.

Economy Hotels

Hotels with minimal services (amenities) and charging low rates >First Motor Coach in 1930s >Problem: "Amenity Creep"

Chains

Increasing in popularity because of: >Large capital needs >Risk is diversified geographically and segment wise >Economies of scale >Expertise in site selection >Ability to attract management talent >Increased marketing clout, particularly brand building >Ability to invest in and leverage technology

Industrial Era (19th Century Onwards)

Increasing national and international travel. Development of bigger and better hotels start.

Brand Equity

Inherent value that recognition gives to the brand, when associated with positive images. Can be increased by: >Instant identification >Broad distribution >Consistent quality >An assured level of service

Stagecoach Inns of USA

Inns that were set up at distances that a horse drawn carriage could travel in one day, so that travelers had a place to stay each night.

The Old Rooms

Inside, odd shaped, small, of many types, sharing bathrooms -Pricing and allotment got complicated

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs)

Investment vehicle for real estate deals including hotels - many tax advantages These cannot operate hotels, so they set up related companies to run the hotels

From Turmoil to Churning

Investors in industry for wrong reasons (1970-90) -Ego, real estate speculation Overbuilding, high operating costs, low demand -Bankruptcy of hotels, bank insolvency -Saying - Only the third owner makes money!! Investors and banks have learned their lesson -Demand is slowing, but less overbuilding now

Single Entity

It has an adhesive that binds its members together Attendees already belong to the unit (a company, and orchestra, the football team) before coming to the hotel The unit makes the reservation and pay costs

Breakage

Items paid for but not utilized, like meals etc.

A Consolidating Industry

Large companies are buying smaller ones Consolidation driven by "economies of scale" in all costs Consolidation improves marketing, builds stronger brands

Room Size

Larger rooms cost more money to build, furnish, maintain, leading to higher rates Economy hotels- 210 sq ft Standard hotels- 250-350 sq ft Luxury hotels- 500 sq ft Suites from 380-650 sq ft Square footage of hotel twice that of rooms Lot of effort put into making the room look bigger

The New Rooms

Larger, more luxurious, more amenities, outside view, have themed suites and all-suites, less variation Have back-to-back utility shafts for economy in construction and maintenance

The Lobby

Less formal/intimidating, more open/inviting now Creates excitement/personifies hotel -Multistory atrium lobbies pioneered by Hyatt Hotels

Bank

Loans money Gives money at an interest rate Collects every month Risk: Owns deed but may not get full loaned amount if have to sell themselves

Location

Location is fixed. It cannot move or "be delivered" to high demand areas. Changing value of fixed location. Re-routing of highway could devastate business. Marketing and sales promotion VERY IMPORTANT. Need to bring customers to hotel.

Seasonality Solutions (Extend Season)

Lure people in year-round or longer than the typical season. Have new activities and sales promotions before and after "traditional" season to extend it.

Food service in hotels presently

Many hotels have limited/no food service. Other options are available now.

Mature Travelers/Gray Market

Market of people 55 and older **Largest and fastest growing age group in industrialized countries** They spend more and account for 80% of all commercial vacation travel They are wealthier and have more free time They are healthier today and more active Baby Boomers

Uniformed Services Department/Bell Dept.

Members included - Baggage porters, elevator operators, transportation clerks, door attendants Now less important as: -Guests wheel in own baggage (lighter) -Shorter average stay means less baggage -Better telecommunication facilities -Guests prefer self-service (no tipping!) mode -Management prefers lower staff levels and labor

Non-guest Buyer

Middle Man An intermediary between the hotel and the guest who buys the room for the guest Buys 1000s of rooms at a huge risk Many go bankrupt

Seasonality Within The Year

Months and months of low occupancy. Business fluctuates from winter to spring to summer to fall in most hotels. Hotels have low occupancy in the off months of the region and high occupancy during the peak season months.

Class by Rate

More expensive the hotel, better it is! Not always true. $200 will get a small/medium room in Paris, France, but a great room in Paris, TX, USA Room rate can depend on how fancy and/or where it is located.

Extended-Stay

More home-like with kitchenettes, fireplaces, laundry facilities. Extended Stay America, Residence Inns (Marriott)

Class by Level of Amenities

More the amenities, better the hotel. Not always true.

Class by Level of Service

More the services, better the hotel. Not always true. More services are offered where labor costs are lower. Ex. Small cheap hotels in India or Thailand offer more services than a hotel in New York would, due to labor costs.

Corner Rooms

Most desirable rooms with double exposure -Other amenities may be added to command premium price

Hunter/Gatherer Era (Pre-Historic)

No need for hotels as travel was limited

The Bath

Not the tub, but the room Contains, tub/shower, toilet (WC), sink Acts as sound barrier between room and corridor 20% of room size From 35 sq ft to 70 sq ft to 120 sq ft Stall showers popular in older, renovated properties Bathrooms getting larger with more amenities Americans prefer showers, Europeans, Japanese prefer tubs