CAMPUS NEWS

Contact: Jeff Weaver, Melony Ritter
(501) 760.6410 office
press@np.edu

March 16, 2016

HOTEL OPERATIONS CLASS VISITS MOUNTAIN HARBOR RESORT

The Hotel Operations class visited Mountain Harbor Resort in February. The focus of the visit was housekeeping, how it is integral to hotel operations, guest impression and overall reputation of a lodging operation. Lodge manager, Pati Brown and her housekeeping staff greeted the students in the main lodge with warm cookies, coffee and water, and information packets on Mountain Harbor’s property. Owner, Bill Barnes spoke to the group about being born with a drive to serve, and explained that he appreciates each and every one of his employees. Gina Coffey, Head of Housekeeping, had each of her employees introduce themselves and share what they liked best about their job. Almost every employee said they enjoyed meeting people from all different parts of the world and walks of life.

The Hotel Operations class at Mountain Harbor Resort Students were allowed to tour the housekeeping warehouse and inventory storage, and staff demonstrated how they determine the quantity of items they need for their daily assignments. Students toured deluxe cabins and watched the crew turn over linens and clean the kitchen, while staff explained the specifics of everything from pillow placement to high cleanliness standards. Ms. Coffey shared checklists and inspection sheets to help students understand the full scope of what goes into housekeeping. The staff also shared Mountain Harbor’s environmentally friendly policies, how they utilize local lumber when building new cabins, install carpet made from recycled bottles, and provide guests with amenities including shampoos and lotions that are in biodegradable containers.

The Hotel Operations class is part of the Hospitality and Tourism program. The course provides an overview of management in the lodging industry. Topics include management and supervision skills, human resources, front office, housekeeping, food and beverage, safety and security, sales and marketing, facility engineering and maintenance, franchise agreements and management contracts.