same as the included thesis proposal

Benchmarking Service Quality in the Luxury Hotel Industry : based on the examples of three Luxury Hotel Brands in New York (Ritz-Carlton , Four Seasons , Mandarin Oriental ) and their applicability to Luxury Hotels in Kuwait

Prepared by Date

Acknowledgements

Abstract

The hotel industry , a major sector of the travel and tourism business has been growing vigorously over the last two decades . Though affected by incidents like the September 11 attacks , international terrorism , the bird flu , and the Iraq and Afghanistan wars , the industry has continued to expand because of a

number of causal factors that include increased affluence , growth in disposable incomes , cheaper air travel globalisation of business and the emergence of a number of new business and tourism locations , mainly in Asia , East Europe and the other former Soviet Bloc states

The hotel industry has grown exponentially to provide their services in hitherto unknown locations , a phenomenon that has led to the emergence of numerous challenges in most areas of the business . International hotel chains as well as local operators have to face and resolve numerous issues and problems in their mission of providing acceptable accommodation and service to the ever increasing numbers of foreign visitors in new locations . Hotels are in the business of providing service , and their primary business objectives and strategies focus on improving the quality of their service to their clients . They frequently gauge the quality of their service by comparing it with industry leaders and other hotels famous for their service quality , a practice commonly known as service quality benchmarking , in to determine their current level of services , the difference in their levels and that of the best players , the different areas in which there is scope for improvement and the extent of improvement possible

This thesis deals with the of luxury hotels in Kuwait benchmarking their service quality against the standards existing in three of the best luxury hotels in New York , The Ritz Carton , the Four Seasons , and the Mandarin Oriental . Based primarily on extensive research of published material , interviews with employees of the three New York hotels , and the researcher 's own knowledge of the Kuwait hotel industry the thesis concludes that luxury hotels in emerging business and tourism locations are primarily disadvantaged because of the lesser availability of trained personnel as well as local labor pool . Overcoming this shortfall provides the biggest challenge to hotel managements who desire to improve their service quality to international standards

Contents

Acknowledgements .2

Abstract .3

1 Introduction .7

1 . a Background .7

1 . b . Definition of Problem .8

1 . c . Research Questions .12

1 . d . Purpose of Study .12

1 . e . Limitations of Study .13

2 . Literature Review .14

2 . a . Economy of Kuwait .14

2 . b . Growth of Hospitality Industry in Kuwait .16

2 . c . Customer Satisfaction and Service Quality Concepts in the Hotel Industry .18

2 . d . Service Quality as defined by the Ritz Carlton .24

2 . e . The Utilisation of Technological Advances in Service Quality .28

2 . f . The Introduction of...