Key Concepts in Hospitality Management

If the question is asked as to what should a student expect of a book that offers them the opportunity to understand in a practical way the complexity of a rather unique industry? The rational response should be that the book is comprehensive to the degree that students can feel that they have an overall perspective on an industry that they wish to work in, that it is structured in such a way that their knowledge will accumulate in a logical way and that it offers directions for further study. This book meets these criteria.

It is an introductory text built around concepts of hotel operational descriptions and of managerial functions which reflect their relationship to modern generic managerial techniques. Importantly the content of the book is aligned with the curricula of hotel education. Although one of the merits of the book is that it invites readers to 'dip-in' to particular chapters of interest the reader should not ignore the Editor's Introduction which not only places each chapter within the overall concept of the book but also extols the merits of gaining a broad perspective on the industry and on management. Students and Lecturers now have a useful road map into the hospitality industry; highly recommended.
Michael Riley
Professor Emeritus, University of Surrey, UK

This text is a fascinating read. It comes twenty years after Prof Wood's book 'Working in hotels and catering' and concisely summarises both his, industry and academic changes and developments in that time. The book makes excellent use of the colleagues and collaborators he has gathered around him in his time at The Scottish Hotel School, IMI Luzern, the Oberoi Centre of Learning & Development, Bahrain and Breda University. Apart from some very thought-provoking contributions by himself, his co-authors include senior academics such as Stephen Ball, Bob Brotherton, Yvonne Guerrier, Peter O'Connor, Barry O'Mahoney and John Swarbrooke, all of whom have played their part in the development of hospitality management education as it is today. Others such as Michael Schwarz (HVS) and Costas Verginis (Deloitte and Touche) ensure that the content is not just academically rigorous but also industry relevant.

It is easy to see how this text could be incorporated into or form the basis of an undergraduate or postgraduate programme. Each author provides sufficient information for the reader or student to gain an overview of the topic under discussion, and the extensive references to academic journals provide additional reading resources. While each topic stands alone, the 'see also' lists at the start of each topic suggest linked entries allowing the reader to build their own 'thread' through the book.

Roy Wood has spent 25 years teaching, researching and writing on the hospitality industry - much of that learning is here in this book.
Erwin Losekoot
School of Hospitality & Tourism, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand

This unique textbook gives students a comprehensive introduction to the world of hospitality. The book covers all hotel operating areas and its operations and it will get new hotel management students interested and excited in the world´s largest service industry. All different aspects of the hospitality industry are elaborated on a high level and cover not only the hotel operations but also the education in hospitality management, entrepreneurship, franchising, the design of hotels as well as women, gender and hospitality employment. All in all a wonderful course book for for our students!
Claudia Rothwangl
MA, Director of Studies, ITM College, Austria