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What Does It Take to Run a Megahotel?

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I know some students who completed an internship in megahotels and others in limited service hotels. They all had great learning experience. The big difference between these two options is that students can learn how to deal with a large volume of business in one specific department within a megahotel, or they can learn different functions of operating a limited service hotel.

Last Thursday, The Wall Street Journal published a report about MGM Grand in Las Vegas. In the second quarter of this year, the MGM Grand reported an OCC of 96.8% with an ADR of $125. On average, there were 12,000 guests staying in the hotel. The following statistics provide an idea of what it takes to run a megahotel like MGM Grand on a busy day:
  • It opens 36 check-in counters during peak hours.
  • It has 26 limousines and 3,000 poolside deck chairs.
  • It hires more than 8,000 employees, 900 of which work in Housekeeping.
  • It process 46 tons of linens.
  • It has a 65,000 square-foot laundry facility and employs 165 laundry attendants.
  • A towel-folding machine allows a laundry attendant to fold 600 bath towels or 1000 hand towels per hour.
  • Laundries will run through a $1.2 million machine --- “the tunnel” for quick washing process.
  • There are 370 guestroom attendants on duty; each cleans a room within 30 minutes.
  • Room service places 1,000 orders. Each must arrive within 30 minutes.
  • Lost and found receives 100 to 150 new items per day.
  • It hosts 20 weddings on a busy Friday.
  • The floral department hires 13 designers for 886 arrangements.
As far as career choice is concerned, bigger does not mean better. What really matters is whether a person fits in the workplace. A limited service hotel may not be as busy but could mean multiple training opportunities in a more laid-back environment. I see no differences in career advancement opportunities --- people get promoted when they have good work ethics and can deliver results. So, a megahotel vs. a limited service hotel, which one would you choose for your hospitality career? For what reasons?

Relevant discussion:
What Does It Take to Be a Wedding Planner?

References:
Petersen, A. (2011, September 22). When 12,000 guest spend the night: How a megahotel tries to seem small; 20 brides in a weekend. The Wall Street Journal, D1 & D4. Also available online.
The picture was downloaded from Las Vegas Family Travel dotcom.
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Comments

  1. Marcella LaHaraSeptember 25, 2011 at 8:13 AM

    Well for me personally I've always loved the thought of working in a megahotel or resort type of environment, primarily because I love the excitement and fast paced work environment. I tend to get board very easily and I feel as though working in a limited service hotel would have a lot to offer but it would be a bit slow paced for me. For example this summer I worked on a resort but they way in which the resort was structured was that the lodge was one building, restaurant another, pools were in a different location, and so on and so on. Therefore the Lodge was actually limited service, we did not offer in room dining, we did not have anything other than nice rooms in which to sleep. It was an amazing experience because I got to try my hand at front office, concierge, and housekeeping; I did it all! However, it was a bit slow for me. I think I would prefer the megahotel or resort to a limited service property for the excitement associated with high volume.

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  2. Elle RiccoOctober 3, 2011 at 3:37 PM

    A few summers ago my family and I stayed at the MGM Grand for one of our nights in Vegas and I remember looking around thinking how spectacular and put together it was. I remember reflecting on how much labor and money they probably needed to keep it that way, and who was the mastermind behind bringing everything together, and in such an organized set fashion. This article actually blew my mind on the amount supplies, money, workers, numbers, and pretty much every aspect necessary to keep a hotel of this magnitude going. I know every department of a hotel (front desk, weddings, kitchen, housekeeping, etc.) needs to be up to par and going, because every department relies on other departments to function and run smoothly. Personally, being in charge of everything in a mega resort hotel is a HUGE responsibility. If anything I would prefer running a subsection of the mega hotel. I don't think anyone should run a mega hotel without years and years of experience in that hotel. This is so you know everything about every aspect of the hotel, which will help in handling various situations, and to really have a true knowledge of all parts of the hotel. On that note, I guess I would say for now a limited service hotel would be better for me, though the hype and excitement of a large scale sounds go much more appealing (minus the crazy amount of time and work put in).

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