MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
DUY TAN UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ENGLISH

GRADUATION THESIS
HUYNH THI QUYNH TRAM

AN INVESTIGATION INTO REAL SITUATION
AND SOME SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS TO
IMPROVING THE SERVICE QUALITY OF
HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT AT AVATAR
HOTEL

DA NANG – May 2021


MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING
DUY TAN UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF ENGLISH

GRADUATION THESIS
HUYNH THI QUYNH TRAM

AN INVESTIGATION INTO REAL SITUATION AND
SOME SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS TO IMPROVING
THE SERVICE QUALITY OF HOUSEKEEPING
DEPARTMENT AT AVATAR HOTEL
Major

: English for Tourism

Code

: K23.702

SUPERVISOR: LE DIEU MY, M.A

DA NANG – May 2021


i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Dear all teachers in the Foreign Languages Department of Duy Tan
University!
To the Director and all of the staff in Avatar Hotel!
To my supervisor – Ms. Le Dieu My!
First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude and
appreciation to all Duy Tan University teachers for their expertise, advice, and
motivation during my studies.
Secondly, thanks to the Housekeeping Manager, in particular, I was
able to learn a vast range of helpful knowledge and closely examine the actual
work of housekeeping.
Finally, I want to thank my supervisor from the bottom of my heart,
Ms. Le Dieu My, for providing me with the invaluable opportunity to do this
article, which has also allowed me to conduct extensive research. I could not
have completed this graduation paper without the indispensable assistance,
direction, and inspiration of my dear teacher.


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STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP
I promise that I wrote the current thesis independently and that I have
indicated all aspects of the work where sources are included in my wording or
their context.
This thesis has not been applied for a degree or diploma at any other
tertiary institution. I further announce that I have not forwarded this work to
any other university in order to receive a degree.

Danang, March 26th, 2021
Best Regard,
Huynh Thi Quynh Tram


iii

ABSTRACT
This Case Study is being conducted with the aim of enhancing the
service quality of the Avatar Hotel's Housekeeping Department. It is based on
theoretical context and realistic results.
Firstly, the researcher gathers realistic data by distributing questionnaires
to visitors in order to assess the level of service provided by the housekeeping
workers. In addition, the researcher obtains detailed statistics from the
Housekeeping Department's manager in order to assess the Housekeeping
Staff's drawbacks and advantages. Then, based on the theoretical context and
current situation, all of these realistic data are analyzed and evaluated.
Finally, the researcher makes a recommendation based on careful
analysis in order to enhance the quality of service of the Avatar Hotel's
Housekeeping Department.



iv

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1. The room systems of Avatar Hotel..Error: Reference source not found
Table 2. Employees at Housekeeping department at Avatar Hotel............Error:
Reference source not found
Table 3. Revenue of Avatar Hotel over 3 years 2018-2020......Error: Reference
source not found
Table .4 The number of the guest at Avatar hotel from 2018 to 2019.......Error:
Reference source not found
Table 5. The number of the guest according to nationalites.....Error: Reference
source not found
Table 6. The number of staff in Housekeeping Dept at Avatar Hotel........Error:
Reference source not found
Table 7. Customer feedback on the attitude of the HK dept employees...Error:
Reference source not found
Table 8. Result of customers’ evaluation about the minibar service of HK dept
......................................................................Error: Reference source not found
Table 9. The number of facilities at hosekeeping dept..Error: Reference source
not found
Table 10. Assess the reliability of customers with staff Error: Reference source
not found
Table 11. Customer feedback on the responsiveness of workers to customers
......................................................................Error: Reference source not found
Table 3. Revenue of Avatar Hotel over 3 years 2018-2020......Error: Reference
source not found


v



vi

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1.The Organization chart of HK department.....Error: Reference source
not found
Figure 2. The Organization of Structure of Avatar Hotel.........Error: Reference
source not found
Figure 3.Organization of Housekeeping Dept at Avatar Hotel.Error: Reference
source not found
Figure 4.The process of Housekeeping staff At Avatar hotel.. .Error: Reference
source not found
Figure 5.The process of training Housekeeping staff At Avatar hotel.......Error:
Reference source not found
Figure 6. The process of cleaning public areas.......Error: Reference source not
found
Figure 7. The process of laundry of Avatar hotel’s HK dept....Error: Reference
source not found

FIGURE
Image
Image 1. Housekeeping.....................................................................................8
Image 2. An overview of Avatar Hotel.........Error: Reference source not found

Chart
Chart 1. Result of customers’ evaluation about laundry staff’s attitudes. Error:
Reference source not found



vii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

Dept : Department
F&B : Food & Beverage
HK

: Housekeeping

APPENDIX...............................................................................................................2


viii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
APPENDIX...............................................................................................................2


1

CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 RATIONALE
Vietnam has worked hard over the years to become a stable country in
the world. However, more than ever before, human life has changed. They
begin to enjoy their lives more and more as their circumstances change. They
also spend time traveling and rehabilitating. Tourism is quickly becoming one
of the most critical factors.
Tourism has played a significant part in the economic growth of many
nations. It provides vital economic advantages, generates significant revenues

for the economy, creates jobs, and contributes to protecting and promoting its
cultural values. Along with the ongoing growth of the country’s tourism
industry comes the birth of several hotels in cities and provinces. Da Nang, in
particular, has emerged as the most strong tourism growth city in recent years.
Danang, in particular, is well-known not only for its proximity to three world
cultural heritage sites, including the Imperial City of Hue, Hoi An Ancient
Town, and the My Son Sanctuary but also for its modern and ancient scenery.
It is still deserving of the title of Vietnam’s most livable city.
People’s interest in traveling grows in tandem with the improvement in
both the efficiency and popularity of tourism. People may feel trapped in a rut
in their daily life, or they may ache for something fun and new, in which case
they desire to travel. As a result, hotels and resorts have sprung up to satisfy
visitors’ demands regarding culture, jobs, and relaxation. Therefore, in a
competitive market, hotels must apply quality of service as a priority to
compete with other rivals. The quality of its service determines the success or
failure of a hotel.


2

During my internship at Avatar Hotel, I learned that the quality of
customer service is critical to the hotel industry because it retains long-term
clients. They assist businesses in generating vast amounts of income.
Furthermore, I have a more holistic view of the housekeeping department’s
professional operation. It is an essential factor in the growth of the hotel
industry, so I choose the following topic: “An Investigation into Real
Situation and Some Suggested Solutions to Improving the Service Quality of
Housekeeping Department at Avatar Hotel.”
1.2. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
This thesis will focus on aims and objectives, which are as follows:

1.2.1 Aims
The main aims of the study are to :
•Intensifying comprehensive awareness of the tourism and hotel
industry
•Extending hotel market ideas, improving hotel service efficiency, and
exploring the practice of professionally guests services in the hospitality
industry
•Recognizing the roles and significance of the housekeeping department
•Introducing methods and techniques for improving hotel service
efficiency
1.2.2 Objectives
The study's primary goals are as follows:
•Investigating the efficiency of the Avatar Hotel's HK department in
depth


3

•Discovering the strengths and weaknesses of the Avatar hotel's
housekeeping department
•Suggesting some effective strategies for enhancing the efficiency of the
HK dept at the Avatar Hotel.
1.3 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This thesis will focus on three main elements, which are as follows:
Firstly, I concentrate on gathering information about the hotel, such as
availability, room services, cleaning processes, service quality, guest arrival. I
obtained all of this knowledge by personally watching, studying from Avatar
Hotel, and searching for sources on the Internet.
Secondly, I evaluate the current state of Avatar Hotel's service level and
identify its strengths and limitations. During my internship, I collaborated

with employees in the Housekeeping Department to learn more about this.
Finally, based on the actual situation at the Avatar Hotel, this study would
make several recommendations to increase the serving quality.
1.4. METHOD OF THE STUDY
The thesis will be discussed using the following fundamental methods:
•Method of Collection: I gathered information from the Internet, travel
books in the Duy Tan University library, and websites linked to the issue I am
studying.
•Method of Description and Analysis: Using the data gathered, I
concentrated on describing and assessing the efficiency of the Housekeeping
Department. Besides, I identified some strong and weak points in the current
state of the housekeeping department's quality and proposed some solutions to


4

the problems. As a result of this, I proposed some ideas for enhancing the
efficiency of the Avatar Hotel.
1.5. ORGANIZATION OF THE STUDY
This study is divided into six chapters:
•Chapter 1: The introduction of the graduation paper, including
rationale, aims, and objectives, the scope of the study, methodology, and
organization of the study.
•Chapter 2: Theoretical background about the hotel business and HK.
This chapter would include specific descriptions of the hotel business, and
information about the Housekeeping Department.
•Chapter 3: The case description describing an overview of

HK


Department at Avatar Hotel
•Chapter 4: The real situation about housekeeping activities with the
analysis and evaluation will be mentioned in this chapter.
•Chapter 5: This chapter will perform some difficulties and solutions.
•Chapter 6: This part will offer some suggestions for the Housekeeping
Department to improve room quality at Avatar Hotel and the conclusion.


5

CHAPTER 2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
2.1 HOTEL BUSINESS
The hotel business is the business activity based on providing
accommodation, food and beverage services, and additional services to
customers to meet all their needs for food, relaxation, and entertainment at
locations tourism to make a profit.
2.1.1 Concept of Hotel
Accommodation is one of the most significant aspects in determining an
enterprise's viability in the tourism sector. Furthermore, I am pleased to
recommend the "Hotel" to all of you in this review. First and foremost, we
must define the term "hotel." There are several definitions of hotels. The
following are some main meanings for hotels:
According to Mr. Mercel Gotie, a tourism and hotel researcher, “The
hotel is a place for temporary accommodation of guests. Along with the
bedroom, there are restaurants with different categories.” [2]
According to Hoteljob website, “The hotel is a solid architecture, with
many bedrooms, many floors, equipped with specialized equipment and
furniture for the purpose of accommodation service business and many other
additional services.”.
According to Encyclopedia, “Hotels are place providing travelers with

shelter, food, refreshment, and similar services and goods, offering on
commercial basis things that are customarily furnished within households but
unavailable to people on a journey away from home”. [4]


6

According

to

the

technical

meaning,

“Hotel

is

where

the

accommodation, food, and beverage service are supplied, and guests/clients
pay for staying day/night in the room and for taking those facilities. In
general, Hotel owners generally aim to attract and retain various particular
types of customers through their pricing model and marketing strategy, or via
the range of services they offer”. [5]

In general, the term "hotel" has a simple meaning: a hotel is a location
that trades in residence and other facilities. Its aim is to meet the needs of
customers who want to stay overnight or take a holiday (it will last for a short
or long time, depending on the needs of the guests). This location will provide
catering, concerts, leisure, and other facilities.
2.1.2 Concept of Hotel Business

The hotel business is the segment of the hospitality industry that deals
with guest lodging or accommodation. Many concepts in the hospitality
industry include not just hotels but also many other types of overnight
lodging, such as hostels, motels, inns, and guest houses. It does not, though,
usually provide long-term or permanent varieties of accommodations.
According to PhD Nguyen Van Manh & PhD Hoang Thi Lan Huong,
“Hotel business is the operation of building a hotel, producing and
exchanging facilities to satisfy the needs of visitors in the areas of dining,
lodging, entertainment, and certain other services. These events are
beneficial to the hotels. The level of the hotel determines the quality and
variety of the services.” [1]
The hotel business is one of the most vital hospitality market elements,
providing travelers with overnight lodging. Although there are significant
variations in scale, it is closely related to the travel and hospitality industries.


7

As a result, we can conclude that the hotel sector in tourism is a general
business that provides many vital services such as staying business and food
business to cater to guests' general needs while guests go on a vacation.
2.1.3 Products of Hotel Business
Hotel products are any of the facilities and merchandise that the hotel

provides to satisfy visitors' needs from the time they contact the hotel for the
first time to book a room before they finish their consumption and depart.
- Commodity products are tangible (with distinct shapes) products
offered by hotels, such as food, drinks, souvenirs, and other commodities sold
in hotel businesses. That is the kind of commodity that the payer would own
during the ownership swap. Among the products, the souvenir is one of a
kind; it has a particular mystical significance for visitors from other towns and
nations.
- Service products (non-material or intangible products) are items of
material or moral meaning (which may even be an enjoyment, a feeling of
satisfaction, or (unsatisfied) that consumers desire to pay. There are two
categories of hotel products and services: primary services and additional
services:
+ Primary service: To meet the customers' basic needs when staying at
the hotel, the hotel provides bedroom and food service.
+ Additional services are things which add the value for basic services,
such as; laundry, keeping articles, swimming pool, tennis, massage, sauna, etc
to satisfy the demands of tourists. This division is prevalent because it
highlights the types of hotel which have the capacity to gratify the need of
tourists. Additional services and basic services have a strong relationship and
supplement each other. Because basic services are similar and easy to copy,


8

additional services will be salient features to attract the attention of tourists.
[3]
To sum up, there are two types of extra hotel services: obligatory extra
services and extra discretionary services. The presence of mandatory and
optional extra facilities is determined by the rules of each country's hotel

classification requirements.
2.2 HOUSEKEEPING DEPARTMENT
Housekeeping brings customers the best experience of accommodation
services. The following are the definitions, functions, and organizational
structure of the housekeeping department.
2.2.1 Definition
Housekeeping may be defined as ‘provision of a clean, comfortable, safe
and

aesthetically

appealing

environment’. By

another

definition,

‘housekeeping is an operational department in a hotel, which is responsible
for cleanliness, maintenance, aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public areas, back
areas and the surroundings’.[6]
Housekeeping is an operational department in a hotel, which is
responsible for cleanliness, maintenance, aesthetic upkeep of rooms, public
area, back area and surroundings.[7]


9

Image 1. Housekeeping

2.2.2 Function
The primary function of the housekeeping department is keeping the
venue clean and sanitary as part of customer service. Maids and cleaners
vacuum rugs and furniture in hallways, rooms and public areas. They collect
trash and empty wastebaskets, change the sheets and make the beds. The
refill soap and toilet paper dispensers in public restrooms and put toiletries
and supplies in guest rooms. They dust and polish furniture. In some hotels,
they bring requested items, such as infant cribs, to guest rooms. These
hands-on tasks fall to the actual cleaning staff.[16]
Housekeeping plays a significant role in the hospitality industry such as:
Firstly, room maintenance achieves the maximum possible efficiency in
ensuring the care and comfort of guests and in the smooth running of the
department.


10

Secondly, bed-making is an ability that the housekeeper should learn
because it offers comfort to the visitor and contributes to the room's friendly
atmosphere.
Moreover, laundry provides uniforms for all the staff and maintains
adequate stocks for the same. For housekeeping services to run smoothly, the
relationship between housekeeping and laundry is crucial.
Finally, interior decoration provides and keeps the floral decorations and
maintains the landscaped areas of the hotel.
In brief, the things mentioned above show that the housekeeping
department's role is significant to bring the best service to guests.
2.2.3 The Organization Chart
The general structure of housekeeping staff is as shown below
Excutive Housekeeper


Assitant

Floor
Supervisor

Public Area
Supervisor

Control Desk
Supervisor

Room
Attendant

Public
Area
Attendant

Housemen

Uniform
Supervisor

Unifrom
Attendant

Figure 1.The Organization chart of HK department.

Laundry

Supervisor

Laundry
Attendant


11

In general, the organization of the housekeeping department has many
different parts. Although each department has its functions, all departments
aim to provide the best quality of service to customers.

2.3. QUALITY AND SERVICE QUALITY OF THE HOUSEKEEPING
DEPARTMENT IN THE HOTEL
The quality of room service is the decisive factor that directly affects the
business's success and increases the competitiveness of the hotel. So the
following will be the concept of service quality, service quality, and service
quality characteristics.
2.3.1 Concept of Quality
This definition highlights the importance of the customer who can use
the commodity standard rooms and facilities inside relative to other hotels;
the hotel's quality of excellence would be evaluated whether it satisfies the
guests' needs. There are few examples of high-quality descriptions:
As with Feigenbaum, a broader perspective of consistency. Saleability
models that, while upholding the primacy of product consistency, still
emphasize the importance of distribution and expense as "quality factors"
have propelled this thinking process forward. Although delivery and price are
important considerations when purchasing something, it is usually
consistency that has a long-term effect.[9]
2.3.2 Concept of Service Quality

In today's intensely dynamic marketplace, service quality has emerged
as one of the most critical factors in achieving a sustained competitive
advantage and gaining the interest of consumers. As a result, service


12

efficiency would offer an outstanding opportunity for the hospitality industry
to create strategic distinction for organizations. As a consequence, it is known
as a critical and vital core theory.
In some earlier studies, service quality can be defined as the extent to
which the service fulfils the needs or expectations of the customers or
conceptualised it as the overall impression of customers as regards the
weakness or excellence of the service. However, service quality is defined as
“what the customer gets out and is willing to pay for” rather than “what the
supplier puts in”. Therefore, service quality can be seen as the gap as the
between the expected service and the actual perceived service.[10]
In conclusion, service quality generally refers to a customer's
comparison of service expectations as it relates to a company's performance.
A business with a high level of service quality is likely capable of meeting
customer needs while also remaining economically competitive in their
respective industry.
2.3.3 Features of Service Quality in Hotel
The service quality of the hotel room department is typical of the general
service quality but also has its characteristics.
Firstly, the quality of service of the chamber department is difficult to
measure and evaluate.

Customers' perceptions


vary

depending on

consumption habits or time, space, or mood when using hotel services. The
room department's service quality is only accurately assessed through the
direct consumer perception of the hotel room service. Tourists coming to the
hotel are the direct consumers of hotel accommodations, so their perception
accurately reflects the quality of hotel services. If the customer feels the


13

higher the satisfaction level, the better the service quality of the chamber is,
and vice versa.
Besides, the quality of room service depends on the service delivery process.
....Finally, the quality of service of a hotel's accommodations department
often includes technical and functional qualities. Technical quality includes
the quality of the technical facilities of the chamber parts such as comfort
level, the modernity of equipment, aesthetic level in interior decoration and
design. Chamber, safety guarantee for customers. Functional quality includes
human-related factors that are staff directly serving the chamber department.
That is the employee's attitude, behavior, ability to communicate, appearance,
profession, or language ability. These factors have a significant impact on
customer perceptions.
......In brief, the hotel room department's service level is representative of
overall service quality. When using hotel facilities, customers' expectations
differ based on their usage patterns and time, space, and mood. The only
direct customer experience of hotel room service will reliably determine the
service level of the room department.



14

CHAPTER 3. CASE DESCRIPTION
3.1 AN OVERVIEW OF AVATAR HOTEL
On August 9, 2015, the Avatar Hotel formally opened its doors. The
Avatar Hotel is the first project hotel of the Cuc Phuong Tourist Service Joint
Stock Company in Da Nang. The hotel's location is known as the Golden
Land on the sea of Da Nang.
3.1.1 Introduction and Foundation

Image 2. An overview of Avatar Hotel
Company
Managed by

:
:

Avatar Hotel
Cuc Phuong Tourist Service Joint Stock Company

104 Hoang Ke Viem, My An Ward, Ngu Hanh Son District, Danang
+84 919 292 470


15


www.avatardanang.vn

The Avatar Hotel is situated directly in front of My Khe Beach, one of the
most stunning beaches in the world according to Forbes, and in the section
between the Tran Thi Ly Bridge and Dragon Bridge, which is suitable for
transportation to tourist sites from Da Nang International Airport to Hoi An
Ancient Town, My Khe Beach, Marble Mountains, Cham Tower, and others.
Not only does the Avatar Hotel have excellent transportation connections, but
it is also surrounded by elegant stores, cafés, restaurants, pubs, the famed My
Khe Beach, and other tourist attractions only a few steps away.
The Avatar Hotel, with its 108 luxury guestrooms that provide warmth and
relaxation, embodies a very natural, contemporary, yet elegant theme. Avatar
Hotel offers specialist amenities for a quality stay in the hotel, with
contemporary architectural architecture, professionally fitted, luxurious
lighting, a comfortable atmosphere, and top-quality facilities. The hotel has
five room styles (Superior Room, Deluxe Room, Junior Suite Room, Premier
Suite Room, and Grand Suite Room), all of which have views of the sea or
the capital. Each space is fitted with modern technology, including a kitchen,
dining room, sitting room, and bedroom. The rooftop swimming pool is built
with an infinite, one-of-a-kind architecture and an incredible sea view, and it
is connected to the spacious and comfortable bar and lounge room. Inspired
by the natural beauty of Danang's ocean, river, and mountains, this
Vietnamese-themed restaurant will provide customers with a one-of-a-kind
and unforgettable dining experience.