Professor Lloyd Shelton
Office Hours: By e-mail or phone
Phone: (928) 527-7518

Cell: (928) 863-0459
E-mail lloyd.shelton@nau.edu


WebCT course area: http://webct.nau.edu

  

Class Information:

This is a web class offered summer semester 2005
All policies, procedures, schedules and calendars will conform to the NAU summer calendar.

Course Description:


Resort Management will introduce the student to the operations of modern day resorts and will compare and discuss these operations to other hospitality lodging products. This will include a review of the history of the growth of resorts in the United States, expansion of resorts world wide, and a discussion and analysis of current day resort operations. Students will participate in individual projects that will introduce them to resorts and familiarize them with their operations and characteristics. This will give the student the opportunity to learn about resort operations and gain exposure to the wide range and high level of services and activities expected by resort guests and offered by today’s resorts.

Comparisons of individual resorts to resort chains, understanding and comparison of resort destinations, identifying and understanding the additional amenities, activities and services that resorts offer, and identifying the differences and competitive advantages of resorts to typical hotels will form the foundation of the class.

This class offers great learning opportunities via the Internet. There is no text for the class. This is because there are numerous web sites for both individual resorts and resorts owned by major hotel chains. Their web sites provide a broad range of information regarding their hotels including links to additional information. Travel companies and web search engines also offer additional web sites that contain useful resort information. This includes excellent color pictures, diagrams, virtual tours, and press releases. Students will be expected to access this wide array of web sites to obtain resort information.

I welcome student comments on the organization, content, and effectiveness of the course to continually improve it as a valuable learning experience.

Course objectives:
  1. To review the history, growth and development of resorts
  2. To introduce the concept of "destinations" and it’s importance in resort operations
  3. To present and discuss key marketing aspects of resorts
  4. To present and discuss key financial aspects of resorts
  5. To present, compare and analyze resort operations by accessing company and resort web sites and analyzing and comparing their marketing, physical facilities, destination characteristics, and how they provide "Memorable Experiences." Resort operations will be discussed and evaluated focusing on rooms, food and beverage, meetings and conventions, and recreation. Recreations will include golf, spa, tennis, beach and other activities. Cultural and historical influences will also be discussed.

Class Materials:

There is no text for the course. Web sites, 800 numbers, travel agencies and your own experiences will be used in class discussions and presentations. Information accessed on the Internet and e-mail discussions with the professor will be the way that information is presented and learned. It is important that students take the initiative in asking questions and communicating with the professor.

Class Policies:

Because this is a web class, it is incumbent on the student to manage their time wisely and move through the class material on schedule. It is the student’s responsibility to learn by accessing web sites and communicating with the professor. This is a summer class and will be completed in mid August. NO INCOMPLETES OR EXTENSIONS WILL BE GIVEN STUDENTS. FINAL SUMMER GRADES WILL BE TURNED IN AS SCHEDULED BY THE REGISTRARS OFFICE. NO EXCEPTIONS.  IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT YOU HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH THE INSTRUCTOR IN THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF CLASS.  YOU MUST EMAIL THE INSTRUCTOR AND RECEIVE A REPLY IN THIS TIME FRAME TO INSURE THAT COMMUNICATION CHANNELS ARE OPEN.

Instructional Approach:

To teach and learn by participation and discussions between the instructor and student. The instructor has provided students with resort material and Internet web sites for hotel companies and individual resorts. Students will be able to direct their studies and projects to particular resort destinations, operations or activities that they are interested in. Student learning will be viewed from the perspectives of resort history, destinations, marketing, finance and operations. The instructor will provide an information base that the student will build upon during the semester by accessing web sites, completing projects, and discussing information with the professor via e-mail.

Assessment and Evaluation:

Assessment will be based on two projects and summaries from the four modules.

  1. Projects – 175 points
    1. 25 points Reservation Research Project
    2. 50 points Destination Project
    3. 100 points Final project on either spa, golf course, or specialty restaurant.
  2. Module Summaries – 100 points
    1. 25 points each for the four module summaries
  3. Timeliness and Communication – 25 points
    1. 25 points Quality and quantity of communications with the professor.

PLEASE NOTE THAT PROJECTS AND MODULE SUMMARIES THAT ARE LATE WILL BE PENALIZED 5 POINTS FOR EACH WEEK THAT THEY ARE LATE!

Total 300 points, 90% A, 80% B, 70% C, Below 70% you took the wrong class.

Assignments:

There will be three types of assignments for the Resort Management Web Class. They will account for the majority of your grade for the class.

  1. Projects — These three projects will give students the opportunity to use the Internet to learn about resort operations.
    1. Resort Reservation Project, 25 points due June 12th
    2. Resort Destination Project, 50 points due July 8th
    3. Resort Final Project, 100 points due August 5th

Links — FINAL PROJECT WEB SITES

Golf course assignment web site:
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jah3/module3/assignment3/golf/golf_courses/ http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~jah3/module3/assignment3/golf/golf_courses/

Spa assignment web sites:
http://www.desertspringsspa.com/ (If you see these small links, use them instead or turn javaScript on) http://www.desertspringsspa.com/
http://www.ihilani.com/ http://www.ihilani.com/
http://www.thephoenician.com/index3.html http://www.thephoenician.com/index3.html
http://www.fourseasons.com/ http://www.fourseasons.com/

Specialty restaurant assignment web sites:
www.darden.com www.darden.com
www.brinker.com www.brinker.com

  1. Module Assignments — These assignments will be due at the end of each module and give students the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge learned from the module. They will each be worth 25 points.
    1. Module 1, Introduction to Resort Management - due June 3rd
    2. Module 2, Resort Operations - due June 24th
    3. Module 3, Resort Marketing - due July15th
    4. Module 4, Resort Finance - due July 30th

It is the student’s responsibility to keep up with these projects and assignments. A portion of the grade will be based on timely submission. If you have questions or would like to discuss any of these with your professor, please correspond through e-mail.

Go on to Page 2 of the Syllabus

E-mail Lloyd Shelton at lloyd.shelton@nau.edu
or call (928) 527-7518

Miscellaneous:
  1. Those of you who graduate with a hospitality degree in the next few years will have fabulous career opportunities. This class combined with a resort internship should give you a competitive advantage in obtaining a management position in a resort upon graduation. Students should seriously consider using this class to make the contacts for a resort internship.
  2. Most world-class resorts are now building spas and there are very few trained and qualified spa technicians and managers. Anyone interested?

RESORT EXPERIENCES

Professor Hales, who designed the course, has been fortunate to work at or stay in a wide range of resorts over his 25 years in the hospitality industry. Following are some thoughts for you to reflect on as we start to build your resort experience list:

  1. Best resort view - Rooftop at Marriott's Marco Island - sunset
  2. Next best resort view - Sunrise Terrace at Marriott's Rancho Las Palmas, Palm Springs, California
  3. Prettiest resort golf course - Hyatt Dorado Beach, Puerto Rico
  4. Hardest resort golf course - PGA West, La Quinta, California
  5. Hardest hole resort golf course - the 17th, PGA Sawgrass, Ponta Verda Beach, Florida
  6. Most historical resort in the west – Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix
  7. Most water on a resort course – Westin Hills CC, Florida
  8. Most unusual resort golf course - Marriott's Castle Harbor, Bermuda
  9. Most alligators on a resort golf course - The Dogwood Course, Marriott’s Grand Hotel, Pt. Clear, Alabama
  10. Best resort golf complex - The Doral Courses (5), Miami, Florida
  11. Best resort golf destinations - Tie between Hilton Head Island, South Carolina and Palm Springs, California
  12. Most unbelievable resort lobby - Marriott's Desert Springs, Palm Springs, California
  13. Most unbelievable resort service - The Phoenician, Scottsdale
  14. Most unbelievable resort prices - The Boulders, Carefree, AZ
  15. Most romantic resort experience - 1972 Camelback Inn, Scottsdale, AZ
  16. Most unique resort experience - The Green Turtle Club, Green Turtle Key, the Bahamas.
  17. Most historical resort in the south – Marriott’s Grand Hotel, Pt Clear Alabama
  18. Most unusual resort – Marriott’s TanTarA Resort, Osage Beach, MO
  19. Best resort scuba/snorkeling – Treasure Key, Bahamas
  20. Best resort beach facilities – Marriott’s Harbor Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
  21. Best resort beach – Frenchman’s Reef, St. Thomas
  22. Best resort water park – Hyatt Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, AZ
  23. Best tennis facilities – Marriott’s Rancho Las Palmas, Palm Springs, California
  24. Best resort spa – Marriott’s Desert Springs, Palm Springs, California
  25. Best resort room service – Marriott’s Orlando World Center
  26. My resort home – Rancho Las Palmas

Instructor Information

As a Certified Hospitality Administrator and an adjunct faculty member of Northern Arizona Universities School of Hotel and Restaurant Management I hope to guide you through the wonderful experience that are resorts.

I have had the privilege to work as the General Manager of a country club as well as the Food and Beverage director of a ski area. I have had the unique experience of being Food and Beverage director at Grand Canyon National Park. While not strictly a resort, the Grand Canyon operation included remote facilities (Phantom Ranch, 1.2 miles beneath the canyon rim), Transportation (Tours as well as mule rides) and gourmet dinning.

I serve as a member of the Governors Tourism Advisory Council, City of Flagstaff Tourism Commission, Board of Directors of the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce, Board of Directors of the Tozan project at NAU and President of the Flagstaff Innkeepers Association.