DECA Hospitality 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A hotel's RevPAR dropped 12% year-over-year despite stable occupancy. What most likely explains this?
- Average daily rate decreased (Correct answer)
- Total room count increased
- Staff turnover rose
- Marketing budget was cut
Correct answer: Average daily rate decreased
RevPAR equals occupancy rate multiplied by ADR, so a falling ADR directly lowers RevPAR even when occupancy holds steady.
Question 2: Which service style involves guests selecting food items displayed on a buffet line and carrying their own plates?
- French service
- Russian service
- Cafeteria service (Correct answer)
- Butler service
Correct answer: Cafeteria service
Cafeteria service has guests move along a counter, choose items, and transport their own trays or plates.
Question 3: A front desk agent discovers a guest's reservation was accidentally cancelled. What is the BEST first step?
- Apologize and check for available rooms immediately (Correct answer)
- Ask the guest to rebook online
- Charge a walk-in rate
- Transfer the call to management
Correct answer: Apologize and check for available rooms immediately
Immediately apologizing and searching for an available room shows ownership of the problem and prioritizes guest satisfaction.
Question 4: Which of the following is an example of upselling in a hotel context?
- Offering a suite upgrade to a guest booked in a standard room (Correct answer)
- Suggesting a competing hotel with lower rates
- Providing complimentary breakfast as compensation
- Waiving parking fees for loyalty members
Correct answer: Offering a suite upgrade to a guest booked in a standard room
Upselling means encouraging a guest to purchase a higher-tier product, such as a suite instead of a standard room.
Question 5: The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires hotels to ensure which of the following?
- At least 10% of rooms are accessible to guests with disabilities
- A minimum percentage of accessible rooms based on total room count (Correct answer)
- All rooms are fully wheelchair accessible
- Accessible rooms are priced lower than standard rooms
Correct answer: A minimum percentage of accessible rooms based on total room count
ADA mandates a tiered minimum number of accessible rooms scaled to the property's total room count, not a flat 10%.
Question 6: A restaurant manager uses a 'mystery shopper' program primarily to:
- Evaluate service quality from a guest's perspective (Correct answer)
- Identify profitable menu items
- Train new kitchen staff
- Reduce food waste
Correct answer: Evaluate service quality from a guest's perspective
Mystery shoppers pose as regular guests to objectively assess service, cleanliness, and overall experience.
Question 7: Which pricing strategy sets room rates based on what competitors charge for similar properties?
- Cost-plus pricing
- Competitive pricing (Correct answer)
- Value-based pricing
- Penetration pricing
Correct answer: Competitive pricing
Competitive pricing anchors rates to the market by benchmarking against rival properties with comparable amenities.
DECA Hospitality 2
A hotel's RevPAR dropped 12% year-over-year despite stable occupancy.
What most likely explains this?