"We have to take care of them": front office workers and the secret sexual encounters of guests in high-end hotels. Issue 4 (20th January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gaspani, Fabio
• Is Part Of: Employee relations. Volume 44:Issue 4(2022)
• Page Start: 913
• Page End: 925
• Publication Date: 2022-01-20
• Subjects: High-end hotels -- Front office workers -- Guests' sexual encounters -- Front-line service work -- Commercial sex; Industrial relations -- Periodicals; 331.05
• DOI: 10.1108/ER-12-2020-0535
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0142-5455

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: In line with the escapist dimension of hospitality settings, the article investigates how the front office staff of high-end hotels deal with clients' secret sexual encounters. Design/methodology/approach: The article draws on data collected through a participant observation study conducted in two high-end hotels in Milan (Italy), during which the author held the role of front-line receptionist. Findings: The research illustrates the ways in which workers frame events and conduct operations to guarantee the appropriate conditions for guests' extra-marital adventures and paid sexual encounters. In revealing the role of shared knowledge as well as non-formalised procedures in meeting guests' needs, the article shows how employees seek to protect their own work and the hotel's image. Originality/value: The article sheds light on the very features of high-end service work by illustrating how workers satisfy clients' secret needs and unexpressed demands.