Decision modeling using simulation: a hospitality perspective

Abstract This article reviews the use and role of simulation as a decision-modeling technique in the hospitality industry. While simulation modeling currently appears to be used primarily by academic institutions and large hospitality firms, new advances in computer hardware and software should mean it will see much greater use in the future as a management decision technique for smaller hospitality operations. The article outlines a systematic six-step process for constructing and evaluating such simulation models and provides an example of the use of this process for modeling a small food-service operation.