2. HOTEL ORGANIZATION-
ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS
Organizational chart is a schematic representation of
the relationship between positions within an
organization.
It should be flexible and should be reviewed and
revised yearly, or more often if business conditions
significantly change.
A copy of the property’s organization chart should be
included in the employee handbook distributed to all
employees.
3. FUNCTIONAL AREAS
Revenue center sells goods or services to guests, thereby
generating revenue for hotel. (F & B dept., front office,
room service, and telephone.)
Support centers, also referred to as cost centers, include
the housekeeping, accounting, engineering and
maintenance, and human resources divisions. These
divisions do not generate direct revenue, but provide
important support for the hotel’s revenue centers.
Front of the house areas are areas where guests interact
with employees. Such areas include the front office,
restaurants, and lounges.
In back of the house areas, interaction between guest and
employees is less common. Such areas include
housekeeping, engineering and maintenance,
accounting, and human resources.
4. HOTEL DIVISIONS - ROOMS
DIVISION
Front office
The front office is the most visible department in a hotel. Guests come to the front
desk to register; to receive room assignments; to inquire about available services,
facilities, and the city or surrounding area; and to check out.
Other functions include receiving and distributing mail, messages, and facsimiles, as
well as guest cashiering.
Cashiers post charges and payments to guest accounts, all of which are later during
an account auditing procedure (often called night audit).
The functions of The front office are to:
Sell guestroom, register guests, and assign guestrooms.
Process future room reservations, when there is no reservation department or when
the reservation dept. is closed.
Coordinate guest services.
Provide information about the hotel, the surrounding community, and any
attractions or events of interest to guests.
Maintain accurate room status information.
Maintain guest accounts and monitor credit limits.
Produce guest account statements and complete proper financial settlement.
5. Reservations
More than half of all hotel guests makes reservations. The
reservations department is responsible for receiving and
processing reservation requests for future overnight
accommodations.
These individuals arrange for hotel accommodations through
such means as toll-free telephone numbers; direct telephone
lines; hotel sales representatives; travel agencies; property-to-
property networks; postal delivery; telex and fax; e-mail; and
other communications services.
Reservation agents should convey the desirability, features,
and benefits of staying at the hotel, rather than simply taking
an order. It is no longer satisfactory for a reservations agent to
say that the front desk will determine the room rate at check-
in.
Reservation agents should confirm the rate over the telephone
at the time the guest makes reservation. The agent should also
tell the guest why the room is such a good value information to
avoid overbooking. It is essential for reservations department
personnel to work closely with the hotel’s sales and marketing
division.
6. Communications
The telephone department may also be referred to
as a private branch exchange or PBX.
Hotel switchboard or PBX operators may have
responsibilities that extend beyond answering and
distributing calls to the appropriate extension.
When long distance calls are routed and priced
through the switchboard, charges must be relayed to
a front office cashier for posting to the proper guest
account.
Switchboard operators may also place wake-up
calls, monitor-automated systems, and coordinate
emergency communications.
Operators also protect guests’ privacy, and thereby
contribute to the hotel’s security program by not
divulging guestroom numbers.
7. Uniformed Service / Guest
Service
Bell Attendants provide baggage service between the lobby area and
the guestroom.
Should have strong oral communication skills and display genuine
interest in each guest. Depending on the size and complexity of the
hotel, bell attendants may be counted on to:
Transport guest luggage to and from guestrooms.
Familiarize guests with the hotel’s facilities and services, safety features,
as well as the guestroom and any in-room amenities.
Provide a secure area for guests requiring temporary luggage storage.
Provide information on hotel services and facilities.
Deliver mail, packages, messages, and special amenities to guestrooms.
Pick up and deliver guest laundry and dry cleaning.
Perform light housekeeping services in lobby and entry areas.
Help guests load and unload their luggage in the absence of a door
attendant.
8. Door Attendants welcome the guest to the hotel. Some of the duties door
attendants perform include:
Open hotel doors and assisting guests upon arrival.
Help guests load and unload luggage from vehicles.
Escort guests to the hotel registration area.
Control vehicle traffic flow and safety at the hotel entrance.
Hail taxis, upon request.
Assist with valet parking services.
Perform light housekeeping services in the lobby and entry areas.
Concierges
Concierges may provide custom services to hotel guests.
Duties include making reservations for dining, securing tickets for theater and
sporting events, arranging transportation, and providing information on cultural
events and local attractions. Concierges are known for their resourcefulness.
9. HOUSEKEEPING
Part of the rooms division of the hotel.
Effective communication among housekeeping and front office personnel
can contribute to guest satisfaction while helping the front office to
effectively monitor guestroom status.
Housekeeping employees inspect rooms before they are available for sale,
clean occupied and vacated rooms, and communicate the status of
guestrooms to the front office.
Often employs a larger staff than other departments in the rooms division.
The department also includes inspectors (Floor SV), room attendants (Maid),
lobby and general cleaners (Houseman), and laundry personnel.
Housekeeping personnel are responsible for maintaining two types of
inventories:
Recycled inventories – are those items that have a relatively limited useful life
but are used repeatedly in housekeeping operations. (Linens, uniforms, and
guest amenities like irons and hair dryers.)
Non-recycled inventories – are those items that are consumed or worn out
during the course of routine housekeeping operations. (Cleaning supplies,
small equipment, and guest supplies and personal grooming items.)
10. FOOD AND BEVERAGE
DEPARTMENT
Many hotels support more than one food and
beverage outlet.
There are almost as many varieties of hotel food
and beverage operations as there are hotels.
Possible outlets include quick service, table
service, and specialty restaurants, coffee shops,
bars, lounges, and clubs.
The food and beverage division also typically
supports other hotel functions such as room
service, catering, and banquet planning.
11. SALES AND MARKETING
DIVISION
Sales and marketing responsibilities are typically
divided into four functions:
sales, convention services, advertising, and public
relations.
The primary goal of the division is to promote the
sale of hotel product and services.
Sales and marketing staffs need to coordinate
their efforts with the front office and other hotel
divisions to effectively assess and communicate
guest needs.
12. ENGINEERING AND
MAINTENANCE
DIVISION
A hotel’s engineering
and maintenance
division is responsible for
maintaining the
property’s structure and
grounds, as well as its
electrical and
mechanical equipment.
This division may also be
charged with swimming
pool sanitation, parking
lot cleanliness and
fountain operations.
HUMAN RESOURCES
DIVISION
Functions of the human
resources division are;
employment, training,
employee relations,
compensation, benefits,
administration, labor
relations, and safety.
13. ACCOUNTING DIVISION
A hotel’s accounting division monitors the financial
activities of the property.
Accounting activities include paying outstanding
invoices, distributing unpaid statements, collecting
amounts owed, processing payroll, accumulating
operating data, and compiling financial reports.
The accounting staff may be responsible for making
bank deposits, securing cash loans, and performing
other control and processing functions as required by
hotel management.
In many hotels, the night audit and the food and
beverage audit are considered accounting division
activities.
