Chapter 2: Hotel Organization

Teamwork is important for success,

Organizational Missions
Every organization has a reason or purpose to exist: Its purpose forms the basis for the organization's
mission, An organization's mission can be expressed in a mission statement.

Mission Statement
It defines the unique purpose that sets one hotel or hotel company apart from others. A hotel's
mission statement should address the interests of its three emain constituent groups: guests,
management, and employees.

First, a hotel's mission statement should address the basic needs and expectations of the hotel's
guests. All guests have the following basic expectations:

• Safe, secure accommodations

• A clean, comfortable guestroom

• Courteous, professional, and friendly service

• Well-maintained facilities and equipment

Second, it should reflect its management philosophy.

Third, it should help the hotel's employees meet or exceed the expectations of both guests and
management.

A mission statement can also serve as a basis for job descriptions and performance standards and as
an introduction to the property for new employees.

Goals
The next step is to set goals. Goals are those activities and standards an organization must
successfully perform or achieve to effectively carry out its mission. A goal is more specific than
mission; it requires a certain level of achievement that can be observed or measured.

Examples of measurable front office goals might be:

• Increase the hotel's average occupancy level by two percent above the previous year's level.
• Increase the volume of repeat guest business by 10 percent.
• Reduce average check-in and check-out times by two minutes.
• Reduce the number of guest complaints by 20 percent.
Strategies and Tactics
By establishing property-wide, measurable goals, a hotel enables its managers and employees
to concentrate on specific strategies that will help the property achieve its goals. Strategies are
the methods a department or division uses to reach its objectives. Tactics further define how
these goals will be achieved. They are the day-to-day operating procedures that implement
successful strategies.

Hotel Organization
A common way to represent the formal structure is through an organization chart. This chart
is a schematic representation of the relationships between positions within an organization. It
should be flexible and reviewed and revised yearly, or more often if business conditions
change significantly.

Classifying Functional Areas

One method involves classifying an operating division or department as either a revenue
center or a support center. A revenue center sells goods or services to guests, thereby
generating revenue for the hotel (e.g., front office, food and beverage, room service, and
telephone). Support centers, also referred to as cost centers, include housekeeping,
accounting, engineering and maintenance, and human resources. These divisions provide
important support for the hotel's revenue centers.

The terms "front of the house" and "back of the house" may also be used to classify hotel
departments, divisions, and personnel. Front of the house areas are where guests interact with
employees (e.g., front office, restaurants, and lounges). In back of the house areas, interaction
between guests and employees is less common (e.g., housekeeping, engineering and
maintenance, accounting, and human resources).

Rooms Division
Front Office
The front office is the most visible department in a hotel. Guests come to the front desk to
register, receive room assignments, inquire about available services and facilities, and check
out. Other front office functions include receiving and disbursing mail, messages, and faxes,
as well as handling guest cashiering. Cashiers post charges and payments to guest accounts,
all of which are later verified by the night auditor.

Functions of the Front Office

The functions of the front office include:
• Selling guestrooms, registering guests, and assigning guestrooms.
• Processing future room reservations when there is no reservation department or when the
reservation department is closed.
• Coordinating guest services.
• Providing information about the hotel, the surrounding community, and any attractions or
events of interest to guests.
• Maintaining accurate room status information.
• Maintaining guest accounts and monitoring credit limits.
• Producing guest account statements and completing proper financial settlements.

Reservations
More than half of all hotel guests make reservations. These individuals arrange for hotel
accommodations through various means, such 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. The department is
responsible for receiving and processing reservation requests for future overnight
accommodations.

Reservations 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. The reservations agent should
confirm the rate over the telephone at the time the guest makes the reservation and explain
why the room is a good value. They also need to provide information to avoid overbooking
and work closely with the hotel's marketing and sales division.

Communications
The communications department may also be referred to as a private branch exchange (PBX).
Its responsibilities may extend beyond answering and distributing calls to the appropriate
extensions. 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. The
department may also place wake-up calls and monitor automated systems, tems, and
coordinate emergency communications. Operators also protect guest's privacy.

Uniformed Service/Guest Service

Bell Attendants
Bell attendants perform the following duties:
• Transport guest luggage to and from guestrooms.
• Familiarize guests with the hotel's facilities, services, safety features, and 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.

Door Attendants
Door attendants are responsible for:
• Opening hotel doors and assisting guests upon arrival.
• Helping guests load and unload luggage from vehicles.
• Escorting guests to the hotel registration area.
• Controlling vehicle traffic flow and ensuring safety at the hotel entrance.
• Hailing taxis upon request.
• Assisting with valet parking services.
• Performing light housekeeping services in the lobby and entry areas.

Valet Parking Attendants

Valet parking attendants are typically found at luxury or world-class service hotels. These
specially trained employees park guest and visitor automobiles. Guests do not have to worry
about finding a parking space, walking to the hotel in inclement weather, or locating their
vehicles in the parking lot. Hotels generally charge an additional fee for valet parking, and
guests receive a ticket in exchange for the car.
Transportation Personnel
Many airport hotels offer complimentary bus service between the airport and the hotel on a
regular schedule. Bus or courtesy drivers must be well-trained and properly licensed to
operate the vehicle.

Concierge
Concierges provide customized 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.

Housekeeping
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. The
housekeeping department often employs a larger staff than other departments in the rooms
division. Typically, an executive housekeeper oversees the department, assisted by an
assistant housekeeper. The department also includes inspectors, room attendants, lobby and
general cleaners, and laundry personnel.

Depending on the hotel's service level, average guestroom size, and cleaning tasks, room
attendants may clean between 8 to 18 rooms per shift. They are responsible for maintaining
inventories of both recycled and non-recycled items (linens, uniforms, etc. are recycled;
cleaning supplies, guest supplies, etc. are non-recycled).

Food and Beverage Division

The Food and Beverage (F&B) division ranks second to the rooms division in terms of total
revenue. Possible outlets include quick-service, table-service, and specialty restaurants, coffee
shops, bars, lounges, and clubs. The F&B division also supports other hotel functions such as
room service, catering, and banquet planning.

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 products and services.

Accounting Division
The accounting division monitors the financial activities of the property. Activities include
paying outstanding invoices, distributing unpaid statements, collecting amounts owed,
processing payroll, accumulating operating data, and compiling financial reports.

Engineering and Maintenance Division

responsible for maintaining the property's structure and grounds, as well as its electrical and
mechanical equipment. This division may also oversee swimming pool sanitation, parking lot
cleanliness, and fountain operations.

Security Division
The security staff may include in-house personnel, contract security officers, or retired police
officers. Responsibilities may include patrolling the property, monitoring surveillance
equipment, and generally ensuring that guests, visitors, and employees are safe and secure.
Human Resources Division
The basic functions of the human resources division include employment (external recruiting
and internal reassignment), training, employee relations, compensation, benefits
administration (including employee policies), labor relations, and safety.

Other Divisions

 Retail Outlets: Includes gift shops, newsstands, or other retail outlets.

 Recreation: Offers activities such as golf, tennis, bowling, snorkeling, sailing,
walking tours, bicycle trips, horseback riding, hikes, and more.
 Casino: Provides games of chance for guests, generating high revenues.

Front Office Operations

Traditional front office functions include reservations, registration, room and rate assignment,
guest services, room status maintenance, settlement of guest accounts, and creation of guest
history records.

Organization
Large hotels often organize the front office according to functions, with different employees
handling separate areas. These positions typically include front desk agent, cashier, mail and
information clerk, telephone operator, reservations agent, and uniformed service agent.

Goals and Strategies

Goals are based on the hotel's mission statement and overall objectives. For example, one
front office goal might be to encourage more walk-in guests to stay at the property. A strategy
to accomplish this goal may could be for front desk agents to improve their sales presentations
by more thoroughly describing the available guestrooms and hotel services.

Work Shifts
A typical workload for front office employees in most hotels is a 40-hour workweek.
Traditional front office work shifts are:
• Day Shift: 07:00 - 15:00
• Evening Shift: 15:00 - 23:00
• Night Shift: 23:00 - 07:00

A program of flexible work hours, or flextime, allows employees to vary their start and end
times. A compressed work schedule occurs when an employee works 40 hours in fewer than
five days (for instance, 10-hour days). Job sharing is an arrangement by which two or more
part-time employees share the responsibilities of one full-time position.

Job Descriptions
it lists all the tasks that comprise a position. It may also outline reporting relationships,
responsibilities, working conditions, equipment and materials to be used, and other important
information specific to the place of employment. Well-written job descriptions can also be
used:
• In evaluating job performance.
• As an aid in training or retraining employees.
• To prevent unnecessary duplication of duties.
• To help ensure that each job task is performed.
• To help determine appropriate staffing levels.
Job Specifications
it lists the personal qualities, skills, and traits a person needs to successfully perform the tasks
outlined in a job description. Factors considered for a job specification include: formal
education, work experience, general knowledge, previous training, physical requirements,
communication ability, and equipment skills.

Traits important for front office work include:

• Professional demeanor
• Congenial personality
• Helpful attitude
• Flexibility
• Well-groomed appearance and Detail-oriented