Hotel Core Areas : Introduction to Tourism, Hospitality ; Hotel Industry

Table of Contents
Introduction
Departments
1. House Keeping Department
2. Food and Beverage Service Department
3. Food Production Department
4. Front Office Department
The functions of different front office sections are as follows:
Reservation
Registration
Telephone Operator
Information Center
Front Office Cashier
Business center

Introduction
There are various departments of a hotel which help in the smooth and efficient operation of
the hotel. All these departments work in close liaison for the hotel to operate in good
condition so as to achieve management’s predefined goals and objectives.

The major four departments of hotels are:

Housekeeping Department
Food and Beverage Service Department
Food Production or Kitchen Department
Front Office Department
These four departments are the operational departments of the hotel known as the Core
Areas of the Hotel. But not only the operational department but the secondary department
also plays a significant role to ensure general administration of hotel and they are:

Sales and marketing

Personal and human resources
Account and finance
Security and engineering
Purchase and store

Find more hospitality resources at hmhub

|1
 Hotel Core Areas : Introduction to Tourism, Hospitality ; Hotel Industry

Departments
1. House Keeping Department
The housekeeping department is responsible for the management of guest rooms and the
cleanliness of all public areas of the hotel. A close liaison between housekeeping and front
office is essential so that the information about a guest- rooms are kept up to date. In simple
words, Housekeeping means up-keeping the house.

2. Food and Beverage Service Department

Food and beverage department are one of the main service oriented and crucial department
of the hotel. It renders the services of prepared food items, beverages, and tobacco in a
hospitable way to the customer as per their demand.
The food and beverage department put forward the world-class service of food and drink. The
services that food and beverages provide maybe a coffee shop, bars, lounges, specialty
restaurants, banqueting, and room service, etc.

3. Food Production Department

A kitchen is a well designed closed area with skillful chefs and all necessary equipment, tools,
and utensils liable for preparing food items as per guest orders followed by standard recipes.
It is a skilled food production team that prepares food items as per the guest’s orders. It
prepares food according to the menu and there are two types of menu.

4. Front Office Department

The front office department is the most visible department in a hotel. The focal point of
activity within the front office is the reception desk. The reception desk is usually the place in
which the guest makes the first impression of the hotel. It is also the communication center
of the hotel. Since it is the first and last point of guest contact with the hotel spends a lump
sum amount of money to make it look more luxurious and beautiful. We can see in most of
the hotel’s front office or the entrance point of the hotel is decorated and made luxurious in
every way. It is also the communication center for the hotel operation. The front office
department plays an important role in the image building of a hotel.

Find moreand
The reception desk includes front office cashier, information, hospitality resources
registration atThe
section. hmhub

|2
 Hotel Core Areas : Introduction to Tourism, Hospitality ; Hotel Industry

other section of the front office is a telephone operator, reservation, and business center.
Every section of the front office has its own functions.

The functions of different front office sections are as

follows:
Reservation

A request for accommodation by the guest in a hotel for any particular period is called a
reservation. Reservationists are the employees responsible for accepting or rejecting the
reservations made by guests from different modes such as telephone, e-mail, fax, letters, etc

Registration

This section of the front office is responsible for the warm and friendly reception of all guests.
Staffs working in this section are known as a receptionist. Receptionists are the staff who
have direct contact with the guest, thus they should pose an amiable personality with high-
level o of grooming at all the times.

Telephone Operator

Find more hospitality resources at hmhub

|3
 Hotel Core Areas : Introduction to Tourism, Hospitality ; Hotel Industry

This is the separate section under the front office department which is located on the
backside of the hotel. They are connected to the front desk and cannot be seen by the guest.
A telephone operator is an employee in this section, responsible for handling all incoming and
outgoing guest call and hotel calls. The telephone operator is responsible for posting of all
charges incurred by the guests and the hotel employees while making outcalls.

Information Center

This is another section under the front office department, which is located at the visible part
of the lobby separately within the lobby area or joined together with the front desk. This
section is responsible for providing information related to the hotel, rooms, and facilities and
about the city or towns where the hotel is located. The information center of the front office is
also responsible for handling guest mails and messages.

Front Office Cashier

Find more hospitality resources at hmhub

|4
 Hotel Core Areas : Introduction to Tourism, Hospitality ; Hotel Industry

This section of the front office is located at the front desk. Front office cashier, working in this
section is responsible for updating guest bills, keeping up to date cash and credit
transactions of the guest, and get them settled before the guest’s departure. Front office
cashier should ensure the timely collection of all guest bills from different outlets and posts
them in respective folios in case if the Front Office is not computerized.

Business center

Modern technology has changed the pace of the information system. People can do their job
in a home country from far countries. The role of fax, photocopying, and secretarial work is
deemed important t to provide these types of services to the guest. There may be demand
for guest to translate and interpret services as well as the hire of laptops, computers, and
portable telephones in their rooms. The responsibility of such type of services comes under
business services. The arrangement of meeting rooms, conferences, is also one of the duties
of business center staff. It the hotel has many none – English speaking guests, then bilingual
secretaries may be required in the business center.

Find more hospitality resources at hmhub

|5