LESSON 2:

Introduction to Hotel Rooms Division

The rooms department handles several different aspects of a guest's visit, including the front
desk, housekeeping, and guest services. Let's exert a closer look at each of these teams and what they
do.

DISCUSSION

Every hotel must have a rooms division, a department devoted to handling guests' needs and
providing a smooth and comfortable stay. The rooms department handles everything from taking a
guest's reservation to preparing their room and getting the guest checked in for the night.

Imagine you are responsible for the rooms division of your hotel. It is your job to make sure your
guests have everything they need to make their stay relaxing and comfortable. If there is a problem with
their reservation or visit, you will need to be prepared to handle their complaint - and prevent the
problem in the future.

The Rooms Division Director/Manageris held responsible by the GM for the efficient and effective
leadership and operation of all the rooms division departments. They include concerns such as the
following:

 Financial responsibility for rooms division

 Employee satisfaction goals
 Guest satisfaction goals
 Guest services
 Guest relations
 Security
 Gift shop

The rooms division consists of the following departments: front office, reservations, housekeeping,
concierge, guest services, security, and communications. Figure 2 shows the organizational chart for a
300-plus-room hotel rooms division.

AREAS OF THE ROOMS DIVISION

Classification functional areas:
1. Revenue Centers (Front-of-the-house)
- those that sells goods or services to guests, thereby generating revenue for the hotel (front office,
food and beverage outlets, room service and retail stores).
2. Support Centers (Back-of-the-house)
-these do not generate direct revenue, but provide important backing for the hotel’s revenue
centers (housekeeping, accounting, engineering and maintenance, and human resources
division).

Hotel Divisions:

1. Food and Beverage Division

2. Sales and Marketing Division
3. Accounting Division
4. Engineering and Maintenance
5. Security Division
6. Human Resource Division
7. Rooms Division
8. Other Divisions:
— Retail Outlets
— Recreation
— Casino

The rooms division comprises departments and personnel essential to providing the services
guests expect during a hotel stay. In most hotels, the rooms division generates more revenue than other
divisions. Departments under rooms division:

a. Front Office Department

b. Housekeeping Department

Front Office Department

Considered as the hub or nerve center of the hotel. It is the department that makes a first
impression on the guest and the one that the guest relies on throughout his or her stay for
information and service.
The most visible department in a hotel. Front office personnel also have more contact with
guests than staff in most other departments. The front desk is usually the focal point of activity
for the front office and is prominently located in the hotel’s lobby.

Functions of the Front Office Department:

 Sell guestrooms, register guests, and assign guestrooms.
 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
 Produce guest account statements, and complete proper financial settlement.

Sections under the Front Office Department:

 Reservations
 Communications
 Uniformed Service
o Bell attendants
o Door attendants
o Valet parking attendants
o Transportation personnel
o Concierge
Housekeeping Department
Responsible for the cleanliness, appearance, and condition of the entire hotel. This includes the
public areas. It is the largest department in terms of number of people employed.

Housekeeping

Refers to the upkeep and maintenance of cleanliness and order in a house or a lodging
establishment. Efficient managed housekeeping department ensure the cleanliness,
maintenance, and aesthetic appeal of lodging properties. The housekeeping department not
only prepares, on a timely basis, clean guestrooms for arriving guests, it also cleans and
maintains everything in the hotel so that the property is as fresh and attractive as the day it
opened for business.

Housekeeper is the one who is responsible for administering housekeeping maintenance, insuring that
everything is on order and that all occupants are made comfortable, safe and protected from disease-
causing bacteria.

Types of Housekeeping
 Domestic Housekeeping
Ä Refers to housekeeping maintenance in a house. Areas covered by domestic
housekeeping: bedroom, living room, entertainment room, kitchen, comfort room and
others that consist of a convenient house.
 Institutional Housekeeping
Ä Applies to housekeeping maintenance in commercial lodging establishments like hotels,
resorts, inns, and apartels.
Ä Areas Covered
 Guest rooms
 Hallways and corridors
 Lobby
 Public rooms and restaurants
 Offices
 Stairways
 Windows
 Stores and concessionaire shops
 Grounds
 Linen and Laundry area

Main Functions of the Housekeeping Department

 Cleaning and maintenance.
 Training of its personnel.
 Requisition and control of necessary supplies and equipment.
 Paperwork.

Department Heads of the Rooms Division

The areas of the rooms division are also managed by department heads. There lookout is to
manage and control the system of their specific area to ensure the safety of the hotel’s operations,
workers, as well as guests. These heads are directly reporting to the Rooms Division Manager or the
Hotel’s Resident Manager.
The department heads significantly work hand in hand to ensure that the hotel operations,
especially the entire Rooms Division operation, is running smoothly in accordance with the company
standard operating procedures while considering the hotel’s ultimate goal – that is to give satisfaction to
guests.

 Front Office Manager

 This person is responsible for a large portion of the most visible aspects of hotel’s daily
operations. She oversees the functions and performances of the front desk and the
uniform services.
The staff under the Front Office Manager are the following:
TITLE BASIC DUTIES/FUNCTIONS
Responsible for the daily operations of the front desk and
Front Desk Manager
closely communicating with housekeeping department
Ensures the quality and efficiency of front desk activities
Front Desk Supervisor
while supervising the works of the front desk staff
Front Desk Clerk Ensures efficient guest check-in and checkout
Leads and supervises the bellman, and ensures staffing
Bell Captain
levels are adequate
Assist guests to front desk for registration, to their rooms,
Bellman
and out of their rooms during check-out
Door attendants Greets and assists guests arriving at the hotel.
Also called as Garage Supervisor, supervises the valet
Valet Supervisor
parking and parking/garage staff
Parking Attendant Parks, cares, drives, and retrieves guests’ vehicle
Closely monitors the hotel switchboard and the staff of
PBX Supervisor
this unit
Ensures smooth flow of internal and external hotel’s
PBX Operator
telephone communications
Monitors and manages staff in providing assistance to
Concierge Manager
guests on their personal requests

 Director of Services
Ä This person can be viewed as the “behind-the-scenes” version of the front office
manager. He/she is responsible on the other aspects of hotel services specifically the
housekeeping and laundry operations where guests expect them to be excellent in
rendering their services so as to meet the satisfaction of the guests. Director of Services
carries a vital role in the rooms division, thus, interaction with the Front Office Manager
is significant for a smooth flow of a hotel operations.

The following are the staffs reporting to the Director of Services:

TITLE BASIC DUTIES/FUNCTIONS

Executive Responsible for the daily operations of the housekeeping
Housekeeper department and closely coordinating with front desk
Ensures quality and efficiency of housekeeping activities (guest
Assistant Executive
rooms cleaning and other areas for maintenance) while supervising
Housekeeper
the works of the housekeeping staffs.
Ensures standards of cleanliness are maintained and works closely
Senior Housekeeper
with housekeepers
Room Attendant Cleans and prepares guestrooms
Assists room attendant by providing supplies such as linens, towels,
Houseperson
and amenities.
Responsible in supervising, monitoring, and managing the internal
Laundry Manager
laundry operation of the hotel
Monitors and ensures adequate supplies of linens, uniforms, and
Linen Attendant
towels
Ensures that employee uniforms are properly cleaned and
Tailor/Seamstress
arranged and repairs linens when needed