Introduction To Various Departments Of Hotel

There are various departments in a hotel, which help in the smooth and efficient
operation. First four departments are the core or the important departments in the hotel, which
are directly responsible for the day-to-day operation and secondary departments (back of the
house) Play significant role to ensure general administration of HR, finance, engineering, sale
and marketing, planning etc. Each department in a hotel has its specific function to be
performed. The functions of various departments within the hotel are given below:

Hood and Beverage

The food and beverage (F & B) department put forward class service of food and drink.
The services may be provided by coffee shops, bars, lounges, specialty restaurants,
banqueting, and room service, etc.

Room's Division
Room's division department is practiced in large hotels in which the numbers of rooms are
large and the function is complex and intense. Room's division department consists of the
following.

a) Front office
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 at
which guests receive the first impression of the hotel. It is also the communication centre for the
hotel's operation.

The reception desk includes front office cashier, information and registration section. The
other sections under front office are telephone exchange, reservations and business center.

Front office staffs are responsible for reservations of rooms, registration information, cash
and credit handling and other sundry services to the guests.

b) Housekeeping
The housekeeping department is responsible for the management of guest-rooms and the
cleanliness of all public areas of a hotel.
A close liaison between housekeeping and front office is essential so that the information
about guest-rooms is kept up to date. For example, which rooms available for letting, which are
occupied, which are out of order and which are vacant and dirty.
The housekeeping and front office usually have a department head or supervisor who
reports to the rooms' division manager. Each of the two department is responsible for its own
specific operation. Since these two departs have to work very closely together to ensure
teamwork.

c) Security
Security is mainly responsible for the safety and security of hotel guests, visitors and hotel
employees. This may include patrolling the hotel premises, monitoring equipments, and in
general, ensuring the security of guests, visitors and employees and their belongings.

d) Engineering
Engineering is responsible for the maintenance and the operation of all machinery and
equipment (including heating, air-conditioning and lighting). It is also responsible for carrying out
all carpentry, upholstery and small building, plumbing and other works of a hotel.
Purchase & Stores
Hotel is a commercial endeavor, where we purchase raw materials, give finishing and sell
in high prices. As a service industry, hotel purchases materials to support service procedures.
Purchase department plays an important role while purchasing all requirements of a hotel. From
a sewing kit to a large purchase, it is the job of the purchase department to facilitate with the
procedures. Purchase Manager is the incharge of this department. In recent developments, this
position is substituted by another position known to be Material Manager who looks after all
purchasing and storing activities.

Sales And Marketing

Who markets the hotel products is sales and marketing department. The sales and
marketing department is responsible for generating new business for the hotel. This could be
the sales of rooms, functions, conventions, or even restaurants and bars. It also handles the
advertising of the hotel as well as sales promotions and publicity and often takes on the role of
public relations.

Accounting
Accounting is responsible for monitoring of all the financial activities of a hotel. Such
accounting activities may include cash receipts and banking, the processing of payrolls,
accumulating operating data, and the preparation of internal reports, audits and financial
statements because of the importance of financial data and statistics.

Human Resource Department (HRD)

Human Resource Department is responsible for the hiring, firing, training and
development of hotel staff. In additions to this, this department is responsible for welfare,
collective bargaining and industrial relations. In recent years, this division has gained in
importance because of the need to contend with legislation, labor shortages, and the growing
pressures of competition. hotels now a days tend to put more effort into training and
development programmes to enhance the technical and conceptual knowledge in the staff.