Managing Accommodation Services: Roles and Responsibilities of Front Office and Housekeeping Departments

This article discusses the organization of front office function within a variety of accommodation services, key roles and responsibilities within front office and housekeeping departments, and the interrelationship between housekeeping and other departments. It also evaluates the importance of scheduling maintenance and repair work and security within the organization.

Unit 7: Managing
Accommodation Services

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS..............................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Part B...............................................................................................................................................3
1. Explaining the organization of front office function within variety of accommodation
service:........................................................................................................................................3
2. Discussing key role and responsibilities within front office department:...............................4
3. Analysing operation of front office in achieving organization mission and objectives:.........4
4. The key role in housekeeping department:.............................................................................5
5. Assessing linen stock and other supplies that meet supply demand:......................................6
6. Illustrating interrelationship between housekeeping and other department:...........................6
7. Evaluating relationship between housekeeping department and other department in
accommodation service:..............................................................................................................7
8. Critically evaluating range of different accommodation service and role of front office in
positive grading, classification and review in business growth:.................................................7
9. The importance of scheduling maintenance or repair work to minimize disruption to guests.
.....................................................................................................................................................8
10. Discussing the importance of security within organization..................................................8
11. Measuring the role of maintenance plays within the accommodation services to meet guest
satisfaction..................................................................................................................................9
12. The importance of communication between the housekeeping and facilities department to
meet overall guest satisfaction....................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Accommodation services in the hospitality industry includes the planning, organizing,
directing and monitoring of the operations of a specific department which helps the hotel
industry to move ahead in their business. It is a kind of services in the hospitality which provides
the needs and requirements of an individual or consumer from which they can enjoy themselves
(Luekveerawattana, 2018). Here, choosing a hospitality industry of United Kingdom named
Premium Inn who is able to provide the excellent accommodation services at their place.
MAIN BODY
Part B
1. Explaining the organization of front office function within variety of accommodation service:
Front office is one the most important and busiest area in accommodation service, this
not only warm welcome guest but this control some important activity. Every accommodation
provider need manage front office activities to maintain smooth flow, it is very clear that every
front office is located at front of the hotel which means guest will firstly interact with front office
manager, perform some important activities such as checking booking, availability of room,
check-in and check-out time and take personal details to ensure confirm booking (Batinić, 2016).
Front office is available in every accommodation service and their have activities to perform,
these are:
Hotel business: in hotel, front office not only welcome guest, but they play vital role, every
essential work is performed at this location because hotel mainly controlled by manager who
stand at front office. Hotels are divided according to star but their core function are same such as;
checking bookings and reservation, reception, guest service and 24×7 service to guest.
Bed and breakfast: in B&B, front office is quite different from hotel's front office because they
perform informal task and do not segregated into star. Guest often arrive in B&B without online
reservation and book room at the spot, it is quite easy to book accommodation in B&B because
there are no formal process. Service provided by them is quite same for example; room service,
meal service, housekeeping and many more.
Guest house: guest house is every comfortable as compared to hotel and other type of
accommodation service because they focus on offline process. This type of accommodation
service provider warmly welcome guest and provide them informal service such as snacks,

welcome drink, room before booking and other service because it is very clear that mostly guest
house is owned by family which provide both informal and formal service.
2. Discussing key role and responsibilities within front office department:
Front office is heart of every hotel business, they not only perform difficult task, but they
also address guest from diverse culture, taste, needs and language. Manager at front office need
to perform certain roles and responsibilities, these are:
Addressing guest: front office firstly interact with guest, they address them in professional
manner. In Premier Inn, front office ensure that guest does not walk away with negative
experience, they have professional at every stage of organizational structure mainly at front
office (Rutherford, 2021). Manager of Premier Inn provide focus on first impression which is
only possible if they address their guest, excellent communication and highly professional
manner impact experience of guest.
Supervising: every front office have responsibilities to supervise each and every activity of
hotel, not only supervising but advising staff member about their task in the premise. In Premier
Inn, front office manager look over activities of organization such as housekeeping,
maintenances and training to staff. Supervising in hotels like Premier Inn is quite challenging
because this hotel is large in both, size and task. Each staff member is engaged in some kind of
role and responsibilities which need to be supervised by front office manager to maintain
excellence in the hotel business.
Troubleshooting: hotel business is quite difficult to manage, each and every moment is busy in
this business. Front office department perform certain roles and responsibilities but most
importantly they have responsibilities to identify trouble in the smooth process, in Premier Inn,
front office department analyse trouble occurring in every part of business. There are many cases
where Premier Inn able to manage impact of these problems because of professionalism, every
emergency in hotel is addressed by front office department.
3. Analysing operation of front office in achieving organization mission and objectives:
Front office operation drive organization towards success, hotel completely depend upon
operation performed by front office. This is area of hotel help business to achieve objectives,
Premier Inn is one of those hotel who achieve organization objectives with the help of front
office (Olimovich, Bakhtiyorovich and Salimovna, 2020). Mission of Premier Inn is to provide
professional service to guest which is accomplished by front office, this department ensure

allocation of objectives to every other department. Supervising as operation performed by front
office ensure personalized service, staff member get highly professional supervising from front
office allowing them to become more professional.
4. The key role in housekeeping department:
Housekeeping department is one of the most important area of every hotel business, this
department ensure cleaning and maintenances of hotel and room. Housekeeping is quite crucial
in hospitality industry, cleanness is the biggest problem which impact efficiency of hotel. Most
of the guest want their room not only be to clean but properly arranged that can increase
experience of guest (Chiu, 2018). Premier Inn is well-known for its standard service,
housekeeping department of this hotel is the reason for good review and guest satisfaction. There
are certain roles of housekeeping department, these are:
Cleaning: cleaning of room is first and the most important role of housekeeping department, this
role allows them to provide and maintain cleanness in the room. Premier Inn focus on
housekeeping department and provide them financial help to increase effectiveness, cleaning of
room can be very challenging depending on guest. Housekeeping department use certain
chemical to clean room, there are may case where Premier Inn state that they use those chemical
which can completely remove bacteria and other virus.
Continuous service: every hotel run 24×7 which means all department of hotel have to run
accordingly. Housekeeping department play vital role in providing service 24×7, this department
ensure that guest feel comfortable. Premier Inn's housekeeping department ensure all roles and
responsibilities by working continuously, there are many situations where only housekeeping
department can provide service. Even in middle of the night, housekeeping department of
Premier Inn is ready to provide service.
Coordination: coordination between department to department play vital role, housekeeping
ensure that room remain perfect for guest and meet requirement. This department not only clean
room, but they scan those problems which is arriving in the room for example; problem in TV,
plumbing, broken mirror, lighting and any electrical failure which might cause harm to guest
(Rode and Poole, 2018). Premier Inn's housekeeping department play vital role in carefully
checking room, if they win any issue they coordinate with other department.

5. Assessing linen stock and other supplies that meet supply demand:
Guest in hotel accommodation demand those essential stock which can fulfil their
demand, it is very clear that guest not only impressed by service, but they also remain satisfied
with supplies provided by hotel (Ariska and Rifiyan, 2016). Premier Inn ensure their room fulfil
every demand of guest, they provide stock and other essential products that impact experience of
customer. Sometimes in peak season time, hotel face problem of insufficient linen stock. There is
certain importance of linen stock, these are:
Stability: it is quite important to forecast linen stock in hotel business because this allows them
to maintain stability of stock. Sometimes situation impact stock for example; during peak season,
hotel might not have over stock which can impact performance of hotel and can impact
experience of guest as well. Due to shortage, hotel face issue in maintaining stability and often
lose guest and their experience in the hotel.
Capacity utilization: inventory management is only possible if hotel can ensure utilization of
over stock in the inventory, during different situations, hotel might over stock their inventory and
feel burden. It is quite important to avoid over spending on linen stock. Every hotel have their
own capacity of utilization stock which means according to demand of guest, hotel store linen
stock.
6. Illustrating interrelationship between housekeeping and other department:
Housekeeping department perform certain task which only can be possible by them,
which means they might be completely different from any other department of hotel. This area of
hotel ensure cleanness and allow hotel to provide standard service to guest, housekeeping
department is connected with certain other department of hotel, these are:
Housekeeping and finance: housekeeping department is connected with finance department
because cleaning is only possible if finance allow them to purchase cleaning stock. Finance
department of Premier Inn provide them financial help to purchase cleaning stock, coordination
between these two department ensure efficiency of hotel (Bhatnagar and Nim, 2019). It is very
clear that half of hotel revenue is utilized in maintenance process which means apart from
purchasing cleaning products, housekeeping department need fuel of finance to speed growth of
the hotel.
Housekeeping and maintenance: housekeeping and maintenance department is quite helpful
for hotel in provide service to guest, these two department regularly work with each other to

ensure that room meet demand of guest. Premier Inn's housekeeping department scan issue in
room and contact maintenance department for solution of that particular issue for example; when
housekeeping department find any fault in electrical area of room then they contact maintenance
department allow them to replace fault electrical problem.
Housekeeping and front office: housekeeping is connected with front office, without this
collaboration hotel cannot manage task. Front office department craft strategies, roles and
process for housekeeping department, they supervise activities of housekeeping and check
whether cleaning is done in proper manner. In Premier Inn, guest always request service at front
office which is transferred to housekeeping department in the form of task which they need to
fulfil.
7. Evaluating relationship between housekeeping department and other department in
accommodation service:
Housekeeping department work collaboratively with each and every department of the
hotel including finance department, relationship of this department allow them to connect with
different department and help them to become more stable (Melián-González and Bulchand-
Gidumal, 2017). It is very clear that housekeeping department is connected with other
department, but they are controlled by human resource department of hotel because they provide
skilled worker who perform task effectively. Every accommodation service provider need those
people who can perform cleaning even in tough situation. Housekeeping is not an easy task that
means other department need to provide expertise to this department in achieving organizational
objectives.
8. Critically evaluating range of different accommodation service and role of front office in
positive grading, classification and review in business growth:
Hotel is divided into different grade this allows guest to consider their preferred stay.
Every hotel has their own grade which is categorized by star. Super luxury hotel will fall under
five star categories whereas cheap and affordable hotel will fall under one-star category (Punjaisr
and Wilson, 2017). Depending on service provided by hotel and depending on positive review of
guest decide grading, there are many hotels who fall into five star categories but provide service
that fall under one-star category because they have larger area and more room as compared to
other hotels.

9. The importance of scheduling maintenance or repair work to minimize disruption to guests.
In the hospitality industry, there is a huge importance of scheduling maintenance and
repair work services as their main target and aim is to provide the best and comfortable
accommodation services to the guests (Mariani, and Borghi, 2021). It is just because to provide
the excellent experience from the hotel industry to the consumer so that they can be able to grow
their business and also can make a reputation. The hospitality named Premium Inn is the largest
brand in the UK because of its scheduling maintenance which supports the business to grow
effectively. Even, 89% of hotel chain people recommended that maintenance in the hospitality is
the major and important function each and every hospitality needs to implemented. It helps in
saving the money, time and areas for planning ahead for the future. Keeping up the maintenance
requires a qualitative and brand standard for the proper system in place (Gavilan, Avello, and
et.al., 2018). Even, these industries are also required to approach and take the maintenance
responsibility by hiring the engineers for the repairs of the workflows, increases guest
satisfaction and a good maintenance of the property which also can attract the maximum number
of guests.
10. Discussing the importance of security within organization.
The hospitality industry is now a huge business and place of accommodation and food
services where maximum number of people come and stay. The customer or guest’s security is
the main and important part of the hospitality industry to be maintained accurately. A hotel's
reputation and growth is mostly depending on the guest experience where it includes the security
services as well. It is important to implement the security to protect and secure the customer
travel accessories and their personal items which can be a risk of theft. These securities help the
customer's items to get damaged and theft by someone whereas, hospitality industry implements
various resources and activities to provide the security effectiveness (Öztürk, 2019).
For example, Premium Inn hospitality focuses on the security where they hire the
physical surveillance which means keeping the security guards at the specific places like
entrance and existing door of the entire place. Also, implementing the patrolling over the
coverage of hotel, at the stairs and parking areas and even restaurant and bars from where no one
can be able to do any criminal activity. The safety of the guests and consumers are the main duty
and responsibility of the hotel industry which can decide their accommodation services and hotel
industry reputation and growth.

11. Measuring the role of maintenance plays within the accommodation services to meet guest
satisfaction.
For the better approach and well-maintained services for the consumers and guest
required the good and well condition facilities to be provided. The role of hotel industry is to
keep the maintenance of the business or department to make the consumer feel satisfied and
comfortable. Guest satisfaction and their experience matters a lot for the hospitality industry
where they can increase their productivity and reputation (Al-Khayyal, Alshurideh, and et.al.,
2020). These industries include the security functions, housekeeping services I the hospitality
which helps and supports them to grow well and can be able to provide the effective and
excellent experience.
12. The importance of communication between the housekeeping and
facilities department to meet overall guest satisfaction.
The housekeeping people have the responsibility of making the surrounding of the
hospitality clean and safe from which the guest can feel the better hygiene and atmosphere
around them. The manager is requiring to provide the effective training session for the
housekeeping people and a way of communicating can help and support the entire hospitality
growth and development (Altinay, Dai, Chang, and et.al., 2019). From a better communication
approach a housekeeping and a manager can decide the areas of effectiveness for the guest
satisfaction.
CONCLUSION
This report has discussed different type of accommodation service and their function which
ensure guest experience, accommodation service may include, hotel, guest house and bed &
breakfast. Later this report has discussed role of front office and their function which drive
organization towards success, every accommodation service has their function, role and
responsibilities which allow them to differ from other. Later this report has discussed key role of
housekeeping in the hotel and its function that ensure cleanness in the hotel, housekeeping
department is connected with other department of hotel as well which means they have to work
professional to achieve organizational mission and objectives. At last this report has discussed
role of security and its importance in the hotel.

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