Importance of Front Office and Housekeeping in Accommodation Services

This report discusses the organization of front office functions and key roles in accommodation services. It also explores the roles and responsibilities of the housekeeping department. The importance of forecasting linen stock and other guest supplies, interrelationships between departments, scheduling maintenance and repair work, and the importance of security in an organization are also examined.

Managing
Accommodation
Services

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
TASK 1 (Covered in PPT)...............................................................................................................3
TASK 2............................................................................................................................................3
P4 Explain the organisation of front office functions within a variety of accommodation
services........................................................................................................................................3
P5 Discuss the key roles within the front office department for a selected organisation...........4
TASK 3............................................................................................................................................4
P6. The key roles found within the housekeeping department in an organisation......................4
P7. Assess the importance of forecasting linen stock and other guest supplies to ensure
sufficient supply to meet demand...............................................................................................5
P8. Illustrate the importance of interrelationships between housekeeping and other key
department within a organisation to offer the quality services...................................................6
TASK 4............................................................................................................................................8
P9. Examine the importance of scheduling maintenance or repair work to minimise disruption
to guests.......................................................................................................................................8
P10. Discuss the importance of security in an organisation........................................................8
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................9
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Accommodation services is defined as the amount or fee which is paid by an guest for
sheltered for a night or more in an furnished room that includes at least a bed that must be
provided to a traveller, tourist or lodgers. Hospitality industry is the highest revenue generating
industry in the market that offers their quality services to attract the large group of targeted
customers (Flouris and Lock 2016). South Lodge hotel is the chosen organisation for this report,
It is the 5-star hotel which is situated in Horsham, West Sussex, England. It is opened in 1985
by James Hodges and is having 89 rooms and 3 restaurant with premium services. This report
will covert the size and scale of accommodation services found in hospitality industry and
different forms of ownership available to accommodation services. It also analyse the role that
grading, classification system and online review sites play at the time of booking of room.
Furthermore, It will explain the function of front office in accommodation services and key roles
of department in an organisation.
TASK 1 (Covered in PPT)
TASK 2
P4 Explain the organisation of front office functions within a variety of accommodation services.
Front office is the face of any hotel who is the one that intact and meet their guest at the
time of arrival or the prior reservation. It is called front office because it is situated at the from of
the hotel and play vital role in the accommodation services as front office guy is the room seller
and generate most of revenue from room selling(Dinar and Dinar,2017). It is the first and the
last point where guest meet the hotel staff. It is the duty of the front office to create the
impression in order to attract and create value in their mind. This department is responsible for
solving all the queries of the guest that can be personal or related to the their stay. Functions and
roles of front office department in the accommodation services in South lodge are as follows:
Functions of front office in accommodation services:
 The main task of the front office department is to do the reservation of the guest for their
staying in the hotel.
 It also responsible for luggage handling ad having separate subsection named concierge.

 They act as the public face as majorly do the meeting and greeting of guest at the time of
guest arrival.
 It is the assistance provider the guest can directly contact to them and they will help in
solving their various queries.
 They are responsible for payment handling and proper record keeping.
Roles of front office in accommodation services:
 The main role of front office is to sale the room by using the reservation method.
 They reserve, receive and allot the respective room book by the guest at their prior
reservation.
 They are responsible for maintaining the guest record for he easy flow of their operations.
 They are concern with passing the correct information about the customize demand of the
various customers.
P5 Discuss the key roles within the front office department for a selected organisation.
Front office is the department which is responsible for selling the room and fulfilling
guest requirements in order to make the best experience of them in their stay(David and West,
2017). They deal with the arrival and departure of the guest with proper procedure and solve the
queries of the guest so that they can have a comfortable stay in the hotel. They also concerned
with the passing the correct information to the correct department about the customize demand of
the guest. Key roles of front office department in South lodge hotel are as follows:
 It is the responsible for guest check-in and check-out with all the formalities.
 It also concern with the luggage handling of the guest and proper stacking of guest
luggage.
 They give the assistance to the guest and solve their query in order to satisfy the guest.
TASK 3
P6. The key roles found within the housekeeping department in an organisation.
Housekeeping is the department which is responsible for cleanliness, aesthetic upkeep of
room, back area and public area. It is the highest revenue generating department in the hotel
which offer the best services and satisfy the need of the target customer(Common, Flynn and
Mellon, 2016). Housekeeping is the ancillary department that contribute in a big way for the
growth and the reputation of the company. The efforts of the housekeeping departments give the

desirable room to the guest which makes the comfortable stay of the guest. Guest room are the
heart of the hotel that are keep clean and aesthetic by the housekeeping associates. They
overseeing and directing the cleaning task in an organisation. The housekeeping department of
South lodge is performing various task that are explained as follows:
 Housekeeping is responsible for making the desirable room with antique amenities and
services.
 They are concern with the high standard of cleanliness and general upkeep of all the areas
of the hotel.
 They are responsible for establishing a welcoming atmosphere so that all the work can be
done in an effective manner.
 It also ensure the linen in rooms, restaurants, conference hall, health club and banquet
hall.
 It offers the laundry services to the staff and guest clothing.
 It also coordinate with the maintenance department for the renovation and the
refurnishing of the property when it is needed.
 It also deals wit the lost and found articles and do the proper record keeping.
P7. Assess the importance of forecasting linen stock and other guest supplies to ensure sufficient
supply to meet demand.
An inventory is the complete list of items such as goods in stock or in context of building.
It is concerned with increasing the profitability of the business and increase the amount for
business investment. Forecasting is the process of predictions that are meant for the future based
on the present and past experience. Accommodation provider like hotel and lodges forecasts the
business environment and then allocate the budget in consideration of smooth running of
business in a effective manner.
Forecasting in an imperfect science that can be really impact or may not be. Proper
forecasting will help in establishing a right code of conduct that will leads to operate all the
business operations in an systematic manner(Cenni, I. and Goethals, P., 2017). Overestimating
the demand in the near future will leads to increase the cost of the business. Most of the hotel is
using the inventory control system and helping the hotel for the effective forecasting of the

business and their various operations. Various factors which enlist the importance of forecasting
are as follows:
 This effectively use the resources of the business and allot them in an utilised manner.
 This will help in making right financial decision and also leads to operate the business in
an approached manner
 Forecasting helps the hotel to fluctuate the prices on the basis of their demand.
 It will leads to change the marketing strategy of the business according to the prediction.
P8. Illustrate the importance of interrelationships between housekeeping and other key
department within a organisation to offer the quality services.
Housekeeping is the department which is concerned with the aesthetic up keeping of all
the areas in order to make the desirable stay of the guest so hat they can retain in the business for
a longer period of time. No individual department can work alone, they need the sub department
in order to complete all the task in an appropriate manner.
Housekeeping and front office- The front office assistant make the occupancy report that is
called night report(Bricknell, M. and et. al., 2016). This report indicates room that occupied and

the expected guest that are going to checking-out then the executive housekeeper consultant will
list early all the occupied rooms for cleaning.
Housekeeping and Food and Beverage department- HK department is concerned with providing
sufficient linen and ensure cleanliness and sanitation in the area so that all the operation can be
performed in an approached manner. It also ensure the proper supply of staff uniform as they
intact the directly to the guest.
Housekeeping with Human resource department- It is important to have the proper staffing in the
department so that each work can be assigned and complete in an appropriate manner. HR
manager must ensure that skilled and potential candidate must be hired so that each task can be
done in an approached manner.
Housekeeping with security department- Room are the personalized place for the guest and it is
important that security department must set the guidelines and standards so that there will be no
mishaps.
South lodge hotel also perform their function with the proper coordination between the
various department so that task can be done in an right approach.
TASK 4
P9. Examine the importance of scheduling maintenance or repair work to minimise disruption to
guests.
Guest are the one who avail all the services of the hotel and pay for the same so it is very
important to make the desirable stay of the guest so that they can retain the the business and be a
loyal customer for the brand (Brandon, Lombardi, and Shen, 2017). It ensures that all the
customised demand of the guest must be fulfilled in order to make the comfortable stay of the
guest.
There must be proper scheduling of the repair and maintenance work so that it do not
disturb nor spoil the comfortable stay of the guest. It will help in doing the things in an
appropriate manner and right scheduling will leads to easy completing of the task without
disturbing the guest. For example, the South lodge hotel is planning for the repair and
maintenance work then it is necessary to have the proper scheduling of the maintenance in order

to minimize the disruption of the guest. Hotel must plan all the repair their that work can be done
in an systematic manner without creating hustle in the guest stay.
P10. Discuss the importance of security in an organisation.
It is the accommodation provider who ensure safe and secure environment for guest as
well as staff of the hotel. A guest must come with the feeling that they will feel safe and actually
they are safe in the premises(Beheshtinia and Farzaneh Azad, 2019). It is very important for the
hotel premises to have the safe and secure environment so that guest can have the best
experience by smooth working of the employees as well to protect the physical resources and
assets such as equipment and appliances, building and gardens.
Hotel security covers the guest and their luggage, hotel equipment etc. Guest should be
protected from the crime such as murder, abduction and health hazard from the food and
poisoning. Guest luggage should be safely stored and proper equipment such as troll y must be
use in the luggage handling. Hotel equipment like boilers, lifts, furniture, fitting and building
must be protected properly in order to reduce the accident at the work place and hotel must use
the water flood security system and bomb threat security system in order to tackle all the
emergency carefully.
Various roles and function of Security Manager:
 They are responsible for coordinating all the activities of all the activities to the security
personnel.
 It ensure that all the staff is doing their best so that customer will retain in the business
for a longer period of time.
 It is concerned with the safety and security of fire and food hygiene risks faced by the
hotel.
CONCLUSION
It is concluded from the above report that hospitality industry play an important role in
the development of the economy and this is the main consideration of the business to have the
impactful brand image in the marketplace. Organisation is having the various ownership and the
company is following the private ownership and running their business as it is a five-star
category hotel. Front office department is responsible for solving the query of the guest and also

help in meeting the desirable services so that it will satisfy the guest's need. Housekeeping is the
department which is responsible for making desirable experience of the guest by offering the
superior quality room. Security is the important aspect which must be ensured by every
organisation.

REFERENCES
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